Articles
And He Died
The fifth chapter of Genesis contains the genealogy from of Adam to Noah. One thing that immediately stands out in reading this genealogy is the ages of these men. Adam lived a total of 930 years, Seth 912 years, Enosh 905 years, and Methuselah lived 969 years. The other thing that stands out in Genesis 5 is the words “and he died”. With the exception of Enoch, whom the Lord took, every man’s life ended with “and he died”.
You and I will never live to be 969 years old. The average lifespan of a man is between 70 and 80 years just like it was in the days of Moses. Listen to Moses: “the years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away” (Ps.90:10-11). Even though we might not live as long as Methuselah it will be said about us just like it was said about him, “and he died”.
Of more importance than how long we live when those words are written is how have we lived? If we live for Christ then “and he died” is gain for us. Listen to Paul, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better” (Phil.11:21-23). How you living in such a way that when “and he died” is written about you that you will be far better off? If not, why not begin to serve the Lord today.
