My life-giving spirit will not sustain human beings forever because they are, after all, made of flesh. Therefore, I will put a limit on their lifespan of about 120 years. Genesis 6:3 (The Voice).
Over the years I have read this verse of the Bible several times and found myself confused and asking questions. At this point in Genesis, the story of Adam has ended and Noah is about to take center stage. Yet sandwiched between these two patriarchs is this verse. What has always perplexed me is the fact that God doesn’t seem to carry out His own plan. At the end of chapter nine we read that Noah lived to be 950 and once we reach the genealogy found in chapter 11, we see many of Noah’s descendants lived well past 120.
Recently while rereading this portion of Scripture, the explanation in my Bible read, “…but the change comes gradually.” Those words struck me and I began to think about the changes that come in our natural world and how many of them occur slowly and deliberately.
Take, for example, the dawn of each new day. It is steady and gradual, so as not to blind our eyes as darkness fades.
As a baby grows in the womb, it does so steadily over months of unseen changes that are only visible through the swelling of the mother’s abdomen.
Even the largest of trees begins as one small seed that takes years to develop into a towering oak.
Throughout the time that all of these changes require, work is happening and growth is occurring. Each change brings greater life and more opportunity to nurture those in the surrounding area.
As the day grows, the sun warms the Earth and provides the elements needed to sustain life on the planet. As the mother’s abdomen swells, organs, limbs, and the processes needed to sustain life outside the womb develop. The tree with its growing structure provides increased shelter, food, and shade for the creatures and passersby in its proximity.
Have you ever longed for change in your own life? Have you ever had a dream, a desire, or an area where you desperately wanted life to be different? It is easy to grow impatient and frustrated when change does not come as quickly as we desire.
Yet, It is the mercy of an omniscient Father to keep us moving and growing at a pace that is gradual and sustainable. Can you imagine the repercussions on the land and the people in a world that changes instantly? How much havoc might come in a world that goes immediately from cold to hot and dark to light on a daily basis? What about the mother whose belly instantly expands to make room for a full term infant before her body and cells have time to prepare?
What might have happened in Biblical civilization if men went instantly from living 950 years to 120 instead? Would panic have begun? How might the very structure and patterns of society have been different? After all, this change did not fully actualize until after Aaron —over 700 years later. There is no way for us to know how history might have played out differently. We can only speculate.
My point is that it is indeed the Lord’s mercy to bring change and growth in small increments. Just as we nurture a child and release responsibility one step, one stage, and one skill at a time, our loving Father does the same with us. His delays are not malicious in nature and are not designed to initiate frustration or pain.
My prayer for each of us today is that we might become like the mother who pauses a month at a time to commemorate her unborn child by noting the growth in her belly. May we begin to see our own progress and recognize our own growth. Rather than lamenting over the idea that we are not where we want to be, may we begin to recognize how far we have come. Instead of heaving a heavy sigh of impatience, may we become more aware of the pleasure our loving Father takes in guiding us carefully, thoughtfully, and gradually through the process of change.
-Liz