Topical Bible: Man: Ordinary Limit of his Life

◄ Man: Ordinary Limit of his Life ►

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The concept of the ordinary limit of human life is a topic that has intrigued theologians, scholars, and believers throughout history. The Bible provides insights into the lifespan of man, reflecting both divine intention and the consequences of human actions.

Biblical Lifespan Before the Flood

In the early chapters of Genesis, we observe that the lifespan of humans was significantly longer than what is experienced today. Figures such as Methuselah, who lived 969 years (Genesis 5:27), exemplify the extended lifespans of the antediluvian patriarchs. This period is characterized by longevity, which some scholars attribute to the pristine conditions of the pre-flood world and the direct blessing of God.

Post-Flood Lifespan Reduction

Following the flood, there is a noticeable decline in the lifespan of humans. This change is often linked to the altered conditions of the earth and the introduction of new challenges to human survival. In Genesis 6:3 , God declares, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days shall be 120 years." This pronouncement is seen as a divine decree setting a new limit on human life, reflecting a shift in God's interaction with humanity.

The Psalmist's Reflection

The Psalms provide further reflection on the brevity and frailty of human life. Psalm 90:10 states, "The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty if we are strong—yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away." This passage captures the transient nature of human existence and the reality that even the strongest among us face the inevitability of aging and death.

Wisdom Literature and Human Mortality

The wisdom literature of the Bible, particularly the book of Ecclesiastes, often contemplates the limits of human life. Ecclesiastes 3:2 acknowledges, "a time to be born and a time to die," emphasizing the cyclical and predetermined nature of human existence. The brevity of life is a recurring theme, urging individuals to live wisely and in reverence to God.

New Testament Perspective

In the New Testament, the focus shifts from the physical lifespan to the eternal life offered through Jesus Christ. While the ordinary limit of human life remains a reality, the promise of eternal life transcends earthly constraints. John 3:16 assures believers, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Theological Implications

The ordinary limit of human life serves as a reminder of human mortality and the need for reliance on God. It underscores the importance of living a life that honors God, recognizing that earthly existence is temporary. The Bible encourages believers to focus on spiritual growth and the hope of eternal life, which surpasses the limitations of the physical world.

In summary, the Bible presents a nuanced view of the ordinary limit of human life, reflecting both the consequences of sin and the hope of redemption. Through its teachings, believers are called to live with an eternal perspective, valuing the time given and seeking a deeper relationship with God.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 90:10
The days of our years are three score years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Man after God's Own Heart
... so he simply asks, that in the ordinary round of ... An emergency might arise in the
ideal man's life; or he ... If he ask anything"no exception"no limit to God's ...
//christianbookshelf.org/drummond/the ideal life/the man after gods own.htm

Jesus Life-Giver and Judge.
... It was this which differentiated Him from ordinary men, that He ... Had the impotent
man not believed, he would not have ... that is to say, there is no limit to His ...
/.../xiii jesus life-giver and judge.htm

Commencement of the Legends Concerning Jesus --His Own Idea of his ...
... that no idea of the laws of Nature marked the limit of the ... of Daniel and of Enoch,
he was the Son of man"to the Jews holding the ordinary faith, and to ...
/.../renan/the life of jesus/chapter xv commencement of the.htm

Jesus the Resurrection and Life.
... He is thrown out of sympathy with the ordinary interests of ... Nowhere do we so come
to the limit and end ... And if a man cannot determine for himself whether this ...
/.../xxiii jesus the resurrection and.htm

The Universal Gift
... does not fill, in the mind of the ordinary Christian man, the place ... suggested in
a somewhat different connection, because they limit their notions ...
/.../maclaren/romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/the universal gift.htm

A String of Pearls
... And that is a good maxim for ordinary times in all ... If a man does, let him well
understand that he ... Conscience only has the right to limit this precept, and to ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/a string of pearls.htm

On the Wit of Whistler
... which they have in common." The ordinary man of sense ... beyond this, his outstanding
virtues limit themselves chiefly ... A man must be something of a moralist if he ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chesterton/heretics/xvii on the wit of.htm

His Schools and Schoolmasters.
... years, to go forth from the ordinary haunts of men ... motherless, brotherless,
sisterless"a lone man, he passed ... to their fashions and whims; we limit the natural ...
/.../meyer/john the baptist/iii his schools and schoolmasters.htm

Prayer and Importunity
... which rises far above, and goes beyond the ordinary implications of ... Though I fear
not God nor regard man; yet because ... A limit is set to His tarrying, by the ...
/.../bounds/the necessity of prayer/vi prayer and importunity.htm

Christ's Finished and Unfinished Work
... deeper and more wonderful than the ordinary human utterance ... it all Himself; and
Christian people unduly limit the sphere ... is the purpose of God for man, and God ...
/.../christs finished and unfinished work.htm