Methuselah’s long lifetime fits with Peter’s depiction of God’s patience in 2 Peter 3. After discussing the Flood (in vv. 5-6), the apostle writes in verses 8-9:
But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
So the next time someone asks you, “What’s the name of the oldest man in the Bible?” Don’t just answer “Methuselah,” as if his age were merely some trivial factoid. Instead, consider the fact that 969 years is a really long time—not just for any one person to live but for a holy God to be patient with a rebellious planet.
This article about how did Methuselah live for hundreds of years originally appeared here.
