The Longsuffering Of God In Genesis 6:3
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesA querist asks, “In Genesis 6:3, does the phrase, ‘yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years’ mean that man’s earthly body won’t last more than 120 years (as opposed to all of the men that lived to around 900 yrs. old in Genesis 5)?”
The text in Genesis 6:3 (KJV) reads, “And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.”
The one hundred and twenty years refers to the duration of God’s longsuffering (Genesis 6:3). This is the period of time mentioned in 1 Peter 3:18-20; 2 Peter 2:5. Note the phrase, “My Spirit” in Genesis 6:3-ASV. God and Christ directed the Holy Spirit to inspire Noah to preach God’s word for the purpose of bringing mankind to repentance (1 Peter 3:20).
They did not repent and obey God, with the exception of Noah and his family (Genesis 6:9; Genesis 6:22; Genesis 7:1; Genesis 7:7). There is only one end for people who willfully resist the teachings of the Holy Spirit (Genesis 6:5-7; cf. Romans 2:8-9; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).
God’s longsuffering is still in effect for mankind today, “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
Dear reader, why don’t you take advantage of God’s longsuffering, and render obedience to His will this very day (Matthew 7:21; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 17:30; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 8:35-39-KJV).