Many people consider him not real, just as many does not believe in the Bible at all, or consider the latter, if part or even as a whole, a work of fiction. But to some of us who do believe that the Scriptures is the Word of God, Methuselah did live his entire 969 years, before the great flood which covered the entire earth with only eight survivors – Noah, his wife, three daughters, and their husbands. Methuselah is Noah’s grandfather.
Methuselah and his son, Lamech (Noah’s father), and Noah were the last generations of those biblical generations whose lifetimes last hundreds of years. I just turned 61 yesterday and frankly, I’m not sure if I would really like it to last even for a century. Anyway, we post-diluvian humans generally have less-than-a-hundred-years lifetimes which would get you P1 Million if you breach it. Even this I’m not even sure I’d still like, what with the frailties and diseases that comes with age.
But this is not about the flood, nor how long we live, or when and how we die. This is about in what state we are when we die. Methuselah may have lived and enjoyed his 969 years, but he drowned and died in the Flood. He was not included in the ark’s manifest of passengers which included his grandson and great-granddaughters. Though part of a long lineage of people who were forbears of Jesus Christ, he was one with mob described in Matthew 24:3 - “in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,” In short, he was not with God.
Methuselah lived to be 969 but his life ended abruptly - viciously drowned. We can almost imagine him shouting at the top of his lungs for help, even to God, even as he realized at the end, our help always come from God. It’s really man’s folly to forsake God in good times, when life is full and to be enjoyed, with all the cares, riches, and luxuries in the world, only to end up bare and empty-handed in the end, regretting all the opportunities God offered in our lifetime. Sure, we might be tempted like Methuselah to disdain God and enjoy the present, only to realize, even a thousand years is NOTHING compared to the eternity God has offered to us to be with him. At the end of the day, it’s all about choices - our choices.
At 969, I think Methuselah never thought that day would be his last. He missed his opportunity to be with God forever. How old/what are our ages, now? Would today be our end, and are we ready like Noah? He and his family lived because they believed and trusted God and followed him. There is no other way – we all need to ask and make sure we’re ready to meet God. Anytime. As in in the next minute if he so decides. If we think hard, we may even realize this is the ultimate question, which needs an answer of course. I hope and pray all of us are like Noah … not Methuselah.