What?s Cooking – 969 years and nothing to show
The oldest person to live on earth (that we have record of) was Methuselah who live 969 years. His name appears six times in the Bible, but yet we know almost nothing that he did. The only thing we really know about him is his family background.
He was the grandfather of Noah and it is thought that he died during the great flood for which Noah built the ark. The Bible mentions Methuselah six times, five times in Genesis 5. And once in II Chronicles 1. This is the Genesis account: Genesis 5:21-27 ?And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech. And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.?
Perhaps some would think it is foolish and a waste of time to talk about someone who we know so little about. But just think about it, here is a man that is only known for his length of life. Of course, the above passage is part of the chapter the descendants of Adam, many of who we know very little about, but yet they made an impact on the life of others. Few of us think seriously about what we do and say. If we did, there would be fearless trouble in the world. Many of us make big things out of nothing. Insignificant things can and do erode into major problems.
Recent newscasts have said the passage to outlaw the spanking of a child by a parent is coming. You may turn on the television and watch all the shows dealing with all kinds of problems and the emcee of the show pulls out a ?miracle remedy,? no matter what the problem is, he knows the cure. But it seems to me, a lot of our problems today have risen to the failings in administering discipline. In view of the alternative, sparkling is not so bad. We hear so much about youth crime and wonder what is the answer? A child needs teaching, guidance and to be shown the direction he should go. I was raised in a family who believes that spanking was necessary. Our parents even supported teachers, if we were spanked in school, we got one at home. I had more than 40 first cousins, I can count with the fingers of one hand those who spent time in jail. I don?t know if it was the spanking or the work the kids had to do when they got home. Probably both.
Is a good determined by its length or how it was lived?