Mark Tabata’s Weekday Devotionals:
Monday March 30 2026
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Psalm 90:12-So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.
The Bible tells us that in the days before the Flood, there was a period of
120 years that was very significant.
Genesis 6:3-And the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”
What does the reference to 120 years mean?
There are two prevailing theories.
The first states that from this point on, God was going to give humanity one hundred and twenty more years to repent of its wickedness. If they didn’t turn away from their evil ways, then He would bring judgment on the world through a global Flood. There is an ancient uninspired Jewish history book known as Jasher (referenced in the Bible in a few places such as Joshua 10:12-13) which endorses this view.
It states:
Jasher 5:5-11-“5 And all who followed the Lord died in those days, before they saw the evil which God declared to do upon earth. 1536 AM–God warns of a coming flood 6 And after the lapse of many years, in the four hundred and eightieth year of the life of Noah, when all those men, who followed the Lord had died away from amongst the sons of men, and only Methuselah was then left, God said unto Noah and Methuselah, saying, 7 Speak ye, and proclaim to the sons of men, saying, Thus saith the Lord, return from your evil ways and forsake your works, and the Lord will repent of the evil that he declared to do to you, so that it shall not come to pass. 8 For thus saith the Lord, Behold I give you a period of one hundred and twenty years; if you will turn to me and forsake your evil ways, then will I also turn away from the evil which I told you, and it shall not exist, saith the Lord. 9 And Noah and Methuselah spoke all the words of the Lord to the sons of men, day after day, constantly speaking to them. 10 But the sons of men would not hearken to them, nor incline their ears to their words, and they were stiffnecked. 11 And the Lord granted them a period of one hundred and twenty years, saying, If they will return, then will God repent of the evil, so as not to destroy the earth.” (Ken Johnson, Ancient Book Of Jasher, 22 (Kindle Edition): CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; emphasis added M.T.)
Another view advocates that it was in this context that God began greatly reducing the human lifespan. Prior to this, mortal man had typically lived for hundreds of years upon the Earth before succumbing to old age. So it is suggested by some that God-at this stage in human history-began to significantly reduce man’s longevity. The Jewish historian Josephus advocates this viewpoint.
“For many angels of God accompanied with women, and begat sons that proved unjust, and despisers of all that was good, on account of the confidence they had in their own strength; for the tradition is, that these men did what resembled the acts of those whom the Grecians call giants. But Noah was very uneasy at what they did; and being displeased at their conduct, persuaded them to change their dispositions and their acts for the better: but seeing they did not yield to him, but were slaves to their wicked pleasures, he was afraid they would kill him, together with his wife and children, and those they had married; so he departed out of that land. Now God loved this man for his righteousness: yet he not only condemned those other men for their wickedness, but determined to destroy the whole race of mankind, and to make another race that should be pure from wickedness; and cutting short their lives, and making their years not so many as they formerly lived, but one hundred and twenty only, he turned the dry land into sea; and thus were all these men destroyed: but Noah alone was saved; for God suggested to him the following contrivance and way of escape”. (Flavius Josephus Translated any William Whiston In 1737, The Complete Works of Flavius Josephus, 1108-1117 (Kindle Edition): W. Bowyer; emphasis added, M.T.).
Later, the human lifespan was reduced even further (although medical science and technology may extend this somewhat):.
Psalm 90:10-The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Likely, both interpretations of the 120 years are accurate.
What are some ways that the significance of the 120 years reflects the goodness of God?
What lessons can we learn and apply to our lives regarding the reference in Genesis to the 120 years?
Father, thank You for always blessing us so abundantly. Amen.