Genesis 3:16 (Curse in Child Bearing)

[francisdesales]

First, let's establish the fact that Noah had children after he was 500 years old!

After Noah was 500 years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth. Genesis 5:32 ESV

Yes, I stand corrected. Thanks, Paidion.

My original point was that God's reasoning for giving long life to the pre-flood patriarchs was not to have numerous children throughout their ultra-long lifes, but to show blessings to these first fathers of the faith. My point stands, I believe, considering that Noah only had 3 sons -at 500 years old, as you point out (Gen 6:10 and 10:1 verify this). Having three sons over the course of 500 years is not exactly going out and "filling the earth". Furthermore, it does not appear that EVERYONE lived a superhumanly long age - only those who were Noah's immediate ancestors as listed in Genesis 5. I continue to contend that this is a literary device to point out God blessing Noah's line.

You ask why Sarah would doubt that she would be pregnant with Isaac at an less than 100 years old? Sarah lived in a different age from that of Noah. After the flood, people aged faster, and died MUCH earlier. The greater exposure to the sun may have been a factor. Also, the air pressure was only half as much, and the oxygen level went down from 30% to 20%.

Not sure where you get those scientific measurements on air pressure and oxygen levels and what that has to do with living to 900 years. I continue to believe these long ages are literary devices, but I accept your desire to take the literal interpretations. I am open to either view point.

Yet, God must have restored a lot of virility to Abhram. For after Sarah's death, he married Keturah and she bore him 6 sons, and he had concubines besides (Gen 25:1-6)

[/quote]

Yes, this is miraculous, not ordinary. That is what John above contends... That God made man to ORDINARILY live to 900 and bear sons (or be able to) all the way up to 900 years.

Regards

 

[John]

Yes, this is miraculous, not ordinary. That is what John above contends... That God made man to ORDINARILY live to 900 and bear sons (or be able to) all the way up to 900 years.

I believe you took what i said out of context Francis.

I said this.

if one has a hard time having a baby at say 40 today then if we apply the same on the 1000 year old people then they would have a hard time at around 400 years old. I bet they could have many MANY kids in 400 years

 

[francisdesales]

Yes, this is miraculous, not ordinary. That is what John above contends... That God made man to ORDINARILY live to 900 and bear sons (or be able to) all the way up to 900 years.

I believe you took what i said out of context Francis.

This is what began our discussion...

JohnMuise wrote:

I do believe Genesis states that Adam and Eve had many children and even if the Bible did not i am sure they did seeing how long they lived.

Francisdesales responded:

What difference does it make how long they lived in determining how fertile they were?

As can be seen regarding Noah, God did not give Noah long life SO THAT he could populate the earth with hundreds of children, as you have speculated. The age is not the issue on having many kids. The long life is ONLY given to the ancestors of Noah backwards to Adam. No one else. This indicates a blessing given by God to the fathers of the partiarchs, NOT that God wanted every man to copulate and bring hundreds of offspring into the world. That was my entire point. The age of Noah has no bearing on how many children he had or would have, since he only brought 3 sons into the world. (Gen 6:10; 10:1).

Thus, my point remains. The old age is a device to point out the blessings to NOAH and his ancestors, not man in general.

Regards

 

[John]

Good enough.

 

[stovebolts]

Well, Hank's Volume 1 and 2 of The Answer Bible Handbooks did not answer the question, however one of the questions he did answer was, "Can God make a rock so big, He can't move it?"

:rolling

Maybe he'll post the Genesis answer in volume III