Delayed Puberty?

“...When Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad”

-Genesis 11:10 NLT

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Delayed Puberty?

When I read of the length of time the first people on earth lived before having their first children, I begin to wonder whether puberty in those days was delayed or whether it was a natural form of family planning instituted by God.

Imagine Seth living 105 years before giving birth to his first son, Noah having only 3 sons at 500 years and Methuselah living 969 years, but having his first son Lamech at 187 years of age? Absurd, isn't it? By the way, do you realise that Methuselah died in the same year as the Flood? It is possible he was killed he  in the flood and could have even lived longer.

After the flood, the average age prior to having a first son dropped drastically to about 30 years and that was why it appeared Abraham was unproductive when he hadn't had a child at nearly 85 years of age. Of course it is possible these men all had daughters long before they could produce a son since the girls were not usually included in the family genealogies.

Whichever way we look at it, God is capable of surprising us at unexpected moments of our lives- when it suits him best. ‘Age and time’ is just a number!

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Quick Read: Genesis 5: 1-32; 11; 10-26;  Memory Verse: Genesis 11:10;

Further Study: Luke 1:5-25; 1 Samuel 1:1-28;  

Through the Bible in 1 year: Genesis 18-19; Matthew 6;

Prayer: LORD teach me to wait for your appointed time and never doubt you.