The fountain of youth has been a topic that has fascinated millions for thousands of years, and for good reason, because as far as we know, most of us human beings desire to live for as long as possible, and in the best physical condition that can be had. And there are several statements made in the Bible and written by the pen of inspiration, with which some of us may have been familiar, but have not certified through a thorough investigation of the scriptural concepts, and the principles of healthful living.
It is never good for us to follow blindly without personal conviction, any plan for living well, for then our practice will be spasmodic at best, being subject to change with the fad and practice of the day. In addition to this, we should exercise great care in not allowing the wisdom of men to usurp the knowledge God has given us in His word, for whatever might be the current scientific research and discoveries, God’s knowledge of the human frame supersedes anything we may come up with, that may be contrary to what the scriptures teach.
Thus, the Bible study for this afternoon represents the first in a series of presentations on healthful living, and the information given out will be based on golden nuggets of truth gleaned from a careful, and very detailed study of scriptural statements, which in many cases may seem to defy logic, and conventional modes of thought and action on the issues of health, diet, and exercise. Not only were several peculiar passages of scripture examined, but we also used ourselves as “guinea pigs” so as to verify and ascertain what God has been saying all along. The following therefore, are just a few of these statements drawn from the Bible, and also
from the pen of inspiration. Let’s read:
Deuteronomy 34:7 And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.
Deuteronomy 32:48 And the Lord spake unto Moses that selfsame day, saying,
49 Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession:
50 And die in the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people.
Several deductions of interest can be drawn from these few verses, which when understood rightly can enable us to live for as long as possible, and in the best of health throughout our entire lifespan. It is not God’s ideal will that we should be sick, and if that is the case, then we must do all we possibly can to ascertain the causes, and to remedy, or put into practice, whatever instructions, laws, and methods God has been pleased to reveal to us, and then we are to trust His goodness to take up the slack, when and wherever He sees best. The first takeaway from the passage above is:
[1] Moses, at age 120 years died prematurely. The scripture teaches us that it is appointed unto all men once to die, but it must be understood that by a wrong course of action we often accelerate that appointment. Indeed, most people living on planet earth do die prematurely, this according to the scriptures. Let’s read:
Ecclesiastes 7:16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou
destroy thyself?
17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?
[2] Moses did not die from natural causes, nor from old age, because the Bible gives the specific reason for the cause of his death. Let’s read:
Numbers 20:23 And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in mount Hor, by the coast of the land of Edom, saying,
24 Aaron shall be gathered unto his people: for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against my word at the water of Meribah.
Deuteronomy 3:23 And I besought the Lord at that time, saying,
25 I pray thee, let me go over, and see the good
land that is beyond Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon.
26 But the Lord was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me: and the Lord said unto me, Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto me of this matter.
27 Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold it with thine eyes: for thou shalt not go over this Jordan.
And lest we draw the wrong conclusion about the character and dealings of God with His earthborn children, He would have us to understand that the wages of sin is still death, and even though the gift of God through Jesus Christ is eternal life, yet in this life, the laws of cause and effect are allowed to run their natural course. And thus it was, on account of that sin at Meribah, that satan showed up for his payment in the form of Moses’ demise. Let’s read:
Jude 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
[Patriarchs and Prophets pp. 478] Had not the life of Moses been marred with that one sin, in failing to give God the glory of bringing water from the rock at Kadesh, he would have entered the promised Land, and would have been translated to heaven without seeing death. But he was not long to remain in the tomb. Christ Himself, with the angels who had buried Moses, came down from heaven to call forth the sleeping saint.
Satan had exulted at his success in causing Moses to sin against God, and thus come under the dominion of death. The great adversary declared that the divine sentence—“Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Genesis 3:19)—gave him possession of the dead. The power of the grave had never been broken, and all who were in the tomb he claimed as his captives, never to be released from his dark prison house.
These solemn statements raise additional questions for our consideration, for instance, if Moses had not sinned at Meribah, could it be that he would have lived many more years, without ever experiencing the natural processes of aging? And if so, could it be that those who will be translated to heaven in the last days, when Christ appears, will like Moses, not experience the aging processes which conventional wisdom states must come upon all men?
The real answer to these disturbing questions raises the prospect that many of us may be falling short of God’s glory based on a certain given life expectancy, whereas, an experience much more glorious may be right at our fingertips. Let’s read:
Revelation 14:1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.
“These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
[Counsels On Diet and Foods. pp.47] If you pursue a wrong course, and indulge in wrong habits of eating, and thereby weaken the intellectual powers, you will not place that high estimate upon salvation and eternal life which will inspire you to conform your life to the life of Christ; you will not make those earnest, self-sacrificing efforts for entire conformity to the will of God, which His word requires and which are necessary to give you a moral fitness for the finishing touch of immortality.
But before we proceed, let’s first revisit the sacred statements made concerning Moses at the time of his death. If Moses is just about to die, and God is now asking him to climb a mountain several miles high, then it means that his natural force had not been diminished, which tells us that conventional wisdom on the natural processes of aging did not apply to Moses for some unknown reason, nor did his bones deteriorate as is commonly understood in the scientific community.
The scriptural statements made, pertaining to the profound absence of the normal aging process in Moses presents a predicament that cannot ever be explained, or rationalized away by using mere logic, because it is immediately obvious that a profound disconnect exists between our current modes of thought on this matter, and the sacred, insightful declarations of scripture. Let’s read:
[National institutes of health. Gov.] The skeleton provides support and structure to the body. Joints are the areas where bones come together. They allow the skeleton to be flexible for movement. In a joint, bones do not directly contact each other. Instead, they are cushioned by cartilage in the joint, synovial membranes around the joint, and fluid. Muscles provide the force and strength to move the body. Coordination is directed by the brain but is affected by changes in the muscles and joints. Changes in the muscles, joints, and bones affect the posture and walk, and lead to weakness and slowed movement.
People lose bone mass or density as they age, especially women after menopause. The bones lose calcium and other minerals. Vertebrae also lose some of their mineral content, making each bone thinner. The spinal column becomes curved and compressed (packed together). The joints become stiffer and less flexible. Fluid in the joints may decrease. The cartilage may begin to rub together and wear away.
Question: If the foregoing declaration applies to all people without any exception or variables, how is it then, that God is asking Moses to climb a mountain several miles high at the age of 120 years, without any support or helper. And since the average age of Egyptian men at that time was between 30 to 50 years at best, how is it that Moses almost tripled that number, without any known side effects on his physical ability? It is obvious that something is not adding up, and the time has fully come for us to discover why.
Furthermore, the case of Moses is not isolated,for Caleb, who was one of the only two faithful spies, also makes the same claim in his testimonials, for it is apparent that he too did not suffer at all from the natural aging process, for some unknown reason. Let’s read:
Joshua 14:6 Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the Lord said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadeshbarnea.
7 Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart.
8 Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the Lord my God.
9 And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God.
10 And now, behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the Lord spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.
11 As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.
12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said.
We want to be certain about what we are hearing from the mouth of Caleb. Is he really saying that at the age eighty-five, he is willing to pick a fight with the giants in the land of Canaan, because he has not experienced any deterioration whatever in physical strength, nor in stamina for a period of 45 years? And if so, could it be that our current understanding of the aging process is partially flawed, because it is based on science which does not incorporate the scriptural knowledge, principles and instructions on health, into its analyses and conclusions?
Thus it is that we are confronted with a few basic questions for which we need to find answers. Was Moses and Caleb being sustained supernaturally, solely by the power of God, without any effort or input on their part? Or did they incorporate specific laws of health into their practice, thus cooperating with Divine agencies in the promotion of longevity, well into their most senior years?
And the deeper question for us living today in the 21st century will be, is it possible for us, like Moses, to greatly forestall the aging processes, if we were to discover what Moses and Caleb did? And if not, what is the real purpose of The Lord allowing such information to be written in the Bible. These and many other haunting questions are what drove us to investigate the information given in the Bible, so that if possible, we too can live for 120 years, without our natural force being abated, nor our eyes being dimmed.
It is worthy of note that in the Bible, both God’s ideal and His circumstantial will pertaining to aging is presented, and it may be that the choice is ours, depending on which route we decide to take. Let’s read:
Psalm 90:10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
If God intended that this statement should apply across the board, with no possibility of alteration through the implementation of laws and principles of health, then we must ask respectfully of those in our midst, who are currently in their nineties, what are you still doing here? It must be that this text applies in a generic format, based not on God’s ideal will, but rather on the results of the course of action taken by the multitudes. Let’s read:
Ecclesiastes 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
3 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low.
This again is generic information, pertaining to most of us who choose to follow conventional wisdom or instructions for healthful living. However, if by faith, and through cooperation with the Lord, we were to adopt the principles, methods, and instructions He has been pleased to reveal, then it is quite possible for this passage to never apply to us, and like our friend Moses, God may have to ask us to die. Let’s read:
[Patriarchs and Prophets pp. 378] God brought the Israelites from Egypt, that He might establish them in the land of Canaan, a pure, holy, and happy people. In the accomplishment of this object He subjected them to a course of discipline, both for their own good and for the good of their posterity. Had they been willing to deny appetite, in obedience to His wise restrictions, feebleness and disease would have been unknown among them. Their descendants would have possessed both physical and mental strength.
They would have had clear perceptions of truth and duty, keen discrimination, and sound judgment. But their unwillingness to submit to the restrictions and requirements of God, prevented them, to a great extent, from reaching the high standard which He desired them to attain, and from receiving the blessings which He was ready to bestow upon them.
The following therefore begins a detailed account of what God did for Moses, and what he himself did in cooperation with God. And because the path of the righteous is as the shining light that shineth more and more until the perfect day, we will also include additional instructions coming directly from The pen of inspiration, with the hope that we may adopt and practice them in living healthier and longer lives.
[1] The first thing God did for the children of Israel, even before He changed their diet, was to put them on a most vigorous walking program, for God knows that daily exercise is critically important for staving off a host of ailments and diseases. This very simple aerobic activity goes a long way in forestalling many of the ailments and adverse conditions we so often suffer from, and it will do us well if we can start to incorporate this exercise, or something similar into our daily regimen. Let’s read:
Exodus 12:1 And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying,
2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord's passover.
Exodus 14:20 And they took their journey from Succoth”….
21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
And they walked and they walked and they walked, with some very conservative estimates putting their entire sojourn in the wilderness at approximately 16 to 23 miles on their days of travel, to accumulate several thousand miles of walking. This aerobic activity as given by God is nothing new, for even before man sinned, and ever after, God ordained that exercise should form a vital part of our daily regimen, so as to promote health and vitality, and also to prevent a number of diseases. Let’s read:
Genesis 2:8 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
Genesis 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake;
18 “And thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground”….
[Messages to young people pp. 232] Since the mind and the soul find expression through the body, both mental and spiritual vigor are in great degree dependent upon physical strength and activity; whatever promotes physical health promotes the development of a strong mind and a well-balanced character. Without health, no one can as distinctly understand or as completely fulfill his obligations to himself, to his fellow-beings, or to his Creator. Therefore the health should be as faithfully guarded as the character. A knowledge of physiology and hygiene should be the basis of all educational effort.
Article by The Washington post: 12/16/2014
Evidence continues to accumulate that physical activity can help hold off the changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer's Disease, and perhaps the devastating symptoms of the disease itself. The latest information comes from researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, who looked at 317 late-middle aged adults and determined that those who exercised five times a week or more had fewer of the age-related changes in the brain that are associated with the disease, and did better on cognitive tests.
Age remains the single greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's, greater even than having the gene found in many people with the disease, the study confirmed. But "what we have shown here is that physical activity diminishes the deleterious influence of age," said Ozioma Okonkwo, an assistant professor of medicine at the school who led the study.
People who exercised had less accumulation of "beta amyloid plaque," the proteins that build up in the brains of people who suffer from Alzheimer's Disease. They had less shrinkage of the hippocampus and less reduction in use of glucose in the brain, two other symptoms of the disease. And they had fewer neurofibrillary tangles, twisted fibers inside brain cells of people with Alzheimer's. When researchers tested the people who worked out, they did better on memory and visual-spatial tests.
As has been stated again and again on this forum, God is more practical and down to earth in His instructions and methods than many of us realize, and thus it will do us well to begin implementing the simple instructions on healthful exercise given for our best good. These practices coupled together with a living faith in God will ultimately put us on track to work in harmony and in cooperation with the Divine agencies, and if we become diligent and faithful in doing so, we will soon begin to reap the positive results, across the entire spectrum of our life experience.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture for our consideration, which will prepare us for the next round of instruction on healthful living, so that we may begin to drink from the fountain of youth. Let’s read:
Psalm 103:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!