'World's oldest person' celebrates 128th birthday

SAN AGUSTIN, El Salvador, May 3 (Reuters) - Friends and relatives of Cruz Hernandez's gathered on Wednesday to celebrate her 128th birthday, a milestone that might make her the world's oldest person. Hernandez, who relatives say spends most of her time dozing and no longer speaks, was surrounded by some 200 people at her party, some bearing a cake and others dressed as Salvadoran mythological heroes. According to national records, Hernandez was born on May 3, 1878, in one of the country's central provinces, where she gave birth to 13 children. She now has 60 grandchildren, 80 great-grandchildren and 25 great-great grandchildren. National birth registry officials sent Hernandez's documents to the Guinness World Records organization last year but have yet to hear whether the case was accepted. Guinness claims Ecuadorean Maria Esther de Capovilla is the world's oldest living woman at age 116. According to the organization, the longest any woman has ever lived is 122 years. The oldest man was 120 when he died in 1986 photo courtesy images.google.com & story courtesy arabtimesonline.com, 05/04/06

    ²⁵When Methuselah was 187 years old, his son Lamech was born. ²⁶After the birth of Lamech, Methuselah lived another 782 years, and he had other sons and daughters. ²⁷He died at the age of 969.

WHAT'S THE EXPLANATION ON WHY PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE LIVED LONGER?

Do you ever think about this?  I mean, what kind of retirement pension did old Methuselah rack up by the time he turned 969?  Imagine the cake!  Bet the candle heat must have kept him from getting close enough to blow 'em out!

Check out these notes from Tyndale's LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE:

5:25-27  How did these people live so long?  Some believe that the ages listed here were lengths of family dynasties rather than ages of individual men.  Those who think these were actual ages offer three explanations: (1) The human race was more genetically pure in this early time period with less disease to shorten life spans; (2) no rain had yet fallen on the earth, and the expanse of "the waters of the heavens" (1:7) kept out harmful cosmic rays and shielded people from environmental factors that hasten aging; (3) God gave people longer lives so they would have time to "fill the earth" (1:28).

I'm convinced that these people were actually that old.  It's another example of God having a perfect plan (in spite of our attempts to mess it up) for  creation, salvation, redemption, and the building of His Kingdom. 

No matter how old you are or ever become, remember that the LORD is in control from age to age.  Every year, month, week, day, hour, minute, second, is a gift from Him.

• Every day, thank God for the gift of life.
• The next time you're at a birthday party and the candles get blown out, let it remind you of the truth that every breath you take is part of God's plan.
• Spend a little time with an elderly person (if she's 129, call Guinness Book).  You will be an encouragement that you won't understand till you get to be really old.

Daily Devos is published Monday through Friday. Archives can be found at YFC.ORG.  Its purpose is to help you apply truths from God's Word every day.

Our writer, Byron Emmert, has been involved with Youth For Christ for 30 years. He's served as Campus Life Staff, as a writer, and in leadership for the DCLA Conferences. Byron is married to Linda and their family includes two married sons and daughters-in-law, and a daughter in college.  He loves sports, deep dish pizza, and spending time with his family.