Setting the Stage for a Restart

Now it came about...Moses proceeds to explain the conditions of man prior to the judgment of God through the flood. Chapter 6 deals with what comes before the flood and the reason for the flood.

when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, The following takes place during and after chapter 5. When men began to multiply...Gen 5:4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 26, 30

The multiplication of men took place over several generations.

Genesis 6:2 NASB95

that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.

Establishing the characters

that the sons of God... Sons of Elohim. There are differing views on the meaning.

Methods of Translation Literal translation. Attempts to keep the exact words and phrases of the original. It is faithful to the original text, but sometimes hard to understand. Keeps a constant historical distance. Examples: King James Version (KJV), New American Standard Bible (NASB).

Dynamic equivalent (thought for thought) translation. Attempts to keep a constant historical distance with regard to history and facts, but updates the writing style and grammar. Examples: New International Version (NIV), Revised English Bible (REB).

Free translation (paraphrase). Translates the ideas from the original text but without being constrained by the original words or language. Seeks to eliminate historical distance. Readable, but possibly not precise. Examples: The Living Bible (TLB), The Message, NLT

View 1: Sons of princes,

though this is the position of orthodox Judaism, it is completely unbiblical.

View 2: Angels

in heaven Job 38:7,

Not Satan Job 2:1

fallen angels are not called sons of God.

View 3: a group called by God

Of the mighty Psa 29:1,

Generations of thy sons Psa 73:15,

His children Dt 32:5,

His sons Psa 80:17,

Sons of the living God Hos 1:10,

Sons of the kingdom Matt 13:38,

Peacemakers Matt 5:9

Magistrates Psa 82:6,

Christians (church age saints) children of God Jn 1:12, Rom 8:16,

Isaiah prophesied the Gentiles would be made sons Rom 9:25-26

Spiritual believers are mature sons of God Rom 8:14

Therefore we conclude the meaning of sons of God must be understood by its context.

Commentary on the Old Testament Marriage of the Sons of God and the Daughters of Men.—Ch. 6:1–8

The question whether the “sons of Elohim” were celestial or terrestrial sons of God (angels or pious men of the family of Seth) can only be determined from the context, and from the substance of the passage itself, that is to say, from what is related respecting the conduct of the sons of God and its results.

Is the context of Genesis 6 referring to angels or men?

Some say these are angels.

Problems with this view:

God says he will destroy all flesh but no mention is made of angels. Yet man is mentioned 9 times in 7 verses.

Jude 1:6 and 2 Peter 2:4 do not say that angels fell specifically at this point. Rather, it does say that one third of the angels rebelled with Satan. Rev 12:4

If God was destroying the Nephilim, why do we continue to see them after the flood?

The text tells us they were giving in marriage, not just sexual relations. However, Jesus stated that angels cannot marry. Matt 22:30

Sons of God never refers to fallen angels.

A better interpretation is that the ‘sons of God’ in this context is talking about man.

It seems safe to say, based on the context, that these refer to men from Seth’s line as apposed to Cain’s line (daughters of men). Seth’s line who boasted of God’s name and Cain’s who boasted of themselves.

Seth’s line as seen in Genesis 4:26 are those who call themselves sons of God or at least those who called on the name of God.

Genesis 6:2 NASB95

that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.

Establishing the Plot

Saw that the daughters of men were beautiful… These men looked at the daughters of men that they were ‘good’ filled with charm, pleasurable, aesthetically a delight to the eyes.

instead of looking in their own ‘camp’, they went to the world and became unequally yoked.

and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. Like Lamech did.

Commentary on the Old Testament Marriage of the Sons of God and the Daughters of Men.—Ch. 6:1–8

(to take a wife) is a standing expression throughout the whole of the Old Testament for the marriage relation established by God at the creation, and is never applied to πορνεία, or the simple act of physical connection. This is quite sufficient of itself to exclude any reference to angels.

Genesis 6:3 NASB95

Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”

because he also is flesh; the reason God gives for not striving with man is because he is flesh. It can also mean in his going astray he is flesh.

Not physical flesh.

It does not follow to say because man is physical I will destroy them.

From Adam to Noah all had bodies of flesh.

Enoch was taken away by God even though he had a physical body.

It is referring to carnality, a fleshly mind.

Judgment was coming because... the people were fleshly.

It could be referring especially to the sons of men who were ‘also’ as the world.

Nevertheless ( or therefore) his days shall be hundred and twenty years.

God is merciful to delay his judgment. The life of Methuselah (969) is a living testimony to God’s patience before judging man.

Genesis 6:4 NASB95

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

Validating the time period

The Nephilim were on the earth. Who or what were they?

Many answers have been suggested. We will discuss two of them.

The Nephilim are the offspring of angels and women

The text however says the Nephilim were on the earth in those days and also afterward.

The Nephilim were giants.

Giant in stature

Giants in power, (tyrants who came down on peopl - Luther, bullies).

were on the earth in those days...This destructive spiraling down and judgment (the flood) occurred at the time when Nephilim were on the earth.

At the time when God pronounced judgment. This would help give a time era to the Israelites about when it happened.

It would be common knowledge (oral tradition) to speak of such people. It would help explain the historical period when it took place.

and also afterward...Nephilim were on the earth after the flood.

This poses a problem for those who think the sons of God are angels and that the flood is about destroying these cross-flesh monsters.

The sons of Anak were Nephilim (Num 13:33)

Joshua destroyed most of them (Josh 11:21-23) and those that escaped went to Gath where Goliath was from

Other mentions Dt 2:21, 2 Sa 21:18, Dt 2:10, Dt 1:28,

Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

Men of name. Noted, renowned, notorious

Lamech seems to refer to Cain as a great legend and sets himself up to become even of greater notoriety.

Later on we see this was again in the tower of Babel. Gen 11:4

Genesis 6:5 NASB95

Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Understanding the Importance

the wickedness was great on the earth…the sons of God had not followed their conscience.

It was as then it will be at Christ’s second coming

Matthew 24:37–39 NASB95

“For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Therefore Israel should be on the alert for his coming!

The church age believer should heed his coming!

2 Peter 3:10–12 NASB95

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!

every intent and thoughts of his heart…man was fleshly, carnal.

Paul said he was sold to sin. Rom 7:14

Today the church age believer walks either according to the Spirit or by the flesh. Gal 5:16

The results are very different Gal 5:19-23

Genesis 6:6 NASB95

The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

The Lord was sorry…the usage of anthropomorphism (God given humanlike qualities) is to help us understand in human terms God’s reaction.

He was grieved in His heart…man had given into wanton pleasures of life. They exchanged the worship of the creator for the creation. Romans 1:23

Genesis 6:7 NASB95

The Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.”

I will blot out man whom I have created…as creator, God was about to wipe out all flesh (except fish) and start fresh.

Genesis 6:8 The Setting for Grace

Genesis 6:8 NASB95

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

Noah was the exception to all his contemporaries. He trusted God, therefore God was able to save him from judgment.

Noah found grace (YLT) this is the first mention of the word grace in the Bible.

Grace in this context is

approval, favor 〈stayed in his good graces〉

Merriam-Webster, I. (2003). Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary. (Eleventh ed.). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc.

Summary: The real issue in the first verses of Genesis 6

The key to understanding Genesis 6.

After living 400 years under the culture and thinking of Egypt, Moses needed to teach the children of Israel of their roots and how they came to be.

The nation of Israel (children of God) would hear of what the sons of man had done in the early years and how God responding very strongly to that would be a strong reminder to the Children of Israel in their walk with God.

Unless we understand the context, we can easily fall prey to gnostic or mystical thinking.

Lesson for Israel

The sons of God had compromised truth for sentimentality, flesh rather than dependence on God.

Commentary on the Old Testament Marriage of the Sons of God and the Daughters of Men.—Ch. 6:1–8

The reason why men had gone so far astray, that God determined to withdraw His spirit and give them up to destruction, was that the sons of God had taken wives of such of the daughters of men as they chose.

The importance of the crisis of the generation during Noah’s time was that those who should have been witnesses to the grace of God were given to living life for the moment. Who would preach salvation if everyone was compromised?

The sons of God were given to sentimentality. This is to walk by the flesh (carnally minded).

They focused on the outward beauty of the daughters of men

They married unbelievers

They were not the witness they needed to be to their generation.

Their children had big names.

Lesson to the Reader

Today the church is compromising to sentimentality. Notice some things that will be true in people before His coming.

Preoccupation with physical appetites (luke 17:27)

Inordinate devotion to pleasure and comfort

No concern for God in either belief or conduct (2 pet 2:5, Jude 1:15)

Disregard for the sacredness of marriage (Matt 24:38)

Rejection of the inspired Word of God (1 Pet 3:19)

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