POLEMIC

A man a man Genesis chapter 6:1 of the funkiest and strangest text in the scripture. You ready, read vs128 when man mankind began to multiply on the face of the land daughters were born to them in the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive and they took as their wives any they shows lord said, my spirit will not abide in Man Forever. He is Flash's day. She'll be a hundred and twenty years and the Nephilim where on the earth in those days and also afterwards whenever the sons of God came into the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the Mighty Men. Ivo The men of renown and the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth. And that's every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth and it grieved him to his heart. But the Lord said I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land man and animals and creeping things birds of the heavens for I am sorry that I have made them. but Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord this is the word of the Lord

as we begin to look at Genesis chapter 6 this morning. I want to remind you of some things that we've wrestled with and learned over the previous few chapters. And the first is is so simple, but so challenging and it's simply this the Bible is a supernatural document. I don't just mean the way that it was created or preserve LOL. That's true too. I mean this the Bible offers us a way of seeing and understanding reality that at its core Embraces not only unnatural materialistic world, but also a supernatural reality. The Bible is at its heart and its core a worldview that not not just accepts but Embraces a super natural reality. That's a challenge for us today because we live at the height of the Apex of a materialistic naturalistic scientific culture. The lens of our culture has ruled out a Supernatural on the basis of science, which is a ridiculous reality because science has no ability to determine or analyze or evaluate something outside the natural realm, which would be the supernatural. And yet it is the reality in which we live the lens of our culture the Assumption of the world in which we live is that all that exists is what we can see touch hear taste and test. The Bible knows nothing of that world view the Bible rejects that worldview by offering its worldview a worldview that says in the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth. That which is unseen and that which is seen that which is immaterial and that which is material is a God that has made the natural world and natural processes. And the same God made an immaterial Supernatural world the Bible did God create all that exists, but God filled God filled the natural Creation with natural creatures at the heights. He creates his imagers mankind you and I male and female he created them in His image. He created them but we also see in Genesis at the beginning that we're not the only imagers made by God. That there are supernatural images. God said let us make man in our image in the image of God. He created them male and female there are Supernatural Divine not in the natural world, but in the Supernatural world made by God for God just like we are.

But they are of a different order. a different type of existence they dwell in a different Realm But they're not exclusive Realm. They're not Realms that exist in different places and are not created to touch their made to dwell together.

reality that the Bible

describes for us is of a world unnatural world that is deeply impacted.

By the supernatural if we have any hope of understanding Genesis chapter 6, we got we have to start there. With an acknowledgement that the reality that the Bible is portraying is a reality that at its core acknowledges and actually requires a supernatural reality. If you've been paying attention in Genesis, that should make sense. It's everywhere in the Book of Genesis. We see Supernatural reality in the beginning God created the natural world out of nothing is by definition Supernatural is not What we see in the beginning God's images both natural human and divine Angelic beings, whatever you want to call them next week. I'm going to walk you through a survey of the scripture and and show you how the Bible deals with those that dwell and live in the Divine realm. We just call them Angels. That's only one term. the much bigger picture in the Bible

This morning for a purpose is what I need you to understand. Is that the story line of scripture? Is not just a storyline of the natural world. It's a story of the natural and Supernatural and especially where they meet. That we saw that right in the beginning in the fall that we get to in Genesis chapter 3 we have this Divine Throne Guardian the Cosh the serpent that comes in rebelled and reject God's Authority in the Supernatural world comes in the natural world and invites Adam and Eve to reject God's Authority and to join him in his Rebellion. After they are removed from the garden. God places a supernatural being a cherubim to guard their way back into the garden. But the most important thing that we got to realize this morning the whole hinge of the story is found in Genesis. 3:15 This Promise This prophetic promise. Remember prophecy is by definition Supernatural. The God says one day I'm not going to give up on Humanity one day a seed is going to come. A seed of the woman he's going to be crushed by the seed of the serpent. But in that crushing he will crush the head of the serpent.

How to score the Bible is giving us a story to understand reality that assumes and depends on a super natural reality. We see it throughout you even Genesis 5 which we looked at last week. What could be more natural than a genealogy right genealogies. This dude had this dude and this dude had this dude and this dude had this dude. And what was the repetition in the book? What was the what was in chapter 5 what did we see last week is said over and over and over again and they died. There's nothing more that role than dying.

At least going to send broken world. But even in that chapter there was one exception. There was one weird strange little exception. We got the Enoch. The seventh from Adam Live 365 years and it's 365 years what happens? It's a he not walked with God and was he didn't die. He's just taken. Even in the most ordinary most natural genealogy we have this Supernatural. reality chapter 6 just takes it to a weird place. This is a weird place.

Second thing before we get into the text that I need you to understand is that much if not all in some sense of the scriptures. The Hebrew scriptures especially are written as a polemic. Polemic some of your like I don't know what to plan a kiss. I'm going to tell you. Thanks for asking. A polemic is an aggressive attack or a refutation of the opinions or principles of another. We just saw a polemic in our culture last week. President stands up and gives a State of the Union Address offers and interpretation of reality and immediately after the State of the Union. What do we have? The minority gives their polemic we always get so if you got a Republican president, you're going to get a democratic polemic if you had a Democratic president a republican, they're offering a reputation. He said this but this is how it is. That's what a polemic if we need to understand together this morning that the Bible does not appear in a vacuum. It appears in contacts. The Bible is written by an ancient person to an ancient people in an ancient world that existed with all sorts of other ideas and opinions about the nature of reality.

Sometimes we read the Bible like it's just this this story that God wrote in the middle of nothing to give us information. I don't think the primary purpose of the scripture is to give us information. I think it's to give us explanation. The Bible is more a book of theology than it is a book of History. Its design is not to give us this specific replication of events. It's given to explain those events. So when we come to Genesis chapter 6, which is the story of the flood what I need you to hear understand this morning is that Genesis chapter 6 was not inform us that there was a flood It was written to explain why there was a fly. Nobody in the ancient world was surprised by Genesis chapter 6. Nobody was like, oh there was a flood. Everyone knew there was a flood the Mesopotamians new. It's the Babylonians new. It's the akkadians new. It's the Egyptians knew it's we have today incredible Archive of a detailed stories from each of these ancient cultures telling us about a flood Giving their explanation of the fun. Now. Israel was a small insignificant nation in the ancient world. They were on the margins. They were The Outsiders they lived in a world that knew about the flood and had their own explanation about it Genesis 6 was not written to say hey everybody. There was a flood once Genesis 6 was written to explain why there was a flood. And what it actually meant. With those two things in mind, I think we can look at the text together and have some hope for it to be helpful one. The Bible is unapologetically Supernatural. To it's written. This is written as a polemic and not just give us information but to give us understanding and explanation about why God did what. Did so let's get into it when man mankind. Began to multiply on the face of the land. Daughters were born to them now. He's not just saying only daughters were born to them. That would get awkward really quick and the population. We're trying to do is help us understand that this is there's a points here as man time began to spread one of them and this is an important point. We were created as imagers to be fruitful and multiply to spread the kingdom of God across the world. We start out here in Genesis chapter 6 and end in half of it. We're doing we are multiplying and spreading. But instead of spreading the order in the Beauty and the kingdom of God, we're spreading the chaos of rebellion and sin. Because as we speak as an aunt and I read it earlier has has this population is growing and developing. It is progressing and it's evil.

We see Snippets of evil moments of evil in the early chapters as we get here to Genesis chapter 6. I read inverse by the inclination of every human heart was always only continually evil. So as we grow. Not just throwing a number we're going in wickedness.

This is written. The beginning of this chapter is written to help us understand. How do we get?

that bad that quickly. The answer is strange and unusual to our way of thinking.

prayers to the sons of God saw that the daughters of man. We're Tractive. and they took as their wives any that they show

here's what Genesis chapter 6 is saying it is it is saying that the reason the world got so bad that God. Chose to wipe it out with a slug only preserving a few was because there was a rebellion. In both the Supernatural and natural Realms that increase evil. This is why I say there were the sons of God. These are we most common use the word angel angel is simply a word. That means messenger. It's one type of divine being. There were sons of God Bene Elohim.

Let me tell you what that means. It means sons of God. That's what I mean. No, I say that because in the history of biblical interpretation every single Jewish rabbi in history interpreted that super naturally every single one for the first three centuries of the church every Church Father interpreted. That super naturally wasn't till August e 3rd Century ad rejected the supernatural idea Genesis chapter 6 and proposed a different interpretation. He didn't like the idea of angels interfering with the swirl didn't like the idea of a supernatural entrance into the natural. So he proposed a different interpretation. He said well, you know what this probably is probably the sons of Seth. the good line and they married the daughters of khaine. I think when you do that, you don't see that well now I don't have to deal with weird angels having kids and all the stores. So I don't have to deal with we just have the sons of Seth and the daughters of what's wrong with that almost everything. Did you have to violate every rule of biblical exegesis that we try to use everywhere else in order to do that? First off the text doesn't say that it's a crazy argument from Silence. The text does not say the sons of Seth. It says the sons of God the Bene Elohim.

No, we're not a single verse in any Scripture ever equates the sons of Seth with the sons of God, but the sons of God is a term that is used over and over and over again in the Hebrew scriptures. Guess what it's used of its used exclusively. of divine me The one of my favorite ways to demonstrate this is in the book of Jobe of the story of Jobe in story of Jobe starts in chapter one with this Divine council meeting right God is meeting with his Angelic Divine hosts starts up this way till 2 one again. There wasn't a windy out of the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord. This cannot be humans because this is not happening on the earth. This is happening in the heavens in the Heavenly realm where God is at this time. They come to shim. Net Present themselves before Chooser was there among them self. I love what we get at the end of the story of Jobe Jobe and he starts out so well then they And then then he gets a little trouble and he starts to whine a little let's be honest and I relate to that cuz I'm I'm good at wine at any starts the wine, but the big mistakes big mistake that makes is that he believes that his understanding of reality is the right understanding of reality and he begins to condemn God in the whole book of Jobe is set up its job demanding a court case with God. He wants to put God on trial God. You have treated me unfairly. Here's his argument. It would be better if I hadn't been born. He's accusing God of unrighteousness for letting him be born. And in a classic example of be careful what you ask for God response. Now, I've got ever shows up to you. And the first thing he says is put on your diaper.

That's what got you comes to Joe B shows up. Alright, Joe gird up your loins. Princess do you want to go? Let's go. You want to put me on trial? All right, come on. Come on little man. Let's do it. Listen to what he says in Job 38.

When I laid the foundation of the earth, you must know.

This whole natural world that you claim to understand, you know, right and wrong. You know, what's good. And what's not good. You certainly understand how I made everything right? You are there weren't you? Oh, yeah you weren't there. Who determines its measurements? Thought it was me. Surely, you know who stretched out the line upon its on what were its basis sungkar? Kool-Aid is Cornerstone accuse me of Injustice. Let's just start at the beginning tell me about the reality of creation surely you can handle something like that.

how to get so beautiful it says I surely were there when the morning Stars sang together and all the Bene Elohim all the sons of God shouted for joy Listen and think about what God is saying here to Joe. He's describing creation. He says when I laid the foundations of the Earth, this is a Biblical way say when I created the natural world and natural processors when I when I brought light and darkness and land and sea and I create a time and atmosphere and weather and gross and I I made all of this you weren't there. In fact, no humans were there but that doesn't mean that I was alone. God Alone did it, but he wasn't alone when he did it. He said when I created the natural world, there are other creatures other creations with me and when I did it they dance. When I did it they were in awe they sang and shouted for Joy. Look at what God has done. I could preach on that for a long time my point this morning. The biblical reality of the sons of God the Bene Elohim our divine beings were created by God to exist in the Supernatural realm as his imagers there. So when we get Genesis chapter 6

We're dealing with that reality the sons of God.

These Divine beings. Look down and see the beauty.

women and they come and they take them for them self. That's that's weird. Let's be honest. That makes us a little uncomfortable but it gets weirder. It says the result. Is something called the Nephilim? The Nephilim were those up. They had Offspring. They didn't just see them and appreciate that they came and they took them. I think there's some incredible Illusions Happening Here it in the same way in Genesis chapters 3 Eve saw that the fruit was pleasant to the eyes and useful to make one wise she took it. Now in Genesis chapter 6 these Divine beings look and they see that these human women are pleasing to the eye and they take them they leave their proper habitation. They enter into the world that they were made to engage with but not like this and they violate God's Authority. They create something that wasn't supposed to be created. hybrids between supernatural beings and human beings and the results Is a radical increase of Wicked? Now it said, this is a polemic. In the ancient world, there was a narrative not only about the flood but about Divine being coming down and having Offspring with human being Mesopotamia Gyptian. They all were familiar with it. They all had a similar story. The story went something like this the great God Marduk i l l or whoever you're reading whichever culture has a different phrase of it creates man time and at some point he's upset that he creates mankind because they're too loud. They're disturbing his rest. So he decides that he's going to destroy them. Now there are some Divine beings that don't like his decision. So they decide to work against him. No, there's two ways that this happens one is a group of divine beings called the apkallu.

seven of them the Divine beings that come to the Earth and they bring with them knowledge. They teach humans how to make war they teach women how to seduce they teach Humanity hidden wisdom. Not for them. And in the Babylonian account the Mesopotamian reality. They're the heroes the apkallu. They're Our Saviors are the founders of civilization when God was going to destroy us the apkallu came to give us life. And even though they have cantaloupe or destroyed in the flood their knowledge and their lineage was preserved because they had offspring people like Gilgamesh who is known as a 2/3 apkallu is also known as a giant. Interesting lien office will dig in over the next few weeks will see that the nephew in the feeling. We're Giants with the word mean. There's all sorts of stuff happening culturally the world of the ancient Hebrews said yes, there was a flood and the bad guy did it but the good Divine beings came and they gave us knowledge and wisdom and that's why we're so great. And if you're not contacts that the author of Genesis goes while you're right. There was a flood and you're right there where to find beans and you're right. They were Offspring, but they were anything but good. They're not the founders of civilization their destroyers of it. They're Not Your Heroes They are your enemy. Genesis writes a polemic at differing narrative to the world of its time that says what you think was actually a good thing wasn't really a good thing after all.

These Divine beings that transgress these Divine beings that left their natural habitation, which was the Supernatural and entered our natural habitation, which is a natural world defied the will.

the rules of God and the result was our destruction. not our preservation Not because I'm a glutton for punishment. I decided this morning. I'm not just going to deal with one difficult text. I'm going to show you how this difficult ex gets worked out in some of the most difficult text in the New Testament because this idea of a supernatural rebellion in Genesis chapter 6. We're just not used to thinking that way if I were to ask you when when was there a supernatural rebellion in the Bible most of you it's not all your notes against chapter 3 or Paul or Peter or any Jew of his day. When was there a supernatural Rebellion? You know what they would say to you which one? The new Genesis 3 but they also need Genesis 6. We're not there yet.

Work condition to thinking of the biblical story and narrative with one Supernatural Rebellion. That's not actually the story that the Bible is out. This is a second major Supernatural Rebellion with consequences in the natural Realm.

The New Testament writers knew it. Let's look at Jude together. I know you probably don't have your quiet time and do it very often. What is a great book? I like how it starts here. It says beloved. Although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation. I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the Saints. That's like the nicest way to say this is not the letter. I wanted to write. I wanted to ride a attaboy letter instead. I'm writing a letter. This is this is why I wanted to write just celebrating our salvation and I'll look it but now I got a right to you cuz there's a problem. What's the problem dude that for certain people have crept in unnoticed long ago were designated for this combination ungodly people who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality. And then I are only master and Lord Jesus Christ. He said there's a problem. I got a right to you right now because there's a problem there crept in their snuck in some into the midst of the church and they are promoting not to Godliness of Jesus Christ. Not the truth gospel of grace, but rather they're promoting a way of sensuality.

Interesting word. It refers to the desires of the flesh. I think it's summed up in this this this idea if you see something and you want it.

They're promoting that kind of mentality within the church. Jesus came to give you what you want. It sound like any of the health wealth preachers on the TV today. Jesus came and died so that you could have that new Mercedes. Jesus came and died so that you can have what you want when you want how you want it. It's nothing new church. But it's nothing good.

It's a way of sensuality that actually denies the grace of our Lord and listen to what he says. I want to remind you. I love you once knew this the Jesus who saved the people out of the land of Egypt.

If I'm God's grace, I ever get to preach Exodus through you will walk through that. I'll tell you that much but afterwards destroy those who did not believe. Be careful. but assuming or presuming upon the grace of God it says in the Angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling. He has Captain Eternal chains under gloomy Darkness until the Judgment of the great day or like what you talking about you. When does that happen? Lien search the Old Testament. For when that happened? You're not going to find it unless you're a part of the Ethiopian church or several other ancient churches that have within their Canon of scripture a book called The Book of Enoch or the book of The Watcher. Because in that story The Book of Enoch the book of the Watchers we have end. Illumination of Genesis 6124 Genesis 6:1 for just a brief outline of divine beings come in and having Offspring with human women Book of Enoch tells us much much more about this right. I'm not arguing that it's scripture. Although it's been interpreted scripture by many historically. I don't think it is, but here's what I do think. It's significant. It's so significant that it gets quoted directly here by Jude, and I'm going to show you in a minute. Bye bye Peter as well two times. It's something that every Jew in the day of Jesus is something that Jesus would have been read and been familiar with.

He says this these these angels they rebelled they leave their place the rightful place. They enter into the world and they are cast down and they're put in Chains to wait judgment just like Sodom and Gomorrah in the surrounding cities which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued on natural desire. Why is he connect? Genesis 6:1 in the flood narrative with Sodom and Gomorrah because they're the flip side of the same thing. It's unnatural desire crossing boundaries. That aren't meant to be crossed in Genesis chapter 6. We have Divine beings having sex with human women in Sodom and Gomorrah. We have human men trying to have sex with Angelic beings. It's the mere sight of the same thing. Jude combines them together and says they both come at the same part of the problem and they serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of Eternal fire. Peter picks up on this idea. He says this and 2nd Peter 2 forgotten not spare Angels when they sinned. But cast them into the in the house interesting enough. He doesn't use the Jewish term for hell or or even the common term in the New Testament to Hannah. He uses a very specific Roman word Tartarus. Because in the Greek Roman mythology, what is Tartarus prioress is the place where the Titans the Giants are cast down by the gods and put in Chains. Not mistake that he chooses us. Where He says this when they sing. Cast them into Tartarus into hell and committed them 2 Chainz of gloomy Darkness to be kept until the Judgment if he did not spare the ancient world but preserved Noah is telling us when this has happened in the days of no this happened in Genesis 6:1 for a Herald of righteousness with seven others when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly if I turn in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah connecting the flood narrative what happened in Sodom and Gomorrah wife cuz the common problem is unnatural desires crossing the bounds between the natural and Supernatural.

What do you do? He condemned them to extinct Extinction making an example of what's going to happen to the ungodly you received righteous lot greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked. Where does that righteous man lived among them day after day. He was tormenting his righteous Soul over there Lawless Deeds that he saw and her then the Lord knows how to rescue The Godly from trials and keep the unrighteous under punishment. Until the day of judgment if God was able to do it in the past. He's going to be able to do it now and it's going to be able to do it on the day of judgement.

Especially those who indulge in the left of defiling passion and despise. Authority

Both of these new testament writers pick up on this story line. avena Let me tell you a little bit about the story of Enoch, it goes something like this. You know, it's a righteous man. He walks with God. He's invited into the heavens without death. And he's invited into the counsel of God. He is a man. He human natural man, but he's invited into the heavens into the Divine Council. He hears God and His Council planning debating and doing what they do in the Divine Council he watches Rebelle and produce Offspring with human women. He watches. Destroy them in the fly. And he sees them condemned to prison. Now these Fallen Divine beings after they're in prison. They cry out. They want God to roulette release them to relent and still they call Enoch become as their messenger. You got access to the throne room. Got you. You got you got a hearing on the Divine Council. Will you go plead our case? So Enoch goes and plead their case. Hey God, they feel like they're it's unfair. They want you to let him out and gods like nope. And so Enoch has to go down to the lowest reaches. until the spirits in prison But they're going to stay there until Judgment Day. That's the story of Enoch General 3 outline. That's the story of Enoch. Why is that important? Thank you for asking.

It's important because of 1st Peter 3 1822. Another really tough passage to interpret unless you have the contacts. For Christ also suffered once for sins the righteous for the unrighteous that she might bring us to God In the Flesh but made alive in the spirit. Jesus came to bring us to God in order to do that. He had to crush the head of the serpent in order to crush the head of serpent. He had to be in his death and in his resurrection. He brings us the guy. By dealing with the eminently the sin that separated. That's easy. We're comfortable. First right?

In which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison. Say what? That's not what he thinks Jesus after he died goes to the spirits in prison and proclaims to them was he Proclaim his victory? The reconciliation of God to man that she is the promised seed.

That's weird. But if you are steeped in the story. If you know Enoch like Peter does it makes all sorts of sense with nobody said he says because they formally did not obey when got the patience waited in the days of Noah Wyle the ark was being prepared in which a few that is eight persons were brought through safely.

Like all right. I don't know how we get from Spirits in prison.

Here's what Peter is doing. He's doing exactly what Paul does in Romans. Paul says in Romans is the better Adam is the last Adam. He's the true and righteous Adam. Jesus did what Adam couldn't do he's a better Adam Peters making the same argument but in a way that we're really unfamiliar with he's saying Jesus is the better.

Me about you, not what you knock when we know about him. He escaped death and went to be with the Lord Jesus defeated death and went to be with the Lord. You know, I invited into the Divine Council Jesus is Seated on the right hand of God on the throne above every Power principality. You. Good Jesus better and greater Enoch had to descend into the lowest pits and tell the angels that they must wait. They're coming judgment Jesus. as the true and better Enoch descends

Five Guys What you been Theory? It's finally here. I am the seed and my death might look like the feet. But in my death I've accomplished the victory that will rescue the world. From the power of sin and death Church Jesus is the better everything. He's the better Adam. He's the better Enoch. He's the better Abraham. He's a better David. He is the better man. He is the point and the hope he is the alpha the beginning and the Omega the end. It is all about. Jesus shows us one more reason why we need Jesus. Cuz our problem is not just internal. It's also external pain doesn't just just well within us send Wells and exist within the world. We're not the only Rebels. There are other Cosmic Rebels supernatural beings who have rebelled against God and in the midst of that Jesus comes not just to rescue us. But to destroy the works of the evil one.

Church Jesus is the hero. Not just of our story. But every story Jesus Is The Answer not just Humanities Rebellion, but the all Rebellion. Jesus is the long-awaited supernatural promise. an answer of God He's worth our worship is not. amen, and amen