Genesis 6:1-9

 Gen 6:1-2

1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born unto them, 2 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all that they chose. 

1. Men (mankind, human beings) multiply on ground (earth, land) and daughters are born to them. 

Certainly not only girls but for the point of this story, girls are the emphasis

2. Sons of god see the daughters of men that were fair (good, beautiful) and they take wives of all they choose.

Sons of god?

Daughters of men?

Take as wives of all they choose

Gen 6:3-4

3 And Jehovah said, My spirit shall not strive with man for ever, for that he also is flesh: yet shall his days be a hundred and twenty years. 4 The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them: the same were the mighty men that were of old, the men of renown. 

1. Vs3 God says "My spirit shall not strive with man forever. He is flesh. His days shall be 120 years."

Thoughts?

1. Is this verse about God punishing these people in 120 years?

2. Or is this verse about shortening lifespans of man to 120 years?

120 years? Is this a change?

1. From Gen 5

1. Vs5 Adam lived 930 years

2. Vs8 Seth (son) lived 912 years

3. Vs11 Enosh (gs) lived 905 yrs

4. Vs14 Keenan (Ggs) lived 910 yrs

5. Vs17 Mahalalel (GGgs) lived 895 yrs

6. Vs20 Jared (GGGgs) lived 962 years

7. Vs24 Enoch (GGGGgs) lived 365 years before God took him

8. Vs27 Methuselah (GGGGGgs) lived 969 years

9. Vs32 Lamech (GGGGGGgs) lived 777 years

10. Gen 9:29 Noah (GGGGGGGgs) lived 950 years

How old was Noah when the flood began? 600 yrs old

***Share "Noah time.jpeg"***

-possibly Methuselah dies in the flood or just before the flood?

2. Back to Gen 6:3-4. So we can assume that the event from Gen 6:1-4, really ticks God off to where he shortens lifespans from 800-900 years to 120 years. (Maybe decreases lifespan 70%?)

This is a big deal!

3. Gen 6:4 "The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men"

4. What are Nephilim? Giants

Also in this verse:

Num 13:33 

And there we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come of the Nephilim: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

-spoken by 10 of the 12 spies who were sent to spy out the promise land

So after the flood there were still giants in the earth? Weird

5. Read again:

Gen 6:4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.

So the product of the union between the sons of god and daughters of men produced Nephilim (or giants).

Mighty men of old who were renown. Good or bad?

Gen 6:5-8

5 And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented Jehovah that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7 And Jehovah said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the ground; both man, and beast, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; for it repenteth me that I have made them. 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah.

1. Vs5 God's perception of what these events have brought? Wickedness and continual evil seems to have exploded on earth via this event

2. Vs6 God's reaction? 

1. Repented that He had made man

2. Grieved Him at His heart

3. Vs7 What is God's plan in dealing with this? 

1. I will destroy man

2. Destroy creeping things

3. Destroy beasts

4. Destroy birds

4. Vs3 What happened to shortening life spans of people on earth to 120 years? 

5. Vs8 Noah? 

Gen 6:9 

These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, and perfect in his generations: Noah walked with God.

1. Righteous? Just, righteous, lawful

2. Perfect in his generations? integrity, truth: - without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely (-ity), sound, without spot, undefiled, upright

Without blemish in his generation? Hmm

Two schools of thought on this passage:

1. Natural interpretation

Sons of God & Daughters of men

This view has been the consensus Christian position Since the late fourth century A.D. It is still the predominant approach to Genesis 6:1-4 in modern evangelical churches. 

In this approach, the "sons of God" from Gen 6:1-4 are merely human beings. Godly men from the line of Seth, Adam and Eves son who was born after Cain murdered Abel (Genesis 4:25-26;5:3-4). 

Gen 4:25-26 

25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth. For, said she, God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel; for Cain slew him. 26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enosh. Then began men to call upon the name of Jehovah.

So Adam has another seed instead of Abel, named Seth. Then Seth has a son named Enosh. During this time men call upon the name of the Lord. 

There isn't clarification as to why men call upon the name of the Lord. Only that they do. 

So Seth's line is equated with the sons of God in Gen 6:1-4

Gen 5:3-4 

3 And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth: 4 and the days of Adam after he begat Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters.

Presumably, Gen 6:1-4 describe forbidden intermarriage between the godly men of Seth's lineage ('sons of God") and the ungodly women of Cain's line (daughters of human kind). In this reading, everyone who lived on earth ultimately came from these two lines, both of them descended from Adam and Eve's children. 

In this way, the Bible distinguished the godly from the ungodly. Part of the rationale for this view comes from Genesis 4:26 where,depending on the translation, we read that either Seth or humankind "began to call on the name of the Lord". 

The line of Seth was to remain pure and separate from evil lineage.Therefore, the marriages of Seth's line with Cain's line in Genesis 6:1-4 erased this separation and incurred the wrath of God in the Flood.

2. Supernatural interpretation (we will focus on)

The son's of God (eloheim) were spiritual beings who see the daughters of men on earth who are beautiful. They take them for their wives, have child, who are giants called Nephilim who become mighty men and quite renowned.

Who are these "son's of God"? (Sons of eloheim)

We spoke of them before

1. Job 1:6-7

6 Now it came to pass on the day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, that Satan also came among them. 7 And Jehovah said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered Jehovah, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

2. Job 2:1

Again it came to pass on the day when the sons of God came to present themselves before Jehovah, that Satan came also among them to present himself before Jehovah.

3. Job 38:1-4, 7 

1 Then Jehovah answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 2 Who is this that darkeneth counsel  By words without knowledge? 3 Gird up now thy loins like a man;  For I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. 4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?  Declare, if thou hast understanding.

7 When the morning stars sang together,  And all the sons of God shouted for joy?

4. Psalms 82:1, 6-8

1 A Psalm of Asaph.  God standeth in the congregation of God;  He judgeth among the gods. 

6 I said, Ye are gods,  And all of you sons of the Most High. 7 Nevertheless ye shall die like men,  And fall like one of the princes. 8 Arise, O God, judge the earth;  For thou shalt inherit all the nations.

5. Psa 89:6 Septuagint

For who in the heavens shall be compared to the Lord? and who shall be likened to the Lord among the sons of God?

3. Nephilim - h5303, properly, a feller, i.e. a bully or tyrant:—giant

1. Num 13:33 (reread again)

And there we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come of the Nephilim: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Sons of God + w daughters of men = Nephilim

Nephilim offspring = sons of Anak

4. Sons of Anak?

1. means "neck"

2. progenitor of a family, or tribe of the giant people in Canaan

3. Deu 9:2

a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom thou knowest, and of whom thou hast heard say, Who can stand before the sons of Anak?

5. So Sons of Anak are known as sons of the Anakim's?

Sons of God + w daughters of men = Nephilim

Nephilim offspring = sons of Anak

Sons of Anak = sons of Anakim

1. means "long-necked"

2. a tribe of giants, descendants of Anak

3. Deu 1:28 

Whither are we going up? our brethren have made our heart to melt, saying, The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.

4. Deu 2:10-11 

10 The Emims dwelt therein in times past, a people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; 11 Which also were accounted giants (Rephaim), as the Anakims; but the Moabites call them Emims.

Emims as tall as Anakims = both are giants or Rephaim

5. Jos 11:21-22 

21 And Joshua came at that time, and cut off the Anakim from the hill-country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill-country of Judah, and from all the hill-country of Israel: Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities. 22 There was none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel: only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, did some remain.

6. 1Ch 20:6 

And there was again war at Gath, where was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand, and six on each foot; and he also was born unto the giant.

7. 1Ch 20:8 

These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants. Goliath

6. How did giants survive the flood? Unsure, any guesses?

1. Local flood?

2. Repeat of sons of God w daughters of men?

3. Maybe the one of the wives of Noah's sons had DNA of the Nephillim?

4. Does Gen 6:4 suggest giants would be on earth after the flood?

Gen 6:4 

The Nephilim were in the earth in those days, and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them: the same were the mighty men that were of old, the men of renown.

Unsure

Both Peter and Jude mention this event from Gen 6:1-4 thinking it was supernatural.

1. 2Pe 2:4-5 

4 For if God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5 and spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;

1. Where does this come from??

2. Notice the pattern?

-angels sin

-God responds

-Noah and the flood

2. Jud 1:6

And angels that kept not their own principality, but left their proper habitation, he hath kept in everlasting bonds under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

3. Where does this come from??