"And God saw . . ."
- THE SONS OF GOD
6:1-2 Verse one informs us that men and women began to have children; but only their daughters are mentioned. Verse two informs us that the sons of God noticed the daughters, and their beauty, then married them.
It would be easy to read over these two verses; the second verse even seems redundant. However it is not redundant; notice that in the first verse, men and women are having children. In the second verse, instead of the word men, the term 'sons of God' is used. To understand the remaining chapter(s) and the upcoming, famous flood, we have to understand what the term 'sons of God' means. To do that, we temporarily diverge from Genesis, but first:
Remember discussing 'the serpent' in Genesis 3? Though he is given many names which might suggest otherwise, he is a person. Through scripture, we will learn how he began as a trusted child of God but devolved into 'the serpent'. 'The serpent' is a term more descriptive of his character than his actual, physical characteristics. 'The serpent' has always tried to subvert God's plan... with Eve in the garden and even before that.
__ The Book of Ezekiel 28:13-19
The serpent has many names; in the Bible, he is referred to as Satan, serpent, dragon, king of Tyrus, Apollyon, Ababdon and more. The world depicts him as a monster, as having the terrifying characteristics of such names but he's just a person. And actually, an outwardly beautiful one (Ezekiel 28:17).
But in Ezekiel 28:14, we learn who he was first: an anointed cherub, trusting with the protection of the kingdom. But the glory of his position made him prideful, arrogant and greedy for power. Satan wanted to be god: "Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; ... (Ezekiel 28:2)
But his doctrine is different, opposite of the God. Therefore God reprimanded and reminded him: "yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God..." (Ezekiel 28:2). But in his arrogance, Satan refused to listen. He continued, and continues today, to try to tempt and covert people to his side. His first initiates were, mentioned in Genesis, the sons of God. They chose Satan's side long ago, before earth and humanity.
__ The Book of Revelation 12:7-8
Chapter twelve of Revelation describes, through metaphor, Satan's rebellion in Heaven. It describes the period of time in which the aforementioned anointed cherub, turned into an adversary against God.
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.Revelation 12:7-8
Michael and other angels remained loyal to God and prevailed against Satan. Satan lost and was sentenced to death. But other angels, sons of God, were thrown out of heaven. These were fallen angels because they fell from grace. They are referred to as sons of God not because they are loyal to God, they are not, but because they were still created by God. And they came to earth not a babies born through women, but as adults. Though they physically resembled humanity, they were superior in design than regular humans because they lacked the limitations of the earthly body. They are therefore not referred to as sons of men (people from earth), but of God (people from heaven).
Therefore, when verse two of Genesis speaks of sons of God marrying and having children, it means that these fallen angels procreated with regular women. This was problematic to God for two main reasons: the fallen angels were corrupt; they had showed their true nature to be evil by rejecting God and choosing Satan. And also, their children with regular women would be a hybrid-superhuman kind on earth, more capable than regular humanity and therefore upsetting the balance God created. He had created humanity to have dominion on the earth (Genesis 1:26-28), but these mightier children could easily subdue them.
__ The Book of Jude 1:6
In Jude, we learn that the fallen angels have already been identified, retained and sentenced: "And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day."
Remember the mention of Enoch in Genesis 5? Enoch was written to have walked with God. In Jude 1:14, we learn that Enoch actually prophesied of the arrival of the fallen angels. It was important work and God recognized him for that faith and work.
The angels which kept not their first estate were the angels which chose Satan in the rebellion, 1/3 of the angels in heaven, that Satan gathered with his "tail" and cast to the earth (Revelation 12:4). They were kicked out of heaven; Satan brought them to earth. He planned/plans for earth to be the place of his second rebellion; he wishes to gain followers here as well. He wishes to subvert God's plan as much as he can, though even he knows that he will ultimately fail. God has already prophesied that Satan does fail.
Satan started with Eve and continues today; he even tried to tempt Jesus away from God (Matthew 4:1-11). Therefore it would wise, and important, for you to be vigilant, aware, present. So that you will recognize when you are being lured into prideful, selfish, greedy, corrupt behavior by others or by your own shortcomings.
Finally we are able to return to the sixth chapter of Genesis with full understanding of what scripture meant by "Sons of God." We are also now more able to understand why the flood was necessary.
- DAYS SHALL BE AN HUNDRED AND TWENTY YEARS
6:3 God decreased the lifespan of humanity. People had been living hundreds of years, but here was is decreased to an average 120 years. The average human lifespan is somewhat less than that now, either due to environmental factors or to another, but undocumented change by God.
- THE WICKEDNESS OF MAN WAS GREAT
6:4-7 Indeed God looked into the earth and made several changes. Upon noticing the havoc the fallen angels were creating on the earth, the rapid increase of corrupt behavior and evil-hardheartedness, God regretted the creation of life on earth. The fallen angels had caused severe damage (the children born to earthly-women were like giants, and were, apparently, influenced by the corruption of their fathers). Humanity, having previously left the Garden of Eden, regressed into bad behavior instead of good... especially because they were surrounded by negative influences.
God decided that desperate times called for desperate measures: a massive flood. A way to remove the corrupt humans, hybrids and fallen angels. A way to remove everyone (likely in a region rather than the whole world) that had mixed with or procreated with the fallen angels. A way to ensure that the lineage through which Jesus would come remained... as the arrival of Jesus was (and is) the only final solution. Jesus, the One who saves humanity (Luke 2:11). Jesus, the One who destroys Satan (Hebrews 2:14).
As both a conclusion to this study and a prelude to the next, this is an excerpt from "The Companion Bible", a 1910 study Bible made with notes based on the languages of the original manuscript.
"Their [The Fallen Angels/ Sons of God] progeny, called Nephilim, (translated "giants"), were monsters of iniquity; and, being superhuman in size and character, had to be destroyed. This was the one and only [purpose] of the flood. Only Noah and his family had preserved their pedigree pure from Adam. All the rest had become "corrupt". This irruption of fallen angels was Satan's first attempt to prevent the coming of the Seed of the woman foretold in Gen 3:15. If this could be accomplished, God's Word would have failed, and [Satan's] own doom would be averted... This great conflict may be seen throughout the Bible."
Strong's Condorance, Appendix 23: "The Sons of God"