GENESIS 6, PART 1

 "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"

GENESIS 5

 "In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;..."

• IN THE LIKENESS OF GOD

5:1-2 

By the grace and design of God, Adam began to proliferate. When we consider that humanity was made in the likeness of God, many of us focus on our physical aspects... and perhaps that's not incorrect. But our most prominent similarities to God are 1: our ability to create/proliferate as He does. The great Creator has made us creators. Not only are we able to procreate, but we also create with our minds, hands and interactions with others. We are able to create light and hope in others through friendships and relationships, familial, platonic and romantic. We are able to create opportunity and justice in places where there is none. We may operate on a smaller scale than God does, but our ability to create here is complex and impactful. 

And 2: our spirit. Our conscious thought and visceral emotions. God is as present and tangible, and as unseen, as the soul within us. God is as impossible to deny as the being within us that maneuvers our physical body and interprets our physical world. We are most able to relate to Him when we read about His emotions throughout scripture. Our connection to Him is not necessarily in the length of our limbs or bipedalism or other physical characteristic. Our main connection to Him is the way and depth of how we feel. Such feelings as hope and despair, joy and sadness, long-suffering and mercy, and most importantly love, are our likeness with God.

Indeed God made us with characteristics that each represent a part of Him as a whole. God is our creator, our parent: a provider and a support. He created this family. The story of the family, of Jesus' family, begins here with this genealogy.

It began with Adam and his descendants. The efforts of a small family committed to the Lord resulted in Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." The whole earth invited to the kingdom, family of God.

• ADAM'S DESCENDANTS

5:3-18 

After Abel was killed and Cain was banished, Adam and Eve had a son named Seth. The rest of the chapter is a list of names as several generations pass before the next person the Bible will focus on: Noah. Faith in God was still in it's infancy; in fact, many did not actually believe nor had they, as far as we know, received detailed instruction from God. That will come as the chapter continues, and the instruction will evolve as generations pass, becoming more modern as the cultural context progressed through time.

ADAM'S DESCENDANTS CONTINUED: NOTABLE MENTIONS

5:19-32

More members of Adam's descendants are listed. The first notable mention is Enoch. Enoch is a notable mentioned because of everyone listed, he is the one described as having walked with God. Therefore we know that he was an exceptionally faithful man. It is also briefly suggested (in verse 5:24) that Enoch did not die but was called up to Heaven by God before death on earth. This rarely happens to people in the Bible so it is worth mentioning. 

The next notable mention is Methuselah, simply because he is the oldest person mentioned in the Bible: 969 years. It is thought that the lifespan of humans was much longer than it is now. It is understandable if that is a difficult concept to accept; what is important is what these people did and can teach us about the word of God, not how long they lived.

The final notable mention is Noah, another descendant of Adam and Even, who will take center-stage in Genesis in the next several chapters. 

GENESIS 4

 "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?"

• CAIN AND ABEL

4:1 Eve is about to give birth to two sons. One son will represent the product of eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (that is: relying on one's own will and succumbing to one's one desire) and the other will represent the product of eating from the tree of life (that is: relying on God's will and submitting to His plan).

• AN OFFERING UNTO THE LORD

4:2-7 Genesis describes Abel as a keeper of sheep; it is notable that that is the sole characteristic chosen to identify him. It is important that Abel was a shepherd because it is what God loved most about him. A shepherd embodies all of the qualities God finds most valuable. Shepherds gather, they foster, they nurture and lead. Shepherd's offer protection to the gentle and direction to the lost.

Abel was not simply a shepherd in life, he was a shepherd in heart; and because of that, his presentation to God was spiritually valuable and selflessly produced. Abel's life's work as a shepherd represented his dedication to the way of the Spirit. Abel dedicated to God the best of what his life had produced and thus God respected Abel.

Jesus is described as a shepherd too, one who knows His sheep intimately and they Him (John 10:27). Before He ascended, Jesus pressed Peter to feed His sheep, to lead and nurture His flock. Abel's description as a shepherd in the opening chapters of the Bible is an early declaration of the manner God wants us to live. Conversely, Cain's description as a tiller of the ground is a declaration of how God does not want us to live.

Genesis describes Cain as a tiller of the ground; that is the most important characteristic chosen to identify him. Abel was of the Spirit but Cain was of the world. Abel presented what his life's work had produced; Cain presented what his life's desire had procured. Cain's values represented his behavior. He lived for himself, he culled and acquired from the world things that were irrelevant to God. Abel dedicated the best of what his life had produced, Cain dedicated an insignificant portion. It was not Cain's life's motivation to produce well for God; Cain's sole motivation was to procure well for himself.

God rejected Cain's offering and it angered Cain not to receive respect from God. But we cannot live contrary to God and expect to receive his respect. God explained that Cain needed only to do well to receive His respect. Cain did not need to do better than Abel or different from Abel, he just needed to do well. To be good. And the way to do well is to produce not procure.

Cain's offering was not respected because God does not value things of the ground, worldly possessions. Wealth and fame, property and possession are meaningless to God. Therefore if that is all that one's life's work is able to present to God, it is a meaningless offer. God will not respect it. God's rejection of such things is not based on principle alone; God explained to Cain that within desire is sin. To dedicate oneself to worldly possessions is to yield to sin. God will never respect a child's submission to something that will harm them.

• THE VOICE OF THY BROTHER'S BLOOD

4:8-10 Cain murdered Abel. Yet in killing Abel, Cain displayed more than just one sin. He displayed the myriad of sins that crop up in a life dedicated solely to the world instead of Spirit. Cain's worldly lifestyle resulted not just in murder but in lies, jealousy, anger, injustice, and mercilessness. If he had had any compassion, any empathy, his lifestyle muted it, expelled it from him. 

God gave Cain the opportunity to be accountable for his actions but instead he lied, he disassociated himself from his own brother: Am I my brother's keeper? Yes, in fact. We are our brother's keeper. We are our sister's keeper, our mother's keeper, our father's keeper, our friend's keeper, and our neighbor's keeper. Like Abel, we should be keepers of God's sheep, shepherd's to His people. 

If you live for the world, you live for the self. And if you live for the self, you neglect your purpose for being here. You take and do not give. You receive and do not share. You disrespect the people your life could have nurtured. God will not respect anyone who struts instead of leads. He will not respect anyone who uses their power to control rather than protect, the position to procure instead of produce.

• CURSED FROM THE EARTH

4:11-15 For the act of killing his brother, Cain placed himself in opposition with God. And to live in opposition with God is to go against the very nature of life. For all life was created by a righteous hand; life's own character and process is styled after its maker. Cain's act caused him to become a vagabond; the earth would no longer willingly sustain him. He would have to wander to support himself, he no longer had a home within the presence of God.

Even Cain was afraid of the prospect of being hid from the face of God. That punishment was too much for him to bear. And yet God was lenient with Cain, protected him enough that he would not be killed for his action, perhaps because He had not yet specifically prohibited murder, or given the instruction to humanity was was to come (that is to come in later chapters and books of the Bible).

• IN THE LAND OF NOD

4:16-24 "And Cain went out from the presence of God..." Cain pioneered the lifestyle that is lived absent from God. He went to Nod, east of Eden, (more evidence that the world was populated beyond Adam and Eve's family).

Cain married, had a son, built a city: Enoch, named after his son. He had many descendants but they were like him, murderous, even to the point of pride, as his descendant Lamech exemplified.

• THE THIRD SON

4:25-26 Meanwhile, Adam and Eve were blessed with a third son: Seth, meaning compensation. Therefore the lineage of Jesus continued, though Abel was killed and Cain was lost to the cause.