Gen. 6:7

Gen. 6:7

As noted in the previous section, the whole world was corrupted.  Here, we read the extent, because God promised to destroy not only the people, but also the animals.

Why the animals, too? Here are a few thoughts on that and the verse in general.

First,  as noted earlier,  it's possible fallen angels or just people with no help from them had created a lot of genetic combinations, may of which may have been pure evil and rendered the creatures not human and unable to be saved, as noted I the comment on Gen. 6:6 where warning is made of the Mark of the Beast in Revelation. It is only a theory, and we don't know what the technology was then, but the point is, people had become so evil, it's easy to imagine them creating many horrible creatures without regard to the pain they would cause.

Even if this isn't true, though, the mere fact that people cause such pain to others now demonstrates the capacity for evil some possess. If people were doing such horrid things to other people and animals as some cases that have been reported,  especially if there were no protective groups, it's no wonder that God saw no way to protect them, as He won't force people to love. Adam and Eve wanted to know evil when they ate of that tree of the knowledge of good and evil,  and boy, did they find out.

We sometimes complain about too much government interfering in our lives, but let face it, God uses government,  and it's entirely possible He has let things get like they are because we fallen people will not govern ourselves and enforce kindness, love, mercy, self control, and other Godly attributes.  It may well be that before the Flood,  there were no laws about being kind, gentle, merciful,  and so on. It is possible there were no laws against cruelty then, and now people go overboard protecting animals and people from things they don't need protection from, because either way, it shows how much of a disaster mankind causes when it ignores God's plan of gentleness,  self-control,  mercy, and so on.

God calls us to be people who follow Him and do His will, and His will is to show mrrcy, never to abuse. I'm not sure that he has used mankind - which has gone overboard with human-created political correctness - to try to bring about an end to cruelty toward others because we, His churvh, we're unwilling. However, I'm reminded of the Israelite wandering in the wilderness complaining that all they got was manna from Heaven, and God said fine, He would give them quail and prophesied that they would consume it so much unto their lust that it would fill them till it came out their noses.

Yes, God wanted us to end cruelty and abuse of others, and with things such as slavery, to name one example, we refused, consuming that evil unto our own lusts. He knows we are not going to create a perfect world apart from Him.

So, why the destruction? Remember,  God had a plan to redeem fallen people. The plan relied on there being some woman available through whom Messiah,  Jesus,  would be born. There may have been such evil that there were few choices left and He had to start anew. But, consider this as well.

There had to be a way to save these people by their faith. He may well have decreed such destruction so many could get saved, if not through the ark through calling on Him as the waters rose. We know children are saved because Jesus promises their angels  (spirits) always see the Father's face.(Matt. 18:10) Also King David in 2 Sam. 12:23 says he knows he will go to see his son who has died. So, there also are people who would be saved. Other possibilities exist, to such as God shutting the wombs for a time or allowing sickness to claim many before the Flood. The point is that God still loved the dinners, as He has always done, and will try hard to win people to His love, to that wonderful relationship He promises. However, He won't wait forever for people to turn to Him. And, in the end, only eight were saved on the ark

Gen. 6:6

Gen. 6:6

It repented God

Let's be perfectly clear, God is perfect. He never has to say oops, He knows all possible things that could happen and how it will, but He gives us free choice.

This term means God felt sad. In fact,  the verse says also it grieved God in His heart. He wanted so much for people to do what was right, and instead they had become worse and worse.

It wasn't just that, the spiritual warfare was horrible,  as the angels which left their rightful place and followed the devil were totally interfering in people's lives in some fashion. As noted, how isn't as important.

However, one thought that I read about is important enough it bears mentioning as a possible warning about the end times.

Remember that we don't know what the Mark of the Beast will do, but that Jesus warned us that as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of His coming. We also don't know what the technology was in the days right before the Flood,  though that isn't quite as important for this idea. However, an Edison, say, who lived 800 years could do a lot.

So, if fallen angels were interfering with mankind so much back then, and they come back to draw people away in the end times, too, as is plausible, then it is possible the Mark of the Beast could change our DNA to make us no longer human, and thus not able to be saved.

DNA study, after all, is a wonderful thing if done right, to help people live healthier. It can fall into the wrong hands, though, and be used for much evil; look at the horrible tests Hitler s evil followers performed with far less technology.

This could mean, too, that back then people only were worshipping the forces of darkness and trying to be as God in the way the devil tempted Eve. Yet, that people in the End Times will be offered enhancements that would make them no longer human. Or, it could be the Mark of the Beast will just come with something that leads to devil worship.

Either way, the warning in Revelation is clear. The Mark could be implanted in a chip in the skin right now, but the Tribulation isn't here yet as of this writing.(February, 2015).

However, this could be getting read later, during the Tribulation. If you read nothing else, heed this:

If there is a requirement as you are reading this or later to get a mark in your hand or forehead, OR if you have a chip or something like it already and you are required to get something implanted in it, some sort of upgrade, and you won't be able to buy or sell without it,  DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT TAKE THE MARK.

Call on the Lord Jesus Christ to save you and forgive you of your sins, believing He died to take the punishment for your sins and rose from the dead. Yes, it'll cost you a little time on this earth, you may lose your life via beheading for your faith, but you will spend forever in God's perfect Heaven with no pain, no suffering, no tears. Those who take the Mark, though, will spend forever in a place of fire separated from God's love.

Whoever is telling you to take that Mark will seem mighty persuasive.  It may sound like the best thing possible.  But, you must follow Jesus instesd, because the Bible clearly warns that individual or entity or group is evil. Just like the evil before the Flood.

But, if you are reading this before these things come to pass, we are still in the Age of Grace and will be will "him with letteth,' the Restrainer," that being the Holy Spirit, is taken out of the way. . You can trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour now, and unless you are in a dangerous part of the world you won't have to die for your faith - though even if you are, the suffering of this world isn't worthy to be compared to the glory which is to come.(Rom. 8:18) So, trust Chrsit and love your enemies, share Jesus' goodness with them so they can see a difference in you. And, go someplace like www.Jesus2020.com so you can have others to talk with and help you grow in Christ.

However, beware – there will be great deception to come on all those who reject God’s perfect love and salvation.(2 Thess. 2:3-12) You might fall victim to that if you don’t trust in Jesus Christ to save you now. You also might die before you see these things come to pass. So, it’s vital that you trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour by faith now, for today is the day of salvation.(2 Cor. 6:2)

And, by all means, read the rest of this blog, too. I pray it will be a blessing. And, who knows whether in the Tribulation it may be all that is available. There is already so much evil out now, just like it was in the days of Noah.

And, that evil had totally corrupted everything.

Gen. 6:5

Gen. 6:5

Man's mind was on evil continually

The sad state of fallen man is shown here, where wickedness had spread everywhere.  We don't know what government or anything else was like, but whether there were kings, emperors,  or presidents, whether great freedom or harsh tyranny, whatever state people are in, one thing matters to God - the state of one's heart.

We are born with a sin nature, and each of us must choose to reject or accept Christ's forgiveness. Salvation has always been by faith,  as we have seen.  These people, then, had the choice whether to accept or reject God's promise of a future Messiah who would wash their sins away, and in the meantime trust in and follow His ways and precepts. As Job said only a few hundred years after the Flood, at around the time of Abraham, 'I know my Redeemer lives.' He knew he wasn't perfect, but that he would stand before Him forgiven. And, in the meantime,  he served God as best He could.

These people, however, wanted nothing to do with God's love and mercy. They didn't even take the time to consider following God.  We're they doing good works for only themselves?  We don't know,  but it seems unlikely. 

Their minds, after all, were on evil continually, but so was every desire of their hearts, every imagination – that is, all that they thought about. There was no thought of Godly ways. God promised to save Sodom if only ten righteous people were in it, after all. These people didn't even have a desire to be Godly. It brings to mind how people in the End Times will not only blaspheme God, they will even blaspheme those in Heaven. Because even totally vain peoples’ minds will at times be on helping others, for instance, even if for their own glory that is still a noble cause. It would appear, though, that there were no noble causes whatsoever in this time.

Of course, people will point to the fact that all our righteousness is as filthy rags next to that of God.(Is.64:6) But, true as that is, in saying “all our righteousness,” the Spirit accepting that mankind has some desire to do right, some innate sense that it is good to do good. it is very often wrong in deciding what is good, it is very often a self-righteousness like the Pharisees whom Jesus takes to task many times, but there is a “righteousness” there which when compared to that of God is as filthy rags. Even in the most hedonistic societies there may be that person who helps his neighbor or who always speaks kind words, for instance.

God condemns the pre-Flood world here by stating that all the thoughts and imaginations were only on evil,a nd continually on evil. People have said for decades they felt the Lord wouldreturn because it has begun to be ‘as in the days of Noah,” but the evil in the world does keep getting more pronounced, because it is not yet as cruel as the world just before the Flood. This is why it’s vital to pray god come quickly and also to witness to as many as we can of God’s great grace, peace, comfort, etc., and most of all His salvation, full and free, to all who believe..

This is another reason why it appears spiritual warfare must be involved somehow with fallen angels, because the Cainites could have become as wicked as the inhabitants of Canaan in Joshua’s day, but even there a Rahab was present to show her family the ways of God and His love which she had found, even there a Ruth could be found who once she was shown the truth of God’s love she would turn away from the evil idols. So, not every Canaanite desired to sacrifice their children to molech as the vast majority did. (And these children, though sought by the devil, were apparently all below the age of accountability, meaning that they were saved by the cross just as David’s son, of whom the king says that child would not come to him, but he would go to that child someday.(2 Sam. 12:23) So, the devil didn’t even get the satisfaction of hving these souls.)

However, there were far more people in the world right before the Flood than there were in Canaan, and the Bible seems to indicate that there were no Rahabs, no Ruths, who could be won and used to win others to God. Out of potentially billions of people Even if only millions, this shows the intense depravity which occurred, and is more in line with the demon-possessed who would throw themselves intot he fire and cut themselves which Jesus healed. There is even some speculation that the Nephilim were genetically engineered, but while mankind at this time may have been advanced enough to do that and did it for evil only, such discussion of what Nephilim were is speculation, as noted above, and is not the purpose of this blog.

The purpose is to examine Genesis and to consider God’s love rtoward his people, and any such things as the Nephilim are things on which reasonable minds can differ. A consideration of them may be read in the post on genesis 6:2-4, and there may be a small amound of discussion on that topic later, but it’s best not to get off on a tangent but instead to get back to considering sound doctrine. If you know Jesus Christ as your Saviour, ou will find out someday, and it will be worth the wait to be there with Him in glory. That is what I always tell myself; speculation is fun,b u tint he end it is just that, speculation.

Gen. 6:2-4

Gen. 6:2-4

Since there is much conflict at times over who the Nephilim were, and the sons of God, these verses will be examined together. It’s one of those cases where it’s not vital to doctrine, though, so even before I start, it’s important to remember to be of one mind in the Lord, as Paul was inspired to write in Phil 4:2-3. When it’s not an issue that is vital for doctrine – and the wording there shows it wasn’t – then we must simply accept that we can’t know all the answers, but God does, and he will bring out the truth int ime.

Sons of God

Whole books have probably been written about this topic. Whenever there is a dispute , the first place to look is Scripture so we can interpret Scripture with Scripture and not with the ideas of people,  who are fallible.

When we look for this phrase elsewhere, we see it always refers to angels. Yes, Jesus is the Son of God, as the second person of the God head He is God. When we see the plural sons, though, in the Old Testament, Job in particular, the meaning is clearly angels.(Job 1:6, 2:1, 38:7)

One place where it clearly means people is John 1:12, but as we shall see, that actually works counter to those who argue that these sins of God are people.

Another clue is that it contrasts them with the daughters of men. Here, let us begin to examine the counter argument, that they could be people.

The opponents of the concept that they could be fallen angels point out that they are likely descended from Cain, as opposed to the Godly Seth it line. But, as noted, in John 1:12 the sons of God are those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ to save them by faith. This is the opposite of the rebellious Cainites. They would not be trusting God for anything as a group, though of course individuals might have been saved. And, we can from the verses they don't behave in a way that honors God, anyway. So, they go to the daughters of Cainites and take them, either, it is almost certain.

Of course, verse 5 tells how evil was everywhere,  so it is possible. Perhaps Noah waited so long to have children because his family, like the Cainites, we're filled with lust. That is quite plausible.

However, the main argument used to oppose the belief in fallen angels is twofold.

First, they claim God forbade the branches to interrmarry. This is never said, however, until Abraham was told not to marry his son, Isaac,  to a woman of Canaan. It is possible He told Seth this, but if so, it would seem that God would want us to know it. More likely, either it stems from not realizing the difference between God's chosen people and Gentiles, or given how I can confuse things, maybe something as simple as confusing Cain with Canaan.

The other reason given is that angels don't marry in Heaven. Well, first, 2 Peter and Jude both speak of angels leaving their first estate, so disobedience angels might have married even if obedient ones don't,. Second, nowhere does it say they married the daughters of men, only that they took them. While it's quite likely angels have no reproductive organs, and their looking like men could be just on the outside,  it is possible they do, too. Finally, even without such organs, artificially placing seeds in them is at least possible.

This leads to one of the big problems some have with the idea of fallen angels creating offspring with women - the emphasis some place on aliens.

But first, before we examine the facts and fallacies about that spiritual warfare, something else bears mention in verse 3.

My spirit shall not always strive with man

God had given mankind many chances.  It's easy to see how one could argue that just the evil of these people was enough to bring judgment.  God shows elsewhere that He has lots of patience and gives time to repent, but eventually He must judge sin. Thankfully,  that judgement happened on the cross,  so all who call upon the name  of the Lord are saved when they trust Jesus by faith to do so, ss Jesus took all our sin upon Himself.

However, when God says man's days shall be 120 years, He still was providing time for people to repent, yet He said nothing about combining the Seth it's and Cainites. If that had been His purpose,  it seem that would  be worth noting, especially since it would provide a model for the Jews later.

However, the command for them was because they had been set apart, chosen by God and following Him while the other people worshipped idols,  including such horrors as human sacrifice.  This is not clear from what happens to Cain and his descents. Sure, they were prideful and downright evil, but while there would clearly be a desire for the Seth it's to marry only those who worshipped God alone, the implication seems to be something far worse took place when these sons of God went and took as many of the daughters of men as they pleased.

God then says man's days shall be 120 years. This could mean that the life span would be shortened to that, but while that did eventually happen,  it took much longer to get down there.

So, this almost surely means that long and if repentance didn't come, He would destroy the corrupt world.

This leads back into the giants, the men renown.

This is yet another clue these Nephilim, as the word giants is in the original Hebrew, we're more than just Cainites. If they were merely Cainites, they would probably not have gained such huge notoriety. They also would not have been around after that - that is, after the Flood - if the Flood was to wipe them out.

Instead, taking away talk of aliens and space,  it's quite plausible to presume fallen angels acted in a way that may not seem natural to us, but in the massive spiritual warfare which surrounded the world, just as it does now, these fallen angels were able to interact with women this way. It may not be conclusive, but it seems to me the most likely explanation. Spiritual warfare is intense, after all.

However, whichever it was, let us be of one mind in this; that God kept showing His mercy despite this problem. There are good, dedicated Christians on both sides of the question.  Personally,  the amount of spiritual warfare in our world boggles my mind. Something could have happened in another dimension quite easily.  The ancient Greek stories, for instance,  could have risen from these creatures. I'm skeptical of the notion that these special men of renown could have arisen just because they were Cainites; Nimrod, for instance, was a “mighty hunter before the Lord” but he was not even called a giant.(Gen. 10:9) However, reasonable minds could differ.

But, that doesn't mean some demon will come pretending to be an alien to get people to worship it when what they would be doing is worshipping the devil instead. The devil can inhabit someone without having them take on alien form. Revelation 13 shows this. The devil himself put into the heart of Judas to betray Jesus.(John 13:2) Could the antichrist be an alien? Yes. But, it’s much more likely that spiritual warfare will remain of the type seen in many places today. Which is supernatural and scary enough at times without the alien stuff.

Gen. 6:1

Men began to multiply

The number of people who could have been born staggers the mind. As noted, Adam and Eve had 77 kids according to some tradition. Even figuring that sin entering the world meant some may have died early of disease or violence from other people or animals, there could have been billions on the earth.

Each of these souls was precious to God, and while it was not the age of Grace, still salvation has always been by faith. The hall of fame of faith in Hebrews 11 shows this. Even though only the greatest of the great are mentioned, it still shows us that throughout history, God has provided a means to be saved from sin that is opposite of man's way of trying to work to get there.

Works salvation is impossible because it leads to pride, which leads to boasting,  and than is sin as people try to puff themselves up rather than give full credit to God and Him alone. In a world where so many were, and where so many were seeking to reach God on their own, it proves what Jesus would say later, that the way to Heaven is narrow.

Daughters were born

From the history passed down from Adam and Eve, they knew women were special. Yes, sons were important because they knew so little about how thw promised Redeemer would come, except that He would be seed of a woman. However, dau h hers were special for another reason, the ability to one day bear that seed and, in the meantime, to be Godly, virtuous examples who should marry Godly, virtuous men and form unions in marriage - which God had ordained before the Fall of mankind. The two could be one flesh and have a relationship which  glorified God.

That us not how it happened, though, as we will see in the next verse.

(And, discussion of "sons of God" and "Nephilim" will be kind of lengthy, so it could take a few days to write up. it won't be a break like the 5 years of before, though - I'm pacing myself this time :-) Thanks to all for reading.)

Gen. 5:30-32

Gen. 5:30-32

Here, we see that Noah waited a long time to have his sons that the Bible records – and these are likely the only children he had, since everyone else in the line from Adam to Noah is recorded to have had “sons and daughters.”

He may have been too busy serving the Lord to have children. This is possible since he would have heard of Enoch and how he walked with God. A great testimony of faith should inspire others to action. Enoch was a fabulous role model. Yes , Lamech was Noah's  father and should have been the primary one, but we do a terrible injustice when we fail to recognize the good others have done and could do if they let God use them. God gives His word at times to allow us to see Godly examples, after all. We need to follow His example first, after all. As the Bible says, we ought to obey God rather than man when the two conflict.(Acts 5:29)

Whether he was like Martha, Mary’s sister, whom Jesus remaindered was too encumbered with serving and missing the most important thing, though.(Luke 11) Noah was “perfect in his generations”(Gen. 6:9), which will be looked at later, but suffice it to say that his righteousness is compared to that of the great Job and Daniel in Ezekiel 20. This is not equal to God’s righteousness, of course – all our righteousness is as filthy rags compared to the Lor’s.(Is.64:6) However, he clearly followed the Lord closely enough that he easily went out and began building that ark despite the fact it would have no purpose that mankind could see, he only had God’s promise that He would flood the whle world. And, Noah stayed close to God despite the fact that so many must have scoffed at him, for only he, his wife, his sons,a nd their wives went intot he ark. (Although, of course, some who died before the Flood may have believed him.)

Those sons, of course, may have been born so late (when Noah was 500 years old) because of God’s perfect timing being relied on by Noah. Whereas the others have sons and daughters mentioned but not referred to by name, he does not. Hence, it’s very likely that these were the only three children he had.

Who their wives were – or his wife – we can’t say, though there is some speculation his wife was of the line of Cain, a woman named Naamah. This Naamah may have been the daughter of Lamech of the Cainites with Zillah. This is according to early Jewish tradition. Medieval Jewish tradition, however, lists a different Naamah, a daughter of Enoch, as Noah’s wife, though there is some problem with the age there so it doesn’t seem as likely, since Enoch was “translated” at only 365 years of age, only 300 years after begetting Methusaleh. (Methusaleh was 969 when he died and the Flood began, and Enoch was translated when he was 300 so his youngest sister would have been at least 669 years old, while Noah was 600 when the Flood began. Would Noah have married someone at least 69 years older than him? Maybe, but since the bible mentions other miraculous births when people are past childbearing age, one would suspect that if his wife had been past childbearing age God would have mentioned it. Then again, we don’t know what childbearing age was before the Flood. Speculating by just figuring today’s childbearing age times 10 is just that, speculation. But, while she could have had Shem, ham,a nd Japheth at age 569 or greater, it’s more likely that it’s another Naamah.)

 John Gill, a theologian of the 1700s with a large commentary, says Naamah was the name of the wife of Ham, in which he is clearly referring to the Naamah of the line of Cain, where not as many generations are listed but where several of the parents could easily have had the children listed   when they were a few hundred years old.

All of this speculation should not be taken as canon, but should merely be taken to show this point. There were probably not a lot of women available. While it’s possible Noah and his wife married early and then waited because of the evil coming uponthe earth till God’s appointed time, it still adds to a later verse stating that things were very wicked. People were imagining such eveil, despicable things, and only the family of Noah seems to have been above it all.

In this day and age, when so many seem to be focused on evil, we need to remember that same warning, that we must stand out as different. Our morality must not be a selfish morality where we say we are superior, though – that would not have made Noah “perfect in his generations,” rather it must be a Christ-honoring one where we share with others the hope that is within us, that certainty that God is there for us and will be for them.

It doesn’t always seem like it, but we do have a lot to offer the people of this world. The people of this world need to see that there is a difference, but whle we must not be of the world’s system that forgets God, we are called to be in the world. To stand out like a beacon. To be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. We must let our lights shine so that people can see our good works, but for them to glorify our Father which is in heaven(Mat. 5:16) we must share why it is we are so kind, gentle, compassionate, good to others, respectful, tenderhearted, forgiving, and all the other good things God calls us to be. It is not so we can work our way to heaven, but because Jesus Chrsit has saved us. And, it is our reasonable service because of that.(Rom.12:1)