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GENESIS SIX
Verses 1-13, The Angelic Infiltration
If Satan can pollute the human gene pool so that the result will be a
creature who is not "truly" human, it would prevent the Messiah
from coming into the world as "true humanity" and this would prevent
the fulfillment of God's plan both in blessing Adam's race and in judging
the fallen angels.
Verse 1
1. Now it came about: the normal progress of time
2. Great population expanse which does two things.
A. Amplifies the volitional issues of the angelic conflict.
B. Indicates to Satan that the promised "Seed" could come at
any time in the future and from any woman. It was not going to come directly
from Eve.
3. Point of interpretation:
A. The human race is designated by the terms men and daughters.
B. Daughters born to them indicates normal human procreation.
C. Sons of God refers to a different creature from man.
Verse 2
1. That the sons of God: a new group of creatures introduced.
Not men; not daughters; but sons of God.
A. benä ha elohim: used 4 times and only of angels
1. Gen. 6:2, 4; Job 1.6; 2.1
2. Job 38:7 has benä elohim with no definite article, and still refers
to angels.
3. Dan. 3.25: Chaldean form is bar elohin - "a son of God (or the
gods)" still refers to an angel.
B. They are called sons of God to indicate origin. They were created
by God.
Similar to the concept in Acts 17:28-29 with reference to the human race.
"The offspring of God."
2. Saw the daughters of men: reference to females of the human race.
A. Note again the distinction: men's daughters, sons of God
B. Some claim that this refers to the godly line of man procreating with
the ungodly line of man.
1. There is no such distinction made in the scriptures.
2. The use of the term sons of God denies this claim.
3. The natural flow of the context indicates that man and the sons of God
are two different creatures.
4. The offspring that results is because of a mixture of different genes.
Not because the father was a believer and the mother was an unbeliever.
5. Also, there is no mention of godly women mating with ungodly men.
6. The male contribution here is from angels which are always viewed in
scripture as male.
7. It is argued that angels don't procreate so they can't be involved.
a. It is true that there is no sexual activity among the angels. They
were all created in one point of time and they are all male. Mat. 22:30
b. But the absence of activity does not demand the absence of capacity.
c. The 3 New T. passages that comment on this incident make it perfectly
clear that angels participated in a non-bona fide sexual activity. 1 Pet.
3:19-20; Jude 6-7; 2 Pet. 2:4-5 (see below)
3. That they were beautiful: tobh = good, attractive or beneficial.
There was a very real attraction to the angels. But the attraction was not
"beauty."
The word, "good" indicates something that is beneficial. This
was the attraction.
They saw that these women would be beneficial in fulfilling Satan's plan
to frustrate the arrival of the Messiah into the human race.
Within their natural "spirit" realm, there would be no need
for sexual expression or fulfillment.
The only reason to "leave this realm" would be the attempt to
destroy the "true humanity" factor within the human race and thus
prevent the Messiah from coming into the world as "true humanity."
4. And they took women: ishAh - used also for wife, but no marriage is
involved here. Jude 7 indicates that this is "gross immorality . .
. going after strange flesh."
Verse 3 The convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit for salvation.
1. Then the LORD said: the warning is given after the infiltration had
started.
2. my Spirit: ruach, refers to the 3rd member of the Godhead. the revealer
of Truth. God the Holy Spirit
3. Shall not strive: dun, there is no certain background to this word,
but some idea of judging is present in the context as well as some act of
God toward man.
A. The best that meets all the information is the act of the Spirit
in convicting the world of sin righteousness and judgment so that they
might be saved.
B. This ministry was probably carried out by the teaching of Methuselah,
Lamech and Noah
4. With man: be AdAm, refers to mankind and specifically a reference
to the present civilization.
5. forever: le. olam means "perpetually" and is often used
as an idiom to indicate the extent of a designated period of time. Indicated
as 120 years.
6. Because he also is flesh: this is another difficult and disputed passage.
A. there are two possibilities
1. because he also is flesh
2. in his erring, he is flesh.
B. First point is that this phrase does not really affect the context
one way or another. The phrase before and after do not depend on the phrase
in the middle.
1. The H.S. convicts
2. And man's time to respond is given as 120 years.
3. This issue is clear regardless of how we interpret the phrase in the
middle.
C. This is saying something about why God's convicting ministry is going
to be limited to 120 years. But that is perfectly clear from v. 5 and 11-12.
D. So, without the phrase the context still explains the issues of man's
physical and moral condition. And the phrase itself must comment in some
way on that condition.
E. The meaning of the phrase centers around one word. be shaggam (the
part, "he is flesh" is clear)
F. Our first choice: "in that also (or because) he is flesh."
1. be = preposition, in;
2. sha = contraction of asher (that) and gam = also
3. emphasis on the status of man as being flesh.
4. It does not refer to the presence of the sin nature directly or of the
evil that comes from the flesh.
Noah + 7 are the same, Gen. 8:21
5. "also" indicates in addition to something else. Man is
made up of body, soul and spirit.
a. The soul and spirit are integral parts of true humanity.
b. But the body is also an issue of whether a creature is true humanity
or not.
6. So, this would indicate that the present civilization is given a
limited period of time in order that the true humanity factor does not
become totally corrupted.
7. The attack on the coming of the "true humanity" messiah
is not limited to the realm of the soul but is also related the physical
body.
G. The second choice: "In his erring he is flesh.." which
relates to the expression of evil that God is to judge.
1. be = preposition, in;
2. shaggam = qal infinitive construct of shAgag + 3ms suffix (shAgag means
to go astray or err)
3. Man is evil by nature, but that in itself does not require the flood.
After the flood the evil nature continues.
4. But in his evil expression, he is flesh. That is, the problem is
concerning the physical purity of the race.
5. This requires the flood so true humanity will be preserved for the
coming of the Messiah.
6. In his erring he is corrupting the true humanity factor of the physical
body.
H. And so, in either choice, the translation can very easily be interpreted
as relating to the attack on true humanity.
I. The time limitation and then destruction of the earth is because
true humanity is being contaminated and this will prevent the coming of
the "true humanity" messiah.
7. Yet his days shall be 120 years: the allotted time period for the
present civilization so that all the volitional creatures might have an
opportunity to be saved.
Verse 4 The Nephilim
1. In those days: the days of V. 2; the period leading up to the warning.
2. and also afterward: after the warning of V. 3; during the 120 year
period.
3. When: gives us the reason for the nephilim being on the earth.
It is directly connected with the angelic infiltration.
4. The sons of God:
5. "---came into the daughters of men"
A. This explains v. 2, took women for themselves.
B. If this were natural procreation within the human race, there would
be no strange offspring.
C. But the point is being made that because of the mixture of angelic
and human genes, a volitional, human like offspring comes into existence.
D. And they bore to them: explains how the Nephilim came into existence.
6. Nephilim: used only three times - here and two times in Num. 13:33
A. It means giant, based on the LXX use of
gigas. (gigantes)
B. Some trace it back to the verb nAphal which means to fall, and therefore,
fallen ones. But they are not fallen ones, they are offspring from the
fallen angels, but in themselves are volitionally independent.
C. In numbers it describes a group of men from the perspective of their
physical stature. They were giants.
D. Here, it refers to ones that have a physical superiority as described
in the next phrase.
E. One thing is certain. The giants in Numbers are not the same as here
since all but Noah + 7 were destroyed in the flood.
F. The same word (nephilim) is used because the word itself is the only
Hebrew word which describes the "physical" features involved,
not because they are the same creature.
7. Description of the Nephilim:
A. mighty men: gibor (plural adjective) = gibborim which speaks of their
abilities and would include physical stature.
B. of old: This comment is made by the writer as he looks back into
history and records an accurate opinion of them.
C. Since then, the historical facts as preserved by Noah, became distorted
and turned into the many stories as found in ancient mythology.
D. Men of renown: men of the shäm (name); men with a well-known
reputation
8. These Nephilim are volitional creatures with basic human limitations,
but their humanity is contaminated with angelic genes.
A. They are not creatures "in Adam" because they have angelic
fathers.
B. Therefore, they are not under the indictment of imputed sin. Rom.
5:12-14; 1 Cor. 15:22
C. They do have a sin nature created from the combination of angelic
and human genes, and therefore are under inherent and personal sin.
D. Because they are volitional creatures and newly brought into the
angelic conflict, it is logical that grace would provide for them a source
of salvation and probably through the Messiah.
E. Although this is speculation, it is consistent with the issue of
free will within the angelic conflict.
F. It is not consistent with God's character to judge the Nephilim because
of their parentage.
They must have an opportunity to be saved.
G. Accordingly, the 120 year period is for the salvation of all the
volitional creatures present.
1. Those born in Adam who are presently functioning as spiritual rebels.
2. Those innocently involved in the angelic conflict through birth,
both the nephilim and human babies.
Verse 5 Divine evaluation of the human race.
1. Then Yahweh saw: rAAh = made a temporal observation and evaluation.
2. That the wickedness of man: raah ha AdAm - of mankind refers to the
overt expressions of evil and includes the physical corruption that the
human race participated in.
3. was great: rabhAh, to become much, many, great
4. on the earth: emphasis on the overt expression
5. And that: explains why there is such great prevalence of evil.
6. every intent: yätzer, inclination or expression
7. of the thoughts of his heart: reference to the sin nature.
machashAbhAh, reasonings of his läbh (heart)
8. was only evil continually:
A. only, raq = restrictive idea that indicates consistency.
B. evil, ra = character of evil which promotes self. Eph. 2:3
C. continually, kol hayom = every day
9. The character of evil amplified and promoted the expression of evil
in two ways.
A. agreement with the infiltration that was going on
B. active participation by the women and the offspring.
Verse 6 And Yahweh was sorry
1. This is an anthropopathism to communicate God's attitude toward the
evil. An anthropopathism is a communication device that takes a human "character"
expression which God does not possess and ascribes it to God, so that we
can understand the "nature" of God's actions.
2. God knew it was going to happen and is not sad or sorry.
3. The language is used to communicate Divine displeasure on the human
level so that man will understand that he has violated Divine standards.
A. sorry: nAcham (niphal imperfect consecutive)
B. grieved: Atsabh (hithpael imperfect/consecutive)
Another anthropopathism. God cannot be "unhappy." But he can
certainly be displeased with the negative expressions of His creatures.
Since God wants what is best for them, He can certainly be displeased when
they miss out on His blessings.
4. The language is used to indicate that God changes His "actions"
in regard to how man changes. God's original intent was to have the human
race continue until "the fullness of time" when He would bring
the Messiah into the world.
5. His plan was NOT to have Satan bring about this infiltration.
BUT, God knew all about it from eternity past and incorporated Satan's act
into His perfect plan.
Verse 7 Divine decree to correct the problem. A complete cleansing of
the earth.
Verse 8 Noah found grace, chän = favor and acceptance. The
reason is given in verse 9
Verse 9 Three reasons
1. righteous man: tsadiyq indicates he was a believer.
2. perfect in his generations: tAmiym in his dör
A. The word, dör, means a generation and not "times."
B. This is a physical issue. No contamination.
He was true humanity and so was his family.
3. he walked with God: a believer in fellowship, following Divine viewpoint
standards in his life.
Verse 10, The emphasis on the fact that Noah's children were of his fathering
and not of an angel.
Verse 11, The status of the earth from two perspectives:
1. corrupt: shAchath means to ruin, spoil, corrupt, pollute, pervert.
The niphal imperfect indicates to be in a state of corruption which refers
to the physical contamination from angelic genes.
2. filled with violence: the moral and spiritual status
chAmAs = violence or wrong in general.
Here the emphasis is on moral and spiritual wrong
Verse 12 Amplifies the physical pollution
1. God looked on the earth: Divine evaluation
2. and behold: hinä, this word is specifically for the reader.
It is emphatic to focus attention on the physical corruption of the earth
and not just the spiritual decline.
3. It was corrupt: shAchath (niphal perfect) is a statement of status.
Same word as in verse 11.
4. because: kiy, explains the cause of the status
5. all flesh: kol bAsAr, this concerns the vast majority of the people
but not absolutely all. cf. Verse 9, Noah
6. had corrupted: shAchath (hiphil perfect) = had perverted, distorted,
spoiled.
7. its way: derek = way or sphere of life. Normal sphere of existence.
The context indicates that it is the physical sphere of existence that was
polluted through participation in and promotion of the angelic infiltration.
8. upon the earth: emphasis is on the physical realm, where as, the spiritual
and moral is indicated by the heart. cf. Gen. 6:5; 8:21
Verse 13, Statement of Divine judgment
1. And God said to Noah: provides complete orientation to the problem.
2. The end of all flesh: refers to the all flesh of V. 12 which is under
a physical corruption.
3. For the earth is filled with violence: refers to the overall moral
and spiritual decline of man which is separate from the physical corruption
but aggravated by it.
4. Because of them: the all flesh of verse 12, which is in the status
of physical corruption. These are the ones who through promotion of the
viewpoint of their angelic fathers contribute to the moral and spiritual
decline of others.
5. And behold: hinä, indicates that Noah needs to really
concentrate.
6. I am about to destroy: physical destruction at the flood
7. them: those under the physical corruption
8. with the earth: all others including the animal life.
The earth itself is not destroyed, just covered and this destroys all the
land-dependent life.
9. Whether believers or unbelievers, the earth must be cleansed from
the physical contamination.
10. Status of the creatures involved after the flood
A. The believers including the nephilim-believers are in Paradise. Luke
16:22 cf. Luke 23:43
B. The unbelievers including Nephilim-unbelievers are in torments. Luke
16:23
C. The angels who did Satan's bidding (who kept not their first estate)
are imprisoned to await the lake of fire.
1. 1 Pet. 3:19, spirits in prison
2. 2 Pet. 2:4, in tartarus, ie, pits of darkness, reserved for judgment.
3. Jude 6, preserved in everlasting bonds under darkness.
4. Each of these three passages make it clear that the angels in prison
are the ones involved in Gen. 6:1-13
1 Peter 3:19-20a
After Jesus died physically on the cross, his soul went into Hades where
he joined all believers who had died in the past and were now dwelling in
paradise (Luke 16:22) and where he also reunited with the believing thief
who also died on a cross (Luke 23:43).
While in hades, He also made a victorious proclamation to a group of
"spirit beings" who were imprisoned in a separate compartment.
These are specifically identified as some who were disobedient in the days
of Noah, while God's patience was waiting until He would bring the flood.
This group cannot refer to a group of humans who were disobedient at
that time, because ALL unbelievers of the Old Testament period went without
exception to the place of torments (Luke 16:22-23), and no person or group
was "set apart" from the others as more evil than anyone else.
They all went to the same place. Accordingly, this group of spirit-beings
must refer to a group of fallen angels, who committed such a specific and
grievous evil that God chose to imprison them as a punishment.
2 Peter 2:4-5
Peter tells us that there was a group of angels who sinned and were placed
in pits of darkness, reserved for judgment.
The Bible makes it clear that the devil and his angels are not imprisoned,
but are "alive and well" and causing much harm in the world today,
both to unbelievers and believers alike.
Accordingly, this specific group of angels cannot refer to those who
rebelled against God at the very beginning in the revolt led by Satan and
which resulted in him being removed from his heavenly home. So this must
be another and different type of evil that was committed by a specific group
of these fallen angels, and such a deed that would prompt God to actually
imprison them or "tartarize" them as the Greek indicates. Based
on this Greek verb, tartaroo, the place of imprisonment for these spirits,
has been designated as tartarus and should probably be identified with the
"pit of the abyss" (bottomless pit, Rev. 9:1; 20:1) and the great
chasm (Luke 16:26).
It is significant that Peter makes immediate reference to the generation
of Noah and the flood judgment as if to give us a chronological fix on what
group of angels he is talking about.
Hopefully, it is clear that the spirits in prison" of 1 Pet. 3 and
the "angels who sinned" of 2 Pet. 2 are one and the same.
Jude 6-8
Here we are told of "angels who did not keep their own domain"
which is described as abandoning their proper abode.
The word, domain, is archä and means beginning, and refers to
the "original" sphere of existence in which they were created, Ie, the angelic sphere of existence.
The word, abode, is oikätärion and means a sphere
of "dwelling" or function.
Thus, we learn that these angels left the sphere of their angelic existence
and the sphere of their angelic "function" and as a result, were
imprisoned to await the final judgment.
Jude tells us what exactly is meant by these concepts of "domain"
and "abode" when he explains at verse 7, that the men of Sodom
and Gomorrah, "since they IN THE SAME WAY AS THESE (the angels) indulged
in gross immorality and WENT AFTER DIFFERENT FLESH. The men of Sodom pursued
sexual activity with "strange" flesh, that is, flesh other than
what God designed for their sexual expression. Ie, men with men. In the
same way, the angels pursued sexual activity with "strange" flesh,
in that they went outside the "angelic sphere of existence" and
pursued sexual activity with humans. That is, they accomplished the angelic
infiltration as is described at Gen. 6.
These three passages perfectly correlate one with the other and together
amplify Genesis 6.
Verses 14-20, instructions and preparation of the ark
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