Old Testament Reading: Genesis 6:1-8

“When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the LORD said, ‘My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.’ 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. The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the LORD said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.’ But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” (Genesis 6:1–8, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Hebrews 11:1-2, 7

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation… By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” (Hebrews 11:1-2, 7, ESV)

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Introduction

The purpose of Genesis 6:1-8 is rather simple and straightforward. This passage sets the stage for the story of the flood and of Noah and his ark which will be told in Genesis 6:9 through to the end of chapter 8. Why did God send the floodwaters upon the earth to destroy all flesh? According to our text today, it was because man had grown exceeding wicked — “every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continuously” (Genesis 6:5, ESV). And why was Noah spared from the floodwaters? Why were he and his family saved in that Ark, which was a type of the Christ who was to come? It was by God’s grace — “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8, ESV). The KJV and the NKJV say, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8, NKJV). Genesis 6:1-8 functions as a preview or trailer to the flood story which will be told in greater detail in the next section.  

And while it is true that the purpose of this text is simple — that is, to set the stage for the flood narrative which will follow, and to communicate that God’s grace was present and active within the world, despite the increase of wickedness — a closer look raises questions. 

For example, who are the “sons of God” and the “daughters of man” mentioned in verse 2? What does it mean that these “sons of God… took as their wives any they chose”? And how is this related to God’s displeasure. And how are we to understand the words of God when he says, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” Who are the “Nephilim”  of verse 4, and how are they related to the “sons of God” already mentioned and the increase of wickedness on the earth? What does the statement,  “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” reveal about the condition of fallen man. And how are we to understand what is said in verses 5 through 7 — that God was “sorry… he had made man”; that he was “grieved” to the heart; and again, that he was “sorry that he had made them.” Is it even possible for God to regret his actions, to be sorry and to be grieved to the heart? And what does it mean that Noah found favor with God? These are important questions. 

Let us now move through this text a verse at a time.

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“When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.” 

Notice that in verse 1 we read, “When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them…” (Genesis 6:1, ESV). This statement is simple enough. It seems to take us back to the time spoken of in Genesis 4  and again in Genesis 5 to look upon it from another perspective. In Genesis 4 the expansion of the human race was described with particular attention given to the wicked line of Cain. In Genesis 5 the expansion of the human race was described with special attention given to the righteous line of Seth. And in Genesis 6 we find yet another description of that period of time when “man began to multiply on the face of the earth”, but the focus is somewhat different. Here in Genesis 6 we do not find a genealogy, but special attention is given to the wickedness that was increasing upon the earth in those days — “man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them…” And in verse 2 we learn that “the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose” (Genesis 6:2, ESV). 

Who are these “sons of God” and “daughters of man”? 

There are three main views:

The first might be called the “angelic” view. It is in fact a very old interpretation. It takes the phrase “sons of God” as referring to rebellious angels. According to the angelic interpretation these were angels who were attracted to the daughters of man, that is say, to women in general, and through carnal relations produced a special breed of human — perhaps the Nephilim who are mentioned in verse 4.

The sinful, corrupt and wicked thing according to this view is that the angels did not keep their proper place but intermingled with the human species. And perhaps man was culpable in that they permitted such a thing to happen. Ultimately, the righteous seed, which was promised in Genesis 3:15 and preserved through Seth (Genesis 5), was threatened by this unholy and unnatural union. 

What does this view have going for it? Well, it is true that angels are sometimes called “sons of God” in the scriptures (see for example Job 1:6). Also, there does seem to be a contrast between the sons of God and the daughters of man in this passage, which’s suggests that they belong to a different class. Those who hold to the angelic view would argue that the sons of God and the daughters of man belonged to a different species altogether — angelic and human. Finally, it should be recognized that it is common to find in ancient and pagan literature the belief that prior to the flood the gods intermingled with humans producing a special class or breed of men. Those who hold to the angelic interpretation would argue that the scriptures confirm this as true.

What does this view have going against it? I would argue that it has a lot going against it. One, though it is true that the phrase “sons of God” might sometimes be used to refer to angels, the phrase is also used in the scriptures to refer men. Sometimes the righteous are called sons of God. Sometimes kings are called sons of God. Adam was called the son of God. Two, everything in this passage points to these “sons of God” as being of the human species. This entire section is about the multiplication of man on the face of the land. We are told that God was displeased, not with rebellious angels, but with man — “Then the LORD said, ‘My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years” (Genesis 6:3, ESV). The Nephilim, who seem to be the result of these unholy unions, are also described as being men, and not some hybrid angel-human species. “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 [ones] who were of old, the men of renown” (Genesis 6:4, ESV).  Three, nothing in the rest of  scripture would indicate that angels would be tempted or have the capacity to engage in carnal relations with the human species. In fact, the scriptures explicitly teach that angels do not marry, and neither do they reproduce — not even amongst themselves. Christ, when dealing with the question of marriage in eternity said, “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven” (Matthew 22:30, ESV). 

As Christians, we do believe in the supernatural and the miraculous. And so I do not think it is enough to say, “this view is just too strange to be true” (though I think the strangeness of it should cause us to question it). Ultimately, I reject this view because it does not seem to square with this passage, nor with other passage of scripture. And, as we will see, I think there is another view which fits far better with the narrative of Genesis, and with the rest of holy scripture.  

A second interpretation is called the Sethite view. This view takes the phrase “sons of God” as a reference to the descendents of righteous Seth and the phrase “daughters of man” as a reference to the woman who belonged to the line of unrighteous Cain.  

The sinful, corrupt and wicked thing according to this view is that the righteous intermingled with the unrighteous being led astray by their carnal passions.

What does this view have going for it? One, the phrase “sons of God” is sometimes used to refer to God’s people,  that is to say, the righteous ones in the world. Two, this is indeed a theme that we see in holy scripture — God’s people are often tempted by the world, the things of the world, and the sensual pleasures found therein. Under the Old Covenant Israel’s kings we warned about taking foreign wives lest they be tempted to also take their god’s, and thus commit idolatry, as Solomon did. And under the New Covenant the people of God are warned against being unequally yoked.  

What does this view have going against it? Well, a careful consideration of Geneses 6:1-8 reveals that these “sons of God” as they are called have much more in common with Cain and the unrighteous line which proceeded from him than with Seth and the righteous line with came from him.  

A third interpretation is called the royal interpretation. This is the one that I believe is correct. The royal view takes the phrase “sons of God” as a reference to powerful, wicked and tyrannical kings associated with the line of unrighteous Cain, and with King Lamech who was introduced to us back in Genesis 4:18.

Why would wicked kings be called sons of God? The answer is simple I think. This is what these kings claimed to be, and this is what the peoples of the earth considered them to be. These kings claimed to be of divine origin. They called themselves, and were also called, “sons of God” (or sons of the gods, which is a possible translation of the Hebrew). Some of the Roman emperors claimed to be divine, as you know. Before that the Egyptian Pharaohs claimed to be descendents of the gods. And we know through ancient literature that kings who lived prior to the flood also made this claim. They considered themselves, and were considered to be, divine.

There is a kind of irony present within the text. The thing which proves that they were not divine was their fleshly and insatiable appetite for the daughters of men. That they were mere men is proven by the fact that they were driven by carnal passions — they saw that “the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose” (Genesis 6:2, ESV). 

That these kings who claimed to be divine were associated with the unrighteous line of Cain, and not the righteous line of Seth, should be plain enough. 

Notice the terminology of 6:1 matches the terminology 4:14. In 6:1 we read,  “When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them…” (Genesis 6:1, ESV). In 4:14 we  encounter Cain’s complaint against God — “Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me’” (Genesis 4:14, ESV). Cain was earthly,  that is worldly,  and so too were these tyrant kings.

Notice also the similarities between these “sons of God”, so called, and Lamech who was introduced to us in 4:18. “Methushael fathered Lamech. And Lamech took two wives…” (Genesis 4:18–19, ESV). And in 4:23 we read, “Lamech said to his wives: ‘Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold” (Genesis 4:23–24, ESV). Lamech transgressed God’s design for marriage and took multiple wives. He began to rule like a tyrant. Instead of promoting justice, he oppressed his subjects and practiced injustice — he put a young man to death for wounding him. These so called “sons of God” were rulers in the line of Cain and Lamech. They took the sins of Lamech and multiplied them greatly. They not only took two wives as Lamech did, but they took as many as they desired. 

And notice also this theme — those in the wicked line of Cain were obsessed, not with giving  glory to God, but with promoting their own name. Remember that Cain was a city builder (he was a king). And when he built a city what did he call it? Did he calle Yahweh is LORD? No, he named the city after his son Enoch. The line of Cain is portrayed as having an insatiable appetite for glorifying themselves. And what do we see here in Genesis 6:1 and following except that wickedness taken  to the extreme. These men — who proved that they were only men by their desire for and ability to procreate with the — took to themselves the title of “God” and demanded worship no doubt.  

The text also implies that these so called sons of God repeated and amplified the original sin of Adam and Eve when we compare Genesis 6:2 with Genesis 3:6. Remember what the scriptures say about Adam and Eve’s sin — “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate” (Genesis 3:6, ESV). So too these sons of God  transgressed the law of God when they “saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose” (Genesis 6:2, ESV).

These powerful warrior kings ruled in a tyranical manner.  They took any woman that they desired into their harrems. And these women bore children to them. 

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“Then the LORD said, ‘My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.’”

In verse 3 we read, “Then the LORD said, ‘My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years” (Genesis 6:3, ESV). 

There are two possible ways to interpret this statement. 

One, 120 years could be understood as the length of time that would pass between the issuing of this decree and the flood. In other words, this statement from God indicated that 120 years would pass and then he would come in judgement to cut these men off.

Two, 120 years could be understood as the eventual limit of the lifespan of man. Men prior to the flood lived for hundreds of years. Men after the flood would not live for more than 120 years. This was God’s judgement upon man due to the increase of wickedness on the earth. This seems to me to be the best interpretation. 

Those who reject this interpretation argue against it by pointing out that some who lived after the flood lived for more than 120 years. For example, Abraham lived to 175, Isaac to 180, an d Jacob 147.  But in defense of this view I say, is it not possible that this limitation of the lifespan of man to 120 years was instituted progressively. Men and women progressively lived  shorter and shorter lives until eventually 120 years came to be the limit, as it is today. 

This limitation of the lifespan of man seems to be a fitting consequence to  the increase of wickedness described in this passage. It is not hard to imagine that these tyrant kings grew exceedingly powerful, in part, because of the their long lives. They were able to establish and expand their dynasties over a period of hundreds of years. Today one of the things that limits despotic rulers from having more power than they might otherwise have is death. They make progress in establishing their kingdoms, and then they die. Therefore, their sinful and obsessive regimes are limited.  

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“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.”

In verse 4 we read, “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” (Genesis 6:4, ESV).

Who were these Nephilim? 

The word Nephilim means “giants”. These Nephilim were the children of the sons of God already mentioned. They are here called “the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.” It is not difficult to imagine that these despotic kings were themselves large and powerful warriors, and that they produced large and powerful warriors through their carefully selected harems. In a time when battles were fought face to face and hand to hand it is reasonable to assume that these kings and their kingdoms grew stronger and stronger as they produced more and more of these Nephilim — giant warriors, mighty men, men of renown.

The only other time the word Nephilim appears in the scriptures is in Numbers 13 in that story where Israel sends out the spies to scout out the land of Canan. They returned saying, “‘We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.”’ So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, ‘The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them’” (Numbers 13:31–33, ESV). Only Caleb and Joshua had the faith to conquer the land. The rest turned back for fear of the giants who were in the land. 

Though it is true that the word Nephilim only appears in Genesis 6 and Numbers 13, the theme of giant warriors and the threat they pose to the people of God, the kingdom of God and the promises of God runs throughout scripture.  For the sake of time I will simply remind you of that most famous story — the story of David and Goliath. And I will  also remind you of the story of King Saul and David which follows on its heals. I do not know think that Saul was a giant technically speaking, but he was taller and stronger than any other man. And for this reason the people selected him to be king. They wanted a king like the kings of the nations — a powerful warrior king. 

What do we learn from the story of David and Goliath, and David and Saul? Do we not learn that God’s kingdom will be established not by political and military might, not by the strength and wisdom of man, but by God’s faithfulness to his promises and by God’s power?  God’s kingdom is established, “Not by might, nor by power, but by [his] Spirit, says the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6, ESV). 

The stories of David and Goliath, and David and Saul clearly communicate these truths. But do you see that these truths are established here in the earliest chapters of Genesis. Though the kingdoms of man began to multiply on the face of the earth by the rule of these tyrannical and mighty warrior kings, God was sovereign still. And though the righteous line of Seth and the promised seed of the woman who would come through his loins was certainly threatened by these tyrants and by the speed of wickedness upon the earth, God would establish his kingdom. He would preserve a people for himself, for he is faithful to his covenant.   

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“The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

In verse 5 we read, “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5, ESV).

God sees the intentions and the thoughts of our hearts, friends.

And though it may be true that man had grown exceedingly wicked in the days prior to the flood, the same may be said of fallen and sinful man even today.  For what did the Apostle Paul say concerning the condition of man? “What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’ ‘Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.’ ‘The venom of asps is under their lips.’ ‘Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.’ ‘Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.’ ‘There is no fear of God before their eyes’” (Romans 3:9–18, ESV). The testimony of scripture from beginning to end is that man — fallen, sinful, and unregenerate man — is corrupt to the core. 

I  was listening to talk talk radio the other day and the one hosts (he being of the liberal variety) told a story about words that his father had spoken to him when he was child. He remembered distinctly his father saying to him, “son, don’t ever, ever, ever loose faith in the fundamental goodness of man.” Those words had shaped his life. And I thought to myself, those words sound so very nice and good. And there is a part of me that wishes I could believe them, but I cannot. When I look at the world around me I do not see good, but sin and evil. And when I look to the pages of Holy Scripture here is what I read, “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” 

If I were to give advice to my sons and daughters it would be this, “sons, daughters, don’t ever, ever, ever loose faith in God  who alone is good and his ability to redeem and restore sinners such as you and me through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Friends, our God is able to make bad men good. Our God is able to shine light ion darkness,  and bring life from death. But when fallen men and women are left to themselves they are not good, but are dead in their trespasses and sins. 

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“And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.”

In verse 6 we read, “And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart” (Genesis 6:6, ESV). At the end of verse 7 something similar is communicated. There God himself is heard saying, “for I am sorry that I have made them.”

The meaning of these statements is simple enough. God was terribly displeased with the wickedness of man and the language of human emotion and experience is used to communicate this truth to us. You and I know what it is to  regret something, to be grieved to the heart, and to be sorry concerning something we have done. God’s deep displeasure with the wickedness of man is communicated to us through the language of human emotion and experience. 

Of course we know that God cannot in actuality experience regret, be grieved to the heart, or be sorry. For God to actually be sorry would mean that he erred, for him to actually regret would indicate a change within God, and for God to be grieved to the hearty would require God to have a heart, which he does not have. Men have hearts. Men our composed of parts — body and soul, mind and heart. God is simple. He is not made up of parts. He is a most pure spirit. All that is in God is God.

Other scriptures texts actually support what I have just said — that God cannot actually regret, be grieved to the heart, or be sorry. 

In Numbers 23:19 (written by the same  man  who wrote  Genesis 6:6, mind you) we read, “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Numbers 23:19, ESV) In 1 Samuel 1 15:29 we read, “the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret” (1 Samuel 15:29, ESV). In Malachi 3:6 we read, “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed” (Malachi 3:6, ESV).

You and I change. You and I have regret,  are grieved and know what it is to be sorry. God does not experience these things. Here in Genesis 6:6 (and in other places) the language of human emotion and experience and is applied to to God so that we might understand something true about him. Something similar happens when the scriptures attribute human body parts to God.   The scriptures will sometimes refer to the face of God, to the hand of God, to the arm of God, etc. And yet the same scriptures are clear that God is in  actuality spirit and is not made up of any of those things. 

How then are we to understand these passages that speak of God anthropopathicly (with the language of human emotion) or anthropomorphically (with the language of human physiology). The answer is by the way of negation. When we interpret these passages we must strip away (negate) all that is human and all that not proper to God until the basic meaning of the passage is left. I think most do this naturally. And what is left in Genesis 6:6 when we strip away that which is human and not proper to God? The truth that God was terribly displeased with the wickedness of man in those days. This truth is communicated there in a way that you and I can feel.  

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“So the LORD said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.’”

In verse 7 we read these ominous words, “So the LORD said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them” (Genesis 6:7, ESV).

The stage has now been set for the story of the flood which God would send upon the earth

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“But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.”

And in verse 8 we read these blessed words, “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8, ESV). 

With these words the state is set for the story of Noah and the ark. 

What does it mean that “Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD”? The word translated  “favor” might also be  translated “grace”. This is how the KJV and NKJV translate it — “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8, NKJV).

What a tremendous thing this is to consider. Though man was exceedingly wicked, and though the sinfulness of man had spread throughout all the earth, God was gracious still. He, by his grace, preserved a people for himself. Noah, as we will learn, was righteous in his generation. Noah, like Enoch before him, walked with God.  And this was by God’s grace.  

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Conclusion 

How mighty we apply these truths? Well, in many ways. I will mention three possible applications. 

One, let us be sure to have true and and biblical view of man and his condition now that he is fallen. I understand perfectly well the appeal of that view which supposes that men and women are fundamentally good. It really is a wonderful thought! But it has one thing against it. It’s not true. Men and women are born in sin. And even those who are regenerated and redeemed in Christ struggle with sin. Our hope, therefore, cannot  be in man, but must be in God. Our hope must be rooted in God and in the grace that he shown to us in Christ Jesus. Not only should this cause you to run to Christ for the forgiveness of sins, but it should drive you to urge others to run t him too.

And notice how practical a proper and true doctrine of man is. It effects even our political views. I would argue that many of the differences of opinion that we have in this country regarding politics can be traced backed to this  fundamental question — what is man, that is, what is his condition? A quote from one  of our founding fathers, James Madison comes to mind. He famously said in Federalist 51, “But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.” I do not intend to get to far down the road on the topic of political theory, but I do wish to show that our doctrine informs our politics. And most fundamental to the formulation of a political theory is the doctrine of man. Because men are not angels (because they are sinful) there must be government. And because we are not governed by angels (but instead fallen men hold position in government) the government must be limited and controlled by checks and balances — or so our founders reasoned. 

Two, let us not loose sight of the central issue in this passage, and the central theme of scripture, namely, the  glory of God through the advancement of his kingdom in all the earth. Adam was to expand God’s kingdom prior to the fall. He failed. And now their are two kingdoms in the world — the kingdom of man, and the kingdom of God. God has established his kingdom through Christ Jesus. And now our mission is  to further it. And so we pray, “Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9–10, ESV). Let us live for the glory of God through the advancement of his kingdom in all the earth. Let us be sure to be a part of his kingdom , with Jesus as our Lord. Let us preach the gospel of his kingdom.  And let pray that his kingdom come. In the days prior to the flood, the kingdom of man was flourishing to the point that seemed as if the kingdom of God had been snuffed out. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. 

Three, let us grieve with God, first over our own sin, and after that, over the sins of others. And may that sorrow lead us to repentance so that we might live holy before the Lord to the glory go his name.