Hear the word of God from the sixth chapter of Genesis, beginning at verse 1. Now I came to pass when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were beautiful and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. And the Lord said, my Spirit shall not remain with men forever, where he is indeed flesh, yet his days shall be 120 years. The Nephilim were on the earth in those days and also afterward at the time when the sons of God came into the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old men of renown then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually and the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth and he was grieved in his heart. So the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, or I am sorry that I have made them. The word of the Lord, thanks be to God. Let us pray together. How do you know this is a hard passage for us? Just as what we have affirmed earlier is hard for us to affirm. But O Lord, we ask you for your spirit as we consider your word. The same spirit who brought order out of chaos and who filled the emptiness with the fullness of your glory, the same spirit and you have poured out upon the church and we pray for this spirit to come and help us. Help us to understand this passage. Help us to see that it really does have to do with us. Help us to understand it to the extent that we are helped by it. Father, you know these people and you know where this word needs to be applied to their hearts. So please come and do the work which you alone can do. Take this your word and apply it to us. Enable us to see it and understand it. You benefit from it. We pray in Jesus name. Amen. Every person at some point in his or her life will wrestle with ultimate kinds of questions. We'll ask ultimate kinds of questions. I remember when I was in high school sitting in my junior English class of all places and I have no idea why this happened. I remember sitting in this English class talking about JD Salinger's catcher in the rye. And for some reason these questions sort of force themselves upon me. Who am I? Where have I come from? Where am I going? No. A parent or necessary connection with English literature or the catcher in the rye in particular. But I remember it was a very poignant moment. Who am I? Where have I come from? Where have I going? Those are the kinds of ultimate questions that people ask. Who am I? Where have I come from? Where am I going? What's the purpose of my existence, my personal existence, if there is one? These are the kinds of questions that the book of Genesis seeks to answer. And it seeks to answer them first for the Israelites. As we make our way through the book of Genesis, there are a few ideas that are controlling kinds of ideas. You could call them principles of interpretation. And I'd encourage you to make some notes of these and to touch them away in your Bible. They're not hard to remember, but they're very important for understanding the book of Genesis. A few ideas to keep in mind, principles of interpretation. The first one is this. The principle that is the first principle is the question, what is going on at this time? What is the context? The historical context of the book of Genesis. And the answer is, Israel is in the wilderness. Israel is between bondage in Egypt and freedom in Canaan. Who are we? What have we come from? Where are we going? You see, the book of Genesis seeks to answer these questions for the Israelites. If you're an Israelite wandering around in the desert, you ask these questions. And the book of Genesis gives you the answer. If you don't have a job, if you don't have the security that comes from the paycheck, if you don't have an address, which means a permanent residence, but you're a wanderer, a stranger, in a dangerous place surrounded by nations that pose a threat to you. Who am I? Where have I come from? Where am I going? That's the historical context. And this book answers those questions for Israel. So principle number one, idea number one. So we make our way through the book of Genesis. What is going on? What's the historical context? Principle number two. The structure of the book. The structure of the book. It aims at addressing these questions. Who are we? Where have we come from? Where are we going? Principle number two. The structure of the book. You may remember this from weeks ago that there are 11 sections to the book of Genesis. Very easily identified sections to the book of Genesis. The first one is the prologue. Genesis 1, 1 through verse 3 of chapter 2. That establishes God as creator of and Lord over everything that exists. Everything that exists. Creator of and Lord over everything that exists. That's that he is the creator of and the Lord over the Egyptians and the Canaanites as well as the Israelites. He's not some petty localized little deity, you know? But he's the God of heaven and earth. And the beauty and the wonder and the glory of the creation speaks of this creator. And God has displayed his sovereign power. Not only in the midst of Israel, but he's displayed his sovereign power over Egypt. He humiliated Pharaoh and decimated his army. He bared his right arm in behalf of Israel. That's the opening section. And then each of the next 10 sections begins with the phrase, this is the genealogy of or this is the history of or these are the descendants of. You see that phrase, one of those phrases, at the beginning of each of the next 10 sections.
The way you can think of that little phrase is in this way you can translate it. This is what became of or this is what happened to or this is what followed after. So you find it in Genesis 2 4. This is the account of the heavens and the earth in the day in which God created them, which is to say this is what became of the heavens and the earth. This is what happened after the creation of the heavens and the earth. And then you see it again, Genesis 5 1. This is the book of the genealogy of Adam, the story of Adam. This is what happened after Adam. You see it in verse 9 of chapter 6. This is the genealogy of Noah. This is what happened after Noah in his lifetime and following him. And then you see it again in verse 1 of chapter 10, the genealogy of Shem. Of Shem, Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah. You see it again in verse 10 of chapter 11. This is the genealogy of Shem. Then Genesis 11, 27. These are the descendants of Tara, which lead us to Abraham, the first of the patriarchs. And then you get Genesis 25, 12. Now this is the genealogy of Ishmael, and then 25, 19. This is the genealogy of Isaac, 36, 1. This is the genealogy of Issa, 37, 2. This is the genealogy of Jacob, and the rest of Genesis then is a consideration of all of the descendants of Jacob. That's how the book is structured. And what you see in the book of Genesis is a movement from the broad, broad brushstrokes of the history, of the creation of everything that we see, to the creation of Adam and being narrowed to Noah, and then his sons and then one particular son, and then one particular descendant of that particular son, Tara, and then one particular son of Tara Abraham, and then the two sons Ishmael and Isaac, and then the two sons of Isaac Issa and Jacob, and then all of the patriarchs, all of the sons, the tribes that come from Jacob. That's how the book is structured, and so when you get to the end of Genesis, which is the time of the Exodus, the question has been answered, who are we, where have we come from? Well, we are the sons and daughters of Jacob, we are the tribes of Israel, and we've come from Abraham, and before that Tara, and before that Shem, and before that Noah, and before that Adam, and before that from the fingers of God, the Lord of heaven and earth who is formed and fashioned everything we see, that's who we are, that's who we are. The book is structured to show Israel who she is, where she is come from, and then the book is structured to show her where she is going, principal number three, at the center of all of it, at the center of all of this, is the promise of a deliverer, the promise of a deliverer, after the devastation of the fall, after the destruction, that came to the whole of humankind, and to the whole of the cosmos, as a result of the disobedience of Adam and his wife Eve, there is a promise of a deliverer, Genesis 3.15. There will be enmity, hostility, astrangement between your seed, God is speaking to the devil, the serpent, the Satan, between your seed and her seed, but he, this seed of the woman, this promise deliverer, this champion, he will strike you on the head, he will crush you under his feet,
the promise of a seed singular, one who would come from the woman and who would destroy, isn't that hopeful to you? Isn't that the gospel for you? It was the gospel for Israel. It was the hope of Israel that somebody was going to appear, and it is appearing finally the pain would end, finally the rape and the pillage and the ravages of the fall that you see in the history of the nations and that you feel in your soul. Finally it will go away and it will go away because one will come who will trample underfoot all of the works of the serpent. That's what Israel was looking for. That's what stands at the center of the story of Genesis. It's a principle number one is the context, what is happening? Principle number two is the structure of the book. Principle number three at the center of it all is the promise of a deliverer and if there is a fourth principle, it would be this. As you read through the book of Genesis, remember, as Russ reminded us last week, remember when you see Israel, when you see the people of God translate that church, who are you? The sons and daughters of Abraham, the tribes of Jacob and history, is about God's purpose to redeem the people. Genesis is not a history for history's sake. It isn't a narrative without purpose. It isn't just the musings of someone who had an interest in things past. History isn't even really about Israel. History is about God. History is about God's purpose and God's purpose to fulfill the promise of a deliverer. So when you come to Genesis 6, you come to a very poignant moment in this drama. And it is a drama. You know what movies are all about? You know what plays are all about? You know what musicals can be all about? There are lots of different kinds of themes that you can find in movies and in plays and in musicals and in novels and in short stories, all kinds of themes, but one of the central themes to film and to literature. It's the conflict between good and evil and will good triumph, will good prevail. And in good drama, there are always these poignant moments where it seems that good is going to be overwhelmed by evil. We're at one of those points. We're at one of those points in Genesis chapter 6. One of those points at which it appears in this drama that the purpose of God might fail. Will God accomplish what he intends? Will God accomplish what he intends? There's some unusual language in Genesis chapter 6, and it needs some interpretation so we can understand fully what it is that's going on here and why this is such a criminal moment in the drama. But let me summarize it by saying that this little narrative at the first part of chapter 6 describes the proliferation of evil, the worldwide extent of unrighteousness, an evil so pervasive and unrighteousness so comprehensive that there is only one righteous person left in the whole of humanity. One righteous person. What happens if that one righteous person is consumed in this flood of evil and unrighteousness? If there's no righteousness left, where will the righteous seed come from? Where will the righteous victor come from? Where will the valiant warrior come from? Who will uphold the purpose of God and accomplish God's intentions? The proliferation of evil to the extent that only Noah is righteous in the sight of God. Here's the language you find, Genesis 6. It came to pass when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were beautiful and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. It's been described here. Well, what's being described in verse 1 is the growth, the general growth of the human population, the growth of the nations, the development of the nations. Then in verse 2, there is this language, sons of God, contrasted with daughters of men. How are we to understand that? Well, there are options that people have suggested. The first of them is that this passage suggests the intermarrying of angelic beings and human beings. The sons of God, sons of God, is frequently used in Scripture to speak of angelic beings. Some suggest that this phrase describes the lusting of fallen angels after the beauty of human women. Second option is that there is a suggestion here of the intermarrying of kingly tyrants with ordinary women. This is the developing of herons. But then the third interpretation that seems to make the most sense in its context, in the context of Genesis, is that these two categories of people represent the line of faith, the sons of Seth, and the line of king, the line of unbelief. And anything in the Bible to warrant the suggestion that angelic beings who are spiritual can produce human offspring. There just isn't anything in the Scriptures in my judgment to suggest that as a legitimate interpretation. Further, the idea that these might be kingly tyrants isn't really suggested by the use of the language. So, for several reasons, it seems to make the most sense. It fits the context and it's consistent with the most of the biblical data. So, let's make the most sense to understand that what is going on in these first verses of Genesis 6 is a description of the subtle intrusion and invasion of unbelief into the line of faith, the line of Seth being confused with the line of king. So, being diluted by unbelief with the effect that faith is virtually extinguished from the face of the earth. Notice, too, the language that is used in verse 2 when describing these daughters is that they were beautiful. The same word that is used in Genesis 3.6 to describe eaves being attracted to the fruit when she saw that it was pleasing to the eye, the same root. And so, these sons of Seth end up being seduced, drawn away from God, drawn away from faithfulness, drawn away from faith by the seductive appearance of unfaithful women. Do you remember the names of Lamic's wives, Ada and Zilla, one name referring to beautiful appearance, the other name describing seductive speech and how Lamic took these two wives for himself seduced as he was by their beauty and their seductive speech. He took these two wives for himself and now here in Genesis 6 it isn't just that these sons of Seth take two wives for themselves, but in the verse 2 they take as many as they would like. So the distortion, the perversion, the destruction of what God intended in marriage is destroyed and perverted even more. There's another key verse here that helps us to understand what it is that's transpiring in these verses, verse 4 of chapter 6. King James translates this verse, there were giants on the earth in those days but when I read it I translated it Nephilim. Nephilim, that's the Hebrew word, the root means to fall and it seems to be a kind of a play on words, these Nephilim were warriors of imposing physical stature. If you go ahead to numbers, the 13th chapter, you remember when the spies went into the land and they came back and they gave a report and they said all the land is a land flowing with milk and honey but there are cities in that land and they are big cities and they are fortified cities and what is more, the anakeem are in the land and the anakeem are related to the Nephilim. And the Israelites said we felt like grasshoppers in their presence, imposing physical stature, Shakiloneel at every turn, Goliath in every street, people of imposing physical stature. And the people were frightened and terrified. Well these are the kinds of people who were living at the time that the sons of Seth intermarried with the daughters of Cain and the suggestion is that these Nephilim, the root of the word meaning to fall, the suggestion is that as people saw them they fell before them, terrified, frightened by them. And so one does wonder, though one can't offer this conclusively from the text, one does wonder if the fathers of the daughters of Cain looked at the sons of Seth and threatened them, look at my daughter, isn't she lovely? Married her or you die. You can't conclude that necessarily from the text but it's clear that there is some sort of interchange, interplay between the line of faith and the line of unbelief between these two cultures, these two civilizations and these Nephilim, these imposing warriors may have posed a threat to the line of faith and the line of faith, being seduced by beauty, being threatened by these imposing warriors caved in, were seduced, were overcome further. These Nephilim are described in verse 4 as mighty men who were of old men of renown, that is to say men of name, men who made names for themselves by their mighty exploits. You piece all of this together, what does it sound like? What is it reminiscent of? These Nephilim, these men of name, these mighty warriors whose strength is in their arm, whose confidence is in their flesh, then these sons of God who take wives to themselves, as many as they want. Doesn't it sound like those days described in chapter 4 the days of Cain who built a city, built a culture and attached his son's name to it, not God's name, but his son's name to it? Doesn't it sound like Jubal and Jabal and Jubal Cain whose names mean producers, the strength is in us, we have the ability, we are the measure of all things. Lamek taking his wives, two wives, seduced by their beauty and their sultry speech, simply a repetition, a recapitulation, a rehearsal of the tragedy of Genesis chapter 4, a tragedy which ends verse 24 of chapter 4 in death. So what you have in Genesis 6 is the proliferation of evil to the extent that the purpose of God and the promise of God are threatened. What you have in Genesis 6 is man exalting himself, establishing himself, placing himself over against God and seeking to prosecute his purposes and doing it in such a way and to such an extent that there is one lone righteous man and God must act. God must intervene in this drama and effect a change and so two things happen. Verse 3, the Lord says, my spirit shall not remain with man forever, there is some difference about whether the word should be translated, strive with man or remain with man depends on how you point the Hebrew verb. But what God does is withdraw his spirit, the spirit who creates life, who sustains life, the spirit who brings order out of chaos, the spirit who fills up the emptiness of the creation that spirit is withdrawn. I tell you if this were a symphony, if this were set in music there would be profound and deep dissonance at this moment and profound and deep reverberations throughout the auditorium that God would withdraw his spirit from humankind, leaving humankind to its own devices, leaving man to his own imaginations. And then the second thing that God does is threaten judgment, he brings judgment, he allows 120 years before that judgment. A long time for people to come to their senses, the Bible says repeatedly that God is slow to anger, that he is abounding in loving kindness, that he is long suffering, that he is patient, 120 years before the judgment will come. But then it most certainly will come, God will bring his judgment upon this corruption, God will preserve Noah and God will begin again and God will set his bow in the heaven. And by that sign, God is speaking to all subsequent generations that he will never again allow evil to proliferate to the extent that worldwide judgment, nation-wide judgment is necessary. God promises, and we'll look at this more in the weeks to come, God promises that he will preserve humankind from its own foolishness and self-destruction. Now what does this mean for Israel? There are three things very quickly, because this is for Israel and Israel in the wilderness having been delivered from her bondage in Egypt and heading to Canaan. It needs first of all to be warned. Israel needs to be warned, because you see Israel will go into the land and Israel will be tempted by the seductions of the daughters of the Canaanites. And God will forbid Israel in Deuteronomy 7. He will forbid intermarriage, because you see Israel is a nation in the midst of the nations, and it's fine if the nations come into Israel on God's terms according to Israel's covenant with God. And that will happen, and there will be Moabites who will end up in Israel, and there will be Canaanite prostitutes who will end up being faithful Israelites. Rehab, Ruth Naomi, but Israel is to maintain her distinctiveness as a nation, and it is not to be seduced by the world, not to be seduced by the gods of the world, the wives of the world, the values of the world. And so Israel is learning a lesson in Genesis chapter 6 that being seduced by the world, compromising with the world will lead to death, the loss of the spirit, and chaos, and emptiness. Do you hear that? Do you hear that, my friends? Young people, people in business, people in education, wherever you are. Oh, how hard it is to maintain this separateness, how hard it is to maintain this distinctiveness in a culture which values all things equally, a culture in which valuing all things equally is cutting off its nose despite its face. Is cutting itself off at the knees, is cutting itself off from any assurance of any absolute right, wrong, or truth. Israel will be tempted to compromise with the world, and she is learning here that compromise with the world leads to death, the loss of the spirit, chaos, disorder, and emptiness. Here at folks, you are Israel. Second thing, there is after this warning a concern to encourage Israel, a concern to encourage Israel, and the encouragement is simply in this. God is King, His purpose will not fail. Evil may proliferate. It may appear that good will be swallowed up in a flood of unrighteousness, but God will not let it happen. God will secure the accomplishment of His own purposes. You'll look at the Noah person in these next weeks. Noah is a Christ figure. He is a Christ figure in two ways. He is a Christ figure in that he is declared to be righteous and a deliverer, and Noah delivers all of those in His family. He delivers all of those in His household. He takes all of His family into a boat, and in the midst of the judgment they are secure, indeed they ride upon the top of the judgment waters, and they are led to safety. You see, there is an encouragement to Israel to find her security, not in the nations, not in the world, but to find her security, her safety in God, and His deliverer redeemer. And so there is an encouragement for Israel. Fix your eyes upon Jesus, the author, and finisher of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising its shame, and has been restored to glory with His father, and as you fix your eyes upon Him. So the hymn says, the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. Fix your eyes there. Would you beloved? There is encouragement to Israel that God will not fail in His promise to deliver His people, and then related, there is a third concern. It is a concern to show that God, the God of heaven and earth, is faithful to Himself. If God's promise fails, whose integrity is compromised? Whose name is dismerged? See, we look at human history, and we think of ourselves as the central characters. We look at Israel, and we think of Israel as the central character, but you see God is the central feature, the central character, and His name is the most important name. His reputation, His integrity, His promise, His purpose, and God is faithful to these, and because He's faithful to Himself, His people enjoy the benefits. And so Israel is warned, is encouraged, and sees God demonstrating His own faithfulness to Himself. Yes, the question, can it get any worse than this? How bad can things get? You know, this is a Dickens-esque kind of time. The best of times, and the worst of times, a tale of two cities, a tale of two kingdoms. Will the kingdom of righteousness ever consume the kingdom of unrighteousness? Yes. Will the kingdom of unrighteousness ever prevail and overwhelm the kingdom of righteousness? Never. And I hope you thank God for that. I hope you can say, thanks be to God. Let's pray together. Father, thank you that you will not allow your purpose to fail. You will not allow your promise to be consumed, devoured, destroyed, raped, pillaged, overrun by unrighteousness. But as King and Lord of glory, you will see to it that your purpose prevails, and we praise you and thank you for that. I pray for these people, I pray that they would look to these things and not make the mistake of the sons of Seth and be seduced by things that only lead to sadness. But may we fix our gaze upon you, Lord, and Jesus, our deliverer, in whose name we pray. Amen.