Born Adam 0 Seth 130 Enosh 235 Kenan 325 Mahalalel 395 Jared 460 Enoch 622 Methuselah 687 Lamech 874 Noah 1056 Flood 1656 Died 930 1042 1140 1235 1225 1422 987* 1656 1650 2006 (930) (912) (905) (910) (830) (962) (365*) (969) (777) (950) This is a lineage. It is very likely that many other children were born that are not listed. 1When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.” 4The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. 5The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7So the LORD said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth —men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.” 8But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. 1When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.” 4The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. 3 Primary views: Documentary Hypothesis view: added fable/myth Sethite/Cainite Fallen angels “No one can say surely what these verses mean. They come from some period of primitive thought which is dim to our perception. Were the “sons of God” rebellious and fallen angels, as Milton conceived them in Paradise Lost? Were they deities like the Greek gods who came down from Mount Olympus to consort with the daughters of men? In either case there is a projection here of an ancient fantasy that is inconsistent with the higher faith of Genesis. Apparently the compilers included this fragment of an ancient myth because it was too familiar to be ignored. But though it has a likeness to the traditions of other lands, there is a difference. In the Homeric epics the love-making of the gods is simply a dramatic tale that is unconcerned with any moral judgments; but here in the views: biblical account there is the judgment of the Lord. Because of 3 Primary the sin of the daughters of men the lifespan of human beings is reduced. Documentary Hypothesis view: added fable/myth “Yet if there is any value in these verses it is not in anything they directly say, Sethite/Cainite but something which by contrast they suggest. In the old mythology, when the godsFallen came down to earth, they came for their own gratification. They used angels human beings for their own transient purposes and left them behind when they went back to Olympus. The story of the Bible comes to a climax in the record of One “who, though he was in the form of God . . .”” The Interpreter’s Bible, Volume 1, ISBN 0687192072, p. 533-4 3 Primary views: Documentary Hypothesis view: added fable/myth Sethite/Cainite: Matthew Henry and others The “sons of God” were the descendants of Seth, hence a God honoring “race” as opposed to the descendants of Cain. These verses indicate a mixing of the holy with the unholy, creating a general state of unholiness in all of mankind. This resulted in the advancing depravity of all of humanity with the implication that Noah and family were the only ones left uncorrupted by the intermarriages. It became a Romans 1 Earth. (See verses 6,11,12 of Gen 6.) The Preacher’s Homiletic Commentary (1892) agrees with Henry, holding that the Cainites became a ruling warrior class. Brute force became the only relevant qualification for leadership. 3 Primary views: Documentary Hypothesis view: added fable/myth Sethite/Cainite Fallen angels Wycliffe Bible commentary, p.12 “In the light of the facts and the accurate rendering of the text, we conclude that some men of the heavenly group (angels or messengers) actually took wives of the earthly women. They used their superior force to overpower them, to make the conquest complete. The “Sons of God” were irresistible.” Consistent with this understanding would be that an intermingling of human and angelic would render the resultant breed to be unredeemable, since angels are not subject to redemption. This is thought to be a Satanic attempt to ruin the image of God beyond repair. Noah and his family might then have been uncorrupted by “fallen angel genetics.” Jude 1:6 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. 3 Primary views: Documentary Hypothesis view: added fable/myth Sethite/Cainite Fallen angels John MacArthur: It’s helpful to me, however, to know that most of the views that are different than the one that I hold have come later in history, that the earliest views of Genesis 6 that we can find (even among rabbis, to say nothing of early church fathers) viewed the “sons of God” as angels. So, by taking, as we did when I went through that, the “sons of God” as fallen angels-demons-who come down and possess men, who then take wives and really desire demon involvement, and have children-that’s to show the depth of the fallenness of man: he engages himself with demons willingly. But, it says that at that time there were “giants on the earth in those days” and it uses the word “Nephilim.” The term is from a Hebrew verb “to fall” and it has to do with powerful beings that crush somebody. This is not a race of people; this is just some powerful people, some powerful men who fell on others in the sense of overpowering them-that’s what I put in the note and that’s exactly what I believe is accurate. http://www.biblebb.com/files/macqa/70-20-3.htm 1When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.” 4The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. Humanity was getting very messed up. 9 This is the account of Noah. What about Utnapishtim? (The Biblical text must have been drawn from Gilgamesh!) Tablet 10 After a long and dangerous journey, Gilgamesh arrives at a shore and encounters another man. He tells this man that he is looking for Utnapishtim and the secret of eternal life; the old man advises Gilgamesh that death is a necessary fact because of the will of the gods; all human effort is only temporary, not permanent. Gilgamesh Epic Summary Gilgamesh text Tablet 11 At this point, Gilgamesh realizes that he is talking to Utnapishtim, the Far-Away; he hadn't expected an immortal human to be ordinary and aged. He asks Utnapishtim how he received immortality, and Utnapishtim tells him the great secret hidden from humans: In the time before the Flood, there was a city, Shuruppak, on the banks of the Euphrates. There, the counsel of the gods held a secret meeting; they all resolved to destroy the world in a great flood. All the gods were under oath not to reveal this secret to any living thing, but Ea (one of the gods that created humanity) came to Utnapishtim's house and told the secret to the walls of Utnapishtim's house, thus not technically violating his oath to the rest of the gods. Gilgamesh Epic Summary Gilgamesh text He advised the walls of Utnapishtim's house to build a great boat, its length as great as its breadth, to cover the boat, and to bring all living things into the boat. Utnapishtim gets straight to work and finishes the great boat by the new year. Utnapishtim then loads the boat with gold, silver, and all the living things of the earth, and launches the boat. Ea orders him into the boat and commands him to close the door behind him. The black clouds arrive, with the thunder god Adad rumbling within them; the earth splits like an earthenware pot, and all the light turns to darkness. The Flood is so great that even the gods are frightened: The gods shook like beaten dogs, hiding in the far corners of heaven, Ishtar screamed and wailed: "The days of old have turned to stone: We have decided evil things in our Assembly! Why did we decide those evil things in our Assembly? Why did we decide to destroy our people? We have only just now created our beloved humans; We now destroy them in the sea!" All the gods wept and wailed along with her, Gilgamesh Epic Summary Gilgamesh text All the gods sat trembling, and wept. The Flood lasts for seven days and seven nights, and finally light returns to the earth. Utnapishtim opens a window and the entire earth has been turned into a flat ocean; all humans have been turned to stone. Utnapishtim then falls to his knees and weeps. Utnapishtim's boat comes to rest on the top of Mount Nimush; the boat lodges firmly on the mountain peak just below the surface of the ocean and remains there for seven days. On the seventh day: I [Utnapishtim] released a dove from the boat, It flew off, but circled around and returned, For it could find no perch. I then released a swallow from the boat, It flew off, but circled around and returned, For it could find no perch. I then released a raven from the boat, It flew off, and the waters had receded: It eats, it scratches the ground, but it does not circle around and return. I then sent out all the living things in every direction and sacrificed a sheep on that very spot. Gilgamesh Epic Summary Gilgamesh text The gods smell the odor of the sacrifice and begin to gather around Utnapishtim. Enlil, who had originally proposed to destroy all humans, then arrives, furious that one of the humans had survived, since they had agreed to wipe out all humans. He accuses Ea of treachery, but Ea convinces Enlil to be merciful. Enlil then seizes Utnapishtim and his wife and blesses them: At one time Utnapishtim was mortal. At this time let him be a god and immortal; Let him live in the far away at the source of all the rivers. Gilgamesh Epic Summary Gilgamesh text This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. 9 Righteousness is never a matter of what one does, but rather of who one is. (Doing flows from being.) Matthew 23:25-28 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. 9 A man of such integrity that everyone knew it. Are we seen this way? This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. 9 Walking with someone requires agreement and submission. Are we walking with God, or shouting from across the road? Do we really want to be this close to God? Do we really want to go where he is going? Nets and obligations This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. 9 This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. 11Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 9 Corrupt: in the process of being ruined, moral decay Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Chechnya, North Korea, Iran, Sudan, Thailand, Pakistan, China, Columbia, Somalia, Mexican drug wars, Chad, Palestine, Yemen, Haiti, Myanmar, Northeast India, Chicago, west LA, Rush street . . . This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. 11Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 9 Humanity had set the course for de-evolution This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. 11Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 9 “Corrupt” and “destroy” are the same Hebrew word: shachath This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. 11Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 9 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Is not God saying in effect: “I am going to give you what you want!”? Romans 1:21-32 Judges 10:11-14 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 click on passage for link This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. 11Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 9 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Is not God saying in effect: “I am going to give you what you want!”? “I willingly believe that the damned are, in one sense, successful, rebels to the end; that the doors of hell are locked on the inside.” “All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell.” CS Lewis This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. 11Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. 16Make a roof for it and finish the ark to within 18 inches of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 9 The Ark Nimitz class aircraft carrier 450 x 75 x45 with three lower decks volume of 290 box cars The Ark Nimitz class aircraft carrier This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. 11Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. 16Make a roof for it and finish the ark to within 18 inches of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 9 18But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark —you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 18But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark —you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 19You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. As we shall see in chapter 7, God worked this out. 18But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark —you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 19You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.” Would this require This is auniversal lot of work!!! vegetarianism? 18But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark —you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 19You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.” 22Noah did everything just as God commanded him. What an incredibly huge task! Building a huge ship Growing/collecting all of the food Feeding all of the animals Cleaning up after them Take homes: God is indeed watching, patiently: Join him! Hold to the Biblical account with confidence Satan is always at work to corrupt: Beware! God is always at work to redeem: Take the walk! God uses us in his redemptive work. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness. Judges 10:11-14 The LORD replied, “When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!” Romans 1:21-33 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. 26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. 28Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.