"THE CORRUPTION OF HUMANITY"

Proposition - As we think about Genesis chapter this we will see three things: 1) the decline of humanity, 2) the warning to humanity, and 3) the rejection by humanity.

Interrogative question - How are you living in the midst of a lost and dying world?

1. The decline of humanity - vs. 1-2

Genesis 6:1–2 NASB95

1 Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose.

The first question that we must seek to answer is “who are the sons of God?”

The ESV Study Bible Chapter 6

The identity of both groups is uncertain, and various solutions have been advocated, although none has gained universal support. Various scholars have proposed that the “sons of God” are

(1) fallen angels (cf.

The ESV Study Bible (Chapter 6) Though it would be difficult to determine which of these three views may be correct, it is clear that the kind of relationship described here involved some form of grievous sexual perversion, wherein the “sons of God” saw and with impunity took any women (“daughters of man”) that they wanted. The sequence here in Gen. 6:2 (“saw … attractive [good] … took”) parallels the sequence of the fall in 3:6 (“saw … good … took”). In both cases, something good in God’s creation is used in disobedience and sinful rebellion against God, with tragic consequences. Only Noah stands apart from this sin. (See note on 1 Pet. 3:19.)

The three primary views on the identity of the sons of God are

1) they were fallen angels,

2) they were powerful human rulers, or

3) they were godly descendants of Seth intermarrying with wicked descendants of Cain. Giving weight to the first theory is the fact that in the Old Testament the phrase “sons of God” always refers to angels (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7).

A potential problem with this is in Matthew 22:30, which indicates that angels do not marry. The Bible gives us no reason to believe that angels have a gender or are able to reproduce. The other two views do not present this problem. The weakness of views 2) and 3) is that ordinary human males marrying ordinary human females does not account for why the offspring were “giants” or “heroes of old, men of renown.” Further, why would God decide to bring the flood on the earth (Genesis 6:5-7) when God had never forbidden powerful human males or descendants of Seth to marry ordinary human females or descendants of Cain? The oncoming judgment of Genesis 6:5-7 is linked to what took place in Genesis 6:1-4. Only the obscene, perverse marriage of fallen angels with human females would seem to justify such a harsh judgment. As previously noted, the weakness of the first view is that Matthew 22:30 declares, “At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.” However, the text does not say “angels are not able to marry.” Rather, it indicates only that angels do not marry. Second, Matthew 22:30 is referring to the “angels in heaven.” It is not referring to fallen angels, who do not care about God’s created order and actively seek ways to disrupt God’s plan. The fact that God’s holy angels do not marry or engage in sexual relations does not mean the same is true of Satan and his demons. View 1) is the most likely position. Yes, it is an interesting “contradiction” to say that angels are sexless and then to say that the “sons of God” were fallen angels who procreated with human females. However, while angels are spiritual beings (Hebrews 1:14), they can appear in human, physical form (Mark 16:5). The men of Sodom and Gomorrah wanted to have sex with the two angels who were with Lot (Genesis 19:1-5). It is plausible that angels are capable of taking on human form, even to the point of replicating human sexuality and possibly even reproduction. Why do the fallen angels not do this more often? It seems that God imprisoned the fallen angels who committed this evil sin, so that the other fallen angels would not do the same (as described in Jude 6). Earlier Hebrew interpreters and apocryphal and pseudepigraphal writings are unanimous in holding to the view that fallen angels are the “sons of God” mentioned in Genesis 6:1-4. This by no means closes the debate. However, the view that Genesis 6:1-4 involves fallen angels mating with human females has a strong contextual, grammatical, and historical basis. gotquestions.org

2. The warning to humanity - vs. 3

Genesis 6:3 NASB95

3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”

The MacArthur Study Bible (Chapter 6) 6:3 My Spirit. Cf. Gen. 1:2. The Holy Spirit played a most active role in the OT. The Spirit had been striving to call men to repentance and righteousness, especially as Scripture notes, through the preaching of Enoch and Noah (1 Pet. 3:20; 2 Pet. 2:5; Jude 14). one hundred and twenty. The span of time until the Flood (cf. 1 Pet. 3:20), in which man was given opportunity to respond to the warning that God’s Spirit would not always be patient.

3. The rejection by humanity - vs. 4

Genesis 6:4 NASB95

4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

The giants in those days were extraordinary, leading some to suppose that the “sons of God” in Genesis 6:2 and Genesis 6:4 are fallen angels and not merely regular people. In that theory, these fallen angels took on physical form and procreated with women. The demon-human hybrid DNA resulted in giant size and, apparently, enhanced physical abilities.

There are three objections to this theory:

First, there is nothing in the text that suggests the “sons of God” are angels. While the phrase can be used of angels (as it is apparently in Job 1:6, 2:1, and 38:7), it is also regularly used of people (e.g., Matthew 5:9 and Luke 20:36).

Second, there is no indication that angels are physiologically compatible with women and can procreate with them (unless this is the only instance).

Third, the theological implications are significant enough that one might expect some further explanation. Instead, we only see the offspring referred to as “giants” (Nephilim) and mighty, but nothing beyond that.

Others have suggested that the sons of God might be people possessed by demonic beings. As in the other view, the phrase sons of God would still refer to fallen angels. While this view would resolve the physiological implications, there is nothing in the text that would suggest this possibility. A third view is that there were giants in those days simply because humanity hadn’t been fully genetically corrupted—everyone was big and tall and mighty—and God intervenes to shorten human lifespans. This theory takes the biblical account at face value, that these sons of God were simply men. In any case, there were giants in the land at this time before the flood and “afterward” (Genesis 6:4).

There were still giants during the time of Israel’s conquest of Canaan (Numbers 13:33) and David’s time (1 Samuel 17:4–7). If these Nephilim were superhumans resulting from demonic and human cohabitation, it seems they would have died in the flood (Genesis 7:21–23). The fact that they were still around after the flood is either evidence that the fallen angels performed the same act again at some point after the flood, or it is another indicator in support of the third view that these giants on the earth from time to time were exceptional, but not superhuman. Whatever the case, Genesis 6:4 states that there were giants in the land in those days. The passage does not explicitly say how these giants came to be. It is best to not be dogmatic on an issue that the Bible says so little about and that is not theologically significant in the grand scheme of things. gotquestions.org

Numbers 13:33 NASB95

33 “There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”

The question is who is “Anak?”

ANAK, ANAKIM (Āʹ năk, Ănʹ ȧ·kĭm), ANAKITES (NIV) Personal and clan name meaning “longnecked” or “strongnecked.” The ancestor named Anak had three children: Ahiman, Sheshai, Talmai (Num. 13:22). They lived in Hebron and the hill country (Josh. 11:21) before being destroyed by Joshua. Their remnants then lived among the Philistines (Josh. 11:22). These tall giants were part of the Nephilim (Gen. 6:4; Num. 13:33). Arba was a hero of the Anakim (Josh. 14:15). The spelling of “Anakims” puts the English plural “s” on to the Hebrew plural “im.” NIV uses “Anakites.”

The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia (Anakims (Anakim, Anak)) E.C.B. Maclaurin believes that the term Anak may have been a Philistine title or rank, and that the Anakim were hereditary rulers of the Philistines who early came to Palestine from the Mycenaean world (“Anak/’Anax,” VT, XV (1965), 468–474). A cuneiform tablet from Asshur mentions Anaku as a place in the Aegean area. R. de Vaux suggests the Anakim made up a corps of mercenary troops for one of the Canaanite principalities Ancient Israel, p. 219.

The Nephilim are described in ancient texts as a group of extraordinary beings mentioned in the Bible. According to Genesis 6:1-4, they were the offspring of unions between "sons of God" and "daughters of humans" before the Flood[1][2]. These beings are characterized as heroic, famous, and of great stature, often referred to as "giants" in various translations and traditions[1][3][4]. The Nephilim are associated with the multiplication of humanity and the increase of evil that led to God's judgment in the form of the Flood[1]. Some interpretations suggest they were descended from powerful rulers or mighty warriors who lived before the Flood[4]. In Numbers 13:33, Israelite spies reported seeing Nephilim in Canaan, describing them as so large that they felt like grasshoppers in comparison[3][5]. The name "Nephilim" is thought to mean "fallen ones," which may allude to stories in related cultures about rebellious giants defeated by gods in ancient times[3][5]. Later traditions, including some New Testament references, associate the Nephilim with fallen angels who rebelled and were imprisoned by God[1][5].

[1] Hess, R.S. (1992) “Nephilim,” The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary. Edited by D.N. Freedman. New York: Doubleday. [2] Unger, M.F. et al. (1988) The new Unger’s Bible dictionary. Rev. and updated ed. Chicago: Moody Press. [3] Achtemeier, P.J., Harper & Row and Society of Biblical Literature (1985) Harper’s Bible dictionary. 1st ed. San Francisco: Harper & Row. [4] Youngblood, R.F., Bruce, F.F. and Harrison, R.K., Thomas Nelson Publishers (eds.) (1995) Nelson’s new illustrated Bible dictionary. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc. [5] Butler, T.C. (2012) Exploring the unexplained: a practical guide to the peculiar people, places, and things in the bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, p. 196.

SO WHAT?

How are you living in the midst of a lost and dying world?

Proposition - My goal is to help us understand that the foundation of dispensational premillennialism is found within the literal, unconditional, and eternal covenants of the Old Testament. I want us to see that there are no conditions attached to these covenants, they are unequivocally promise Israel a future land, a Messianic rule, and a spiritual blessing.

The protoevangelium

Genesis 3:15 NASB95

15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

“shall bruise” - (swp) - verb, Qal, yiqtol (imperfect), third person, masculine, singular, active grip hard

Sense: to crush (compress) - to compress with violence, out of natural shape or condition.

The protoevangelium, is the earliest prophecy promising a future redeemer.

Romans 16:20 NASB95

20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Revelation 20:10 NASB95

10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

1. The Abrahamic Covenant - Genesis 12:1-3

Genesis 12:1–3 NASB95

1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; 2 And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; 3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

Genesis 13:16 NASB95

16 “I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered.

Genesis 15:5 NASB95

5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

Genesis 17:5–6 NASB95

5 “No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 “I have made you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you.

Genesis 18:18 NASB95

18 since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed?

Numbers 14:12 NASB95

12 “I will smite them with pestilence and dispossess them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they.”

2 Samuel 7:9 NASB95

9 “I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth.

Micah 7:20 NASB95

20 You will give truth to Jacob And unchanging love to Abraham, Which You swore to our forefathers From the days of old.

Genesis 15:1-12 - Abram’s fear

Genesis 16:1-16 - Turn and Read - “Abram's distrust in the Lord”

2. The Mosaic Covenant - Exodus 19-24 -

Exodus 19:5 NASB95

5 ‘Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine;

Exodus 19:8 NASB95

8 All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do!” And Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord.

3. The Palestinian Covenant - Deuteronomy 29:1-29, 30:1-10 -

The Palestinian covenant (Deut. 30:1–10). This covenant guarantees Israel’s permanent right to the land. It is unconditional, as seen in the statements “God will,” without corresponding obligations. This covenant promises the ultimate return of Israel to the land in repentance and faith (v. 2) in circumstances wherein God will prosper them (v. 3). This covenant will be fulfilled in the Millennium.

4. The Davidic Covenant - 2 Samuel 7:12-16 -

2 Samuel 7:12–16 (NASB95)

12 “When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

14 “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, 15 but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.

16 “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”

The Moody Handbook of Theology Glossary

DAVIDIC COVENANT. An unconditional covenant in which God promised David he would have: (1) a house—a continuing dynasty; (2) a kingdom—Messiah would one day rule; (3) a throne; (4) an eternal rule.

The Davidic covenant (2 Sam. 7:12–16). The provisions of this covenant are summarized in v. 16 by the words “house,” promising a dynasty in the lineage of David; “kingdom,” referring to a people who are governed by a king; “throne,” emphasizing the authority of the king’s rule; “forever,” emphasizing the eternal and unconditional nature of this promise to Israel. This covenant will be fulfilled when Christ returns to rule over believing Israel.

The essence of the Davidic Covenant is given in 2 Samuel 7:16 and contains four important elements.

(1) House. This refers to the royal dynasty of David; God promised David a continuing posterity that would be of the royal line of David. This promise verified that the lineage of David would not be destroyed but would issue in Messiah who would reign over the earth.

(2) Kingdom. The word kingdom involves a people and a dominion over whom the king will rule; it is the sphere of the king’s rulership. It is a political kingdom.

(3) Throne. The throne suggests the authority and the power of the king in his rule.

(4) Forever. Forever emphasizes that the right to rule will never be taken from the family of David; moreover, the posterity of David will never cease to rule over the house of Israel. Enns, P. P. (1989). The Moody handbook of theology (pp. 61–62). Moody Press.

Notice what has happened throughout Scripture -

John 4:22 (NASB95)

22 “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.

Romans 1:16 NASB95

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Romans 3:1–5 (NASB95)

1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2 Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What then? If some did not believe, their unbelief will not nullify the faithfulness of God, will it?

4 May it never be! Rather, let God be found true, though every man be found a liar, as it is written, “That You may be justified in Your words, And prevail when You are judged.” 5 But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? The God who inflicts wrath is not unrighteous, is He? (I am speaking in human terms.)

Romans 9:4–6 (NASB95)

4 who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises,

5 whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen. 6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel;

In Israel today there are churches that are made of Jews and Palestinians -

5. The New Covenant - Jeremiah 31:31-34 -

The New Covenant (Jer. 31:31–34). This covenant provides the basis by which God will bless Israel in the future—Israel will enjoy forgiveness of sins through the meritorious death of Christ. The unconditional nature of this covenant is once more seen in the “I will” statements of vv. 33–34. Enns, P. P. (1989). The Moody handbook of theology (pp. 390–391). Moody Press.

Jeremiah 31:31–34 (NASB95)

31 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,

32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord.

33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

34 “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Ezekiel 36:26–27 NASB95

26 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

Ezekiel 36:28–30 NASB95

28 “You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. 29 “Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you. 30 “I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations.

Eleven provisions of the New Covenant are as follows:8

(1) The new covenant is an unconditional grace covenant resting on the ‘I will’ of God.…

(2) The new covenant is an everlasting covenant.…

(3) The new covenant also promises the impartation of a renewed mind and heart which we may call regeneration.…

(4) The new covenant provides for restoration to the favor and blessing of God.…

(5) Forgiveness of sin is also included in the covenant, ‘for I will remove their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more’ (Jer. 31:34b).

(6) The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is also included. This is seen by comparing Jeremiah 31:33 with Ezekiel 36:27.

(7) The teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit will be manifested, and the will of God will be known by obedient hearts.…

(8) As is always the case when Israel is in the land, she will be blessed materially in accordance with the provisions of the new covenant.…

(9) The sanctuary will be rebuilt in Jerusalem, for it is written ‘I … will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them’ (Ezek. 37:26–27a).

(10) War shall cease and peace shall reign according to Hosea 2:18.…

(11) The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation of all the blessings of the new covenant, for ‘by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water’ (Zech. 9:11). Enns, P. P. (1989). The Moody handbook of theology (p. 67). Moody Press.

SO WHAT?

(1) The Abrahamic covenant. Described in Genesis 12:1–3, the Abrahamic covenant promised a land (v.1; cf. 13:14–17; further developed in the Palestinian covenant); numerous descendants involving a nation, dynasty, and a throne (v. 2; cf. 13:16; 17:2–6; further developed in the Davidic covenant); and redemption (v. 3; cf. 22:18; further developed in the New Covenant). Enns, P. P. (1989). The Moody handbook of theology (pp. 390–391). Moody Press.

Hebrews 12:1–3 (NASB95)

1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

1 Corinthians 15:58 NASB95

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

Do you think that Satan is using the War in Israel to wreck havoc on the true Church?

This is my thought -

How much time have you invested this week watching or reading about the war in Israel?