A Study In Genesis (2)

[Genesis Review]

In the Genesis series we have learned......God through Moses described the first three days of creation

We have learned that the word ‘Yom’ is the Hebrew word for day used in Genesis and it means a 24 hour day

We have also learned that the fight between creation and evolution is actually a fight between God’s word and man’s word

The book of Genesis clearly teaches that the one true God is sovereign over all that exists

Darwin did not invent evolution....he just made the idea popular for a pagan culture desperate for a life without God

We learned that there are three heavens mentioned throughout scripture

We learned that on the third day God separated the waters from dry ground and brought forth vegetation by His spoken word

We learned that the Platypus was created, by God, to look like it does…it is not a mistake or an evidence of macro-evolution. It has actually degenerated from it’s ancestral platypus’ according to the fossil records found both in South America and Australia

We learned that the earth is roughly 6,000 years old and we get this figure from the genealogy sections found within the Bible

Day 4 gives the account of God creating the lights within our day and night sky

On day 5 God spoke into existence the birds of the air and the animals of the water…these included the dinosaurs of the air and water.

On day 6, part 1, we learned about radiometric dating and how it does not prove that the earth is millions or even billions of years old and I also explained the existence of large creatures mentioned in the bible and how the term for these creatures...dinosaur... did not exist until the 1800’s.

On Day 6, part 2, we learned that dominion does not mean that humans have an abusive power over creation

On Day 7 & Beyond, we learned that God rested on the seventh day calling it the Sabbath. We learned that the Sabbath was created for man not man for the Sabbath…in other words…the day benefits us, we don’t benefit the day.

We also learned that Adam and Eve’s sin brought death into the world

Last week we continued our study in Genesis by learning about the world’s first act of hatred and that Cain’s wife was his sister

This week I will conclude the Genesis series by giving you information on Noah’s flood and the Tower of Babel.

We begin with Chapter 6 and controversy in interpretation and belief within Christian circles

When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3 Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” 4 The Nephilim (or giants) 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.

After much reading....I found four views for the events of

First is the Fallen Angels view

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Here the belief is that fallen angels had relations with human women and from that union came the ungodly giants

This belief was held by the early church as well as Jewish leaders

While there may be persuasive biblical explanations to this belief there are also gaps

One gap for me is the Greek mythology correlation where heavenly beings have children with earthly women

Second is the Fallen Angels Overtook Men view

Here the belief is that fallen angels and/or Satan possessed men and caused them to breed with women.

Fallen angels and/or Satan possessed men and caused them to breed with women.

One problem with this belief is that in the gospel accounts of the Bible, many people were overtaken by demons, but never were they titled sons of God like we see in verse 2 and verse 4

This belief does view the Nephilim as 100% human unlike the first view

Third is the Sethite view

The sons of God were the godly line from Adam to Seth down to Noah, and the Nephilim were fallen children who sought after false gods.

The sons of God were the godly line from Adam to Seth down to Noah, and the Nephilim were fallen children who sought after false gods.

problem presents itself for the Sethite view when we discuss . Post-Flood, everyone was a Sethite! Where did those Nephilim come from?

A problem presents itself for the Sethite view when we read .

In the Post-Flood, everyone was a Sethite! So where did those Nephilim come from?

Fourth is the Fallen Men View

This view is similar to the Sethite view, however, in this view sons of God were merely godly men of the time

Like the Sethite view, godly men (sons of God) were marrying women who were not godly (daughters of men), such as Cain’s (or others of Adam’s) descendants, including ungodly people from Seth’s line, thus resulting in Nephilim because they fell away from God’s favor.

Like the Sethite view, godly men (sons of God) were marrying women who were not godly (daughters of men), such as Cain’s (or others of Adam’s) descendants, including ungodly people from Seth’s line, thus resulting in Nephilim

There is a great deal of confusion over the word Nephilim.

No one today really knows what it means.

We do know that it is related to the verb series “to fall” (naphal) in Hebrew, which is why some direct this to fallen angels or more appropriately, the offspring thereof.

However, this also gives strong support to the view that men had fallen away from God.

It was these two concepts that helped give rise to the various views I just mentioned

While Christians may disagree on the different views of the word Nephilim....they all agree that the earth was very wicked and God made a plan to destroy it

God chose a man to carry on godliness within the world that He would destroy

This gave man an opportunity to gain a fresh start....a new life

God gave Noah the boat plans supernaturally and Noah and his family began and finished the construction of the worlds largest wooden ship ever built,

Before the rains fell and the earth broke loose…God instructed Noah to take a male and female of every kind of animal on the boat with him

This word “kind” is unique

On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, 14 they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Notice that the bible does not say that Noah took every species of animal on the Ark

For example, Noah did not take hundreds of different dogs onto the Ark

He just took two of the dog kind

According to the Answers in Genesis ministry…at most, about 1,400 kind variations that are seen in the fossil record today..were taken

That accounts to anywhere between 4,000-7,000 animals on the Ark and this included dinosaurs

And because Noah likely took young adult animals…there would be less food, less waste and less space needed…making the Ark more than big enough for the animals, food and Noah’s family

So the water came according to

Where did the waters come from and where did the waters go?

According to the bible it came from the springs of the great deep and the floodgates of the heavens

Where did it go?

It is still here

Predominately in our oceans and seas

According to scientists…if you were to press down the earth’s mountain ranges just a bit and raise up the ocean basins just a bit, the entire world would be covered by approximately 1.6 miles of water

In is states.. He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved. 6  You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. 7 At your rebuke they fled; at the sound of your thunder they took to flight. 8  The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them. 9 You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth.

He set the earth on its foundations,

Toward the end of the flood, new mountain ranges formed

so that it should never be moved.

That is why we find fossilized marine life on the Himalayas, Alps, Andes and even Mt Everest

Toward the end of the flood, the valleys sank down

6  You covered it with the deep as with a garment;

As the valleys sank, the waters from the flood rushed into the newly formed ocean basins

the waters stood above the mountains.

As a result, massive erosion features are prominent all over the earth

7  At your rebuke they fled;

The Grand Canyon is one example

at the sound of your thunder they took to flight.

The flood was a worldwide event....with all of the evidence to support that fact....to think that it was local is absurd

8  The mountains rose, the valleys sank down

to the place that you appointed for them.

The ice age is something that evolutionists and some scientists point to as happening millions of years ago

The flood has concluded and Noah, his family and the animals exit the ark

9  You set a boundary that they may not pass,

so that they might not again cover the earth.

God gives Noah and the world a sign in the first heaven that served and continues to serve as a covenant to longer flood the entire world....the rainbow,

At God’s command....Noah and his family were fruitful and multiplied

Though the descendants multiplied…they did not spread out and fill the earth

And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

ii. The people’s goal with building a tower... and with it...a city.. was to avoid being scattered over the earth,

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Once again.....wickedness filled men’s hearts and God did not tolerate it

Confusing the one race-one language people…He dispersed them throughout the known world at that time

In the midst of chaos and calamity....God had a plan

Where the devil attempted to derail and disrupt.....God’s plan went forward fulfilling itself in complete perfection

This series has helped to lay a foundation for our reason of faith

Because I did not cover every detail between and want to encourage you to take what I have shared and add it to your study of Genesis

Genesis is the foundation to our faith....the beginning of our hope

And with it we stand on the blessed hope that again...soon...God will restore the perfect peace that was lost