Angels, Giants, and the coming Storm

Intro

Let’s be honest: this is a very strange passage. If puts you to sleep, this one will keep you up at night. What does it mean? What in the world is going on here?

I want to preface this sermon with a warning: it’s about to get unbelievably, perhaps uncomfortably, weird.

The Sons of God

The Sons of God

ends on a hopeful note. Lamech, a descendant of Seth, has a son, who he names Noah, and offers up a prayer of hope that this child will be the one to remove the curse of humanity.

Then, Genesis shifts gears. We jump from a long and repetitive genealogy to a wild and crazy story about Sons of God and Nephilim.

So what are these “Sons of God”? And the “daughters of men”?

“Sons of God”, in Hebrew, is “bane Elohim”. “Bane”, can be translated “son”, but it can also mean “a type” or “a member of something”. We do this in English sometimes too. We know that “Sons of Anarchy” aren’t literally “Sons of Anarchy”. So we might better translate this “members of the Elohim.”

So what are these “Sons of God”? And the “daughters of men”? “Sons of God”, in Hebrew, is “bane Elohim”. This word, “bane”, can be translated “son”, but it can also mean “a type” or “a member of something”. So we might better translate this “members of the Elohim.”

Elohim can be translated either as “God” with a capital “G”, or it can mean “gods” plural with a lowercase “g”.

And this isn’t the only place the phrase “bane elohim” occurs in the Bible. It also shows up in Job as well as the psalms. In other places, you’ll see that “bane Elohim” gets translated as “heavenly beings”. That’s pretty different from “Sons of God”, right? So why do we translate it that way? It is because the way the ancient Israelites thought about “gods” lowercase “g”, is a little different than how we think of them. You might think of Zeus or something, but in Israel these other “gods” were subordinate to Yahweh. Some of them were on his divine council, they were like his secretaries, or messengers, or governors under a King. They were also created by God (which is probably referenced in , the fourth day). So our word “gods” doesn’t really describe them well. Which is why most translations will say “heavenly beings” or even “angels”.

Luckily, this isn’t the only place the phrase “bane elohim” occurs in the Bible. It also shows up in Job as well as the psalms. And,every time it gets used, it is always translated as “heavenly beings”. That’s pretty different from “Sons of God”, right? So why do we translate it that way? It is because this phrase bane elohim, for the original audience, would have meant “members of the gods”. But the way they thought about “gods” lowercase “g”, is a little different than how we think of them. The gods were subordinate to Yahweh. They formed his divine council, they were like his secretaries, or messengers, or governors under a King. They were also created by God (which is probably referenced in , the fourth day). So our word “gods” doesn’t really describe them well. Which is why most translations will say “heavenly beings” or even “angels”.

So now we’ve got that cleared up. Heavenly beings saw the human women, and took them as wives. Then they had Nephilim babies.

Everyone following this? No? Maybe we need to clarify what “Nephilim” are. We see in v. 4 that they’re “mighty men” and great warriors. Later, in Numbers and Deuteronomy, the Nephilim get associated with the Raphaiim and the sons of Anak, the Anakiim, both of which are described as giants. And not giants like Andre the Giant, or even Hagrid, I mean GIANTS. One of these giants, King Og, had a bed that was made of iron to support his weight, and it was 13.5 feet long and 6 feet wide.

So now we’ve got that cleared up. Heavenly beings or angels, saw the human women, and took them as wives. Then they had Nephilim babies. Everyone following this? No? Maybe we need to clarify what “Nephilim” are. We see right off the bat in v. 4 that they’re “mighty men” and great warriors. Later, in Numbers and Deuteronomy, the Nephilim are associated with the Raphaiim and the sons of Anak, the Anakiim, both of which are described as giants. And not giants like Andre the Giant, or even Hagrid, I mean GIANTS. One of these giants mentioned in Numbers and Deuteronomy, King Og, had a bed that was made of iron to support his weight, and it was 13.5 feet long and 6 feet wide. This guy is massive.

So, the Heavenly beings took human wives, and they had Giant, massive, 13 foot tall, warrior children together. God apparently didn’t like this very much, so he limits the lifespan of the humans to 120 years.

So, the Heavenly beings or angels, married human wives, and they had Giant, massive, 13 foot tall, warrior children together. God apparently doesn’t like this very much, so he limits the lifespan of the humans to 120 years.

Alright, we’ve got that passage all cleared up. Nothing more to ask, right?

Alright, we’ve got that passage all cleared up. Nothing more to ask, right?

No! What in the world is going on? Why is this story even here? We were just talking about a guy named Noah 2 verses ago who was going to save the world, why are moving on to giant angel babies? We’ll have to look a little closer to really see what’s happening here:

No! What in the world is going on? Why is this story even here? We were just talking about a guy named Noah 2 verses ago who was going to save the world, why are moving on to giant angel babies? What does this have to do with Noah?

I know this is a weird passage. But it’s trying to tell us something important, so just bear with me. Let’s read this a little more closely:

“When people began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, the heavenly beings saw that they were good; and they took wives for themselves...”

Sound familiar?

Sound familiar?

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good...she took of its fruit...”

It’s as if the sin from the garden is spreading out to all of creation. Now not just to the ground and the humans, but even to the heavenly beings. Even the angels have rebelled against God. They saw humanity, and they stretched out their hand to seize us for themselves.

The humans weren’t the victims here though. When God sees what’s happening, he limits the lifespan of humanity to 120 years. It seems like the humans wanted to prolong their life somehow by joining with these heavenly beings. It’s as if these beings whispered, “You will not die… your eyes will be opened and you will be like the gods...”

The Grief of God

God’s creatures in heaven and on earth have now rebelled against him. They’ve made an attempt to seize power for themselves.

When God first created them, he looked down and he “saw that it was good”, but now when he looks upon what he has made,

“The LORD saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that he had made humankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.”

Growing up, I remember being taught this story in Sunday school. I was always told that God was very angry with his creation, so he killed everybody in a flood. His wrath was poured out on the earth.

God created this beautiful world, and he formed humankind from the ground to inhabit it and share in the life that he had breathed into them. God made this creation for himself to rest in and enjoy, and for the creation to rest in him and enjoy as well. But now everything has gone wrong. Humanity rebelled against his love and grace in the garden. Humanity struck down their own brothers and tainted God’s earth with blood. And now humanity had joined in with these rebellious spirits in an attempt to overthrow him and seize power for themselves.

I’m not really sure what story my Sunday school teachers were reading. God created this beautiful world, and he formed humankind from the ground to inhabit it and share in the life that he had breathed into them. God made this creation for himself to rest in and enjoy, and for the creation to rest in him and enjoy as well. But now everything has gone wrong. The love God has for his creatures is not returned. Humanity rebelled against his love and grace in the garden. Humanity struck down its own brother and tainted God’s earth with blood. And now humanity had joined in even with these rebellious spirits in an attempt to over throw him and seize power for themselves.

And God is “grieved to his heart” Humanity’s heart is evil, and God’s heart is broken.

Things look bleak for humanity. They’ve reached the limits of God’s grace. Time and time again, they have rebelled against his love. They’ve attempted to steal power from God, and so he resigns himself to what seems like the only solution, “I will blot out from the earth the human beings I have created.... because I regret that I ever made them.” This is God’s creation, and he won’t stand for someone else trying to steal from him, no matter how much he loves them.

But Noah. But Noah found favor in the sight of the LORD. This is a very intimate phrase. It’s as if God is looking deep in the eyes of the people before him, hoping he finds one single person who’s heart is not “only evil continually”. It’s as if God is looking for an excuse to grant life and not death, to continue in grace and mercy and not judgement. And then, looking into the eyes of Noah, he finds a heart not totally wrecked by this evil that has plagued the rest of humanity. And so, once again, God finds a way to provide life for his creation despite our best efforts to thwart him.

Conclusion

Humanity really messed up. The saddest part of this whole story, perhaps, is that God had plans so much greater. Even after the garden incident, He promised to restore humanity to the Garden, and though the humans didn’t know it yet, he had even bigger plans than that.

If only they hadn’t listened to the angels, repeating the words from the serpent “You will not die… you will be like the gods...”

God, I understand you have a plan for my life, but I found a better way. God, I know you’ve declared what is good and right for me, and what is dangerous and harmful for me, but I’ve think I’ve found a better way than you. The serpent told me “You will not die… you will be like the elohim”.

That phrase, “Sons of God” “bane elohim” goes through a lot of transformation between Genesis and the New Testament.

Jewish writers begin to talk about how God had this plan to make us, humans, like “Sons of God.” But not these false imposter gods that tempted the humans in . No, God wanted to make us Sons and Daughters of the true God, to be his sons and daughters. They began to talk about how being one of Gods sons or daughters meant that we would be glorified, that our faces would shine like the stars, and that we would no longer die. We would be like the angels in heaven.

But then something else extraordinary happens with this phrase, “Sons of God”. Jewish writers begin to talk about how God had this plan to make us, humans, like “Sons of God.” But not these false imposter gods that tempted the humans in . No, God wanted to make us Sons and Daughters of the true God, to be his sons and daughters. They began to talk about how being one of Gods sons or daughters meant that we would be glorified, that our faces would shine like the stars, and that we would no longer die. We would be like the angels in heaven.

And then, lo and behold, The Son of God shows up here on earth.

“He was in the world, and the world came into being through him;… to all who recieved him, who believed in his name, he gave the power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.”

So the Son of God came into the world, and he began to teach people about this plan God has for them. He tells us:

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God”

He teaches about a resurrection of the dead, after which:

“

“they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.”

You see, God had a plan much greater than we could have imagined. The serpent slithered into the garden and whispered, “Rebel against God. He’s holding you back. You will not die.... you will be like the gods”. Foolish humans! God had a much greater plan! Not that “you will be like the sons of the gods”, but that you would be like the Son of God.

“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son. in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. “

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

God has a plan for us, not just to live, but to be glorified as his son is glorified. Not to be like the gods, but to be like the God.

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

But then, as now, there was this force working against us. This serpent in the garden. This beast, lurking at the door, who’s desire is against us. These heavenly, spiritual beings, who desire to take us for themselves, and to lead us astray. This voice, whispering in our ear, telling us that if we do things our way, if we do things the way we want, “You will not die.... You will be like the gods.”

But we see what really happens to those who join these so-called Gods. They are wiped away in the flood. That path only leads to destruction. And tells us what happens to these ”gods” as well:

God has taken his place in the divine council;

in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:

2 “How long will you judge unjustly

and show partiality to the wicked? Selah

3 Give justice to the weak and the orphan;

maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.

4 Rescue the weak and the needy;

deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

5 They have neither knowledge nor understanding,

they walk around in darkness;

all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

6 I say, “You are gods,

children of the Most High, all of you;

7 nevertheless, you shall die like mortals,

and fall like any prince.”

These gods, or “heavenly beings” are nothing. They allow the wicked to prosper, and they oppress the poor and powerless. But they will be wiped away in God’s judgement, that comes like a raging storm. But God has something so much greater in store for those who, like Noah, follow the path of righteousness, who choose to walk with God and not march against Him.

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

One of the hardest things to get past when we’re reading scripture is the huge gap between their worldview and ours. We tend to separate the secular and the divine. When the sun rises, we say that’s because of the laws of nature. When a pen drops, it’s because of gravity.

The Bible paints a different picture, however. We can’t separate the secular and the divine. It’s not that God micromanages the universe, no. But he is intimately involved in everything. We have a choice, we have freedom to choose to walk with God, or not. But in that freedom, God is at work. In that pen drop, God is present. In the sunrise, there is more going on that just the laws of Nature, God is involved somehow.

But there are other forces at work too. The serpent still speaks to us. The beast still lurks at the door. The fallen angels still promise us the world if we’ll only join them. There is a spiritual war in the world, between the Light and the Dark, between Good and Evil.

As those called to be conformed to the image of the Son of God, Jesus, and who, by our faith, have been given the power to become children of God, we have to be aware of these forces at work. We have to be aware, and willing to stand up against them, as the one true Son of God stood against them.

When

We have to be weary of the voice that promises us power and life apart from the path God has set before us.

When the poor lie cold and hungry in the streets, we must recognize this as the work of the devil. We must be willing to declare this not only “unfortunate” “sad” or “unjust”, but evil. Not Good. Not the way that God has called us to. And we have to do everything in our power to fight against it.

When people flee from their homes and countries due to the violence and oppression they face there, we must be willing to declare this not just “a sad situation”, but Evil. The work of Satan made manifest. And we have to do everything in our power to fight against it.

When a gunman walks into a school and begins to open fire on students, we have to say more than “how terrible”. No, we have to declare, this is Evil. This is the work of the serpent. This is not God’s will. And we have to do everything in our power to fight against it.

Because we are at war with spiritual forces that want to see us destroyed. We are at war with an evil that would drag our world back into chaos.

God has set our course: to be conformed to the image of his Son. Not to be like the gods, the false deceivers who follow the destructive path of the serpent. But to be like the Son, Jesus our Lord. To be like Jesus, who would not tolerate the devil. Who would not stand to see the poor oppressed, or the sick cast aside, or the refugee turned away, or injustice to continue in any way. To be like Jesus, the Son of God, who cast out demons, and healed the sick, and gave hope to the poor and powerless, and stood against the forces of evil working through the Pharisees, the Sadducees, through Rome, and all the oppressive political structures of his day. Like Jesus, who went so far as to give up his own life in order to fight against the powers of evil.

So, “be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of god, so that you can stand firm against all the strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against the powers of this dark world and against evil spirits in the heavenly realms.”

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

We can follow the spirits of this world. We can oppress the poor for our own benefit. We can ignore the cry of the needy for the sake of our own comfort. We can trample over the life of others for the sake of our life. We can listen to the voice of the serpent, and give in to the beast lurking at the door, and join with the heavenly beings who promise us the whole world. But be warned, “they will die like mortals, and fall like any prince.” And those who follow them will meet the same destructive end.

Or we can walk with God. We can be conformed to the image of the only Son of God. We can stand up for the poor and powerless, we can listen to the cry of the needy, we can give ourselves away for the sake of others. We can wage war against the spiritual forces of evil. But be warned, it might take everything you have, even your life. Because the war against the evil spirits is not easily won.

But the victory has already been declared from the cross. And the judgement has already been passed: Those who want to save their life will lose it, but those who lose their life for the sake of Jesus Christ will find it. They will be called children of the most High. The judgement has been passed: It is through Christ and only Christ that, “You will not die… You will be like God.”