Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD

Continuing now in the Precept Ministries study of the book of Genesis, they say in their introduction that we are about to study a very crucial segment of Genesis. Other than the creation account, Genesis 6–8 is probably one of the most challenging portions of the Bible for people to accept at face value. As we observe the following chapters, you’ll probably understand why. Most people don’t like to think of God and his judgment in the same breath — and by a flood!

As always, the first step in the inductive study is observation. By carefully observing, it helps to see the overall picture these chapters paint for us. It’s like we’re surveying a particular geographical area in a helicopter before we land to look a more up close and personal look at it. We begin observing Genesis 6 by looking for key words, phrases, and anything that tells us anything about these chapters' setting.

• Human, man, men- 10
• Noah- 6
• LORD- 5
• Ark- 5
• All flesh- 4
• Wickedness, corrupt, corrupted- 4
• Every kind- 4
• Sons of God (angels)- 2
• Floodwaters- 1

When we put all of these words together, we come up with the chapter theme. The wickedness in the world led to the Flood, from which God saved Noah, his family, and a permitted number of animals.

“Sons of God” in Hebrew is “bene Elohim.” The Bible only uses that phrase five times (Genesis 6:2; 6:4; Job 1:6; 2:1, 38:7). The scriptures indicate these are angelic beings. They saw how beautiful women were, so these “sons of God” decided to marry some of them and have children. In the book of Job, the “sons of God” came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan was with them. When they came back later, Satan was still with them. The last time God uses that Hebrew phrase is toward the end of Job's book. God spoke to Job and mentioned that the “bene Elohim” shouted for joy when God laid the earth's foundation.

In this context of the book of Job, the “sons of God” are even more highlighted as angels. No mortal human without a glorified body can present themselves before the throne of God. And as you read Job 1–2 and 38, you can see the setting of the events taking place is Heaven. Further evidence that the “sons of God” are angels is that Satan is always coming among them when they present themselves before the LORD. Satan, himself, is a fallen angel. So it would make sense why he would be among them, even after the fall.

Moses contrasts these references to the “sons of God” in Genesis with the “sons of men” who had built a city and tower in Babel (Genesis 11:5).

Now, let’s examine all of this in the light of Jude 6–7, 1 Peter 3:18–20, and 2 Peter 2:4–5. These passages observe that God has kept the angels in darkness. He has bound them with everlasting chains until Judgment Day because they did not keep their authority positions, but abandoned their proper dwelling. Similarly to these fallen angels, Sodom, Gomorrah, and the surrounding towns gave themselves to sexual immorality and perversion. They all serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. But Christ suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God. Jesus was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. After being made alive, he went and proclaimed to the imprisoned spirits — to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while Noah built the ark. God only saved eight in the ark through water. But God did not spare angels when they sinned. He sent them to Hell, putting them in chains of darkness to hold them for judgment. God did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others.

The word “Nephilim” (giants) has prompted much debate among scholars. The first time the Bible mentions Nephilim, it is pre-Flood (Genesis 6:4). They were the product of the union between the fallen angels and human women. The other time the Bible uses the word is post-Flood (Numbers 13:33). But there is even evidence outside the Bible that these giants existed. You can find some of this additional evidence in Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jews Book V, Chapter 2, Biblical Archaeology Review 26:3, the Encyclopedia Judicia under the heading Angels & Angelology and the subheading Fallen Angels, The book of Jubilees 4:15; 5:1–6, the book of Enoch 10:4-9; 12:4; 13:10; 14:1–3 where they called “the Watchers,” A Plea for the Christians chapter 24 by Athenagoras the Athenian, the book on the Resurrection by St. Methodius under Paragraph VII, The Second Apology of Justin Martyr Chapter 5: How the angels transgressed, and Book 8 Chapter XII, XIV & XV: by Clement of Alexander. Evangelist Perry Stone puts all of this together really well so we can see that angels came down to Earth in human form to teach humanity how to be righteous. But these angels became attracted to women, married them, and had intercourse with them. The offspring they produced was a race of giants called the Nephilim. These giants became renowned and taught wickedness to people, perverting the reason God sent their angelic ancestors here in the first place (Genesis 6:1–7). He also talks about how there are three groups of angels:

1. The 2/3 of angels that did not rebel with Satan and are still with the Lord (Revelation 12:4)
2. The bound angels under the earth (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6)
3. Angels working with Satan in the present age (Ephesians 6:12; Revelation 12:7–9)

I said earlier that there is much debate among scholars over this topic. That is because some say that the sons of God refer to people and not angels. Under this view, the references to the “sons of God” in the New Testament is talking about believers because only believers in Jesus are his real children (John 1:12). A person who doesn’t belong to Jesus is God’s creature, but not his child. They also say Matthew 22:30 does not allow for the possibility that angels can reproduce. First off, there are 13 ancient references from outside the Bible to confirm the view that these are fallen angels. In that verse, Jesus said that at the resurrection, people would not marry, but would be like the angels in Heaven. But that is reading into the verse. Jesus didn’t say angels have no gender. And he didn’t say dead believers become angels. I cringe every time I hear people say that. “Well, _______ has gone to Heaven and is an angel now. He probably has his wings already.” NO! The Bible does not teach that people become angels when they die. Get your theology from scripture, not It’s A Wonderful Life. He did say that we would not be married in Heaven. So we are like the angels in that way. But that’s because the church is the bride of Christ! We won’t be married to each other because, together, we are the bride that marries Jesus in Heaven after the resurrection and celebrates with a feast (Revelation 19:7–9). Thanks be to God that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, God will save you (Romans 10:9–10). You don’t have to be under eternal judgment like those who perished in Noah’s Flood. You can be with Jesus and the rest of his bride forever. Don’t pass up the most beautiful opportunity ever offered!