Genesis Part 015
Who are the “sons of God” that are discussed in Genesis 6:2? Many have thought they are fallen angels that came down and bred with women, but we will see that idea is false and that there is a more likely explanation.
Genesis 6:1-4 has been a difficult set of scriptures that has puzzled many and sometimes produced some weird ideas that are false.
“Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. And the Lord said, 'My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.' There were giants 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."
But what is it saying? "That the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.”
The first question to explore is, who are “the sons of God” of verse 2? Due to the fact that sons of God can refer to angels (Job 1:6, 2:1, 38:7) many have proposed that fallen angels came down and bred with mankind’s women. This is false. How do we know that this? Angels are spirit beings, not flesh, and it would go against the principle found in Genesis 1 that by God’s design his creation produces “according to its kind.” There are no scriptures about angels reproducing, and we know they don’t marry. Notice what Jesus Christ Himself told us in Luke 20:34-36,
"The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.”
What else could it mean? Let’s start by seeing who else are called “sons of God” in the Bible:
- Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
- Romans 8:14, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
- Galatians 3:26, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
From these scriptures we find that those who are true followers of God, who are obedient, have faith (like even Abraham did noted in Galatians 3:6-9) and who God is working with, are referred to in scripture as sons of God.
God’s righteous people (from the line of Seth) began to intermarry with those who did not follow God (descendants of Cain) and over time resulted in mankind completely losing their way (except for one man, Noah).
Humans have always struggled with staying focused on God and valuing the relationship with Him above all others. The blending of God’s Way and man’s way under the influence of Satan has always ultimately led to God’s judgment.
Tomorrow we will dive into the story of the flood.
UYA Team | uya@ucg.org
United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.
![A Bible laying on a table.](/sites/default/files/public/styles/fp_widescreen_768x432/public/image/article/2017/05/01/i-m-priscilla-172593r2c2.jpg.webp?h=25b86719&itok=-KJPxinv "“Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose..."")
