“There is, too, a very general rumor, which many have verified by their own experience, or which trustworthy persons who have heard the experience of others corroborate, that Sylvans and Fauns had often made wicked assaults upon women, and satisfied their lust upon them; and that certain devils are constantly attempting and effecting this impurity is so generally affirmed, that it were impudent to deny it.”

(Augustine, City of God, xv. 23)

The context:

v. 1, Man was multiplying, Ge. 1:28

v. 2, Satan was scheming, Ge. 2:24

v. 3, The Lord was looking

v. 4, Mighty men were prevalent

v. 5–8 = v. 3 + Noah

The corruption:

The marriages:

v. 2, “They took wives for themselves…”

Ge. 4:19; 19:14, etc.

– Fornication: “uncover the nakedness of…”

“lies carnally with…”

“profaned her…”

The Mission:

The mistake:

Davis Young, Prof. GeologyCalvin Theological Seminary

“When for the past two centuries thousands of geologists from around the world, including numerous Bible-believing Christians, insist from a lifetime of experience in looking at fossiliferous rocks that those rocks are extremely old and had nothing to do with a global deluge, then the church must listen.”

The mistake:

JesusRuler of the WorldAuthor of the Bible

“For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like in the days of Noah. For as in those days before the flood, they were

eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah

entered the ark…”

Rebellious angels:

“And it came to pass when the children of men had multiplied that in those days were born unto them beautiful and comely daughters. And the angels, the children of heaven, saw and lusted after them, and said to one another: 'Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children'”

(The book of Enoch, 6:1–2, c. 170 B.C.)

Rebellious angels:

• Basis: “sons of God” cf. Job 1:6, etc.

Rebellious angels:

• But:

1. The name:

Can refer to those holy to the Lord:

Dt. 14:1–2; Hos. 1:10; 1 Jn. 3:1

Never refers to disobedient angels:» “angels” 2 Pe. 2:4; Jd. 6» “his angels” Mt. 25:41» “unclean spirits” Mt. 10:1» satan (Job 1:6)

Rebellious angels:

• But:

2. The nature:

Angels are spirit beings:

–Not given in marriage, Mt. 22:30–Assumes carnal temptations–Assumes they took on physical bodies

Rebellious angels:

• But:

3. The narrative:

vv. 3–7, “Man” 9 x’s Angels? Ge. 3:24 - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ge. 16:7 Punishment: why man?

Rebellious angels:

• Belief: No parallel in scripture…

Summary…

Righteous people:

The “sons of God” are righteous men, probably the descendants of Seth. And the “daughters of men” are unrighteous women, maybe specifically the descendants of ungodly Cain.

The problem: The class of godly men, practically kept aloof until now, began to gradually relax their standards and cultivate relationships with evil people. These relaxed standards led to great wickedness…

Righteous people:

• Belief: scriptural, not mythical…

» Dt. 7:3, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah» Ezra 9:2» (2 Co. 6:14)

Righteous people:

• Basis:

1. The name: Dt. 14:1–2; 1 Jn. 3:1

OT 8 x’s NT 7 x’s

Righteous people:

• Basis:

2. The narrative: (immediate context)

v. 1, the period (1500 A.M.) v. 2, the problem: class action…

Class 1

sons

of God

saw

Class 2

daughters

of men

were seen

Righteous people:

• Basis:

2. The narrative: (greater context)

Ch. 4

Killer Cain

Loud Lamech

Ch. 5

Seth

Enoch

Noah

“Called on God”

Ch. 6

Results

Righteous people:

• Basis:

3. The nature: Reuters Health, 11/09/2001

“Pretty Woman’s Face Is Just Like Cocaine To Male”

Righteous people:

“A beautiful woman's face is like chocolate, cash, or cocaine to a young man's brain, according to Harvard University researchers. …

“When men in the study were shown pictures of various faces, only the female faces deemed beautiful triggered activity in brain regions previously associated with food, drugs, and money, according to findings published in the November 8th issue of Neuron.”

Samson, Ammon, Prov. 5:3

The Nephilim

• “were on the earth in those days…”• “and also afterward…” Nu. 13:33“Was there not in Rome a few years ago, when the

destruction of the city now accomplished by the Goth’s was drawing near, a woman, with her father and mother, who by her gigantic size overtopped all others? Surprising crowds from all quarters came to see her, and that which struck them most was the circumstance that neither of her parents were quite up to the tallest ordinary stature.” (Augustine, City of God)

Lessons:

1. God hasn’t changed “w w w”

2. Satan hasn’t changed

3. People haven’t changed

4. Times have changed:

“Love is the principle of existence and its only end.”

5. Don’t you change (1 Co. 15:33)