Genesis, chapter 6 6:1 When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose.

Martin Luther’s Commentary Some Lutheran pastors teach that the sons of God were angels, according to an old myth that old Josephus (the famous historian) promulgated. Luther: “The true meaning of the passage is that Moses designates as sons of God as those who had the promise of the Blessed Seed.” W, XLII, 270.

Why the confusion? Job was written outside of the Mosaic vocabulary and style. Job refers to the holy angels as “sons of God”. In Genesis, written in a different style and tradition, the term clearly refers to people in a repeating theme throughout the book: Marriages in the Lord.

Marriage of the Blessed Seed? Marriages dedicated to the Lord. Intended to pass on the hope of the Savior to the next generation.

Examples of Godly Marriage Concerns Abraham concerned for Isaac to marry faithful woman. Isaac and Rebecca grieved by godless marriages of Esau. In the Book of Judges, great evil abounds when marriages take place where God is not honored chiefly (ch. 3). Solomon’s heart turned by godless marriages. Ezra furious with godless marriages. Malachi warned of ungodly purposes in marriage. Marriage is meant for godly children! Paul said believers were not to be yoked with unbelievers.

The Importance of Christian Marriages pleasing to our Lord Church and nation cannot be truly blessed when marriages cease to be dedicated to Christ according to His will and seeking His favor.

Genesis, chapter 6 3 Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years." It is generally true today that 120 years is the maximum these bodies can live.

Long life but eventual death.

Change in the nature of the world. This could refer to what happens after the Flood. The world could have become less hospitable to life. Here’s a neat link to ponder… martsection/item.php?itemid=31#axzz2AKtdz cKM

Genesis, chapter 6 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days-- and also afterward-- when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. 5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.

Genesis, chapter 6 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. 7 So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth-- men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air-- for I am grieved that I have made them."

Who were the “Great Ones”? NIV Genesis 6:4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days-- and also afterward-- when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. NKJ Genesis 6:4 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.

The Nephilim These were violent men seeking control and empire for self. The Hebrew means “GREAT ONES”. Sometimes translated as giants, the term does not mean physical stature. This refers to conquerors who campaigned and made war for control of the earth.

The Nephilim The Flood account looks forward to the cleansing of the earth by fire on the Last Day. Over and over, the Bible speaks of violence and cycles of war to the end. NIV 2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

The Nephilim NIV 2 Peter 3:6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

Increase of violence

Genesis, chapter 6 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. 9 This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. 11 Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways.

Walking with Elohim This is the disposition of faith to strive to acknowledge the Lord who sustains us – as if He were physically by our side in the whole of life. -Before sin, Adam and Eve literally walked with God. -Enoch was one who had the faith to live as if he were walking with God until he literally did after life on this earth.

Walking with Yaweh / Elohim Psalm 89:15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.

Genesis, chapter 6 13 So God said to Noah, "I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.

Ark Chebah - Ark is usually the translation. It’s only other use is the floating basket in Exodus. It might describe the shape of the ship.

Gopher Wood. Gopher Wood. The Hebrew sounds like the English word for gopher but the type of wood is unknown. To translate it as Cypress wood is not accurate t’all. Perhaps Gopher refers to an ancient (now extinct) species.

Gopher Wood. The pre-Flood world was glorious in splendor. Noah may have been an accomplished man with many working under him.

Genesis, chapter 6 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be 450 feet long, 75 feet wide and 45 feet high. 16 Make a roof for it and finish the ark to within 18 inches of the top. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks.

Genesis, chapter 6 17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.

But cubits differed from time to time in length…. Solomon used the cubit length chiefly used to measure. 2 Chronincles 3:3. Most translations use Solomon’s cubit. BUT Moses would have been familiar with the Royal Egyptian Cubit of 20.6 inches, not 18 inches. Moses lived 600 years before Solomon.

450 feet 600 minimum ft Solomon’s Cubit Egyptian Cubit, circa 1500 BC

The Ark was huge.

History shows the larger Egyptian cubit was used.

Here is the location of the Ark in Turkey on the Ararat range.

The length of the ruins of the ark is 515 ft., which is exactly 300 Egyptian cubits (20.6 inches)! Moses was schooled in Egypt and was not familiar with the Hebrew cubit which was not even in existence when Moses wrote Genesis.

Government sign directs your way to the ark

Drogue stone with early Christian graffitti on it.

The historian, Josephus, said many made pilgrimage to it.

Provide stabilty

Note arms extended with drogue anchors to keep ship from being flipped by wave hitting side.

Josephus However, the Armenians call this place, The Place of Descent; for the ark being saved in that place, its remains are shown there by the inhabitants to this day.

Numerous rivets litter the site.

Ventelation provided in instructions

Genesis, chapter 6 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark-- you and your sons and your wife and your sons' wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive.

Genesis, chapter 6 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them." 22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him. Deliverance comes through the Word of God at work in our lives.

This is meant to look forward to our own personal salvage when life is cleansed from us. Other examples. -Those who heeded Christ’s Word to flee Jerusalem were saved from its destruction in 70 AD. -Those who heed Christ’s Word are saved from the cleansing fire at the end of time.