Genesis 6 Part 1

Open up your Bibles again to Genesis chapter 6.

Genesis 6 · chapter mention

The Christian life can often feel like a tug of war, can't it?

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That the gospel is going out, there are real encouragements, ministries grow, the kingdom advances, but then we feel a pushback.

That church gets an email saying they can't meet at their venue anymore because of what they believe.

The building application gets rejected.

The government implements laws to make Christian parenting even harder.

Whatever it may be, life in God's kingdom, it feels like a tug of war.

A back and forth with this world.

You go one way, you get pulled back the other.

And if you've been following along in Genesis, these early chapters east of Eden, it feels like that too.

There's been this constant tug of war of progress and setback with God's plan of salvation.

We know God has promised salvation.

It's going to come through a family of believers.

God is creating an immortal bloodline to belong to himself.

And we know from that immortal bloodline, there's going to come a son to crush Satan's head, to end evil, to save the world.

But there's been this tug of war in these chapters.

The promise makes progress, but then there's this pullback.

Adam has a son, but it's Cain.

Then Adam has Abel, but Cain murders Abel.

But then Seth is born, but Seth's line is dying.

But Seth's line is escaping death.

God is creating an immortal bloodline.

There's been this tug of war, this back and forth over the past two chapters.

The promise has been working.

Sons have been coming, but not smoothly.

It's been a tug of war, just like the Christian life.

But there's a reason behind all of this.

A reason why there is a tug of war east of Eden, even today.

Don't forget what God promised.

What did God promise in Genesis 3.15?

Yes, there will be a godly family, an immortal bloodline.

But that bloodline will have enmity with Satan.

Satan and his unbelieving family, unbelievers,

they're going to be in conflict with the godly family.

Two bloodlines, belief and unbelief, will be at war.

The reason this tug of war exists in Genesis,

and in our own lives, and the church,

is because Satan is at war with belief.

That's the promise.

Satan doesn't want the immortal bloodline to keep going.

He doesn't want the son to arrive.

And so with chapter 5, last week, we make progress in the war.

The promise is working, that the godly family grows,

the immortal bloodline is created,

and already a son, Noah, has come to bring rest.

But don't forget Satan.

Don't forget the war.

If grace is pulling the rope one way,

Satan is going to pull back the other.

And so as we enter chapter 6 now,

we need to wonder,

well, how is Satan pulling back?

What is his next step going to be in this war?

And we find there is a threat to the immortal bloodline on the horizon.

Because if salvation is coming through the immortal bloodline,

Satan wants to blur the bloodlines.

That's my first point today.

Satan wants to blur the bloodlines.

Now, this chapter, it contains heavy things.

And it contains lots of unusual things.

There are sons and daughters,

children and Nephilim, mighty men of old.

And I can't address every question in this passage,

but the big thing I want us to see that's going on here

is that all of this is still related to the genealogy in chapter 5.

It's not a coincidence that we get the genealogy of the immortal bloodline

and then we get this.

Because what's going on here

is the immortal bloodline,

the godly offspring,

is disappearing

by being merged with the ungodly bloodline.

And this is Satan's tug in the war.

So do you see that there are two families mentioned here in verse 1?

When man began to multiply on the face of the land

and daughters were born to them,

the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive

and they took as their wives any they chose.

So do you see that there are the sons of God

and the daughters of man?

So two families, two bloodlines,

and they began to marry.

Now the question is, who are these bloodlines?

Well some say that the sons of God are fallen angels,

demons essentially.

Sons of God, it's the name given to fallen angels in the book of Job.

And according to this approach,

those angels fell from heaven,

came to earth,

started to breed with humans,

that they married human daughters.

And that's what's going on here.

Now I know that sounds pretty out there,

but I think that is a possible option,

that that could be the case.

But the better option,

I think,

is that

these are the two families mentioned in Genesis 3.

The sons of God are the godly family of Seth,

the immortal bloodline,

and the daughters of man

are the daughters outside of that bloodline,

not friends with God,

but basically Cain's unbelieving bloodline.

That's what I think is more likely the case here.

And just an aside,

the Nephilim,

I can't get into this,

but the Nephilim aren't the product of these marriages,

they're not the children of these marriages,

it's just saying that

these marriages happened

whilst a group of people called the Nephilim

were on the earth.

And the Nephilim,

they also appear in Numbers 13 as well,

they're just a group of big warrior people.

And so this passage,

it sounds unusual,

but really what it's saying

is the sons of God,

the believing bloodline,

married the daughters of man,

the unbelieving bloodline.

And so as these two bloodlines

began to multiply on the earth,

something happened,

they started to marry each other,

to blur.

And you might think,

so what?

Why is this such a big deal?

Well, because God sees it as a big deal.

Because look how God responds.

He looks upon the earth,

sees these marriages,

and he pronounces judgment,

verse three.

Then the Lord said,

my spirit shall not abide in man forever,

for he is flesh.

His days shall be 120 years.

It's like God sees these marriages

and says,

I can't have this happen.

I can't encourage this.

This needs to stop.

And so I'm going to remove

my spirit of life from humanity.

And I'm going to drop their lifespan even more.

It was going down already because of sin,

but now I'm dropping it way down to 120 years.

That's the maximum.

God did something to our genetics.

Now why?

Why is Seth's bloodline,

marrying Cain's bloodline,

such an issue?

Why such a severe judgment from God?

Well, the problem,

it's more sinister than you think.

Look at how the sons of God

were choosing their wives,

verse two.

They took as their wives

any they chose.

They weren't thinking about God

when they chose a wife.

They weren't thinking about the promise.

They weren't thinking about the promised son,

but they weren't thinking about the promised family.

Salvation just left their minds,

and they thought,

I'm just going to marry whoever I want.

And so the bloodline of believers,

it starts to blur

with the bloodline of unbelievers.

Which means,

what's going to happen to the godly family?

It starts to get diluted

and phased out.

It's like,

you know when you make squash?

You know, orange squash,

blackcurrant squash.

And you have the concentrator squash,

and it's bright purple,

and then you add water,

and then it gets diluted, doesn't it?

It gets less purple.

And then if you add more and more water,

it gets less and less purple, doesn't it?

And what happens if you keep doing that,

keep adding water and water and water,

soon,

it's not purple at all.

It's gone.

Well, that's what's going on here.

If Seth's line

is like the concentrated purple,

that's where the promise is,

that's where the belief is,

that's the immortal bloodline

where the Saviour Son is coming from.

But the unbelieving bloodline,

it's like the water.

No promise there.

And as the two bloodlines

start marrying and mixing,

the promise starts to dilute.

But belief

and friendship with God

starts to disappear.

And so what will happen to the Son?

How will the serpent crusher appear?

Well, if there's no family,

there's no Son.

These marriages are salvation

getting diluted out of existence.

And this is what Satan wants.

This is his side of the tug of war.

Just think about it.

If you were Satan,

and you knew the serpent crusher

is coming to kill you,

and you know he's coming

from the immortal bloodline,

and you've tried killing

that bloodline, Abel,

but that didn't work

because God just brought

another son, Seth,

then what is your next option?

Well, if I can't kill the bloodline,

then I'll dilute it.

I'll breed the Son out of existence.

This is Satan trying to stop

Christ being born.

This is Satan's pull

in the tug of war.

Satan wants to blur

the bloodlines.

And this is why God

is so severe about this.

His people

are forgetting about their God,

abandoning the promise,

abandoning Christ.

And so God shortens

their lifespan even more.

You walk away from God,

there's only death.

The immortal bloodline

was doing so well.

But now it's like

the promised people

have fallen again.

And you can even see that

in the language of verse 2.

Did you notice,

it sounds just like the fall.

The sons of God

saw that the daughters of man

were attractive.

attractive.

In Hebrew,

that's literally good.

They saw that they were good.

And they took

as their wives,

as any they chose.

Saw,

good,

took.

It's just like Eve.

She saw the fruit

was good

and she took it

and ate.

It's the fall 2.0.

Godliness is disappearing

off the face of the earth.

And this is such a threat

because this works.

Satan isn't stupid

with this tactic

because we know

God's people

have always been prone

to abandon his promise

because of relationships.

We see this warning

throughout the Bible.

As Israel enters Canaan,

God says,

do not marry the Canaanites

because you're going

to end up serving their gods.

Solomon married

many unbelieving women

and what happened to him?

His heart turned away

from God.

In Malachi,

Israelite men

started divorcing

their wives

and marrying unbelievers

and God condemns it

because the Lord says

he's seeking

godly offspring.

God knows

if our hearts

go after

an ungodly spouse,

it affects

the heart

of the whole home.

And so it starts

to affect our children.

Who we marry

matters for our godliness

and for the godliness

down the line.

And sadly,

we see Satan's tactic

work in Genesis,

in Solomon's life,

and even today.

I'm sure

almost every adult here

can think of

at least one person

who has walked away

from the faith

because of a relationship.

I'm sure

you can think

of one right now.

I can think

of at least five.

And they started

texting that guy

from work.

They started

pursuing that girl

at uni.

They thought

it would be fine.

They said

don't worry about it.

And then a year later,

no church,

no interest,

no faith.

And it's not

a coincidence

they end in disaster.

It's the same

tug of war

as in Genesis 6.

and it works.

Satan is trying

to phase out

God's grace,

dilute it out,

and he couldn't

do it with Christ.

He couldn't

dilute out Christ

and so Satan

goes for the church

instead.

And so if you're

not married

here today,

we need to be

very careful

with who we marry

as Christians.

We can be tempted

to just go

for whoever we want.

Someone that simply

looks good to the eyes

and we take.

And we do so

without thinking

about God,

without thinking

about the promise,

without thinking

about the bloodline.

But we need

to take Genesis 6

very seriously here.

Don't be like

these sons of God.

Always have God

in mind

when you're seeking

a spouse.

Our hearts

are too prone

to wonder

that this is

how Satan

loves to

pull at your heart.

And so

just let me be

very direct

with you,

especially the

young people here.

Christian,

do not date

a non-Christian.

Just do not

do it.

Or if you're

dating one now,

end it.

Or if you're

like Eve

and you have

someone in mind

and you're texting

and you see

and you're close

to taking,

end it now.

Don't let this

be your fall.

And I know

it's easy.

I know you

could get a

boyfriend like that.

I know you

want to be married.

I know you

could download

an app

and the loneliness

would be over.

And I know

that this is

particularly hard

for Christian girls

because there

are just more

Christian girls

than guys out there.

The numbers

make it so difficult.

And it feels

like a constant

tug of war

in your heart.

I know the

temptation is there

but please

think about

the bloodline.

Think about

the promise.

Just think

about God.

Now it needs

to be said

if this is

already you,

if you're

already married

to an unbeliever,

you must never

ever think

you're hopeless.

In fact,

the New Testament

acknowledges that

there will be

Christians in the

church married

to unbelievers.

It does not

exclude you

from grace.

Never,

never ever

think that.

In fact,

there is

extraordinary

grace for you.

The fact

that you are

here shows

God's grace

in your life.

It shows

Satan does

not win

this tug

of war.

The fact

that you are

still holding

on to Christ

is God's

grace in your

life.

And even

more so,

God is so

gracious.

This grace

is for your

children.

God calls

your children

holy,

that they're

special to

him.

And so the

promise has

not disappeared

in your life.

No,

God's grace

is for you

and for your

children.

Satan has

not won.

And that's

because even

Satan's plans

aren't enough

to dilute

God's grace.

Because look

how this passage

ends.

Satan tries to

blur the bloodlines,

he's trying to

dilute it out,

but verse

8,

but Noah

still comes

from these

bloodlines.

But Christ

still comes.

Satan

cannot wash

out God's

grace.

Whatever

your past

relationships,

whatever that

tug of war

you feel,

God's grace

cannot be

washed out

of your

life.

But at the

same time,

the point

mustn't be

lost about

going into

marriage.

The Lord

is seeking

godly

offspring.

The real

blessing in

this world,

it's not

going after

whoever you

want,

no.

It's not

just seeing,

liking,

and taking,

the real

blessing,

it's with

God.

It's a

life holding

onto his

promise,

waiting,

a life waiting

for Christ

to come.

And so

this is the

tug of war.

And you

might expect

for God to

pull back,

and he

does,

but not

before we

see what

happens when

godliness is

diluted out

of this

world.

And we

see when

the blood

lines get

blurred,

sin comes

into focus.

It's my

second and

final point

today,

sin comes

into focus.

So without

the godly

bloodline,

look what the

world becomes,

verse 5,

the Lord

saw that

the wickedness

of man

was great

in the

earth.

God

is

like all

the

concentrated

purple

has gone

from the

world,

and everything

becomes

transparent.

Humanity

is shown

for what

we really

are,

and God

looks and

sees,

and there's

just wickedness.

It's like

God's grace

and godliness,

we're containing

the monster

of sin,

reigning it

in,

but now

with no

godliness,

the monster

is just

let loose.

Like the

tug of war

is being

launched to

Satan's

side.

And with

grace removed,

God looks

not only

at the

face of

the earth,

but he

looks into

the human

heart.

He opens

us up

and looks

deep within

to see

what we

really are

deep inside,

what humanity

is really

like east

of Eden,

and what

does God

see?

Every

intention

of the

thoughts

of his

heart

was only

evil

continually.

I remember

in English

lit class

in year

11

GCSE,

our teacher

asked us

all,

put your

hand up

if you

think we

are born

naturally

good.

And about

half the

class put

their hand

up.

I wonder

if you

would put

your hand

up.

To my

shame,

I did

put my

hand

up.

But how

does God

answer that

question?

Well,

it's verse

five.

this is

how we're

born.

And God

doesn't pull

his punches

with this

description.

It's like

God

heaps up

these

phrases

to describe

us.

So just

look again.

What is

the human

heart like?

God saw

that his

heart was

evil.

But not

just that,

the thoughts

of his

heart were

evil.

And not

just that,

but the

intention

of the

thoughts

of his

heart

was evil.

evil.

And not

just one

intention,

but every

intention of

the thoughts

of his

heart

was evil.

And not

just that,

every intention

of the

thoughts of

his heart

was only

evil.

And this

isn't just

now and

again,

but every

intention

of the

thoughts

of his

heart

was only

evil

continually.

This is

every heart

of every

human,

of every

second,

of every

day.

This is

what happens

when godliness

is diluted

out.

This is

what remains.

This side

of Eden,

no one

can put

their hand

up in

that

glass.

Yes,

the image

of god

continues,

but the

image has

shattered.

There is

no place

in the

human heart

where sin

hasn't

touched.

And so

this says

something that

we must not

forget about

the human

heart.

The heart

cannot be

trusted.

God

is

a man

recently.

He

recently

left his

wife for

another

woman.

And this

man,

he was a

church-going

man.

And when

he was

confronted

about it,

he said,

but when

I'm with

this other

woman,

I feel

true to

my heart.

That's a

church-going

man saying

that.

we have

drunk too

much of

the lie

that our

hearts can

be trusted.

That just

because a

feeling is

natural,

it must

be followed.

No.

Look what

comes naturally

from the

heart.

And so

the moral

decline of

the world

right now,

it can be

explained here.

It is

because godliness

is being

abandoned and

the heart

is being

trusted.

This is

why such

outrageous

immorality

is celebrated.

This is

why such

crazy things

are being

believed.

God is

getting pushed

aside,

godliness

is getting

diluted out,

and the

heart is

just being

let loose.

And this

is why we

feel that

tug of war

in ourselves.

It's because

our heart is

like this.

The tug of

war pulls

in that

direction.

And when we

follow our

hearts, we

can think,

so what?

So what?

I'm not

hurting anybody.

So what?

I'm being

true to

myself.

Well, this

passage shows

us, so

what?

Verse 7.

So what?

So the

Lord said,

I will

blot out

man whom

I have

created from

the face

of the

land,

for I am

sorry that

I have

made them.

So what?

So judgment.

God sees

the state of

his once good

creation,

his precious

image,

now this,

and it

grieves

him.

He hates

it.

And when we

see the word

regret and

the sorry

describing God

here, it's not

saying that God

made a mistake.

It's not saying

that God

messed up his

plan, whoops.

No, it's human

language describing

God's divine

judgment.

judgment.

It's human

terms describing

God's response

to sin.

He hates

what man

has become.

And so he

says, I must

blot out

man.

It's like when

someone drags

dirt into your

house, you

see it, and

you have to

wipe it away,

don't you?

Well, God

sees the dirt

of our hearts

in his house,

and he must

blot it out.

And that is

why the flood

comes next.

But for now,

it feels like

Satan is winning

this tug of

war, doesn't

it?

He's winning

it in this

world with

the moral

decline.

He's winning

it in our

hearts as we

give in to

evil again and

again.

It's like

East of Eden,

all the colour

of godliness is

getting diluted

out.

But not

completely.

Because look

how this passage

ends.

But Noah

found favour

in the eyes

of the Lord.

It's like

God has

preserved this

one flash of

colour in the

world.

And it's

found in a

man, a

man who

finds favour

with God,

a son who

walks with

God.

And that is

where we can

find colour

in this

world.

Because if

Satan is

diluting

godliness out

of this

world, if

evil is

continually

there in

the

heart, what

do we

need?

What do

we need?

We need

righteousness.

And when

Christ came

and walked

amongst the

wickedness of

this world,

he was like

the most

intense,

saturated,

flash of

colour in

this washed

out world.

A colour

that Satan

can never

dilute.

The son

who walked

with God

perfectly,

the man

who found

complete favour

with God.

And if

you looked

into his

heart,

looked deep

down and

stared into

that colour,

what do you

find in

Jesus'

heart?

Every

intention of

the thoughts

of his

heart was

never evil

continually.

Every

intention of

the thoughts

of his

heart was

only holy

and pure

and good

and God

honouring

all the

time.

Satan

tries to

dilute out

godliness

but nothing,

nothing can

wash out

the righteousness

of Christ.

And this

is what we

need right

now.

If you're

not trusting

in Jesus

today,

but you

see this

washed out

world,

you see

the state

of your

heart and

you wonder,

is there

any hope?

Is there

any answer

to all of

this?

Well,

there is.

There is a

way to be

right with

God,

to find

favour with

him,

and it's

found in

a man.

It's

found in

Christ.

And when

you trust

him,

something

remarkable

happens.

All the

colour of

his

righteousness

he gives

to you,

all his

righteousness

he puts

to your

name,

he is

the only

relief in

this washed

out world.

And that

is what

has already

happened to

you,

Christian.

This

passage is

heavy,

it can

weigh on

us,

can't

it?

We

might look

back at

how our

hearts were

pulled in

all those

directions,

how we

gave into

that tug

of war

too many

times.

We may

look at

our hearts

now and

it's like

we see

no colour

at all,

and our

sin just

weighs on

us.

take

comfort

Christian,

in

Christ,

God does

not see

that

anymore.

All the

righteousness

of Christ

belongs to

you,

all that

colour

is now

yours.

In

Christ,

you really

have found

favour with

God.

This life

may feel

like a tug

of war,

but praise

God,

there is

relief,

there is

the

righteousness

of Christ,

and in

him,

you will

never lose

this war.

Nothing

can drown

him out,

nothing

can wash

out that

colour

from your

life.

Let's

pray.