Ge 6:1-8

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Gen 6:1-9:29

REBELLION AND JUDGEMENT

The wickedness of human society (Gen 6:1-8)

As the population grew and societies developed, people again showed the tendency to want to exist independently of God. Like their original ancestors, they wanted to be as God and live for ever (cf. Gen 3:5,22).

It seems that certain angels (the probable meaning of ‘sons of God’ in this story; cf. Job 1:6; 38:7; Dan 3:25) had, in rebellion against God, taken human form and co-operated with ambitious people in trying to produce a race of ‘super-humans’ who would be unconquerable and immortal. In response God reminded his human creatures that they were mortal, kept alive only by his spirit within them. In punishment he reduced the human life span from its former length to approximately 120 years (Gen 6:1-4). (God’s punishment of the angels is possibly referred to in 1 Peter 3:19-20 and Jude 6.)

People, however, did not heed God’s warning. Their wickedness continued to increase, till God decided that the only thing to do was to destroy them (Gen 6:5-8).