This morning as I was preparing one of the lessons for the study in Genesis 6, I came across a very contentious piece of scripture. In Genesis 6, the human race began to grow, but so did sin. People turned away from God, choosing their own desires instead of His ways. The world that God created good had become filled with evil thoughts and actions. The Bible says that “every intention of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” That’s a sad picture, but it shows how deeply sin affects us when we let it rule our lives.
God saw this corruption and it broke His heart. He grieved over the people He made because sin was destroying everything good. God is not cold or distant; He feels deeply about what happens in His world. Sin doesn’t just make God angry, it makes Him sad because He loves us and wants what’s best for us.
The portion of Scripture that caught my attention was Genesis 6:1-4…
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.
The story about the “sons of God” and the “daughters of men” in Genesis 6 has been discussed and argued about for centuries. Many people have strong opinions, but it’s important to look closely at what the Bible actually says.
This passage is part of the toledot section that begins in Genesis 5:1. No matter what view people take, these verses clearly show how wicked humanity had become and that death was the ongoing result of human sin.
Some believe the “sons of God” were angels who had children with human women, as seen in Job 1:6. However, this idea raises problems. Jesus said in Matthew 22:30 that angels do not marry, and evil angels could never rightly be called “sons of God.” Others think these angels were good ones, but good angels would not commit such a sin. Also, the Bible says their offspring were men, not monsters or half-gods. Genesis 6:4 mentions giants in the land, but it doesn’t say they were the children of the “sons of God” and “daughters of men.” The verse simply says that these offspring became “mighty men of old, men of renown.” They were strong and famous humans, not supernatural beings.
Humanity, in fact, is already remarkable. The Bible says that man is “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Sadly, many people have forgotten this truth. Some believe that humans evolved from simple life forms, but this idea is just a theory, not a proven fact. Evolution is more of a philosophy than science, and accepting it has led people to think too highly of themselves. In many parts of the world, people, including some in positions of power, believe they are superior and capable of solving every problem. This pride is the same old mistake: humans forgetting their limits and their need for God. The truth is that humanity has fallen and is deeply flawed. Until people admit that, there will always be trouble.
Now, when we look again at Genesis 6, it helps to remember that Genesis is a book of families and genealogies. The “sons of God” most likely refer to the godly family line of Seth, while the “daughters of men” represent the ungodly line of Cain. Over time, these two lines began to intermarry, and as a result, the whole human race became morally corrupted, except for one man, Noah, who remained faithful.
Other scholars still hold the view that the “sons of God” were angels, and that the story shows how fallen angels influenced powerful rulers to do evil. These rulers were proud, lustful, and driven by their desire for fame and control. They may have been demon-influenced men who took many wives and led the world deeper into corruption.
Either way, the message of the passage is clear: humanity had become completely sinful, and God’s judgment was coming. Genesis 6:1–4 not only shows how bad things had gotten but also rejects the pagan idea that heroes and giants were born from the gods. The Bible makes it plain that these “mighty men” were still just humans, sinful and mortal.
When God judges the world, no man, giant, ruler, or false god can stand against Him. Every person, no matter how strong or famous, lives only as long as God allows. He alone gives life, and He alone decides when it ends.
But in the middle of this dark story, there’s a shining light: “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” While the world was full of corruption, Noah chose to walk with God. God’s grace reached out to him, and that grace would lead to hope and salvation for his family.
This reminds us of Jesus. Just like Noah, Jesus found favor with God, but even more, He came to bring that favor to all of us. In a world filled with sin, Jesus brings grace and salvation.
The story of Noah reminds us that even when the world seems full of evil, God is still working. His grace still finds people who are willing to walk with Him. You can be one of those people. You can choose faith, obedience, and hope instead of following the crowd.
