Not another Bible-blog!

Just before the Flood takes place, we are told that the Sons of God saw how the women of Earth were beautiful, they lusted after them, married them and begat children. These children were called "Nephilim". So much has been said to explain and interpret that passage found in Genesis 6:1-10.

Most Christians will tell you that the Sons of God referred in this passage were the descendants of righteous Seth, godly men who married with the infidels, the women of Cain's descendants. But this would not explain why their offspring would be powerful giants, called Nephilim, or why God repented from creating humans and decided to "wipe them out" from the face of the Earth! That sounds like a drastic measure for inter-marriage! I think this is something far more serious than that that occured...

The "Sons of God" is an expression that means "divine being". These were lesser-gods, or "angels" and "demons". These creatures are not from the Earth, like animals and humans. So these divine beings saw the women on the Earth and they wanted them for themselves. Those lesser-gods came down to the Earth, leaving behind their higher dwelling and God, to intermingle with the women.

This is hard for people to comprehend when they think that God or the angels have no bodies. The demons of the New Testament are just spirits, but they could have a spiritual body. However, for the Pentateuch - the first five books of the Bible - divine beings do have bodies. Thus, the "angels" or literaly, the "messengers" that come and visit Abraham, do have a body. They can talk; they look like other humans; they can be seen; they can be fed. Surely they can also have sex. The sexless cherubs with wings and a halo are sweet but they are a fantasy, not a scriptural reality.

Jesus is said to have claimed that angels do not marry. This does not mean they cannot marry. Jesus is reported to have added that after the resurrection, humans won't marry but will be like the angels. Jesus is believed to be resurrected, but he remains a man. So will humans. The Bible says we will retain our gender, although, apparently, we won't being able or willing to get married. Humans need to procreate to perpetuate the race, but angels do not need to, as they are immortal.

So the angels in Genesis 6, or divine beings, called the Sons of God, married women. This was not God's plan. This perverted God's plan. God got angry, and decided to get rid of the human race. After the creation was complete, God was well pleased at what he had created: It was good, and humans were the kings and queens of that world, in direct communion with God. But men, because of their god-given free agency, chose to forsake their master for strange gods, worshiping the creature instead of the Creator, losing sight of what they were put on Earth for. And when the Sons of God intermingleded with humans, changing the plan, God's wrath was unkindled!

Unlike what is said in churches, God is a changing God, like humans he has emotions, and like humans he needs to cope and deal with situations he did not plan. Because humans and angels have their own free agency, God is not playing with us like with puppets. We live our lives the way we intend, we fight the wars we intent to fight, and we are hurt or killed by those who decide to do so.

Of course, I believe that God is watching and that all works out for his own glory. He can decide to destroy this world and has the power to do what pleases him, but we are much more reponsible and free than we dare to think.

For more details about the Sons of God concept and other biblical passages on the topic, here are two interesting articles: "Sons of God, Daughters of Men", and "The Sons of God".

See also the clear and short explanation in JewishEncyclopedia.com.