Genesis 4:16-24 is an account of the ungodly line of Cain. Genesis 4:25 - 5:32 is an account of the Godly line of Seth. Seth was born when Adam was 130 years old. It was Seth who took the place of Abel (Gen 4:8). Read Gen 5 for an overview of the history of the generations of man from Adam to Noah. Notice that Noah's lineage is linked to the Godly line of Seth.
Now, keeping the information above in mind, let's look at the first few verses of Genesis 6
Genesis 6:1-2 ESV When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, (2) the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.
The use of "sons of God" in Gen 6:2 is in reference to the Godly line of Seth. The "daughters of man" are descendents of the ungodly line of Cain.
Genesis 6:4-7 ESV The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. (5) The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (6) And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. (7) So the LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them."
Here we see that God is grieved by the wickedness of man. These verses emphasize that the sons of God (descendants of Seth) were marrying the daughters of man (descendants of Cain), and that God viewed this intermarriage as detestable. Twice in the passage of scripture above God says that He is sorry that He made man. In verse 7 the Lord states that He will blot out man, animals, creeping things, and the birds of the heavens from the face of the earth.
Genesis 6:8-9 ESV But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. (9) These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.
Among all those living at the time, Noah was only man who found favor in God's eyes.
Genesis 6:11-18 ESV Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence. (12) And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. (13) And God said to Noah, "I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. (14) Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. (15) This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits. (16) Make a roof for the ark, and finish it to a cubit above, and set the door of the ark in its side. Make it with lower, second, and third decks. (17) For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. (18) But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you.
The Lord determined to destroy His creation, because of the increasing evil that prevailed on the earth. Yet, because of the Favor He found in Noah, He had compassion towards him and sought not to destroy him and his family along with the wicked. In order that Noah and his family might be saved from the destruction to come, the Lord gave Noah instructions regarding the construction of an ark. Trusting in the Lord, Noah obediently fashioned the ark in accordance with God's instructions.
Genesis 6:3 ESV Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years."
The information presented above was introductory material intended to shed light on the intended meaning of Genesis 6:3. Does this verse indicate that man will no longer live past 120 years of age? This is a common understanding; however, such an understanding is not scripturally supported.
It is important to keep in mind that the words of the Lord in Gen 6:3 are pre-flood. After the flood, people continued to live much longer than 120 years. When God makes a statement, it is a statement of truth. What He says is...is and what He says will be...will be. God is sovereign, His word is truth, and truth is not contradictory.
Genesis 11:10-26 is a record of the descendants of Shem (one of Noah's sons). Gen 11:10 states that when Shem was 100 years old, 2 years after the flood, he fathered Arphaxad (a.k.a. Arpachshad). I have included (below) a list of the number of years Shem's descendant lived. Notice that Arphaxad, who was born after the flood, lived to be 438 years.
Arphaxad - 438
Salah - 433
Eber - 464
Peleg - 239
Reu - 239
Serug - 230
Nahor - 148
Terah - 205
Abraham - 175 (Sarah died at 127)
Isaac - 180 (Ishmael 137)
Jacob - > 130
Joseph - 110
Moses - 120
Joshua - 110
If the 120 years mentioned in Gen 6:3 does not refer to a decrease in lifespan, then what is the intended meaning? Take a look at the Matthew Henry commentary below for an alternative explanation:
A reprieve granted, notwithstanding: Yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years; so long I will defer the judgment they deserve, and give them space to prevent it by their repentance and reformation. Justice said, Cut them down; but mercy interceded, Lord, let them alone this year also; and so far mercy prevailed, that a reprieve was obtained for six-score years. Note, The time of God's patience and forbearance towards provoking sinners is sometimes long, but always limited: reprieves are not pardons; though God bear a great while, he will not bear always.
Many people view the 120 years as a reduction in lifespan in response to the wickedness of man. Scripture seems to indicate that the 120 years actually refers to the number of years before the flood (i.e., the amount of time God would withhold destruction). According to answersingenesis.org, "The best understanding is that the 120 years was the time left for mankind before the Flood would destroy it, with only a remnant surviving on the Ark."
It has been argued that this understanding couldn't be correct, because there wasn't 120 years between when God spoke the words in Gen 6:3 and when the flood waters came. This argument is based on the following logic:
Genesis 5:32 ESV After Noah was 500 years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Genesis 6:3 ESV Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years."
Genesis 7:6 ESV Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth.
If the three verses above are understood as having "occurred" in the order they are presented in scripture, then Gen 6:3 couldn't be referring to the number of years before the flood. If Noah was already over 500 years old before the Lord spoke the words in Gen 6:3 and was 600 years old when the flood waters came, then less than 100 years passed before the flood came. This would seem to be a contradiction...
However, Genesis 5 is simply an overview of the generations from Adam to Noah and Gen 5:32 does not indicate that God spoke the words of Gen 6:3 after Shem, Ham, and Japhepth were born. Consider the information below...
Genesis 7:6 ESV Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth.
Genesis 6:3 ESV Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years."
If Noah was 600 years old when the flood waters came (Gen 7:6), then he would have been 480 years old when God spoke the words in Gen 6:3.
---------
Genesis 8:13 ESV In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry.
Genesis 11:10 ESV These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood.
If the flood waters were dried from the earth when Noah was 601 years old (Gen 8:13), and Shem was 100 years old two years after the flood (603), then that would mean that Shem was born when Noah was 503 years old. This is consistent with the Genesis 5:32, which states that after Noah was 500 years old, he fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth. This also supports the assertion that God spoke the words of Gen 6:3 to Noah when Noah was around 480 years old. Noah knew about the flood to come more than 20 years before the birth of his sons.
Consider the following statement from Scofield's Bible study notes:
Noah, "a preacher of righteousness," is given 120 years, but he won no convert, and the judgment predicted by his great-grandfather fell.
Noah's great-grandfather was Enoch (the father of Methuselah) who "walked with God." (Gen 5:21-24).
Jude 1:14-15 ESV It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, (15) to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him."
Wow, this is amazing...The more I study the Bible, the more I am convinced that it is the inspired word of God! Read you Bible daily and obey what you read. God will NEVER let you down!
In His grip and forever grateful,
Brad
No comments:
Post a Comment