B'reisheet (Genesis)
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Meaning
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Day Six
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Haftara
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B'rit Hadashah
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1 Our Father, we receive Your Words and hide Your commandments with us; 2 we incline our ear unto wisdom, and apply our hearts to understanding; 3 We cry after knowledge and lift up our voices for understanding; 4 we seek it as silver; and search for it as for hidden treasures; 5 We declare that we shall understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. Declaration of Proverbs 2:1-5.
Genesis 5:25-6:8 (NASB)1
25 Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty-seven years, and became the father of Lamech. 26 Then Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years after he became the father of Lamech, and he had other sons and daughters. 27 So all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years, and he died. 28 Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and became the father of a son. 29 Now he called his name Noah, saying, "This one will give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands arising from the ground which the LORD has cursed." 30 Then Lamech lived five hundred and ninety-five years after he became the father of Noah, and he had other sons and daughters. 31 So all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years, and he died. 32 Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 6 1 Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. 3 Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years." 4 The Nephilim were 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. 5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 The LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them." 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
Now from this portion comes one of the most interesting bits knowledge that I’ve ever come to believe over the past twenty years or so. The origin of these fellows has been in dispute for some time. The word “Nephilim” means “fallen ones” in Hebrew. Josephus, the ancient Hebrew historian, agreed with a very contemporary scholar who passed into eternity in 2018 named Chuck Missler. The Nephilim were the offspring of fallen angels, and make the note, fallen angels. These angels, in the early days of man’s sojourn upon the earth, saw the beauty of the daughters of men, and left their high estate and took these daughters of men and had children with them. The resulting beings were naturally imbued with the characteristics of their fathers, and so, Nephilim were of large stature and could do many feats of strength. In one source, it stated that these “giants” or “titans” saw what was attractive to their eyes and took it, be it human, animal, or otherwise. Because they were offspring of fallen angels, the qualities of rebellion and pride were exemplified, and so the Nephilim were corrupt and led the human species down the path to the point where God first, shortened their life span, and then, planned to take all these hybrids out altogether. They were all congregated in that region in Canaan.
In his letters, Peter appears to support this view about the fallen angels.
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 1 Peter 3:18-20.
Thomas Coke wrote about those verses:
“The persons here spoken of, are termed spirits in prison; that is, who are now in prison; though they formerly lived in bodies upon earth, and were disobedient in the days of Noah, all the while the ark was preparing. We find the word φυλακη, a prison, used concerning wicked spirits, Re 18:2; 20:7. and the same word is applied to wicked men after they are dead. The Syriac version has rendered the words thus; He preached unto those souls which were (or are) detained in Sheol, or Hades; that is, to wicked men, who are now spirits, confined in their proper place, in the state of the dead. Our blessed Saviour cautioned wicked men to repent before death, lest they should be cast into prison; Mt 5:25; 18:30. Lu 12:58. And St. Peter seems here to be speaking of that prison, in which the spirits of wicked men are detained in safe custody; reserved unto the judgment of the last day; as it is said of the fallen angels. 2Pe 2:4-5. Jude, ver. 6.”
Jude’s letter also alludes to the angels, going after “strange” or “other” flesh.
6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Jude 6-7.
We move back to the letter of Peter again:
4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly... 2 Peter 2:4-5.
Chuck Missler outlined that the word “habitation” or “oiketerion” is a Greek word referring to the “heavenly bodies from which they had disrobed”. This term apparently is only in the New Testament twice, and both references are to the body being the dwelling place of the spirit. This gives credence to the idea that the angels left their original “habitation” and went after “strange flesh”.
Other contradicting views, hold that “sons of God” or as the JPS states: “divine beings” should be translated as “sons of rulers or judges”. Others hold that sons of God refer to the line of Seth, who maintained Godly principles and lifestyle, while the daughters of men referred to daughters of Cain. But didn't Cain's bloodline end at the flood? The other question that always came up in my mind was, how could a good man marrying an evil woman produce the type of giantism that was evident in Canaan? We know that giantism or dwarfism is caused by deviations of genetics at the DNA and metabolic levels of human biology. A fallen angel and a human woman's combined DNA would explain the extreme giantism. The fallen state of both the angels and the humans would certainly explain how these hybrids would then be so much meaner than junkyard dogs. Seminary's began teaching away from the supernatural aspects of “the sons of God” and the “daughters of men” and the supernatural aspect of this Biblical phenomenon was lost, that is, until recent decades.
One of my favorite commentaries, Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, says this about verse four of chapter six of Genesis.
Giants: The term in Hebrew implies not so much the idea of great stature as of reckless ferocity, impious and daring characters, who spread devastation and carnage far and wide.
The Nave’s Topical Bible notes this under GIANTS:
See ANAKIM
See EMIMS
See GOLIATH
See ISHBI-BENOB
See OG
See REPHAIM
See ZAMZUMMIM
My question remains that if the term “giants” meant more ferocity and impious characteristics than the giantism, then how can it explain the description of King Og that Moshe deposed upon Israel’s entry into Canaan?
11 Og king of Bashan was the last survivor of the Refa'im. His bed was made of iron; it is still in Rabbah with the people of 'Amon. It was nine cubits long and four cubits wide, using the normal cubit [thirteen-and-a-half by six feet]. Deuteronomy 3:11 (Complete Jewish Bible) 2
It seems sufficient to say: Here is the information. Know that the jury is still out on the whole topic of Nephilim. You are free to make up your own minds about which way to consider this. Under God's authority, initiate your own study, pray about it, and come to your personal conclusion. At this point, if you want to go further, I recommend Chuck Missler and Mark Eastman’s book called Alien Encounters–The Secret Behind the UFO Phenomenon. It will challenge you. For myself, I have read it, and can say this much. The way Missler and Eastman lay out their theories, it sure explains a lot that the other contradicting views do not. What I like best about anything that these men write, is that they lean heavily on Scripture.
In any case, now God was faced with the ever increasing evil of man that is recorded in Genesis 6. What to do! He grieved! He cut their life span, since it did not appear that longevity would help them to reform. The time for long suffering and mercy was nearly up. Man had corrupted just about everything and it hurt God to see it in such a way. But there was still Noah. He liked Noah. Noah’s father, Lamech had prophesied over this baby. Apparently, Lamech believed in the words of Genesis.
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Genesis 3:15.
Lamech must have believed it and felt that this child would have something to do with gaining “rest” for his people. Do you think that he knew that his son would grow up to be known as a ‘type’ of the Messiah? Well, he knew something in his limited understanding, and the way the world was in his day. He sensed something and/or he was inspired by The LIVING God!
Remember that saying? When God needs something done, He sends a baby. This baby matured and became a man just like his grandfather Enoch!
In his letters, Peter appears to support this view about the fallen angels.
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 1 Peter 3:18-20.
Thomas Coke wrote about those verses:
“The persons here spoken of, are termed spirits in prison; that is, who are now in prison; though they formerly lived in bodies upon earth, and were disobedient in the days of Noah, all the while the ark was preparing. We find the word φυλακη, a prison, used concerning wicked spirits, Re 18:2; 20:7. and the same word is applied to wicked men after they are dead. The Syriac version has rendered the words thus; He preached unto those souls which were (or are) detained in Sheol, or Hades; that is, to wicked men, who are now spirits, confined in their proper place, in the state of the dead. Our blessed Saviour cautioned wicked men to repent before death, lest they should be cast into prison; Mt 5:25; 18:30. Lu 12:58. And St. Peter seems here to be speaking of that prison, in which the spirits of wicked men are detained in safe custody; reserved unto the judgment of the last day; as it is said of the fallen angels. 2Pe 2:4-5. Jude, ver. 6.”
Jude’s letter also alludes to the angels, going after “strange” or “other” flesh.
6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Jude 6-7.
We move back to the letter of Peter again:
4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly... 2 Peter 2:4-5.
Chuck Missler outlined that the word “habitation” or “oiketerion” is a Greek word referring to the “heavenly bodies from which they had disrobed”. This term apparently is only in the New Testament twice, and both references are to the body being the dwelling place of the spirit. This gives credence to the idea that the angels left their original “habitation” and went after “strange flesh”.
Other contradicting views, hold that “sons of God” or as the JPS states: “divine beings” should be translated as “sons of rulers or judges”. Others hold that sons of God refer to the line of Seth, who maintained Godly principles and lifestyle, while the daughters of men referred to daughters of Cain. But didn't Cain's bloodline end at the flood? The other question that always came up in my mind was, how could a good man marrying an evil woman produce the type of giantism that was evident in Canaan? We know that giantism or dwarfism is caused by deviations of genetics at the DNA and metabolic levels of human biology. A fallen angel and a human woman's combined DNA would explain the extreme giantism. The fallen state of both the angels and the humans would certainly explain how these hybrids would then be so much meaner than junkyard dogs. Seminary's began teaching away from the supernatural aspects of “the sons of God” and the “daughters of men” and the supernatural aspect of this Biblical phenomenon was lost, that is, until recent decades.
One of my favorite commentaries, Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, says this about verse four of chapter six of Genesis.
Giants: The term in Hebrew implies not so much the idea of great stature as of reckless ferocity, impious and daring characters, who spread devastation and carnage far and wide.
The Nave’s Topical Bible notes this under GIANTS:
See ANAKIM
See EMIMS
See GOLIATH
See ISHBI-BENOB
See OG
See REPHAIM
See ZAMZUMMIM
My question remains that if the term “giants” meant more ferocity and impious characteristics than the giantism, then how can it explain the description of King Og that Moshe deposed upon Israel’s entry into Canaan?
11 Og king of Bashan was the last survivor of the Refa'im. His bed was made of iron; it is still in Rabbah with the people of 'Amon. It was nine cubits long and four cubits wide, using the normal cubit [thirteen-and-a-half by six feet]. Deuteronomy 3:11 (Complete Jewish Bible) 2
It seems sufficient to say: Here is the information. Know that the jury is still out on the whole topic of Nephilim. You are free to make up your own minds about which way to consider this. Under God's authority, initiate your own study, pray about it, and come to your personal conclusion. At this point, if you want to go further, I recommend Chuck Missler and Mark Eastman’s book called Alien Encounters–The Secret Behind the UFO Phenomenon. It will challenge you. For myself, I have read it, and can say this much. The way Missler and Eastman lay out their theories, it sure explains a lot that the other contradicting views do not. What I like best about anything that these men write, is that they lean heavily on Scripture.
In any case, now God was faced with the ever increasing evil of man that is recorded in Genesis 6. What to do! He grieved! He cut their life span, since it did not appear that longevity would help them to reform. The time for long suffering and mercy was nearly up. Man had corrupted just about everything and it hurt God to see it in such a way. But there was still Noah. He liked Noah. Noah’s father, Lamech had prophesied over this baby. Apparently, Lamech believed in the words of Genesis.
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Genesis 3:15.
Lamech must have believed it and felt that this child would have something to do with gaining “rest” for his people. Do you think that he knew that his son would grow up to be known as a ‘type’ of the Messiah? Well, he knew something in his limited understanding, and the way the world was in his day. He sensed something and/or he was inspired by The LIVING God!
Remember that saying? When God needs something done, He sends a baby. This baby matured and became a man just like his grandfather Enoch!
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. 9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. Genesis 6:8-9.
1 NASB www.lockman.org for daily reading and KJV in commentary unless otherwise specified.
2 Complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stern, 1998 Jewish New Testament Publications, INC. Maryland.
2 Complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stern, 1998 Jewish New Testament Publications, INC. Maryland.
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