Week 3: Genesis 6:1-8

 

Week 3: Genesis 6:1-8

At A Glance:

Author: Moses or "J"

Form: Ancient origin story

Themes: Complete degradation of humanity into sin. The shortening of life due to sin.  The sorrow that sin brings God.

Summary:  This section leads us to the flood.  It tells how even the righteous fall into sin and their sin leads to a permanent shortening of human life and God’s sorrow.  This rather bleak short story ends with a glimmer of hope through Seth’s descendant Noah.

Commentary

6:1-4 – This introduction to the flood narrative has a somewhat controversial interpretation.  On the one hand many scholars interpret the “sons of God” as members of the heavenly hosts alluded to in Gn 1:26-27.  There is much in Hebrew fiction regarding angels who committed sexual sin with the human woman of the earth.  Although a light reading of this passage may indicate that the author intends the reader to adhere to this belief, a slightly different interpretation fits the overall theme of Genesis better.  Other scholars see the “sons of God” as a name for the other sons through the line of Seth.  In the previous genealogy we see that the son’s of Adam inherit the image and likeness of God through their righteous fathers.  We also hear that each of the righteous fathers have additional sons and daughters that are not mentioned in the text.  Many scholars have proposed that these other sons are the “sons of God” mentioned.  I tend to lean toward this interpretation primarily because in 6:5-7 God makes mention on how he is sorry about making humanity, he even includes beasts, creeping things, and birds, but he does not mention angels.  It would seem very odd for God to avoid mentioning the angels who initiated the sexual sin with the “daughters of men”.  So if Seth’s descendant are the “sons of God” that begs the question “Who are the daughters of Men?”  None other than the daughters of Cain.  Another reason this interpretation fits better than the “fallen angel” story is that the author puts a great amount of effort into contrasting the two lineages.  It is also a recurring theme of the Old Testament that the “sons of God” (that is those who try to call upon the name of the Lord, walk with God, and find his blessing) lose their favor with God through sexual sin (Samson, King David, and Solomon all come to mind).  In the Old Testament when men faithful to God take woman who are unfaithful to God as their bride/lover/whatever they cease in their faithfulness to God.  This gets so bad in Israel’s history that Ezra the priest forbids Israelite men from taking foreign wives! (Ez 9:1-15).

6:5-7 – Using the above interpretation it is no wonder why God is so saddened by the union of Cain’s line and Seth’s line.  Those who were faithful ceased being faithful and “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”.  Those once so humble and faithful to God have fallen!  Like Adam and Eve who shared intimacy and holiness with God in the garden, these men who prayed and walked with God turned from him.  Just as in Genesis 3, the consequence of sin is death.  Where Adam and Eve died spiritually God here foreshadows the physical death of all humanity and all living creatures.

6:8 – Like Adam & Eve’s story this one ends with a glimmer of hope.  Although humanity has irreconcilably turned away from God there is one family that has chosen to stay faithful.  It is the family of Noah and his three sons.  It will be through this family that our next covenant will be born. 

Final Thoughts

            Whether you choose to interpret this section of scripture as alluding to an ancient folklore of fallen angels or as the intermingling of the Cain & Seth lineage the truth remains: humanity has irreconcilably turned away from God.  In the New Testament Jesus calls this the “Eternal Sin” or the “Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” (Mk 3:28-30, Mt 12:31-32).  This is the deliberate and continual refusal to repent from sinfulness; what the Catechism of the Catholic Church calls “final impenitence” (CCC 1864). 

            God who is omniscient (all knowing) knows our very hearts “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gn 6:5).  Yet it is not anger that God shows, but sadness.  God does not rejoice in the destruction of his children.  God does not delight in death (Ws 1:13, Ek 18:23, 33:11) rather he desires the salvation of all (1 Tim 2:4).  Yet he honors our choices and our will when we walk way, even if we choose our own destruction.

            I want to make an honest search through my life for all those things for which I remain unrepentant.  Holy Spirit show me the sins in my life that I fail to repent from.  Help me through the grace in the sacrament of Reconciliation to make a good confession and turn away from the sins that keep me from union with God.

Please feel free to add your insights and comments…