This transcript was autogenerated. 

Sometimes in life there is good news and there is bad news. If you listen to the news these days and I’m sure like me you will wonder is there any good news left in the world these days. What I want us to do as we continue this time we have arrived at a point in the book of Genesis when the bad news was about as bad can get. Yet within that bad news there was still some good news to be found if you look hard enough. Wouldn’t it be good to be able to see things from God's point of view and find the good news when all around seems like bad news? So, let's begin by looking at the opening verses of chapter six.

When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.

(Gen 6: 1-3) 

So far in the Genesis story we have seen that God created Adam and Eve and through them the line of Cain and the line of Seth where chronicled for us in Chapter 4 & 5. This chapter begins by telling us that humanity begins to multiply on the face of the earth. Maybe we could insert at this point where there's more people, there are usually more problems. At any rate the people multiplied and were filling the earth. It then tells us the “Sons of God” married the daughters of men What is that all about? What does it mean when it says the “Sons of God”? Who are these “Sons of God”? There are 3 theories and I'm going to give you all three 3 theories and let you decide. I inclined towards one view but many Christians hold other views on this for valid reasons.

The first theory is that the sons of God are referring to the sons of Kings and Princes As matter fact the term [g]od was used sometime to describe rulers or judges in Israel. Used because of the authority they were given by God to exercise justice in His name. So, in this 1st view some say these rulers/judges, or children of these rulers abused their power and position and took whom-ever they desired to be their wives. Whether or not they were already married to somebody else. Some claims that occasionally the early Judges of Jewish history were referred to as “the sons of God”  Not usually in the bible but elsewhere in early Jewish writings. The problem with that theory is that it was an extremely obscure expression to refer to a judge or a prince a God or Son of God. I believe the real problem with that is view is at this point in bible history God hadn’t appointed any judges yet. So, I personally don’t think that there is any serious evidence to warrant that position. 

The second possibility is that the sons of God is talking about the line of Seth. You may recall back in chapter five Seth and his line began to call upon the name of the Lord and because they began to call upon the name of the Lord, some say they might be referred to as Sons of God. The daughters of men would then be the un-godly line of Cain. So, in this view this is the Godly line of Seth married the un-godly line of Cain. The problem with that view is up to this point there is no prohibition on marrying across family lines mentioned anywhere in scripture and of course, not all the sons of Seth were Godly. Remember except for Noah’s family all of the line of Seth perished in the flood. So, you can’t say that Seth maintained its position as the godly line. I have to say this second theory is a very popular view among some sections of the church and many people who I respect hold that view and I will find out in heaven if they are in fact correct. 

There is third view. If you haven’t heard this then things might get real interesting for you real fast. So, hold on to your hats and I’ll tell you what the third view is next time.