Genesis chapter six introduces us to one of the strangest and most debated passages in the entire Bible—the story of the Nephilim. The text tells us, “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.” Who exactly were these mysterious “sons of God”? Scholars have wrestled with that question for centuries, and so have I. My opinion—subject to heavenly correction—is that they were fallen angels. Both Peter and Jude mention angels who abandoned their proper domain during the time of Noah. But since angels are spirit beings and cannot procreate, I side with Kent Hughes, who described them as “fallen angels commandeering the souls of men,” or, as we might say today, “demon-possessed men marrying the daughters of other men.” In other words, the world had become spiritually corrupted and morally confused. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
The chapter goes on to describe the two conditions that led to God’s judgment: sexual perversion and violence. It began with Lamech, the first bigamist, who proudly sang a song about killing a young man. That chorus has been replayed ever since in different keys—sex and violence, violence and sex. Both are glamorized in modern culture just as they were in the days of Noah. I think of boxer Mike Tyson, who once bragged before a fight that he would kill his opponent—hardly sportsmanlike conduct—and then later bit off Evander Holyfield’s ear. If the evening news ever depresses you, it is because the same story still runs: human sin run wild. Verse five says, “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become… and His heart was filled with pain.” It is a heartbreaking line. God is not indifferent to our corruption; He grieves over it.
The good news is that God’s grief leads to grace. In the midst of judgment, “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” The New Testament reminds us that Jesus compared His own generation to Noah’s: “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:37). The world’s obsession with moral chaos continues, but so does God’s offer of rescue. As Noah entered the ark to escape the flood, we enter Christ to escape judgment. Peter wrote, “This water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also… through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21). When giants walk the earth again and evil fills the air, faith still floats—and grace still reigns.