Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
GENESIS 6
Wickedness in the World
1 When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3 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.”
4 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.
5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
Noah and the Flood
9 This is the account of Noah and his family.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God. 10 Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth.
11 Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. 12 God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. 13 So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. 14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out. 15 This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high. 16 Make a roof for it, leaving below the roof an opening one cubit high all around. Put a door in the side of the ark and make lower, middle and upper decks. 17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you. 19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. 20 Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. 21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”
22 Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
Application Notes
6:1-4 Some people have thought that the "sons of God" were fallen angels. But this is unlikely. because angels do not marry or reproduce (Matthew 22:30; Mark 12:25). Some interpreters believe this phrase refers to the descendants of Seth who intermarried with Cain's evil descendants. This would have weakened the good influence of the faithful and increased moral depravity in the world, resulting in an explosion of evil.
6:3 "Their days will be a hundred and twenty years" has been interpreted by some commentators to mean that God was allowing the people of Noah's day 120 years to change their sinful ways. God shows his great patience with us as well (2 Peter 3:8-9). He is giving us time to quit living our way and begin living his way, the way he shows us in his Word. While 120 years may seem like a long time. eventually the time ran out. and the floodwaters swept across the earth. Your time also may be running out (2 Peter 3:10-14). Turn to God to forgive your sins. You don't know how much time God will give you to turn to him, and once that time comes, there will be no more opportunities.
6:4 The Nephilim were giants probably nine or ten feet tall. This same Hebrew term was used to name a tall race of people mentioned in Numbers 13:33-possibly the ancestors of Goliath, who was nine feet tall (1 Samuel 17). The Nephilim used their physical advantage to oppress the people around them.
6:6-7 Does this mean that God regretted creating humanity? Was he saying he made a mistake? No. God does not change his mind (1 Samuel 15:29). Instead. he was expressing sorrow for what the people had done to themselves, as a parent might express sorrow over a rebellious child. God was sorry that the people chose sin and death instead of a relationship with him.
6:6-8 The people's sin grieved God. Our sins break God's heart as much as sin did in Noah's day. Noah, however, pleased God, although he was far from perfect. We can follow Noah's example and find favor in the eyes of the Lord in spite of the sin that surrounds us.
6:9 Saying that Noah was righteous and blameless does not mean that he never sinned (the Bible records one of his sins in 9:20-21). Rather, it means that Noah wholeheartedly loved and obeyed God. For a lifetime he walked step by step in faith as a living example to his generation. Like Noah. we live in a world filled with evil. Are we influencing others or being influenced by them? Are our priorities being set by God and his people or by those who stand against him?
6:15 The boat Noah built was no raftl Picture yourself building a boat the length of one and a half football fields and as high as a four-story building. The ark was exactly six times longer than it was wide-the same ratio used by modern shipbuilders. This huge boat was probably built miles from any body of water by only a few faithful men who believed God's promises and obeyed his commands.
6:18 When God said, "1 will establish my covenant with you," he was making a promise. This is a familiar theme in Scripture-God making covenants with his people. How reassuring it is to know God's covenant is established with us. He is still our salvation. and we are kept safe through our relationship with him. (For more on covenants. see 9:8-17; 12:1-3; and 15:17-21)
6:22 Noah got right to work when God told him to build the ark. Other people must have been warned about the coming disaster. but apparently they did not expect it to happen (see 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5). Today things haven't changed much. Each day thousands of people are warned of God's inevitable judgment, yet most of them don't really believe it will happen. Don't expect people to welcome or accept your message of God's coming judgment on sin. Those who don't believe in God will deny his judgment and try to get you to deny God as well. But remember God's promise to Noah to keep him safe. This can inspire you to trust God for deliverance in the judgment that is sure to come.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)