From the Fall to the Flood

Amen. This morning, we will dive deep into Genesis chapter 6, beginning with verse 1, to discuss the period from the fall to the flood.

We are methodically making our way through this wonderful book of the Bible called Genesis. Today, we will discuss some reasons for the flood. Oftentimes, Noah, the ark, and the flood narrative are viewed as a child's story—something taught in Sunday school—and we sometimes take for granted that we have all the information. Nothing could be further from the truth.

This is a real account, a real event in history. Noah is an actual person, and the flood was an actual cataclysmic global event: the judgment of God upon wicked humanity. We will examine how wickedness escalated since the fall.

Our main point this morning is that wickedness increased on the earth, calling out to God for judgment. Yet, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. As we read this passage, we will identify three groups: sinners, scoffers, and a saint.

The earth was filled with wickedness, and God had a plan to address it. God would use a flood to bring destruction, but He would use Noah to bring deliverance.

Chapter six is a continuation of chapter five, recording the population increase upon the earth, and serving as a preface to the flood narrative. This passage describes the spiritual conditions of the pre-flood society. As we read through this passage, you will find some things that are very familiar; it is almost like we are reading the headlines of our own newspaper.

Let's read verse 1: "When men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw the daughters of men, and found them beautiful, and took wives for themselves of all whom they chose." And the Lord said, "My spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh. Yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years."

Verse 4 continues: "And there were giants on the earth in those days and also afterward, when the sons of God came into the daughters of men and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown. Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and he was grieved in his heart. So the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord."

Praise God for the reading of His Word. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Lord, we thank You for this passage of Scripture that we're going to study this morning. This has often been a difficult passage to interpret, and I pray, Lord, that You would give me wisdom and give me the ability, Lord, to preach this narrative accurately, precisely. And Lord, I pray that You would grant us ears to hear. Grant us receptive hearts. Lord, You promised that Your Word will not return unto You void. It will accomplish that for which You sent it. And Lord, I trust You to keep Your Word. And I thank You that this passage that we've read is authoritative, inerrant, and inspired, and is relevant to us today. Lord, open our eyes that we may see glorious things out of Your law. In Jesus' name, amen.

First, what was the earth and civilization like before the flood? We were not there to witness it ourselves; therefore, we must take the Word of God at face value.

The time between the fall of man and the flood is approximately 1,600 years. If the flood occurred around 2348 B.C., then the fall likely took place not long after creation, around 4000 B.C.

During this period, the earth experienced tremendous population growth and spiritual decline. It was not a society without knowledge of God, but one that refused to acknowledge Him. Humanity had every reason to know, fear, and walk in the Lord's ways, yet they chose to rebel.

Here are some key things we must understand about this era: First, a massive population explosion occurred. Verse 1 states, "when man began to greatly multiply on the face of the land." This was due to longevity; individuals lived extraordinarily long lives, such as Adam for 930 years and Methuselah for 969. This allowed for massive families.

Additionally, there was early fertility and no form of birth control, contributing to continuous population growth. Generational overlap was significant, with many generations alive concurrently. Methuselah, for example, lived 687 years from creation until the year of the flood. Adam, who died at 930 years old, would have been alive to see several generations born. With each generation living concurrently for centuries, the population would grow exponentially, likely reaching millions or even billions of people.

We also see an advancement in culture, with the building of cities and the rise of agriculture, music, and metallurgy. However, this growth was accompanied by an increase in sin, violence, vice, and corruption. Humanity had a living testimony of the fall; Adam lived 930 years, dying only about 120 years before Noah was born. This meant many generations were alive during Adam's lifetime and could have heard firsthand accounts of God's goodness, walking with God in the garden, and the consequences of disobedience and the fall.

During this time, God also raised up godly witnesses. Enoch walked with God, and Methuselah, whose name means "when he dies, it will come," served as a living countdown to judgment, dying the same year as the flood. God's mercy was extended as far as possible. Noah, born 126 years after Adam's death, was a righteous man who walked with God. 2 Peter 2:5 calls Noah a preacher of righteousness. Not only did he build the ark, but as he built, he preached to this godless society. His life and message were a final call to repentance. Despite this, the people still rejected him and God, choosing wickedness, violence, and corruption. God states in verse 3 that His Spirit would no longer strive with man, and his days would be 120 years. When that time was up, the flood came, and all who were not inside the ark of salvation were destroyed.

Next, we see the sinners and the corruption of man. How did man corrupt himself? There was a form of sexual revolution. Look again at verses 1 through 4: "It came to pass when man began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful, and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose."

Verse 4 mentions: "There were giants. The word translated Nephilim—giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward when the sons of God came into the daughters of men." This implies a distinction between the two. The sons of God came into the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. These children were the mighty men of old, men of renown—mighty heroes, warriors of legendary status.

What we find here is a form of sexual revolution. Verses 1 through 4 in Genesis 6 are one of the most intriguing, yet debated passages, not just in the Old Testament, but in the entire Bible, especially concerning the identity of the sons of God and their union with the daughters of men. We will proceed methodically, examining the three prevailing views on who these people are.

First: the Sethite view. This view suggests the godly line of Seth intermarried with the ungodly lineage of Cain. Biblical support for this view is found in Genesis 4 and 5, which contrast Cain’s descendants—violent and wicked—with Seth’s lineage, those who walk with God and call upon the name of the Lord. Proponents of the Sethite view argue that believers are sometimes referred to as the children of God, supporting the theme of spiritual compromise and intermarriage leading to moral decay. This view was promoted by figures such as Augustine, John Calvin, and many reformers. It became the dominant interpretation in the church after the fourth century.

However, there are objections to this view. The phrase "sons of God" is not used elsewhere in the Old Testament for believers until much later. Furthermore, it doesn't adequately explain the emergence of the giants, the Nephilim—possibly mighty beings—whose origins some believe were supernatural offspring.

The second view is the royal family—or tyrant view. This perspective identifies the sons of God as ancient rulers or kings, possibly from the line of Cain, who took women by force. These kings claimed divine status for themselves, which was common in ancient cultures. Biblical support for this includes the fact that kings were sometimes referred to in divine terms in the ancient Near East, such as the pharaohs of Egypt and Mesopotamian kings. The phrase, "wise of all they choose," may imply oppression or polygamous tyranny, as seen with Lamech in Genesis 4:19. This view also fits the context of the earth being filled with violence and vice. Many medieval rabbis, including Philo of Alexandria, held to this view.

Some objections, however, point out that there is less direct biblical support for calling kings "sons of God" in Genesis.

Now, for the third view: the angelic view. Let us approach this with an open mind and our biblical thinking caps on. The angelic view claims that the sons of God were fallen angels who left their proper domain, took human wives, and fathered the Nephilim, the giants—a race of mighty beings. This was the earliest and most dominant view in Jewish and Christian traditions until around the fourth century A.D.

The Hebrew phrase, "sons of God," occurs only a few times in the Old Testament, and it always refers to angelic beings, not humans. For example, in Job 1:6, "Now, there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord. And Satan also came among them." Job 2:1 repeats the same phrase. In Job 38:7, "When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy," referring to the angelic beings present at creation. This gives strong grammatical and contextual weight to the angelic view.

Second Temple Jewish literature consistently interpreted "sons of God" as fallen angels. The book of 1 Enoch, while not canonical, describes angels as "watchers" who saw and lusted after human women. Enoch even names them—Samjaza and Azazel—and records that 200 of these fallen angels made a covenant to take human wives. They took these women and fathered the Nephilim, who became giants and brought corruption. This is also found in other Targums and ancient Jewish texts. The angelic view is supported by early Christian interpretations from figures such as Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian.

Further biblical support comes from Jude chapter 6 and verse 7: "The angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling—left heaven, rebelled. What did God do to them? He kept them in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day, just as Sodom and Gomorrah. Jude says these angels indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire." Then again, 2 Peter chapter 2 verses 4 and 5 state: "God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them into hell—the word Peter used is Tartarus, the lowest part of the abyss. But he preserved Noah." Both Jude and Peter link the angels' fall with Noah's pre-flood generation.

Now, for some theological and doctrinal reflections. Why would angels do this? Perhaps they were trying to corrupt the human bloodline or interfere with the "seed of the woman." If they polluted the bloodline, how could the Messiah come? This also explains why God brought the severe judgment of the flood; this widespread wickedness was amplified by the demonic influence of fallen angels.

People often object, citing Matthew 22:30 where Jesus says, "in the resurrection people neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven." While Jesus did say that angels—referring specifically to elect angels—do not marry, He does not speak of fallen angels who rebelled and violated their nature. Jude 6 speaks of these angels who left their proper dwelling and did things that were unnatural.

Another question arises: How can spirit beings produce physical offspring? This is a great question. While we may wrestle with the biological possibilities, we recall Genesis 18 and 19 where angels appear in physical form. God and two angels appear to Abraham in Genesis 18. Two angels in Genesis 19 go into Sodom and physically drag Lot out of the city. So, angels—both fallen and elect—can take on human form. If these fallen angels took physical form, it is possible they could possess men and engage in reproduction or manipulate it in some unnatural way. The precise biological consequences and mechanisms remain unknown, but this is the angelic view.

Now, the Nephilim, these giants, derive from the Hebrew root word meaning "to fall." So when we speak of giants or Nephilim, these are "fallen ones." In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, these Nephilim are referred to as giants, as in the New King James Version. These were mighty men of old, men of renown—feared, powerful, and tyrannical.

While there are different views, what matters is that fallen angels corrupted men, tempting them and leading them into sexual immorality.

What is undeniably clear is that humanity was in open rebellion against God and His created order. The earth was filled with violence, vice, and sexual perversion to such an extent that it grieved God's heart, prompting Him to send a flood. We can agree on that.

Now, what does this mean for us? Remember the warning of our Lord in Matthew 24:37-39: "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the coming of the Son of Man." For in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away.

And friends, just like in Noah's day, there is still widespread rebellion against God's design for sexuality and the family. How so? Lust and sensuality are glorified. Men and women act according to the desires of the flesh. Pornography is rampant, warping true intimacy and destroying marriages and homes.

Fornication is no longer seen as sin, but as exploring love, "just trying each other out." People mock the biblical call to sexual purity, embracing cohabitation and premarital sex. There is a pursuit of pleasure without responsibility, with no strings attached. Adultery and divorce are rampant as well. People engage in whatever they desire with whomever they desire, believing there are no strings attached, no consequences. Marriage is treated as disposable rather than a sacred vow; the marriage covenant means little or nothing to them. This is very sad.

Then there is homosexuality or sexual relations with members of the same sex. It is not only tolerated in our day but celebrated; there is even a pride month. These same things were occurring in the days of Noah. And these same things caused God to send the flood.

But what is God's design for marriage and sexuality? Jesus tells us in Matthew 19:4-6: "Have you not read? That he who created them from the beginning made them male and female and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate." Jesus directly quotes Genesis 2:24. This is God's original intention, proven by the prohibition against all sexual immorality.

What do the apostles say? Hebrews 13:4 says, "Let the marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and the adulteress."

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6: "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who practice homosexuality nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor revilers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And he says, 'And such were some of you; that now you are washed, now you are sanctified, now you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.' And his warning to believers is this: 'Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person's sin is against his own body.' And you are not your own, for you were bought with a price; so glorify God in your body." It is quite clear.

1 Thessalonians 4 states: "This is the will of God: even your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality, that you know how to control your body, and live in a way that glorifies God."

Romans 1:24-27 describes how God gave them up—those who reject the gospel—to the lust of their hearts, to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves. "For this reason, God gave them up to dishonorable passions: their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion one for another." When a nation or a civilization abandons God, God often abandons them to their sin, and this is frequently manifested in sexual immorality, just as in the days of Noah.

Paul writes in Ephesians 5: "But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper for saints. For be sure of this: that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure has no inheritance in the kingdom of God." These are strong, true words. Sexual immorality has no place in the life of a believer. Our bodies belong to God; we are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we ought to honor God with our bodies and our marriage covenant.

The Lord declared His judgment upon the earth, not merely as an act of patience but as a direct response to humanity’s unrepentant rebellion. The flood was not a delayed consequence of divine mercy but the inevitable overflow of sin that had saturated the world. As the text states, “the earth was corrupt for all flesh; all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth” (Gen 6:12). This was no passive observation—God’s judgment was the culmination of centuries of unchecked wickedness, a righteous response to a civilization that had forsaken Him. The 120 years of patience were not an abdication of justice but a final opportunity for repentance, a plea for humanity to turn from their sin before the flood’s waters consumed them. Yet the judgment came, not because God was unrighteous, but because humanity had reached the full measure of their iniquity.

This is not a distant lesson from the past—it is a warning for our present. The same moral decay that characterized Noah’s generation is mirrored in our own. The flood was not a one-time event; it is a recurring pattern of divine judgment when humanity refuses to heed the call to repentance. The ark was not merely a vessel of salvation—it was a symbol of the only path to safety, a call to flee from the coming wrath by placing faith in Christ. The door of the ark was open for 120 years, but it will not remain open forever. Today, the same urgency echoes: the time for repentance is now. The flood of God’s judgment is not a distant threat—it is a looming reality for those who persist in sin. As the Scripture warns, “the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly” (Eccl 8:11), but the day of reckoning is certain.

The patience of God is not an invitation to delay, but a call to action. Noah’s generation had 120 years to prepare, yet they chose to ignore the warning. How much longer will our generation be given the same grace? The same judgment that swept away the wicked in Noah’s day is the same judgment that awaits those who reject Christ today. The ark is still available, the door still open—but the time is short. Let us not be like those who “ate, drank, married, and gave in marriage” until the flood came (Luke 17:27). Instead, let us heed the call to repent, to flee to the ark of salvation, and to place our faith in the One who alone can deliver us from the coming wrath. The flood of God’s judgment is not a distant event—it is the inevitable consequence of sin, and it is coming. The question is: will you be in the ark when it arrives?

There is a tragic irony in God’s original intention for the earth to be teeming with glory, reflecting His character through humanity, yet instead it became saturated with sin—sexual immorality, violence, and corruption. God’s original mandate was for mankind to fill the earth with the knowledge and glory of God, extending the borders of Eden until the whole world was transformed. Instead, the earth was filled with the wrong things. This gives us good news: when the Lord returns, the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. I look forward to that day when Christ returns, bringing judgment not by water but by fire, purging the earth, and creating a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells.

Let’s reflect on God’s patience. In verse 3, God declares, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he indeed is flesh, yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” Some believe this refers to a decrease in human lifespan after the flood, but many scholars argue it marks a countdown to the flood’s judgment. God had been pleading with humanity for centuries, but they rejected Him, polluting the earth. The 120 years represent a time of divine patience and long-suffering. During this period, Noah was both a builder and a preacher of righteousness, hammering nails and proclaiming God’s message to his generation. The flood came when Noah was 600 years old, giving him 120 years to build the ark and call people to repentance.

God’s patience is great, but it is not eternal. There is a limit to His long-suffering, as if a vial of wickedness is being filled until it overflows, resulting in judgment. This is what happened in Noah’s day, and it is happening now. Sin is being filled and filled, and I cannot help but think we are close to the brim. There comes a time when God must act, as Romans 1:24-28 describes, when He abandons humanity to their sin. God’s love is eternal, but His patience is not.

Ecclesiastes 8:11 warns that because judgment against evil is delayed, people grow complacent, thinking God will not act. But God’s delayed judgment is not His denial of judgment. As we close, if you find yourself in the camp of the sinners, characterized by the same sins of Noah’s generation, you need to repent before judgment comes. Every one of us will stand before God and give an account of our lives—every thought, deed, and word. You don’t want to be caught outside the ark of safety on that day.

What must you do? Run to Christ, the ark of safety, while the door is still open. Listen to the Noahs still preaching today. The ark is available, and the door is open. Have you placed your faith in Christ? Have you called upon Him? Don’t be like those in Noah’s day who were eating, drinking, and marrying, taking no thought for eternity. Run to the ark of safety—run to Jesus Christ.

Grace is still available to you: grace to forgive your sin, grace to give you a new heart, and grace to wash away your sins. Let my admonition to you this morning be to run to Jesus as fast as you can, jumping inside the ark while the door is still open. May we be like Noah, preachers of righteousness in our ungodly society, walking with God and proclaiming the Good News. Let’s be men and women who are blameless in our generation. May God bless you, and may we be instruments of His grace and truth. Amen.