WICKEDNESS INVITING REPERCUSSION-II—Genesis 6:1-8
Attention:
Talking to his friend, Harvey said, "Eddie. I just had a quarrel with my wife."
"Oh yeah," said Eddie. "And how did this one end?"
"When it was over," Harvey replied arrogantly, "She came crawling back to me on her hands & knees."
"No kidding? She really loves you! What did she say?"
"She said, 'Come out from under that bed, you gutless weasel!!!'"
Genesis records the wanton wickedness of humanity & its repercussions.
Repercussion—An unintended consequence occurring some time after an event or action, esp. an unwelcome one.
Wanton wickedness invites repercussion.
How/When does wickedness invite repercussion?
7 dispositions/failures/measures/qualities of wickedness that invite repercussion.
We have seen previously that Wickedness invites Repercussion thru...
1. Aberrant RELATIONSHIPs(:1-2)
2. Aberrant STRIFE(:3)
3—Wickedness invites repercussion thru...
Aberrant STANCE(:4)
Explanation: (:4)
:4—“There were giants on the earth in those days, & also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men & they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.”
“Giants” or “mighty men” were present in antediluvian times, as well as in Moses’ day.
These “men of renown” are mentioned because they are readily noteworthy. The presence of these Nephilim (so-called “giants”) seems to be directly tied to the “sons of God going in to the daughters of men.” A noteworthy outworking of the progeny of this union was the Nephilim or “mighty men.
*“Renown” has a neutral connotation. It is qualified by its context. One can either be a renowned farmer or citizen OR a renowned murderer or dictator.
They were of some notoriety & ferocious reputation among men whose demeanor was quite unlike them.
*This fits in especially well with an understanding of the “sons of God” being the sons thru whom Noah was produced.
Also this situation evidently occurred after the Flood into Moses’ time(as he is the writer)—hence “afterward, when.”
These men were also present “afterward” in postdiluvian times, they are not some strange mixture of humanity with the demonic—although the demonic must have had a tremendously influential relationship with them.
They are only men, although they were definitely ferocious or animalistic in behavior. Thus there is no real mystery to the designations “sons of God” & their relationship to the “daughters of men.”
“The term in Hebrew[Mylpn] implies not so much the idea of great stature as of reckless ferocity, impious & daring characters, who spread devastation & carnage far & wide.”—JFB
“The whole problem with verse four is relating the allusion to these men who were mighty or strong & “men of renown [name]” to the context of the degradation of humanity. An answer may lie in the reference to nephilim in Numbers 33..... So, while these nephilim could have been tall & strong (with some exaggeration by the spies being considered), their obvious military prowess may have struck fear into the Israelites.....Thus, nephilim may not have been a reference to a racial group as such, but rather to those of a fearsome character.”—Trevor Major Num. 13:33—““There we saw the giants[Nephilim] (the descendants of Anak came from the giants[Nephilim]); & we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, & so we were in their sight.””
The only other use of Mylpn(Nephalim) used outside of Genesis Used 3X).
These were at minimum a very tall & imposing people by to the comparison with grasshoppers.
Deut. 2:9-11—““Then the LORD said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab, nor contend with them in battle, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the descendants of Lot as a possession.’”(The Emim had dwelt there in times past, a people as great & numerous & tall as the Anakim. They were also regarded as giants, like the Anakim, but the Moabites call them Emim.”
Deut. 2:19-21—“‘And when you come near the people of Ammon, do not harass them or meddle with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the descendants of Lot as a possession.’” (That was also regarded as a land of giants[Rephaim]; giants[Rephaim] formerly dwelt there. But the Ammonites call them Zamzummim, a people as great & numerous & tall as the Anakim. But the LORD destroyed them before them, & they dispossessed them & dwelt in their place,”
Though the Emim, Zamzummim, & Anakim are distinguished as separate peoples, they are all three regarded as “giants(Myapr[Rephaim]).” The Anakim were descended from the Mylpn(Nephilim)(Num 13:33).
“Emim”—Mymya ay-meem'(plural)—“Terrors”
“Zamzummim”—Mymzmz zam-zomeem'—“Plotters”
“Anakim”—yqne an-aw-kee'(plural)—“Long-necked”
“Giants”(Rephaim)—Myapr raw-faw-eem'(plural)—N. Proper Gent.—Strong—in the sense of invigorating; A giant. The singular form is also used in reference to the physical healing effected by physicians &/or God.
This word(used 25X) in the Num. & Deut. passages is—From—apr raw-faw'—V.—Strong—a primitive root; properly, To mend (by stitching), i.e. (figuratively) To cure.
But why mention the Nephilim here? What would be the purpose?
*Moses is preparing the children of Israel for entrance into the promised land. He is giving the spies a preview of the power of the peoples that Israel will face, yet will defeat & supplant by God’s hand. They would face the same type of beast-like ferocity which triggered Flood in the ancient days!
Of course one must consider that ideally, Moses would have received & revealed this entire revelation during Israel’s endeavors @ Mt. Sinai prior to the spies’ entrance into Canaan. However such a preview could have been revealed at any time prior to Israel’s crossing the Jordan with much the same effect.
“Giants”—Mylpn nef-ilym—1) Giants, the Nephilim. Strong—properly, A feller, i.e. A bully or tyrant. Used 3X.
From—lpn naw-fal'—Strong—a primitive root; To fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative).
“Afterward”—yrxa akh-ar'—1) After the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time). Strong—properly, The hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, After (in various senses).
“Mighty men/Heroes”—rbg gibbor—Adj.—1) Strong, mighty. OR —N. m.—2) Strong man, brave man, mighty man. Strong—intensive (from the same as rbg gheh'-ber— properly, A valiant man or warrior; generally, a person simply); Powerful; by implication, Warrior, tyrant.
“Renown/Reputation”—Mv Shem—1) Name—1a) name, 1b) Reputation, fame, glory, 1c) The Name (as designation of God), 1d) Memorial, monument. Strong—a primitive word [perhaps rather from Mws(to put) through the idea of definite & conspicuous position; compare Mymv(lofty)]; An appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by implication Honor, authority, character.
Argumentation:
1Jn. 5:18-19—“We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, & the wicked one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, & the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.”
Jas 4:1-10—“Where do wars & fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust & do not have. You murder & covet & cannot obtain. You fight & war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask & do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers & adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil & he will flee from you. Draw near to God & He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; & purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament & mourn & weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning & your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, & He will lift you up.”
Mat. 5:3—““Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Rev. 13:1-9—[AntiChrist]“Then I[John] stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads & ten horns, & on his horns ten crowns, & on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, & his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, & great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, & his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled & followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; & they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” And he was given a mouth speaking great things & blasphemies, & he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, & those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints & to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, & nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone has an ear, let him hear.”
1Pet. 5:2-4—“Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.”
Ezek. 34:2-5—““Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.”
Lk. 4:17-21—“And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.””
Mat. 20:20-28—“Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.” But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.” So He said to them, “You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.” And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave-- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.””
Illustration:
Mean/Cruel people are ungodly. Vengeful people are out of line with God.
When I was a kid I played in the creek/Loved to catch crawfish & salamanders & dragonfly larvea, etc./One day the water completely disappeared from my part of the creek/I walked up the dry stream-bed until I found the problem/Some fish were stranded & lots of other creepy crawly type critters were certainly dying!/The problem was that Wesley had built a dam across the creek!/He did not want to give it up/He had an Aberrant STANCE which opposed everything good.
The Mob/Prohibition days/Ruled by intimidation, murder, theft, abuse, greed, avarice, pride, enslavement, etc./An Aberrant STANCE
Dictators/Rule nationally by terror just as does the Mob does on local level/An Aberrant STANCE
Application:
?You invited Divine Repercussions thru your STANCE?
?Your Wickedness invited God’s Repercussion?
4—Wickedness invites repercussion thru...
Aberrant CONTINUITY(:5)
Explanation: (:5) Persistence
:5—“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, & that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
As a result of humanity’s course, recorded in :1-4, the enormity of its overall “wickedness” can no longer be overlooked & allowed to progress & flourish. The wickedness had so taken the whole of mankind that it is said to be abundant(“great”) “in” the whole of the “earth.” The wickedness had spread as a disease to every corner of mankind’s habitation.
Indeed, “every” framing of the contrivances, plans & purposes of men’s “hearts” was solely directed toward “evil” every day of their lives.
Everything about man’s machinations was against God’s personal purpose & desire as they were against His overall purpose & desire for man.
“And what God saw when He looked at these evil people was not just their behavior, but behind it it was their thought. It wasn't that they were really good people. They were well-intentioned, just kind of fumbling & stumbling & being messed up by their environment, that's the modern definition of sin that man is basically good & he's noble, he's just crippled by the people who are around him & the debilitating circumstances. And if we can get him enough money & enough education & take off the pressure & those people who want to hold him to strict moral laws & free him up a bit, he'll become noble all on his own.”.... “The Bible definition of man is that what's wrong with him is not really his behavior, that's only a symptom. What's wrong with him is nature.”—John MacArthur
“God looked into the heart of man & He saw that everything formed there,everything developed there, everything designed there, everything conceived there, every image,every idea, every ideology, every thought pattern, every philosophy, every self-styled religious view,all of it, everything that was formed in man was only evil continually, everything.”.... “this is not to say that every man is equally as vicious, every man is as equally murderous, every man is equally as proud, every man is equally as angry, every man is as equally violent, every man is as equally as vengeful as to every other man. But it is to say that every human being to some degree only relative within the framework of his depravity, every human being is at heart a sinner, unable to form, or shape, or conceive, or design anything in himself that is not wicked. Even his philanthropy is conceived as a way to pacify his guilt or to demonstrate that he's better than others for the purposes of pride.”—John MacArthur
“It's not just the behavior of man that is depraved, it goes right down to the very thinking of man, right down to the very forming of all of his viewpoints. And it extends to every human being & it is in the heart of every human being all the time & only that. And then you can add that it's aggravated by unions with demons.”....” The only people who aren't like that are the people who have been transformed”—John MacArthur
“Saw”—har raw-aw'—1) to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider. Strong–a primitive root; To see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct & implied, transitive, intransitive & causative).
“Wickedness”(See “Evil”)—her ra`ah(Fem.)—1) Adj.—Bad, evil; 2) N. m.—Evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity; 3) N. f.— Evil, misery, distress, injury. Strong—Bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral).
“Great”—br rab—1) Adj.— Much, many, great; Adv.—1i) Much, exceedingly; 2) N. m.—Captain, chief. Strong—Abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality).
“Every”—lk kol—1) All, the whole. Strong—properly, The whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense).
“Intent”—ruy yay'-tser—1) Form, framing, purpose, framework. Strong–A form; figuratively, Conception (i.e. purpose). Used 9X.
*“Thoughts”—tbvxm makh-ash-eh'-beth—1) Thought, device—1a) Thought, 1b) Device, plan, purpose, 1c) Invention. Strong—A contrivance, i.e. (concretely) A texture, machine, or (abstractly) Intention, plan (whether bad, a plot; or good, advice).
“Heart”(See :6)—bl leb—1) Inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding. Strong—The heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will & even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything.
“Only”—qr raq—Adv.—1) Only, altogether, surely. Strong—properly, Leanness, i.e. (figuratively) Limitation; Only adverbial, Merely, or conjunctional, Although. Used 16X.
“Evil”(See “Wickedness”)—er ra`—1) Adj.—Bad, evil; 2) N. m.—Evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity; 3) N. f.— Evil, misery, distress, injury. Strong—Bad or (as noun) Evil (natural or moral).
“Continually/All the time/‘Daily’”—Mwy yowm—1) Day, time, year. Strong—from an unused root meaning to be hot; A day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (A space of time defined by an associated term), [often used adverb].
Argumentation:
1Jn. 1:8-2:6—“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, & the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful & just to forgive us our sins & to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, & His word is not in us. My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, & not for ours only but also for the whole world. Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” & does not keep His commandments, is a liar, & the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”
Jn. 5:2-15—“Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool & stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, & knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed & walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, & walked ..... But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, & said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” The man departed & told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.”
*1Jn. 3:1-10—“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; & it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, & sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, & in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; & he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God & the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.”
Rom. 1:17—“For in it[the Gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith...””
Though this verse describes a Christian context of shared “faith,” literally ANY ‘faith’(even ungodly) is shared & men Persist/Continue in it!
Illustration:
Amazonian clear-cutting practices/Entrepreneurs destroy acre upon acre of trees for the wood but do not replant/Attempt to appease the people by selling the land(for a profit) cheaply to would-be farmers/But the land is unfit for farming & will fail within 2 years/It is a very limited, specific & delicate rainforest ecosystem/The businessmen know this yet they persist in their practices/Aberrant CONTINUITY
Matthew—An adult!/Has no regard for turning off the lights(leaves them on for the dogs!)—Leaves garage doors open on hot or cold days—Leaving the shower running while he does something else besides bathe/Turns up the thermostat a few degrees when nobody is looking/Continually reminded of ‘the right thing’ to do—to no avail/Aberrant CONTINUITY
Application:
?You invited Divine Repercussions thru Aberrant CONTINUITY?
?Your Wickedness invited God’s Repercussion?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Harvey’s wife—'Come out from under that bed, you gutless weasel!!!'"
Action:
Wickedness invites repercussion thru...
3. An Aberrant STANCE(:4)
4. An Aberrant CONTINUITY/Persistence(:5)
1. Aberrant RELATIONSHIPs(:1-2)
2. Aberrant BURDEN(:3)
Presented 01/08/2012am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
