I’m so excited to dive right into the Bible…
I completely understand feeling like reading your Bible is a chore because that's how I felt when I was in my teens, twenties and, honestly, in my thirties. Now, if people really knew how insanely captivating the Bible is, they wouldn't be able to put that book down. When I decided to read the Bible on my own, take notes, do the research, I started at the very beginning: Genesis. Sometimes people will tell you to start with the New Testament or to read certain books of the Bible first, but I'm just telling you what I did. It has completely changed the trajectory of my life in the most miraculous, amazing, and freeing way. In my last blog, I talked about getting a Bible that is easier to understand, in addition to getting a Study Bible version. This would include an NIV Study Bible, NLT Study Bible, or The Message Bible. This will help eliminate those frustrations of not understanding what you're reading. Once you have a Bible that you understand and supplies footnotes to further explain difficult concepts, it will completely change your perception of how you feel about reading the Word.
OK…I LOVE Genesis. Genesis and Exodus (the first two books of the Bible) might be my two favorite books…maybe. LOL! One of the greatest things about the Bible is that you become VERY knowledgeable about what people might say are conspiracy theories. So, let’s get started!
The very first greatest thing about Genesis 1 is that it explains how God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:6-8 “And God said, ‘Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.’ So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it and it was so. God called the expanse ‘sky’” (Zondervan NIV Study Bible. Gen. 1.6-8).
When you look up the footnote to “expanse,” it will tell you that this is the firmament. So right away, you learn that the sky is actually water! How amazing is that? Have you ever looked at the stars through a telescope? They look exactly like you would expect if the sky were water. So amazing! This leads into “Flat Earth” theories, but maybe we’ll get into that some other time. ;)
Now…the CRAZY part…
So I have gone to church my entire life and was NEVER taught about Genesis 6. Genesis 6 is where we are introduced to the Nephilim. This is what it says,
Genesis 6:1-2 “When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful and they married any of them they chose” (Zondervan NIV Study Bible. Gen. 6.1-2).
The first thing that I want to point out is the term "sons of God." In the original Hebrew language, “sons of God” is Benei Ha-Elohim (בְּנֵי־הָאֱלֹהִים). The phrase Benei Ha-Elohim explicitly refers to the divine council—minor deities or heavenly beings who serve the chief God. In the Hebrew Bible, outside of this passage, the term appears in places like Job 1:6 and Psalm 89:6, where it always denotes angelic or celestial beings. (Cook). So what is this saying???? This is saying that heavenly angels who had fallen, came down to earth, took any female(s) they wanted (daughters of men), and had sex with them to create the Nephilim. The daughters of men didn’t have any choice.
Genesis 6:4 “The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown” (Zondervan NIV Study Bible. Gen. 6.4).
The Hebrew word, Nephilim (נְפִילִים), breaks down into the root verb, naphal (נָפַל), meaning "to fall.” This specifically references fallen angels. Now the interpreters of the original Hebrew Bible did their very best to make this passage seem much less revolutionary than it actually is. That is why MANY people read over this text and don’t catch what is actually happening. I never even considered that this was actually talking about crossing the ontological barrier between the heavenly realm and the earthly realm to engage in sexual unions, and these divine beings disrupting the divinely established order of creation. Like….WHAT?!?!? That is just CRAZY!! Tell me this isn’t the most intriguing and captivating content EVER that comes from the WORD OF GOD. I mean…come on…it doesn’t get any better than this!
Ok, so in my next blog, I will discuss the Nephilim and their role in God flooding the earth: something else I never understood until I read the Bible on my own. Can’t wait!!
Love,
Heather
Works Cited
Cook, William F. “Who are the Sons of God in Genesis 6?” The Gospel Coalition. January 6, 2020.
The Holy Bible. New International Version, Zondervan, 2008.
1 comment
Okay I’m supposed to be working but I had to check out your blog … very cool. You have definitely put a lot of work into it. Can’t wait to read the next post.