Quote from Forum Archives on August 3, 2002, 1:16 pm

Posted by: biblenotes <biblenotes@...>

(If you receive this twice, it must be that the system was really slow, because I first sent this about 5:00 a.m. today and still have not received it through the automated list.  Apparently, there was some kind of "techinical difficulty".) 

 

 

Who Were the "Sons of God" in the Old Testament?

Genesis 6:1-7 (especially 2 & 4); Job 1:6, 12; 2:1, 7; 38:7

 

The Question:  Who were the “sons of God”?

 

This phrase appears five times in the Old Testament, twice in Genesis chapter 6 and three times in the book of Job.  The context and language in each case determines to whom the Bible refers.

 

I.                   The “Sons of God” in the Book of Genesis

 

A.     Scripture Portion:  Genesis 6:1-7 (v. 2 & 4)

 

B.     Explanation – using common logic and other Scripture

 

1.      They Could Not Be Angels – not fallen or otherwise.  Angels and mankind cannot have children – God made like creatures to produce after their kind with their own kind.  In other words, the "men" (offspring) that were brought into the world through these marriages were indeed men.  They were not half angel and half man whatever their peculiarities might have been.  The context of the passage shows that they were exceedingly sinful people and that God would bring judgment upon them as men who deserved it.

 

2.      The “Sons of God” in Genesis Are Men

a.       Male and Female produce children (Gen. 1:27)

b.      Adam was called “the son of God” (Luke 3:38)

c.       Adam in God’s likeness – Seth in Adam’s likeness (Gen: 1:26; 5:3) therefore, Seth was similarly a son of God

d.      Enos, Seth’s son, -- When Seth was born men started praying -- Seth and his offspring – obviously (Gen. 4:26)

 

3.      The “Sons of God”, or those of Seth’s godly line, intermarried with the “daughters of men”, those of Cain’s godless line (or even with the offspring of Adam's other children, assuming that perhaps they were ungodly also) – however, I believe a more general interpretation is acceptable: that those who had been godly (no matter what their specific ancestry) intermarried with those who were ungodly and thus no one, and no family was godly any more, except Noah and his family.  These two interpretations are legitimate.  Of course, since Enoch walked with God and God took him to Heaven, he also was an exception.

 

II.                The “Sons of God” in the Book of Job

 

A.     Scripture Portions:  Job 1:6, 12;  2:1, 7; and 38:7

 

B.     Explanation of Job 1 and 2: using common logic and other Scripture

 

1.      The Throne Room – key words: “before the Lord”, “Satan came also among them”, “Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.”

 

2.      God’s Question to Satan and Satan’s Answer:

a.       God:  “From whence comest thou?”

b.      Satan:  “From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” Satan was now present at a meeting of the "sons of God" and the question and answer here given imply that this meeting was not "in the earth", because that was exactly the place from which Satan had come in order to accuse Job before God.

 

3.      I Kings Chapter 22 (Read for an example of evil spirits, fallen angels, gaining audience with God)

 

C.     Explanation of Job 38:7 (Read context Job 38:1-11):

 

1.      God was speaking to Job

 

2.      Where was Job in the beginning?

a.       When God laid the foundations of the world

b.      When “the morning stars sang together, and the sons of God shouted for joy”

c.       When the sea “brake forth”

d.      When He made the clouds

 

3.      God did all these things before he made man –

See Genesis chapter 1.  Therefore, reason suggests that the morning stars and the sons of God could not be referring to mankind.

 

4.      Hebrew Poetry uses parallel statements to further describe or to describe differently the same thing.  It is reasonable then to assume that the morning stars and the sons of God are referring to the same created beings, the angels, because both expressions (sang and shouted) are used to show that some beings besides God were celebrating God’s creation even before man was created.

 

5.      Two More Celebrations in Heaven:

(To show that singing, shouting, and joy are certainly in character with the angels’ worship of God)

 

a.       Revelation Chapter 7

   (1)   When the great multitude of redeemed souls worships God

(2)   Then the angels worship also “Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.”  (Rev. 7:9-12)

 

b.      Revelation Chapter 12

    (1)   The Occasion:  Satan is cast out of Heaven

He, “the accuser of the brethren”, as he accused Job and all of the saints, “which accused them before our God day and night”, will no longer be given such an audience before God.

(2)      The Heavenly Admonition:  “Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them." (Revelation 12:12).  All the angels of God are pictured as dwelling in the heavens with God.  Therefore, they must be included in this rejoicing.

 

What a time of rejoicing that will be, when Satan can no longer come among the “sons of God” (men and angels), when both the innumerable hosts of angels and of redeemed souls shall worship God without the presence of the adversary.  Then we shall worship like we never could here on earth!

 

Answer: men (in Genesis) and angels (in Job).

 

Yours In Christ,
Martin Overfield

 

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