People of Renown

 DEVOTION

GENESIS

PEOPLE OF RENOWN

Gen 6:1-4

6:1 When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3 Then the LORD said, "My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his 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 men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.

NIV

This may be one of the most misunderstood passages in Genesis. Some think these sons of God were fallen angels, immoral beings who took human wives, and their offspring were these giants of men, the heroes of old. However, the original language does not support that interpretation. At this point in human history, we have women who are descendants of Cain and Seth. We also know that at that time men began to call upon the name of the LORD. What the Hebrew words tell us is that there were men who were great men of God, called sons of God. We who follow Jesus, who take our faith to the fullest, living for God, accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, are told we have the right to be called children of God, or sons of God, holy and righteous because of Jesus. This is the meaning of the Hebrew word "ben," children, or son. Men who called on the name of the LORD, however, that does not mean they were all that righteous, for they intermarried with any women they chose, without discrimination of their birthright, or from what line or whose descendant they were, and of what spiritual qualities they possessed.  They chose wives for their outward beauty. The offspring of the giants, in the land, or tyrants, they produced are called heroes of old, men of renown. What we learn from this narrative is that this world has become obsessed with outward beauty. This seems to be the reason we are drawn to someone at the start. Our culture has created one of the largest businesses, all based on products to enhance the outward beauty, which God looks at the heart. We are told not to choose a mate based on their outward appearance alone, and that believers should not intermarry with unbelievers, that we should not be unequally yoked. As men of God, we should have wives who are women of God; it is that simple, although that may not be as it always is. There is also this truth that, as men and women of God, we should be known as heroes of people of renown, people of faith, who believe and trust God, whose lives reflect his glory. Let us live as heroes, people of renown.