-
†. Gen 6:3a . . And Yhvh said: My Spirit shall not strive with man
forever
Some translations have "abide" instead of strive. But the Hebrew word is
diyn (deen) which means: to rule; by implication: to judge (as umpire); also
to strive (as at law). It can also mean to plead the cause of; or to contend in
argument.
So. How did "My Spirit" accomplish this striving with man? In person
Himself? No; just like He always has: via a holy man.
"Noah, a preacher of righteousness" (2Pet 2:5)
According to 1Pet 3:18-20, the Spirit of Christ and My Spirit are one and the
same spirit. In point of fact; according to 1Pet 1:10-11, all the Old
Testament preachers (a..k.a. prophets) were motivated by the Spirit of
Christ. (cf. Rom 8:9 and 1Cor 6:19 where the Spirit of Christ and The Spirit
are again seen as one and the same spirit)
Anyway, point being: there does come a time when God's patience runs out.
Not because He can't take it anymore, but because when human beings
become too decadent and too incorrigible, then any more reasoning with
them would be like throwing good money after bad; and risky too.
"Do not give what is sacred to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before
swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to
pieces." (Matt 7:6)
It's sad but true: there are people out there so devoid of spiritual values that
they're practically feral.
Contrary to the mushy, sob-sister brand of Christianity going around like
swine flu, there is a time when forgiveness is not only impractical, but it's
also unreasonable. Hell is populated with people who will never, ever be
forgiven. They crossed a line and now there's no going back; ever. God no
longer has any interest in their welfare. They are forgotten and ignored; and
can expect neither pity nor sympathy from God ever again.
†. Gen 6:3b . . for they are only mortal flesh.
The Hebrew word for "flesh" is from basar (baw-sawr') which essentially
indicates that human life is not celestial; no, it is terrestrial; viz: meat on
the hoof. Compare Gen 3:21 where God used a meaty portion taken from
Adam's body to construct Eve's.
The word "mortal" isn't really mortal. It's from shagag (shaw-gag') which
means: to stray; viz: sin. The phrase "they are only mortal flesh" is actually
huw' bshagam baasaar which means: they are sinful flesh.
That is one of the most striking statements in the Bible; straight from God
Himself-- His own judicious estimation that man isn't basically good; no, au
contraire; man is quite basically evil.
Some feel that the doctrine of "The Total Depravity Of Man" is a wholly
Christian invention. Far from it. Here in Genesis, the very first book of the
Bible, in man's prehistoric years, prior to the Flood, prior to Abraham, prior
to Christ, and prior to the New Testament; God said: they are sinful flesh.
†. Gen 6:3c . . yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.
Some feel that God set the limits of human longevity in that verse. But
people still continued to live long lives for a great number of years
afterwards. Even Abraham, who lived many, many years after the Flood,
didn't die till he was 175 years old.
It's far more reasonable to conclude that God was announcing a deadline;
viz: they had 120 years left to get ready to meet their maker. But you think
that alarmed anybody? Heck no. They went right on; business as usual.
"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of
Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in
marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and
destroyed them all." (Luke 17:26-27)
The time of God's patience is sometimes long; but never unlimited; viz:
reprieves are not pardons-- though God bear a great while, He never bears
forever.
†. Gen 6:4 . .There were giants on the earth in those days, and also
afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men,
and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who
were of old, men of renown.
The Hebrew word for "giants" in that passage is nephiyl (nef-eel') or nephil
(nef-eel') and I have no clue why the KJV's scholars translated it giants
because it doesn't mean that at all. For one thing; it's an ambiguous word
with more than one meaning. It can indicate someone who cuts, knocks, or
brings things down, or a killer; and/or bullies and tyrants.
Now; granted that some bullies are big guys; but not all tyrants are big
guys. Take for example Kim Jong-un of North Korea, He isn't especially
imposing but Mr. Jong-un sure knows how to exercise power excessively and
brutally.
In other words: nephiyl doesn't necessarily indicate a special race of people;
but simply people whose ambition is to dominate others; even if they have
to completely destroy their culture and kill them all off to do it; viz: nephiyl
personalities are not good followers nor are they very good team players.
It can be accurately said of nephiyl personalities that they would rather rule
in hell than serve in heaven. In other words: if they can't conquer God, then
they would just as soon have nothing to do with Him.
just as soon have nothing to do with Him.
Historical examples of nephiyl types would be men like Genghis Khan of
Mongolia, and Alexander the Great of Greece; Napoleon of France,
Chandragupta Maurya of India, shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo of Japan,
conquistador Hernando Cortes of Spain, Timur: founder of the Timurid
dynasty, and Zahir-ud din Muhammad Babur: founder of the Mughal dynasty
that ruled the Indian subcontinent for over three centuries.
Q: If all the nephiyl types drowned in the Flood; then how did their
characteristics manage to resurface down the road?
A: well; from whence did nephiyl types originate in the first place? Same
place every other personality type originated: from Adam's genes; viz: since
Noah and his wife, and his sons and their wives, were Adam's descendants,
then nephiyl characteristics survived the Flood by riding it out in the DNA of
the people aboard the ark.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
†. Gen 6:3a . . And Yhvh said: My Spirit shall not strive with man
forever
Some translations have "abide" instead of strive. But the Hebrew word is
diyn (deen) which means: to rule; by implication: to judge (as umpire); also
to strive (as at law). It can also mean to plead the cause of; or to contend in
argument.
So. How did "My Spirit" accomplish this striving with man? In person
Himself? No; just like He always has: via a holy man.
"Noah, a preacher of righteousness" (2Pet 2:5)
According to 1Pet 3:18-20, the Spirit of Christ and My Spirit are one and the
same spirit. In point of fact; according to 1Pet 1:10-11, all the Old
Testament preachers (a..k.a. prophets) were motivated by the Spirit of
Christ. (cf. Rom 8:9 and 1Cor 6:19 where the Spirit of Christ and The Spirit
are again seen as one and the same spirit)
Anyway, point being: there does come a time when God's patience runs out.
Not because He can't take it anymore, but because when human beings
become too decadent and too incorrigible, then any more reasoning with
them would be like throwing good money after bad; and risky too.
"Do not give what is sacred to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before
swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to
pieces." (Matt 7:6)
It's sad but true: there are people out there so devoid of spiritual values that
they're practically feral.
Contrary to the mushy, sob-sister brand of Christianity going around like
swine flu, there is a time when forgiveness is not only impractical, but it's
also unreasonable. Hell is populated with people who will never, ever be
forgiven. They crossed a line and now there's no going back; ever. God no
longer has any interest in their welfare. They are forgotten and ignored; and
can expect neither pity nor sympathy from God ever again.
†. Gen 6:3b . . for they are only mortal flesh.
The Hebrew word for "flesh" is from basar (baw-sawr') which essentially
indicates that human life is not celestial; no, it is terrestrial; viz: meat on
the hoof. Compare Gen 3:21 where God used a meaty portion taken from
Adam's body to construct Eve's.
The word "mortal" isn't really mortal. It's from shagag (shaw-gag') which
means: to stray; viz: sin. The phrase "they are only mortal flesh" is actually
huw' bshagam baasaar which means: they are sinful flesh.
That is one of the most striking statements in the Bible; straight from God
Himself-- His own judicious estimation that man isn't basically good; no, au
contraire; man is quite basically evil.
Some feel that the doctrine of "The Total Depravity Of Man" is a wholly
Christian invention. Far from it. Here in Genesis, the very first book of the
Bible, in man's prehistoric years, prior to the Flood, prior to Abraham, prior
to Christ, and prior to the New Testament; God said: they are sinful flesh.
†. Gen 6:3c . . yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.
Some feel that God set the limits of human longevity in that verse. But
people still continued to live long lives for a great number of years
afterwards. Even Abraham, who lived many, many years after the Flood,
didn't die till he was 175 years old.
It's far more reasonable to conclude that God was announcing a deadline;
viz: they had 120 years left to get ready to meet their maker. But you think
that alarmed anybody? Heck no. They went right on; business as usual.
"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of
Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in
marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and
destroyed them all." (Luke 17:26-27)
The time of God's patience is sometimes long; but never unlimited; viz:
reprieves are not pardons-- though God bear a great while, He never bears
forever.
†. Gen 6:4 . .There were giants on the earth in those days, and also
afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men,
and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who
were of old, men of renown.
The Hebrew word for "giants" in that passage is nephiyl (nef-eel') or nephil
(nef-eel') and I have no clue why the KJV's scholars translated it giants
because it doesn't mean that at all. For one thing; it's an ambiguous word
with more than one meaning. It can indicate someone who cuts, knocks, or
brings things down, or a killer; and/or bullies and tyrants.
Now; granted that some bullies are big guys; but not all tyrants are big
guys. Take for example Kim Jong-un of North Korea, He isn't especially
imposing but Mr. Jong-un sure knows how to exercise power excessively and
brutally.
In other words: nephiyl doesn't necessarily indicate a special race of people;
but simply people whose ambition is to dominate others; even if they have
to completely destroy their culture and kill them all off to do it; viz: nephiyl
personalities are not good followers nor are they very good team players.
It can be accurately said of nephiyl personalities that they would rather rule
in hell than serve in heaven. In other words: if they can't conquer God, then
they would just as soon have nothing to do with Him.
just as soon have nothing to do with Him.
Historical examples of nephiyl types would be men like Genghis Khan of
Mongolia, and Alexander the Great of Greece; Napoleon of France,
Chandragupta Maurya of India, shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo of Japan,
conquistador Hernando Cortes of Spain, Timur: founder of the Timurid
dynasty, and Zahir-ud din Muhammad Babur: founder of the Mughal dynasty
that ruled the Indian subcontinent for over three centuries.
Q: If all the nephiyl types drowned in the Flood; then how did their
characteristics manage to resurface down the road?
A: well; from whence did nephiyl types originate in the first place? Same
place every other personality type originated: from Adam's genes; viz: since
Noah and his wife, and his sons and their wives, were Adam's descendants,
then nephiyl characteristics survived the Flood by riding it out in the DNA of
the people aboard the ark.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=