Genesis chapter 6

Genesis 6:1-2  When the human race began to increase, with more and more daughters being born, the sons of God noticed that the daughters of men were beautiful. They looked them over and picked out wives for themselves.  (The Message)

There are apparently three different theories for the sons of God here:

1. They are fallen angels who marry women.  Sons of God is often used to refer to fall en angels, but angels do not reproduce (Matthew 22:30 refers to people at the resurrection neither marrying or being given in marriage but being like the angels).

2. They were descendants of Seth who married ungodly women.

3. They were kings who married women and fallen angels (demons) may have indwelt them.  The godly are often referred to as God's sons and indeed, in the New Testament we are referred to as sons and daughters of God.

Whoever they were, it just shows how far they had fallen if God wanted to destroy everyone on earth.

There must have been millions of people on the earth by this time, and yet only Noah found favour with God.  He was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time and he walked with God.  Just like Enoch, who walked in close fellowship with God.

The thing that strikes me here, is that a close walk with God is essential , vital.  Yes, there will be times when we mess up, when everything goes wrong and we don't know which way to turn, but if we have a close walk with God, we will know that we can turn to Him, place everything in His hands.  It’s a case of knowing instinctively what God would want us to do in any given situation, of having such a prayer life, knowing God in such a way that like the four creatures in Ezekiel 1:

Genesis 6: 19-21 When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose.  Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.  When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels

I want that in my life, to know instinctively what God wants me to do no matter what, to be able to move in the Spirit, knowing I am walking in the will of God and doing what he would have me do.  I bet that was how Noah and Enoch lived their lives.  Spending their days gong about their everyday business and yet being in continual communion with God, instinctively knowing His will for them at any given moment in time.

I have such a long way to go, there are so many things that I let get in the way of this, and often, it needs to be a conscious decision to let God into my life,  But it shouldn't be, it should be instinctive, natural, the one thing that I do automatically above all else.  So it is a case of getting my priorities right, of getting the perspective right, of getting my heart right with God and I need to work on it. As Paul says:

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Because when we start to do that, then everything else will fall into place naturally.

You also have to wonder about Noah's sons.  After all, the bible here just mentions Noah as being the only one who found favour with God, it makes no mention of Noah's sons.  So maybe Shem, Ham and Japheth were saved because of their father's faith, not their own.  Kind o puts praying for your children into perspective, doesn't it, if your prayers, my prayers will save our children?