Scripture:
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 humans and had children by them. They were
the heroes of old, men of renown.
When you think of famous people, who comes to
mind? When someone mentions the word "hero," what do you think of?
In Genesis 6:4, the Bible says that the Nephilim
were men of renown, heroes of old. Historically understood to be the offspring
of angels and human women, these Nephilim certainly would have been physically
impressive. They were probably handsomely beautiful and more than humanly
strong. We are also given to understand that they were taller than normal men.
Undoubtedly, they could accomplish great feats of heroism and so win fame for
themselves.
But what type of heroes were these men?
As we read further, one theme of the growing evil
of humanity was a propensity toward violence (verses 11 and 13). People were
attacking one another, and groups of people were warring against others. Seeing
that these Nephilim would have been heavy hitters, along with the fact that
they are not mentioned as being righteous, as Noah was, we can imagine that
their acts of heroism and famous deeds were performed on the battlefield in
acts of violence.
The other men of their day would have regarded
them as heroes, but not God. God's hero was an old man named Noah. As far as we
know, Noah wasn't as physically impressive as the Nephilim were, and he didn't
have any war stories to tell. But he was righteous and blameless, and he walked
with God.
As you think about your heroes and those people of
renown in our culture, consider what it means to be a hero in God's eyes. Good
looks, athletic prowess, business acumen, a brilliant intellect, and artistic
talent are nothing compared to a heart turned toward God.
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