Genesis 6 unmistakably reveals to us the reason for the collapse of society and the ensuing judgment of the world. The sons of God compromised themselves and their distinct purpose. In this case it was because the sons of God allowed their desires to rule over God’s principles.

“Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose” (Genesis 6:1-2).

When God’s people do not sustain their purity, then God’s principles and truths are corrupted and not passed on. The salt has simply lost its taste and is good for nothing. There is nothing left to do but eliminate and start over. This is what God did through the flood. What concerns us the most is not that it happened long ago but that Jesus said that in the last days the situation would parallel Noah’s day.

“And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it shall be also in the days of the Son of Man: they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all” (Luke 17:26-27).

The battle has been tough from the beginning. God has accomplished a great deal through a faithful few. God’s kingdom is pretty much spread throughout the world. We need to be wise about how the culture is seducing our children. The key is for parents to live passionate and godly lives. Like the men of old we must live by faith rather than being intimidated by the world. We need to be committed to raising up godly children, not just happy or prosperous children.

We need to be wise. Time is short. The lives of our children are at stake. The way we train our children has to do with the principles that can be stored in them. Will you take that commitment? You need to be decisive. Satan’s temptations are too clever for us. Only if we are clearly following the Lord, will we be delivered. We need brave people like Moses’ father and mother who by faith risked their lives because they sensed God wanted to use their son (Hebrews 11:23).

God will deliver our children if we sincerely seek out His ways. Notice below how God preserved a people for Himself in a very dark age. Again read from left to right.

How does God pass on the truth? The most obvious way is through our children. If our children aren’t impacted by the truth of God from our lives, then not many others will be either. This is the reason the Apostle Paul made one of the qualifications for leadership the ability to manage our children/household well.

“He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?)” (1 Timothy 3:4-5)

The way we bring up our children clearly reflects what we believe and how we live out God’s truth. A man can be disqualified from ministry for not managing his household well! Some might consider this unfair, but it is not. It is common sense. If you cannot train your own children, then you cannot train others. It just won’t happen. There will not be a good result. We have examples of both the good and bad side of this all around us.

We need to make a commitment to faithfully serve God through our families. This does not mean we ignore other ways of service, but it does mean that we need to sufficiently prioritize our time that God’s purposes are lived out at home.

Pause for Reflection

Make a prayer, with your spouse if possible, committing yourselves to raising your children according to God’s design that they might have a glorious part in God’s eternal kingdom.

Study Questions

1. 1) Describe how expectations for marriage are similar to those for having a first child.
2. 2) What does the effectiveness of parenting depend upon?
3. 3) What are three reasons people want children?
4. 4) What is God’s purpose for us having children?
5. 5) What is the first sign of revival?
6. 6) How does the relationship with ones father reflect a Christian’s relationship with God?
7. 7) How are we to resolve tensions between what we would like for our children and what God wants for their life?
8. Is it possible that a child could gain everything we wanted for them and still fail as parents? Explain.
9. 9) What war is described above? What does it have to do with the family?
10. 10) How many seeds or lines of mankind are there on earth? What are they?
11. 11) Briefly describe the early history of the evil branch.
12. 12) Describe how God’s grace was passed down through the family.
13. 13) What does Genesis 6 say about the reason for the great collapse of the world at Noah’s time?
14. 14) What is needed in order for us to win the war against the evil one for our children?