This Is Appendix 23 From The Companion Bible.
It is only by the Divine specific act of
creation that any created being can be called "a son of
God". For that which is "born of the flesh is flesh".
God is spirit, and that which is "born of the Spirit is
spirit" (John 3:6). Hence Adam is
called a "son of God" in Luke 3:38. Those "in
Christ" having "the new nature" which is by the
direct creation of God (2 Corinthians 5:17. Ehpesians
2:10) can be, and are
called "sons of God" (John 1:13. Romans
8:14,15. 1John 3:1).1
This why angels are called "sons of
God" in every other place where the expression is used in the Old
Testament. Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7. Psalms
29:1; 89:6. Daniel
3:25. (no article).
2 We have no
authority or right to take the expression in Genesis 6:2,4 in any other
sense. Moreover, in Genesis 6:2 the Septuagint
renders it "angels".
Angels are called
"spirits" (Psalm 104:4. Hebrews
1:7,14), for spirits are
created by God.
That there was a fall of the angels
is certain from Jude 6.
The nature of their fall is clearly stated in the
same verse. They left their own 
(oiketerion). This
word occurs only in 2Corinthians
5:2. Jude 6, where it is used
of the spiritual (or resurrection) body.
The nature
of their sin is stated to be "in like manner" to that of the
subsequent sins of Sodom and Gomorrha, Jude 7.
The time of their fall is given as having taken
place "in the days of Noah" (1Peter
3:20. 2Peter
2:7), though there may
have been a prior fall which caused the end of "the world that then
was" (Genesis 1:1,2. 2Peter
3:6).
For this sin they are "reserved unto
judgement", 2Peter
2:4, and are
"in prison", 1Peter
3:19.
Their progeny, called Nephilim
(translated "giants"), were monsters of iniquity; and being
superhuman in size and character, had to be destroyed (see Appendix
25).This was the one and only object of the Flood.
Only Noah and his family had preserved their
pedigree pure from Adam (Genesis 6:9 see note). All the
rest had become "corrupt" (shachath) destroyed
[as Adamites]. The only remedy was to destroy it (defacto),
as it had become destroyed (de jure). (It is the same word
in verse 17 as in verses
11,12.) See futher under
Appendix 25 on
the Nephilim.
This irruption of fallen
angels was Satan's first attempt to prevent the coming of the Seed of the
woman foretold in Genesis 3:15. If this could be
accomplished, God's Word would have failed, and his own doom would be
averted.
As soon as it was made known that the Seed
of the woman was to come through ABRAHAM, there must have
been another irruption, as recorded in Genesis 6:4, "and also
after that" (that is to say, after the days of Noah,
more than 500 years after the first irruption). The aim of the enemy was
to occupy Canaan in advance of Abraham, and so to contest its occupation
by his seed. For, when Abraham entered Canaan, we read (Genesis
12:6) "the
Canaanite was then (that is to say, already) in the land."
In the same chapter (Genesis 12:10-20) we see Satan's
next attempt to interfere with Abraham's seed, and frustrate the purpose
of God that it should be in "Isaac". This attempt was
repeated in 20:1-18.
This great conflict may be seen throughout the
Bible, and it forms a great and important subject of Biblical study. In
each case the human instrument had his own personal interest to serve,
while Satan had his own great object in view. Hence God had, in each case,
to interfere and avert the evil and the danger, of which His servants and
people were wholly ignorant. The following assaults of the great Enemy
stand out prominently:-
The destruction of the
chosen family by famine, Genesis 50:20.
The destruction of the male line in Israel, Exodus
1:10,15, etc. Compare to
Exodus 2:5. Hebrews
11:23.
The destruction of the whole nation in Pharaoh's
pursuit, Exodus 14.
After David's line was singled
out (2Samuel 7), that was
the next selected for assault. Satan's first assault was in the union of
Jehoram and Athaliah by Jehoshaphat, notwithstanding 2Chronicles
17:1. Jehoram killed
off all his brothers (2Chronicles
21:4).
The Arabians slew all his children, except Ahaziah
(2Chronicles
21:17; 22:1).
When Ahaziah died, Athaliah killed "all the
seed royal" (2Chronilces
22:10). The babe Joash
alone was rescued; and, for six years, the faithfulness of Jehovah's word
was at stake (2Chronicles
23:3).
Hezekiah was childless, when a double assault was
made by the King of Assyria and the King of Terrors (Isaiah
36:1; 38:1). God's
faithfulness was appealed to and relied on (Psalm 136).
In Captivity, Haman was used to attempt the
destruction of the whole nation (Esther 3:6,12,13. Compare
6:1).
Joseph's fear was worked on (Matthew 1:18-20). Notwithstanding
the fact that he was "a just man", and kept the Law, he did
not wish to have Mary stoned to death (Deuteronomy 24:1); hence Joseph
determined to divorce her. But God intervened: "Fear not".
Herod sought the young Child's life (Matthew 2).
At the Temptation, "Cast Thyself down"
was Satan's temptation.
At Nazareth, again (Luke 4),
there was another attempt to cast Him down and destroy Him.
The two storms on the Lake were other attempts.
At length the cross was reached, and the sepulchre
closed; the watch set; and the stone sealed. But "God raised Him
from the dead." And now, like another Joash, He is
seated and expecting (Hebrews 10:12,13), hidden in the
house of God on high; and the members of "the one body" are
hidden there "in Him" (Colossians 3:1-3), like another
Jehoshaba; and going forth to witness of His coming, like another Jehoiada
(2Chronicles
23:3).
The irruption of "the fallen angels"
("sons of God") was the first attempt; and was directed
against the whole human race.
When Abraham was
called, then he and his seed were attacked.
When
David was enthroned, then the royal line was assailed.
And when "the Seed of the woman"
Himself came, then the storm burst upon Him.
(genos), which means
merely kin or kind, our genus as
being originated by God. 2 In Hosea 1:10, it is not beni-ha-Elohim, as here, but beni-el-chai.