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The Mystery of the Nephilim

Have you ever been asked about the Nephilim? Did you know how to answer? Today's passage is the only place in the Bible that mentions the Nephilim, and most people have no idea who they are or what significance they hold.

In Unlocking the Bible, David Pawson talks about the Nephilim. We are told that between two and three hundred angels were near Mount Hermon, sent to look after God's people. They fell in love with human women, seduced them, and impregnated them. Their offspring was a horrible hybrid, somewhere between men and angels—beings not in God's order.

Some view these Nephilim as angels, and some believe they are "gods" placed over the world's regions to rule with God. These would be beings who rebelled against God's perfect order and ruled by their own desires. Others see them as demonized men whose sexual intimacy with human women led to a demonized society.

Pawson continues, "The immediate effect of this perversion [sexual relations with human women] was that violence filled the whole earth." One sin leads to another when people are treated as objects, not persons.

Human nature wants immediate gratification. If we are honest, most of us can identify one or two circumstances where we have used others to meet personal needs or to satisfy ourselves somehow. Whether by seeking a compliment or abusing another person, we still use others for our gain at times.

Regardless of which theory we believe about the Nephilim, we can take a moment and recognize that part of our sinful nature is bent toward using others for our gain.

Question: Take a moment to look at yourself. How we treat others accurately indicates how much we value them. Does your way of treating others convey a sense of value or a sense of disregard?

Prayer: If you need to change how you treat others, change how you think with God's help. Ask God to help you see His image and likeness in each person you meet. Ask Him to help you to value that person for the unique vessel God made them to be. Take some time today to pour into others instead of taking what you need from them.