Beauty, Heroes, and Sin
Pastor Tan Thai · Aug 6, 2017
This sermon expounds Genesis 6:1-12, focusing on the power of beauty and talent as tools Satan uses to lead people into sin. From the days of Noah to the present, the allure of beauty and heroic strength remains a temptation that Satan exploits to draw people away from God.
The sermon opens by explaining why the series on Spiritual Warfare begins in Genesis: this is where Satan first launched his schemes against humanity. From the Garden of Eden, the enemy sought to make people doubt God, shattered the first family through Cain's murder of Abel, and spread sin through the line of Cain whose achievements were entirely material with no place for God.
The central section addresses the difficult interpretive question in Genesis 6:2: who are the 'sons of God' and 'daughters of men'? The pastor sides with Augustine, Luther, and Calvin in understanding this as intermarriage between the God-fearing line of Seth and the women of Cain's line who had no regard for God. The primary motive for these marriages was physical beauty and lust, evidenced by the names of women in Cain's lineage all carrying meanings related to outward appearance. This violated the biblical principle of marrying within the faith, later echoed in 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 and Malachi 2:15.
The sermon then argues that the 'renowned heroes' of Genesis 6:4 were not true heroes in God's sight, but rather men who used strength and violence to seize beautiful women and were celebrated by their society. The Hebrew word 'Nephilim,' derived from 'naphal' meaning 'to cause to fall,' suggests oppressors rather than moral champions. The evidence is clear: verse 5 immediately records that God saw the great wickedness of humanity, and He ultimately destroyed them in the flood.
The pastor draws on rich historical and cultural illustrations: the story of the Beauty Stratagem with Xi Shi and King Fuchai of Wu, Samson and Delilah, King David and Bathsheba, and Diaochan with Lü Bu and Dong Zhuo from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. All illustrate the consistent pattern that when beauty meets heroic power, the result is moral corruption, loss of will, and sin.
The concluding application affirms that beauty, talent, and strength are gifts from God, but Satan uses these good things as occasions for sin. When people worship beauty and talent as idols, placing them above their relationship with God, they commit great sin against Him. In today's society, where billions of dollars are spent on cosmetic surgery and beautiful people are worshipped as idols, the warning of Genesis 6 remains urgently relevant for every believer.