Who are the Sons of God?
When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God (Deuteronomy 32:8).
The civilization we take for granted does not float in mid-air as a mote of dust. Rather we are held aloft by a calcified skeleton made of history. Take that away and what will hold us up? Our world will not remain suspended without it. In order to properly assess a text and its teaching, it must be read in context. Regardless of a given reader’s beliefs, the authors of Scripture believed that God, angels, demons, the spirits of the dead, and other spiritual realities were real. For all ancient peoples, the gods of neighboring nations were not fictional. The Tower of Babel is, in part, the story of the Bronze Age Collapse, but more importantly, it is the origin myth of the nations of the earth. “Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you. When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind” (Deut 32:7). The past is the portal to understanding. “There are no safe paths in this part of the world. Remember you are over the Edge of the Wild now” (J.R.R. Tolkien).
Context: What did the original audience know and understand?
In the beginning humanity was created to dwell with God. In the temple garden of Eden God walked in the cool of the day with Adam and Eve. Genesis includes the origin myth of the nations of the earth as well as the origin of the nation of Israel. The two accounts are separated by thousands of years. By the time God calls Abraham the nations on earth are well established, nations such as Babylon, Egypt and Assyria (Genesis 10&11).
The Tower of Babel rises from the valley floor into the gray sky like a clenched fist. The city was founded by Nimrod, a name that means rebellion, a mighty hunter against the Lord. “Babel” means “gate of the gods.” Ancient cities were traditionally dominated by a towering temple complex known as a ziggurat. It was typically square at the base and had sloping, stepped sides, intended to serve as a staircase from earth to heaven. Babylonian tradition claims they received secret knowledge from the apkallus, the ancient gods of Mesopotamia. This knowledge included alchemy, technology in the form of magic and sorcery, and metallurgy, the same knowledge that resulted in tremendous wickedness before the Flood. Copper from Cyprus and tin from the region of modern-day Afghanistan were brought by caravan to Babylon. It was known as a worldwide hub for bronze smelting, an industry that united the nations of the earth. It was a scheme to become the literal and figurative height of human civilization in which nothing that they proposed to do would be impossible for them. Until one day it became impossible, they were scattered and their industry collapsed.
The Table of Nations contains 70 nations, the totality of the world, the progeny of the sons of Noah who survived the great Flood by the providence of God. The number 70 is significant; it communicates completeness and wholeness, an echo of “shalom,” which connotes well-being, health, safety, prosperity, wholeness, and completeness fully realized in a right relationship with God. But the nations never realized shalom. They forgot the God of their salvation and instead followed false gods. They existed in abject rebellion against God, disordered, utterly antihuman, and a specter devoid of everything that is good. God came down, not to applaud them for their success, but to judge them for their wickedness. “That is why it was called Babel— because there the Lord confused (balal) the language of the whole world.” God cannot dwell with evil. The Flood was an effect of being in God’s presence while greatly wicked, “death by holiness.” At Babel God withdrew his direct presence to spare humanity. He assigned them sons of God (angels) to serve as their shepherds and protectors, one for each of the nations (Deuteronomy 32:8). This event is depicted in an icon of the Orthodox Church. The nations are easily recognized, each is flanked by a hazy being, a son of God. Canaanite tradition tells a parallel story, “Elyōn separated mankind into 70 nations according to his 70 sons, each of these sons to be the tutelary deity over one of the 70 nations.” Like the lyrics of a Bob Dylan song: “You're gonna have to serve somebody….it may be the Devil or it may be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody”— the nations once again fell into idolatry. The angels failed as shepherds, embraced wickedness, and usurped the position of God (Deuteronomy 32: 16&17).
Throughout modern history scholars have struggled to understand the identity of the sons of God, often resolving the questions surrounding them to non-supernatural interpretations. In contrast the early church, as evidenced by the icon, and ancient Mesopotamian texts demonstrate that the original authors believed the sons of God to be angelic beings. Psalm 82 gives a strikingly clear view into the divine council and God’s relationship to the sons of God. “God presides in the great assembly; he gives judgment among the gods…. saying, You are all gods; you are all sons of the Most High.” Unfortunately standard academic commentaries are often out of date and remain misinformed.
Historical Progression: The nations were always at the heart of God’s restoration plan. From the nation of Babylon God called Abraham, the progenitor of Israel. From the nation of Egypt God called the people of Israel. At the base of Mt Saini God made a covenant with Israel predicated on “I will be your God and you will be my people.” As a nation established by God, Israel was to faithfully bear the image of God and reflect him to the nations. Included in Israel’s Feast of Tabernacles, 70 bulls were sacrificed each year on behalf of the 70 nations. Isaiah prophesied a future time of peace when all the nations would be connected once again: “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.” Israel failed in her assigned task and was scattered to the corners of the earth. The history of the nations demonstrates it would take God himself to bring peace on earth. The New Testament Gospels affirm that Jesus came not only for the 12 tribes of Israel signified by the 12 disciples, but also for the 70 nations as depicted by his selection of an additional 70 disciples. The nations are sheep from another flock that belong in his fold (John 10:16). Jesus said the gospel of his kingdom is to be preached to all the nations (Matthew 24:14). Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, common parlance for the nations. Paul affirms they are ruled by demons when he says, “What the nations sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons” (1 Corinthians 10:20). Additionally he warns that the battle is not with humanity but with the demons who rule the nations, the powers and dark forces in the spiritual realm (Ephesians 6:12). The nations comprise souls and God is not willing for any to perish.
Conclusion: Origin myths are necessary. We are held aloft by a calcified skeleton made of history. If you don’t know where you’ve come from you don’t know where you’re going. The 20th Century was the bloodiest and deadliest in recorded history. The 21st isn’t looking much better. The demonic realm presses in on all sides. The nations convulse with evil pursuits. Wickedness is rampant. Human sacrifice takes many forms, offered on alters to unknown gods. There is a death cult price to be paid so innocence is slaughtered (Jeremiah 19:5). Psalm 96:5 bluntly sates, “All the gods of the nations are demons.” The notion that the good guys always win, and coincidentally that’s my nation, is the stuff of fairy tales. In the end, it will take heaven on earth to live happily ever after.
Sources: Wisdom of the Ancients, Neil Oliver; God is a Man of War, Stephen de Young; The Lord of Spirits, Andrew Stephen Damick; The Unseen Realm, Michael S. Heiser; The Religion of the Apostles, Stephen de Young; Listening to the Language of Jesus, Tverberg and Okkema;