The Unknown and Unnamed "Men of the Name" -How to Avoid their Fate (Genesis 6:4)

In our world today, we are constantly competing with one another to have the greatest name and achieve the most. We strive so hard for recognition and fame and to make a lasting impression on the world, but all this might be in vain if we do not strive to be people of faith and righteousness.

The Bible reminds us of this reality in Genesis 6:4 when it says: "The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown."  These great "men of renown" or "men of the name"  were a mysterious group of people that lived before the flood. They were considered the giants of their time, but all their renown is buried in the depths of time, and no one remembers who they were or what they did. They may have thought that having a great name and achieving great things would make them immortal, but in the end their legacy was ultimately forgotten.

While we might not have many physical giants like the Nephilim in the world today, we do have giants of achievement and accomplishment. These include athletes like Michael Jordan and LeBron James, who have both won multiple championships and achieved unparalleled success in their field. We also have renown musicians like Drake and Taylor Swift, who have both achieved immense fame and recognition. In the business world, we have the examples of Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, who have both made tremendous strides in their respective industries and enjoyed great success.

All these individuals and many others have made a tremendous impact on the world and are remembered and honored by many people today. However, their fame and accomplishments will ultimately be forgotten one day if they do not strive to live a life of faith and righteousness. Now, this  is not to make any judgment on those individuals or to say that their accomplishments are not commendable and should be forgotten, but rather to point out that without a strong foundation of faith and righteousness, no amount of fame or accomplishment will last forever. We must remember that what really matters is not their legacy on earth, but rather their legacy in eternity. While these modern-day giants may have achieved great things in the eyes of man, ultimately it is God who judges their hearts and reveals the impact of their lives in eternity.

The same is true for all of us. While there are many reasons why it may be justifiable to look up to the giants of our day as an example of achievement and success, we must remember that our ultimate goal should always be to live a life of faith and righteousness. We should strive to be like Seth and his lineage, who are remembered for their faithfulness to God. The Bible says in Genesis 4:25-26, "And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth. After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died." It then says that when Seth was born, "people began to call on the name of the Lord."

Although no one remembers Seth's physical accomplishments in life, his legacy of faithfulness and righteousness is remembered and honored by God through the scriptures. This is a reminder to us that we should strive to be men and women of faith who are remembered, not for making a name for ourselves on earth, but for "calling on the name of the Lord." The story of Seth reminds us that we can live a life of faith, righteousness and service to God that will be remembered for all eternity, even if not many people honor or remember us on earth right now.

We can also look to the example of Noah and his family, who were part of God’s righteous lineage through Seth, to see the importance of living a life of faith and righteousness. Noah and the great "men of the name" were contemporaries but Noah and his family are remembered by us today because of the faith they demonstrated and their obedience to God. Noah’s life, despite being filled with difficulties due to a world of sin, is a reminder to us that our ultimate focus should be on pleasing God and living in righteousness. This is the lesson we ought to take from the mysterious "men of the name" in Genesis 6:4, and use it to help us live more godly lives today. May God bless our efforts as we strive to be remembered for his name's sake. Amen.