Question:
Why did God create the devil, and who are the sons of God?
Answer:
Why did God create the devil?
Ezekiel 28:11-17 begins talking about a king, and goes beyond the king to the evil one behind him, Satan. “Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.” God created this one (an angelic being, the anointed cherub) perfect, but he then fell into sin.
Isaiah 14:12-15 also describes the background of Satan. “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” God created him perfect, but pride overcame him, and he fell into sin.
Who are the “sons of God?”
The “sons of God” in Job 1:6,7 refer to ANGELS. “Now there was a day when the SONS OF GOD came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” Angels have access to both heaven and earth, and report back to God on a regular basis.
The “sons of God” in I John 3:1,2 refer to CHRISTIANS. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the SONS OF GOD: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the SONS OF GOD, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”
The “sons of God” in Genesis 6:1-6 have met with various interpretations, “And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the SONS OF GOD saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.”
Some interpret the “sons of God” as the godly line of man, and others say that they are angels. I would reject the angel interpretation as a crossover of “kinds” which God does not allow. Genesis 1:21 says, “And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, AFTER THEIR KIND, and every winged fowl AFTER HIS KIND: and God saw that it was good.”
God does not allow for a mixing between kinds. A fish cannot mix with a fowl, and bring forth a baby. Genesis 1:24,25 says, “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature AFTER HIS KIND, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth AFTER HIS KIND: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth AFTER HIS KIND, and cattle AFTER HIS KIND, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth AFTER HIS KIND: and God saw that it was good.” God allows variation within “kinds” (all sorts and sizes of dogs can inter-breed, but a dog and a cat cannot — that is beyond the “kind” limitations that God has ordained in creation).
God allows angels to appear in the form of man at times, but makes it very clear that they are indeed a “different kind” (than man). Hebrews 1:7 says, “And of the angels he saith, WHO MAKETH HIS ANGELS SPIRITS, and his ministers a flame of fire.” Hebrews 1:13,14 says, “But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool? ARE THEY NOT ALL MINSTERING SPIRITS, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” Consider what the Bible says about Jesus Himself, taking upon Himself a different nature than angels. Hebrews 2:9 says, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little LOWER THAN THE ANGELS FOR THE SUFFERING OF DEATH, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” Hebrews 2:14-16 says, “Forasmuch then as THE CHILDREN ARE PARTAKERS OF FLESH AND BLOOD, HE ALSO HIMSELF LIKEWISE TOOK PART OF THE SAME; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily HE TOOK NOT ON HIM THE NATURE OF ANGELS; but HE TOOK ON HIM THE SEED OF ABRAHAM.” When Jesus took upon Himself a body of flesh, it was different in kind and nature from that of angels.
God does not allow the mixing of different “kinds.” That would cause total confusion and He has not allowed that as a possibility in His creation. That is why it is an abomination to Him when such attempts (although unsuccessful) are made. Leviticus 18:22-25 says, “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion. Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.”
This means that the “sons of God” in Genesis 6 would have to be the godly line of man that was being corrupted through the taking of multiple wives, and having children by all of those wives.