JUDE: PART 3.…
BEGINS AT VERSE 10.…
Verse 10 gives us MORE OF THE BAD CHARACTER OF CERTAIN MEN..
“But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.”
In contrast to Michael, who would not even speak evil of the devil, these certain men spoke evil, especially when they rejected authority and spoke against dignitaries.
The certain men DID NOT EVEN KNOW the things or the people they spoke evil about. Their evil speech was made worse by their ignorance. THIS REMINDS US OF THE BLACKNESS AND DANGER OF EGO…SELF…ME…I…WHEN WE BEGIN TO REPLACE JESUS CHRIST SAYS…IT IS WRITTEN….THE BIBLE TELLS US….WITH I SAY….I BELIEVE…I TEACH…I KNOW…we are in SERIOUS SPIRITUAL TROUBLE.
Since they also spoke against dignitaries and rejected authority, these certain men did not know about true spiritual leadership and authority - so they found it easy to speak evil against it.
Whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves…JUDE IS TELLING US THAT THESE MEN PRETEND TO BE GODLY, SPIRITUAL, HEAVEN INSPIRED… but their only REAL knowledge was really natural. Even what they knew naturally, they still used to corrupt themselves with an unspiritual mind. THEY WILLINGLY AND READILY DECEIVED THEMSELVES FIRST…THEN IT IS EASY TO DECEIVE OTHERS.
Brute beasts can be smart or clever in an instinctive way, but they obviously do not have spiritual knowledge. It was the same way with these certain men.
Three BIBLICAL examples of THESE certain men.
Verse 11 tells us FIRST the certain men have gone in the way of Cain.
“Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain,”
The way of Cain: Cain’s story is found in Genesis 4. Each of the sons of Adam and Eve brought an offering to the Lord. Cain (being a farmer) brought an offering from his harvest. Abel (being a shepherd) brought an offering from his flocks. God accepted Abel’s offering, but He rejected Cain’s sacrifice.
Many people WRONGLY ASSUME AND TEACH that because Abel brought a BLOOD sacrifice and Cain brought a GRAIN sacrifice, that the difference between the two offerings was sacrificial blood. But the real difference was between FAITH AND UNBELIEF.
Hebrews 11:4 makes this plain…“By FAITH Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.”
Cain’s sacrifice was probably more pleasing to the senses than the carcass of a dead lamb, but Cain‘s sacrifice was offered without faith, it was DUTY & RITUAL…NOT LOVE, FAITH, AND TRUST…THE GOD WHO SEES read CAIN’S HEART…NOT HIS GIFTS…and therefore it was unacceptable to God.
THIS REMINDS US WE CAN GIVE to God whatever you have or whatever you are, but you must offer it in faith, love, & with a willing joyous heart…NOT OUT OF RITUALISTIC DUTY.
The way of Cain: Genesis 4:5 says that after God rejected his sacrifice, Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. He became angry because he knew he was rejected by God. In a fit of anger Cain murdered Abel, and then he lied about it to God.
1 John 3:12 tells us that Cain murdered his brother because Abel’s works were righteous (by faith), while Cain’s own were wicked. Cain’s lack was not in works, but in faith.
Jude says that Cain typifies a way that the certain men follow in. It is the way of unbelief and empty religion, of pomp, circumstance, ritual…but without a faith filled heart and the “my gift is BIGGER AND BETTER than your gift”….leads ONLY to jealousy, persecution of the truly godly, and eventually to murderous anger.
2 Timothy 3:5 confirms this…“There is no greater curse on the earth than empty, vain religion; those who have a form of godliness but denying its power.” No wonder Paul added, and from such people turn away!
Many Christians are afraid of secular humanism or atheism or the world, but JUDE IS TELLING US that DEAD RELIGION is far more dangerous, and sends more people to hell than anything else. These certain men were in the way of Cain, the way of dead religion.
Verse 11b tells us these certain men are in the error of Balaam.
“Have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit,”
WHAT DOES JUDE MEAN BY THE ERROR OF BALAAM?
Balaam’s story is in Numbers 22 to 25 and 31. During the time of the Exodus, Israel advanced to the land of Moab, after defeating the Amorites. When the Israelites came near, King Balak of Moab sought the help of a Hebrew prophet named Balaam.
Numbers 22:12 tells us in short…The first delegation from King Balak arrived and God told Balaam to have nothing to do with them. God’s initial words to Balaam were, “You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed”.
BUT…After the first visit another, more PRESTIGIOUS delegation came with GREATER riches. Balaam wanted to go with them and God allowed him to go. Balaam LUSTED AFTER THE RICHES & PRESTIGE OFFERED TO HIM OVER GOD…and God gave him over to his own sin.
God warned Balaam to turn back when he was on the way to see Balak. Yet his heart was set on the rich reward King Balak promised and he continued on. Balaam even ignored a talking donkey, sent to warn him to turn back.
Balaam knew that he has done wrong. In Numbers 22:34, he said to God “I have sinned . . . Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back.” EMPTY WORDS…BECAUSE BALAAM DID NOTTTT TURN back. He continued on, refusing to see that when God says no, we must take it as a no. Instead, God gave Balaam what his sinful heart desired.
After meeting with King Balak of Moab, Balaam prophesied over Israel four times. But as he spoke forth God’s word, he did not curse Israel – HE COULD NOT…INSTEAD he blessed them each time. When he was unsuccessful in cursing Israel, Balaam advised Balak on how to bring Israel under a curse. Instead of trying to have a prophet curse them, he should lead them into fornication and idolatry and then God would curse a disobedient Israel.
Balak did just that, sending his young women into the camp of Israel to lead Israel into sexual immorality and idolatry. Because of their sin, God did curse Israel - He brought a plague of judgment upon Israel that killed 24,000. Therefore Balaam was guilty of the greatest of sins: deliberately leading others into sin. Worse yet, he did it for money.
Greedily in the error of Balaam for profit…The greedy error of Balaam was that he was WILLING TO COMPROMISE EVERYTHING FOR MONEY, ICONIC FAME, & SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CLOUT. The certain men Jude warned about HAD/HAVE the same heart.
Many Christians would never deny Jesus under persecution, but might deny Him if offered a large sum of money. There is not a single sin that corrupt man will not commit for the sake of money. Covetousness is such a dangerous sin that it killed Jesus - 30 pieces of silver helped put Jesus on the cross.
Have run greedily is a strong picture of excessive indulgence. But Paul also uses the same term for the extravagant way God loves us: the love of God has been poured out in our hearts in Romans 5:5.
Verse 11c tells us of the THIRD KIND OF SIGNS OF A DANGEROUS CERTAIN MEN…in the rebellion of Korah.
“And perished in the rebellion of Korah.”
WHO IS KORAH?
Korah’s story is found in Numbers 16. He was a prominent man in Israel, and one day came to Moses, saying, “You take too much upon yourself, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourself about the congregation of the Lord?”
Korah and his followers RESENTED THE AUTHORITY & LEADERSHIP FAVOR God GAVE Moses.
When Korah said this, Moses fell on his face, knowing God’s judgment would soon come. Moses then proposed a test: each group took censers (for burning incense) and came before the Lord. The Lord Himself would choose which man He wanted to represent Him: Moses or Korah.
SO WHAT HAPPENED?
When they, KORAH AND HIS 24,OOO FOLLOWERS and MOSES came before God, the Lord told Moses to step away.
WHY?
The INSTANT MOSES STEPPED BACK AND AWAY FROM KORAH AND HIS 24, OOO FOLLOWERS, the ground opened up and swallowed Korah and his followers. AND WORSE, BEFORE THE EYES OF ALL THOSE WATCHING THIS, THEN FIRE came down from heaven and burned up all of his supporters. They all perished.
Korah was a Levite, but not of the priestly family of Aaron. As a Levite, he had had his own God-appointed sphere of ministry, yet he was NOT CONTENT with WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN HIM…He wanted the ministry AND the authority of Moses TOO.
THIS TEACHES US ALL…we should work hard to fulfill everything God has called us to be. At the same time, we should NEVER try to be what God has NOT called us to be.
This was also a rejection of God’s appointed leaders, especially God’s appointed Mediator. When the certain men rejected authority and spoke evil against dignitaries, they walked in the rebellion of Korah.
These THREE MEN came from VERY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS…Cain was a farmer, Balaam was a prophet, and Korah was a leader in Israel. THIS SHOWS US AND TELLS US THAT APOSTASY IS AN EQUAL-OPPORTUNITY DESTROYER. IT IS NO RESPECTER OF PERSONS. AND THAT Apostasy is never confined to one group of people.
JUDE IS TELLING US TO BEWARE…there ARE apostates in the pulpit, in the palace, and in the poorhouse.
What the future holds for these certain men.
Verses 12-13 gives us a VIVID description of the depravity of these certain men.
“These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.”
Spots in your love feasts…WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
The early Christians often met for a common meal, something like a potluck dinner. They called these meals love feats, or “Agape Feasts.” When these CERTAIN MEN came, they were serving ONLY themselves. They ate greedily at the love feasts while others went hungry.
At the Agape Feast, everybody brought what they could - some a little, some a lot; but they ALL SHARED IT together. For some slaves who were Christians it might have been the ONLY DECENT MEAL they regularly ate. The GREED, GUTTONY, AND SELFISHNESS of these certain men spoiled the fellowship.
1 Corinthians 11:17-34 describes a similar problem in the Corinthian church, which PAUL SPEAKS TO SAYS…
Sadly, the Corinthian Christians were ALSO acting selfishly at their common meals. EACH one takes his own supper ahead of the others, and one is hungry and another is drunk. Their selfish conduct at the common meal was DISGRACING their observance of the Lord’s Supper.
In the modern church, the Lord’s Supper is commonly celebrated in an atmosphere of dignity. But the Corinthian Christians were coming from a culture where the pagans would commonly have wild, riotous banquets given in honor of a pagan god. This is how it might not seem so strange to the Corinthian Christians to even get drunk and a church common meal.
Why would some be hungry at the church common meals?
Because among the Corinthian Christians, some were more wealthy than others, and the poorer ones were being neglected (Or do you . . . shame those who have nothing?).
In that day, at common meals, it was expected that the “upper class” would receive better and more food than the “lower class.” This cultural custom was being carried over into the church, and the Christians weren’t really sharing with one another. At the agape feast, the rich brought more food and the poor brought less food; but in Corinth they were not sharing the food fairly.
Ancient culture, much more than modern American culture, was extremely CLASS CONSCIOUS. It was respect of these class divisions which so grieved Paul.
Paul’s message is both strong and plain. “If you want to eat or drink selfishly, do it at home!” Paul makes it clear: I do not praise you is repeated THREE TIMES in this brief section. PAUL WAS NOT happy with the Corinthian Christians at this point!
SO….JUDE IS TELLING US THAT IT ALWAYS RUINS FELLOWSHIP WHEN WE COME TO CHURCH WITH A SELFISH…“I BETTER BE BLESSED BY TAKING THE TIME TO COME HERE TODAY….NO ONE BETTER BE IN MY SEAT, THIS SERMON BETTER SPEAK TO ME…INSTEAD OF WHO AND HOW CAN I BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS HERE TODAY.
JUDE IS SAYING…MANY who would never eat selfishly at a church meal still come to church concerned with serving only themselves.
Serving only themselves: Literally in the ancient Greek this is “shepherding themselves”. In other words, EGO AND ARROGANCE MADE THEM SHEPHERDS BUT ONLY INTERESTED IN SHEPHERDING THEMSELVES.
“Clouds without water, carried by the winds…”
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
THINK ABOUT IT…Clouds without water are good for nothing. They bring no life-giving rain and they only block out the sun. They exist just for themselves. The certain men were like these clouds…EMPTY CLOUDS – good for nothing, carried by the winds, floating on the breeze from one fad to another.
“Late autumn trees without fruit…”
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
THINK ABOUT IT…By late autumn, trees SHOULD HAVE fruit. But these certain men DID NOT BEAR FRUIT even when they should. They were like trees that ONLY TAKE INSTEAD OF GIVE.
“Raging waves of the sea…”
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
For modern man, the sea is often a thing of POWER, WONDER, AND BEAUTY. But to ancient man, especially in Biblical cultures, the sea was an UNMANAGEABLE TERROR & DEMONIC.
Isaiah 57:20 expresses this idea: “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.”
These certain men were/are BUSY & ACTIVE like the raging waves of the sea, but all it brought was foaming up their own shame.
Busyness is no mark of correctness. The fruit of these men was like the foam or scum at the seashore. Jude has in mind the ugly shoreline after a storm has washed up all sorts of driftwood, seaweed, dead sea creatures, scum from the ocean floor, and debris.
“Wandering stars…”
WHAT DOES JUDE MEAN?
WANDERING STARS ARE LIKE COMETS…streaking through the sky, these certain men did/do astonish the world FOR A TIME, and then VANISH INTO THE DARKNESS. An unpredictable star was NO GOOD for guidance and navigation. Even so these deceivers were/are USELESS AND UNTRUSTWORTHY.
“Blackness of darkness forever…”
NOT HARD TO FIGURE THIS OUT…RIGHT?
THIS DESCRIBES THEIR DESTINY…THEIR ETERNAL DESTINY… Unless they repent, change their ways, they WILL end up in hell, & from there…THE LAKE OF FIRE - and be there FOREVER.
JUDE IS RECONFIRMING THAT THE PUNISHMENT OF THE WAITING PRISON OF HELL BEFORE SENTENCING TO THE LAKE OF FIRE IS FOREVERRRRRRRRRR, because mere man is paying for his own sins, offering an imperfect sacrifice which must be repeated over and over again for eternity. A perfect man can offer a single sacrifice; but an imperfect man must continually offer a sacrifice.
WHAT JUDE IS SAYING IS OUR obligations to God are INFINITE and can therefore ONLY BE SATISFIED in Jesus, an infinite person. WE CAN NEVER EARN HEAVEN…WE CAN NOT LIVE PURE ENOUGH, GIVE ENOUGH, BE MORAL AND UPRIGHT ENOUGH IN AND OF OURSELVES. WE NEED INFINITE PERFECTION. WE NEEDDDDDDD JESUS, AMEN?
Verses 14-15 tells us the CERTAINTY of judgment upon these certain men.
“Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”
Now Enoch: Here Jude quoted from Enoch, who is described in Genesis 5 and mentioned in Hebrews 11. The ancient book of Enoch was NOT received as ALMIGHTY GOD ORDAINED Scripture, but PARTS OF IT was highly respected among both the Jews and early Christians.
Jude did NOT quote from Enoch to tell us anything NEW, but to give a vivid description of what the Bible already teaches. The Apostle Paul also quoted non-Biblical sources on at least three different occasions (Acts 17:28, 1 Corinthians 15:33 and Titus 1:12). This WAS NOT to proclaim a new truth, but TO SUPPORT an already established Biblical principle from secular history/man.
AND MAKE NO MISTAKE…Jude’s quoting of the book of Enoch doesn’t mean that the whole book of Enoch is GOD inspired Scripture - ONLY the portion Jude quotes. In the same way, when Paul quoted a pagan poet, he didn’t mean that the entire work of the poet was inspired by God. ONLY THOSE THINGS WHICH YEA AND AMEN THE HOLY BIBLE.
To convict all who are ungodly: In this quotation from the book of Enoch Jude emphasized the words ALL and UNGODLY. God is coming to judge all of the ungodly.
To execute judgment on all: Many people take the judgment of God lightly. But the most important question in the world is “Will God judge me? Am I accountable to Him?” If we are truly accountable to God, then those who REJECT JESUS CHRIST, REFUSE TO SHINE AND SHOW OUR JESUS…better prepare to face that judgment.
Think of someone arrested for a crime, with a date to appear in court - but made absolutely no preparation for their appearance before the judge. That person would be a fool. We shouldn’t be so foolish, and instead take advantage of our court-appointed advocate – Jesus Christ (1 John 2:1).
Verses 16-18 tells us THE METHODS of the certain men.
“These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.”
GRUMBLERS AND COMPLAINERS . . . they mouth great swelling words, flattering people: Jude noticed that their methods ALL revolved around WORDS. On top of their questionable lives, they were/are essentially a people of deception, departing from the foundation of Jesus Christ, and the apostles and prophets.
These are grumblers, complainers…These people were complainers. It has rightly been observed that whenever a man gets out of touch with God he is likely to begin complaining about something.
FLATTERING PEOPLE…These certain men knew how to use smooth, flattering words to get an advantage over other people. They would say anything - good or bad - to get an advantage.
“But you, beloved, remember…”
JUDE REMINDS JESUS BELOVEDS…WE ARE TO BE DIFFERENT. We are to remember what Jesus and the apostles said, which were spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. The word of God IS ALWAYS THE ANSWER to dangers in or out of the church.
The apostles WARNED US AS WELL….that just these things would happen; and even more so as the day approaches.
2 Timothy 4:3-4 SAYS…“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”
There would be MOCKERS IN THE LAST TIME… Perhaps Jude had in mind those who mock the idea of Jesus’ return. Or he may mean the kind of men who mock those who don’t go along the same path of destruction they travel on.
MOCKERS . . . who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts: Those who live according to their own ungodly lusts love to mock those who WANT AND STRIVE to please JESUS CHRIST. Jude wants Christians to EXPECT this kind of mocking, so they won’t be HURT OR SURPRISED by it.