Jude: The Dispute (part 2)

Jude 8-11

Our last devotion covered the verses 8-9. People criticize morality and hate those who hold to morality. They defile (pollute) themselves with their sin, reject that anyone or anything has moral authority over them, and they speak viciously about Godly standards of righteousness. Jude then pointed out that, though Michael the archangel had every opportunity to speak against Satan in their fight over the body of Moses, Michael did not. He simply turned the judgment/condemnation over to God. Today, we will continue with this passage.

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Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

Jude 8-11

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In verse 10, Jude goes back to those living apostate lives. He says "that speak evil of what they do not know". I could not tell you the number of times I have had someone tell me that they "hate organized religion" but when I ask them why, they do not have an answer. If they do answer, they provide some vague answer that they have heard from someone else, but they cannot come up with an instance where they have actually had an encounter with a church. They will criticize Jesus, but they do not actually know anything of Him.

Jude compares these people to "brute beasts". The word "brute" is a compound word of "a" and "logos". Logos is "speech or reasoning". The "a" before it puts this in the negative. So, it becomes "not able to speak" or "not able to reason". We would say illiterate or unreasonable. He is saying these people act on their natural impulses and not with reason. Most of us would agree that our world has become increasingly unreasonable over the last 10 years. For those of us who are old enough, we can see a clear change in society.

Jude says that what they do know is from their own nature. Just as a dog acts like a dog because it is what he is, so these people act like sinners because it is what they are. They do not try to clean it up or dress it up. They do not try to live by a social moral code. If it feels good to them then it is good. If you do not like that, tough. Shame of sin is nearly nonexistent.

Jude declares a woe that is upon them. He says that they have gone after 3 acts of rebellion in which God judged those involved. First, Cain rebelled against God and killed his brother. God warned him, but he still followed through with it. Because of that, he was cursed, and his bloodline died in the flood. Second was those who ran greedily into the error of Balaam. Balaam convinced the people to send their pretty girls to Israel so that the young men would desire them and then they could convince them to worship idols. Balaam, the pagans, and those Israelites who gave in were all judged by God. Finally, there was the rebellion of Korah. He led a rebellion against Moses, Aaron, and Meriam. The earth opened up and swallowed him, his family, their tents, and all those who followed him in the rebellion. Jude is saying that the people today who are living in rebellion against God will be judged just like these examples from the Old Testament.

Pride goes before destruction and an haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). As we saw last time, "every knee will bow" at the name of Jesus during the judgment (Romans 14:11). If they do not humble themselves in this life, they will be judged for their sins. Jude is warning the church to expect this, and we see it more clearly now than perhaps any other time in earth's history. May God have mercy on them. May they find that mercy through salvation in His Son.

Father, we thank you that nothing surprises You. You know our hearts and there is nothing hidden from You. I pray that we would see people saved, and that they would turn from the lives described by Jude. May we not become discouraged and give up. Help us to preach the gospel!