9 Yet Michael the archangel, when
contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring
against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. 10 But
these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know
naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe
unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the
error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. (Jude
1:8-11)
In
the Book of Jude there is a warning to two widely diverse groups of people –
those who profess Christ only with their lips, and those who know Him truly by
faith in their hearts. The former are warned for the sake of awakening them
from apostasy; the latter are presented with the consequences of insidious
compromise and error. Being always watchful is the first duty of a soldier in
the profession of arms – and the necessity of the spiritual watch is even more
keenly essential in things spiritual than in matters of combat at arms. The
true people of faith can draw strength from Jude because “to be forewarned is
to be fore-armed.” The merely professing Christian and false preachers can take
the warning of Jude as a dreadful alarm that must be responded to by repentance
or tragic peril of soul. Those of faith can take note of that which is to be
avoided and watched out for.
Verses 9-11 begin a reminder of the dangers of arrogant mal-appropriation of
authority even in fighting evil. Once more, Jude brings to our remembrance
those things that have been, but also that shall come to be. 9 “Yet
Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the
body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The
Lord rebuke thee.” Here we are introduced to a most important and
mysterious Personage by the name of Michael, the Archangel. He is considered by
many to be the Guardian Angel of the People of God – both ancient and
contemporary Israel (that includes believing Christians and the New Testament
Church). Though Michael is of a majestic and august disposition, he restrains
himself from accusing a former rebellious Prince of Angels, Satan, and remands
his judgment and condemnation to its rightful Authority – GOD. Neither the
church, nor any of its ministers or laity have authority to condemn. Though the
Christian, and the Church, can exercise judgment based on God’s Word and
Authority, condemnation is reserved solely to the Lord. We read of Michael in
both Daniel and the Book of Revelation.
Another angel, in his visitation of Daniel, said to him: “Fear not, Daniel:
for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to
chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy
words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty
days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I
remained there with the kings of Persia.” (Dan 10:12-13) The Archangel
Michael is prophesied by Daniel to have a leading role in future trials and
tribulations of the People of God, and their final delivery: “And at that
time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children
of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since
there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be
delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” (Dan 12:1)
The role of Michael is enlarged upon in
Revelation for vanquishing Satan and his rebellious angels from Heaven. He
seems to exercise the role Captain of the Host of Heaven, at least on this
particular occasion. “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels
fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed
not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was
cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the
whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with
him.” (Rev 12:7-9)
If
so exalted a Personage as the Archangel Michael avoided railing accusations
against the Devil, I suppose the lesson to us would be a like mind in avoiding
a constant and petty murmuring against the constituted authority of the Church.
The sword cuts both ways in that a church leader should never resort to forceful
leadership, but leading out of love – not imposing changes to worship formats
to which the people have become accustomed in the nonessentials. Another point
of Jude is to inform us that heavenly powers are constantly observing both our
thoughts and actions.
In
the same paragraph, Jude turns from Satan and his fallen angels (demons) to
address false preachers in the same vain: 10 “But these speak evil
of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute
beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.” The false prophets
preach from their own selfish interest and nothing of interest in Christ. They
have fallen to the depths of even questioning the commonly received text of the
Bible and the Person of Christ as only Begotten Son of God. With nasalized
Oxford accents (no offense to that prestigious institution), they question
every word, line, and paragraph of Scripture and account themselves worthy to
question God. They call not upon the deep and hidden chambers of a heart filled
with the wisdom and knowledge of God, but upon their own animal instincts of
self-assertion. Manton describes them this way: "Man is in part an angel,
in part a beast; in his reason and upper part of the soul he resembleth an
angel, and in his appetite and senses a beast."
Manton, Thomas: The Complete Works of Thomas Manton 5: P265.
Too many ‘professed’ clergy preach for filthy lucre, prestige, or pride and not
in a humble desire to reach souls for the Lord Jesus Christ.
11 “Woe
unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the
error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.”
Jude’s narrative continues along the same lines of rebelliousness described in
the above verses. Cain was the prototype of the desperate sinner. He attempted
to appear to serve God, but he did so in his own way and not that which was
commanded. His disobedience led to murder of Abel – the first prophet. We may
read in Numbers 16 of Korah’s rebellion (along with 250 followers) against God’s
chosen leader, Moses. “And it came to pass, as he had made an end of
speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: And
the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all
the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.” (Num 16:31-32)
Such a fate awaits all who love not God. They are all, as was the rich man in
the story of Lazarus, destined to be buried in the earth and from thence posted
to the fires of Hell. “O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee
shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth,
because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters .” (Jer
17:13) So, quite fitting that Jude uses this account of Korah to describe the
fate of false preachers and professors.
The beauty of the metaphorical references of verses 12-13 require such scrutiny
and spiritual discernment as to dictate their relegation to another devotion
following today’s.
