Like Irrational Animals

For certain men have secretly slipped in among you—men who long ago were marked out for the condemnation I am about to describe—ungodly men who have turned the grace of our God into a license for evil and who deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

The question on the table is why would Jude concern himself with these people?

For Jude, they present a particular danger to the congregation of believers.

Jude uses a wide swath of Hebrew Bible and extra biblical sources as examples.

There is a single thread that runs through all these examples.

The examples represent deceit and power.

The angels brought secret knowledge and acquire wives

Sodom and Gomorrah (angels) to kickstart mighty men

Certain men: dreams “secret knowledge” to lead astray and gain wealth

This was already a problem in the early church.

Apostles are performing miracles and people were in awe of their “power” of God.

Acts 5:12–13 NET 2nd ed.

Now many miraculous signs and wonders came about among the people through the hands of the apostles. By common consent they were all meeting together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high honor.

You can imagine that others are jealous of this power, and they want it for themselves.

They want to cash in on this deal too!

Simon the Sorcerer

Acts 8:9–11 NET 2nd ed.

Now in that city was a man named Simon, who had been practicing magic and amazing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. All the people, from the least to the greatest, paid close attention to him, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called ‘Great.’ ” And they paid close attention to him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic.

There are people among the apostles who have practiced magic for some time.

But what the apostles are doing is far beyond that.

Healing

Resurrection

etc.

Acts 8:18–19 NET 2nd ed.

Now Simon, when he saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, offered them money, saying, “Give me this power too, so that everyone I place my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”

You see, they desire this power, glory, and authority.

Mind you, Jude is likely among the apostles at this point.

Acts 8:20–21 NET 2nd ed.

But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could acquire God’s gift with money! You have no share or part in this matter because your heart is not right before God!

Peter shuts this down immediately.

Later, Peter will explain (2nd Peter) that certain people like this are to be ignored and to let God judge them.

Returning to Jude, this is what he is addressing as well.

Certain people who are seeking their own power and authority through DECEPTION.

Jude 10 NET 2nd ed.

But these men do not understand the things they slander, and they are being destroyed by the very things that, like irrational animals, they instinctively comprehend.

In other words, they know what they are doing, but like an irrational animal, they don’t care.

What they don’t understand is the judgement that remains for them.

They don’t understand that they bring slander against the agents God has charged to pen and proclaim his WORDS.

So, they know they are wrong, but they don’t know the consequences.

Or worse, they understand the danger, but covent control and money more.

DECEIT is what they use to try and ACQUIRE things

Jude proclaims a WOE...

Jude 11 NET 2nd ed.

Woe to them! For they have traveled down Cain’s path, and because of greed have abandoned themselves to Balaam’s error; hence, they will certainly perish in Korah’s rebellion.

Let’s look at some summaries of these characters and find the thread.

Cain:

Kills his brother

Desires the greater position

Argues with God using deceit

(Am I my brothers keeper)

(Never admits what he did)

Balaam:

Talking donkey (irrational animals)

Divination for a fee

Hired to give Moab a victory

Led Israel astray, many died

Korah:

Gathered 249 famous against Moses

“Why are you over Israel?”

Moses left the judgment to God

Murmured against Aaron

Many died

CAIN-Means acquire or purchase

BALAAM-Divination for a fee

KORAH-Acquire power from the priests

Jude 12–13 NET 2nd ed.

These men are dangerous reefs at your love feasts, feasting without reverence, feeding only themselves. They are waterless clouds, carried along by the winds; autumn trees without fruit—twice dead, uprooted; wild sea waves, spewing out the foam of their shame; wayward stars for whom the utter depths of eternal darkness have been reserved.

Notice that...

Dangerous reefs: Something that will destroy your ship and some may drown

Consuming: They enlarge themselves without any fear of God (reverence)

Selfish: They enrich only themselves, they offer no food or nourishment for others

Waterless clouds:

You see the clouds, you hope for rain, carried along by the winds (spirits)

Fruitless trees, you hope they produce in the spring, but they fail to produce and are uprooted and cast to the fire.

Twice dead:

Fruitless is dead (not functional)

Uprooted is dead again (not functional)

Wild Sea Waves:

Roar on the shore, foam of their shame (Chaos)

Their voice is their shame

Wayward Stars:

Divine beings, not holding to their designated paths (ancient belief)

They will be judged by God and, as a star, will become dark in the darkness

SO WHAT IS THE WARNING?

Do not desire to acquire power and secret knowledge.

Beware of those who do, they are a curse to themselves.

Relation to today:

Misinformation

To identify misinformation, there must be a trusted source of information.

A gold standard, the master database, the single source.

Today, there is not a consensus on the gold standard.

This leaves RATIONAL PEOPLE wondering, who and what can I trust?

This is the IRRATIONAL ANIMAL syndrome.

It fears for its life with unknown facts

It lives by its own beliefs about reality

It seeks to FIGHT or FLIGHT

It seeks to destroy any PERCEIVED THREAT

Jude is looking out at people and INSTRUCTS them to be AWARE

DON’T FOLLOW THESE PEOPLE

Because destruction will await you when you arrive with them

JUDES SOLUTION:

Remain faithful

Know your SCRIPTURE

RECALL the PREDICTIONS of those that preceded us

For the CHRISTIAN, the scriptures are our standard single source for how to follow