Remember Them

Jude seems to be one of the least studied or preached books of the bible. Right up there with 2 and 3 John, and the Minor Prophets.

Why is that? I’m not quite sure, but it may have something to do with the fact that it talks about things that are difficult to get. For example, Jude references the Book of Enoch and the Assumption of Moses — both of which are books that were not inspired by the Holy Spirit but were known through tradition to the audience. Because these books are referenced, but not inspired, many people may have difficulty reconciling that. But, we don’t seem to have the same problem in Acts 17:28 when Paul quotes a Greek pagan poem.

Jude has so much to offer us, though! Sure, certain parts require a bit of wrestling with in order to understand the point, but that is nothing to run away from! If we only read the Books which we are comfortable with, or that are easy, we will be missing a wealth of glorious truth to be discovered through God’s word. So we are going to look at the Book of Jude, verses 5-7, these next few weeks.

Background

Jude 1 (CSB)

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James:

To those who are the called, loved by God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.

Matthew 13:55 (CSB)

Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?

The author of this short Epistle is most likely the brother of James who was an Elder and leader in the Church at Jerusalem, as seen in Acts chapter 15, giving reason for the name drop, and also the half-brother of the Lord Jesus. Himself. We don’t know very much more about the historical context of the letter,nor to whom it was written. There is reason to believe it could have been sent to believers in Palestine, but it simply can’t be known for certain.

Jude gives the purpose statement for his writing the Epistle in Jd. 3-4 — There were unbelievers and false teachers who had stolen in among them, who were teaching heresies, and Jude wanted to remind them to stand on the truth which they had been taught and fight for the faith. It is in this context where we find ourselves this morning. Jude not only warns about the presence of these unbelievers, but he also reminds the Christians, though they already knew, what would come of such men who did not repent.

Repetition

Jude 5 “Now I want to remind you, although you came to know all these things once and for all, that Jesus saved a people out of Egypt and later destroyed those who did not believe;”

How often do we need reminders? How often have you told your children the same things a dozen times? How about your spouse? Or yourself?

You learn by repetition, repetition, repetition. That’s the way to learn the Bible.

John F. MacArthur

We have all heard certain topics preached/taught over, and over, and over again. We even have designated that certain topics are to be taught during certain parts of the year as accords with the current holiday. Those months roll around, those topics come up in Bible study, and we have heard them innumerable times! However, regardless of how many times we have heard the same portion of Scripture read or preached, and regardless of how many times we have read the same passages, each time it is to be recieved as exactly what it is — the Holy word of the Living God!

Why Repetition Matters

Repetition matters because it keeps truth alive throughout time.

Deuteronomy 11:18–21 ““Imprint these words of mine on your hearts and minds, bind them as a sign on your hands, and let them be a symbol on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates, so that as long as the heavens are above the earth, your days and those of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors.”

Joshua 4:4–7 “So Joshua summoned the twelve men he had selected from the Israelites, one man for each tribe, and said to them, “Go across to the ark of the Lord your God in the middle of the Jordan. Each of you lift a stone onto his shoulder, one for each of the Israelite tribes, so that this will be a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ you should tell them, ‘The water of the Jordan was cut off in front of the ark of the Lord’s covenant. When it crossed the Jordan, the Jordan’s water was cut off.’ Therefore these stones will always be a memorial for the Israelites.””