Divine Requirement

Maybe you have heard the words “History repeats itself.”

Maybe you have even heard the words we should “learn from History that it will not repeat itself.”

In our passage today we encounter three stories from Jewish History.

Each story is a significant reminder of the divine requirement of our God.

The “Divine Requirement” is clearly seen as an display of the errors of the false teachers mentioned in the pericope we walked through last Sunday.

Jude 5–7 ESV

5 Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— 7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

Jude is not quoting something new, but something that his reader would have known.

It is a reminder, but it is a clear picture that it is not something to be forgotten.

He gives three illustrations to prove the point and draw to the significance of the Lord’s concern/importance placed upon these who would lead astray.

Maybe here Jude is about to quoted Peter:

2 Peter 1:12–16 ESV

12 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. 13 I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. 16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

Unbelief Destroys!

“Jude begins with Israel because they were God’s chosen people and because unbelief is at the heart of all sin.” Jim Shaddix

If you were a good Hebrew...you would have remembered the Exodus. You would have remembered that God heard the cry of His people and delivered them from their captors.

You would have remembered that God destroyed Pharoah and his armies as they trailed behind.

You would remember that He provided manna, quail, and water.

You would remember that they came to the promise land, but there were ten out of twelve people afraid as they checked out the promised land.

You would have remembered that God did not let those men or those who sided with them cross the river Jordan.

You would note that this 40 years of wandering in the wilderness was the direct recompense of their failure to believe God.

You would recognize that only 2 of the twelve spies were allowed to cross.

You would recognize that God is concerned with His people holding fast to Him.

Jude says, Jesus who saved also condemned.

Jude says, Remember.

Jude says, Believe & Keep Believing.

Notice how often people can tell you, “I was baptized on this day”; or “I was a member of the church since ___”; but few will tell you I was lost, God grabbed me, He set me right.

Folks will often tell you what they have once experienced, but a scarce few will say...but today this is what the Lord is doing in my life.

2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV

5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!

Rebellion Confines!

Jude 6 ESV

6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—

Also the parallel passage:

2 Peter 2:4 ESV

4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;

What’s the context?

Who is Jude referring to or what group of angels?

The most common thought of Jewish tradition is:

We could really say the whole of Gen. 6, but we only have time to read a few verses...so let’s look at 1-4.

Genesis 6:1–4 ESV

1 When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” 4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.

1 Enoch

Josephus

Jub. 4:15

all agree...as this is the most common thought in early Jewish history that these angels left their position, proper dwelling and did this grievous thing.

What did they do, they took the form of men and fornicated with the daughters of men and created these giant type beings knows as the Nephilim.

The destruction that came on the whole earth was because every inclination of man’s heart had become rebellion.

We are led to grasp that God really calls us to trust in what He leads and requires.

Submit to His Sovereignty.

Perversion Brings Judgement!

Jude 7 ESV

7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.

We must note the sinfulness of those within the confines of Sodom and Gomorrah: pride, over indulgence, fornication, homosexuality, failure to assist the sojourner, and not bearing the burdens of others.

Ezekiel 16:49–50 ESV

49 Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. 50 They were haughty and did an abomination before me. So I removed them, when I saw it.

Genesis 19:5 ESV

5 And they called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them.”

Walking Away, But In...

Believe

Cleave

To Leave