Jude 5-7 (2)

Introduction

Jude 4 "For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation…"

God has always punished rebels. Those who deny, or reject, the lordship of God, whether in Christ or man, in effect are rebels and they will, one day, be judged.

We have 3 examples in this section of God's judgment on apostates. These examples characterize the men who have invaded the church in Galatia. This is not to say that these false teachers behave as these examples, i.e. homosexuality. It is to say, however, that they certainly have that potential and then some. Remember, this is not so much outward behavior, but ravenous wolf that exists under the sheep-like garments they are wearing.

We have:

v.5 = the rebellious Israelites who rebelled after being delivered from Egypt.v.6 = the rebellious angels who rebelled against the proper order of their creation v.7 = the rebellious Sodom and Gomorrah went after strange flesh and their destruction was a demonstration of God's wrath on sin.

What is the correlation? Each of these in these narratives were destroyed by Christ.

Israelites complained and wanted to leave for Egypt. The angels, left the propriety of their angelic habitation given them by God, and invaded our world.The men of Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, left the proper relationship between a man and a woman and committed immoral acts with one another.

BodyRebellious Israelites: v.5b"Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all..." "I desire to remind you…"Peter said the same thing: 2 Peter 1:12-15; 3:1This is a desire to have this teaching come to mind. This presupposes a normal understanding of the text of the OT."you know all things…" A statement that reaffirms their learning about these things.Also indicates that even though they know all these things, it is important to be reminded of them. The Lord delivered Israel:Jude 5 (NASB95)

5 ...that the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt,

Exodus 12:40–41 (NASB95)

40 Now the time that the sons of Israel lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.

41 And at the end of four hundred and thirty years, to the very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.

As promised: Genesis 15:12-16.This deliverance was a judgment upon the other nations who:Enslaved Israel.Inhabited the land prior to their arrival-Lev.18:24-28.This deliverance was powerful and tremendous. Israel celebrated and cheered.However, it did not take long before they complained. It would seem that God was well-pleased with them.The Lord killed the unbelievers:"...subsequently destroyed those who did not believe." Numbers 14Vv. 1-4 Israel heard the report from the spies who went into the land and most of them said that it can't be done. Vv.8-10 the people are rebuked by Caleb and Joshua, will only the exhortation to believe the Lord's promise that they will enter that land. Vv. 20-22 those who had complained and wished to take over the entire nation were told that they will not see the land.Vv. 30-35 God's judgment upon them is that they will die, be destroyed, in that land and will not see the promised land. The significance of this event is difficult to grasp. In the nation of Israel, there were those who truly believed and those who did not. Those who did believed God and obeyed Him. Those who did not believe were known by their grumbling and complaining and ultimate rebellion. Cf. v. 16a They are grumblers. This is why it is crucial to not complain. That is because it is the work of apostates. It is satanic to complain. The godly route is to correct, not complain.Rebellious angels: v.6Jude 6 (NASB95)

6 And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,

To what does this actually refer?Possibilities:Original creation: Those who fell with Satan.The third of the stars of heaven of Revelation Genesis 6:1-4.Those who cohabitated with women.YES: the language indicates a particular judgment from a particular event. Jude does use biblical references.This is in line with much pseudepigraphical writings in that it is the reference with the judgment on Sodom and Israel.

The most probable reference is that of the fallen angels who left their place in the heavenlies (i.e. their place of responsibility) and entered into men, and cohabitated with women. These women apparently were Nephilim and the children produced were Nephilim (i.e. "to fall" large men; strong, big, fierce). Esp. Job 1:6; 2:1, where the adversary himself (“Satan”) is a member (cf. 1 Kgs 22:19–22). Job 38:7b has the same phrase, but it may mean heavenly stars on the basis of its parallel (v. 7a). Also relevant is Dan 3:25, where the equivalent Aramaic בַּר אֱלָהִין indicates “angels” (v. 28). Pss 29:1; 89:6 [7] read similarly but not exactly בְּנֵי אֵלִים in their contexts; the phrase is unclear since it may refer to angels, stars, or false deities. Deut 32:8 has בְּנֵי אֵל (“the sons of God”) in a Qumran text (4QDeutq), whereas the MT reads יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּנֵי (“the sons of Israel”). The LXX tradition (ἀγγέλων θεοῦ) appears to agree with the Qumran variant and interprets the phrase as “angels.” Also similar is בְּנֵי עֶלְיוֹן (“the sons of Elyon”) in Ps 82:6b, but here it certainly occurs as a title for human judges.K. A. Mathews, vol. 1A, Genesis 1-11:26, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1996).However, here are the problems:"Sons of God" = angels, not demons. "Sons of God" not used in Genesis/Pentateuch for angels.Angels: no where in Scripture are they said to have involved themselves in immorality."Sons of God" has more precedence in the context as those of the Seed line, i.e. Seth -> Lamech -> Noah etc..Adam is also called a "son of God" Luke 3:38.Israel is also called "sons of God":Exodus 4:22Dt. 14:1Dt. 32:5Psalm 72:15Isaiah 1:2; Jer. 3:14, 19, 22; 31:20Hosea 1:10; 11:1Et al.So what does this mean for Jude?It is clear that Jude is an inspired book of the NT. It is clear that Jude spoke of angels that despised their place of responsibility and left it for personal gain. It is clear that the emphasis is upon the judgment of God upon rebellious angels. Thus, we must take away from here the point that Jude is trying to make: God judges apostates.However, if I were to choose on the basis of textual (inner) evidence, I would have to choose the reasoning that says that these angels and their sin were angels who fell at the beginning of creation from their place of responsibility in heaven and thus were cast down to earth, a kind of bond of darkness reserved for the great day of judgment. Makes better sense of the theme of OT, Genesis, and the role of angels.

XNSTN: Jude has outlined for us:

-the rebellious Israelites who wanted to leave their place as God's people and submit to Egypt again.

-the rebellious angels who wanted to leave behind their place of responsibility and position.

Now, we learn how God feels about homosexuality.

Rebellious Men: v.7It was said that Sodom was:

11 So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other.

12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom.

13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord.

Genesis 13:11–13 (NASB95)

In Genesis 19, we read of the narrative of the destruction of Sodom, Gomorrah, and the cities of the valley. What was the reason for the destruciton of the cities?Gen. 18:20 and 19:14 =

Genesis 18:20 (NASB95)

20 And the Lord said, “The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave.

The narrative shows that once Lot and his family were removed, there were no righteous men left. Thus their destruction is necessary. Their destruction was complete and permanent.

Genesis 19:24–25 (NASB95)

24 Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven,

25 and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.

Today we can only guess where Sodom and Gomorrah existed.The other uses of "Sodom/Gomorrah":Deuteronomy 29:22–25 (NASB95)

22 “Now the generation to come, your sons who rise up after you and the foreigner who comes from a distant land, when they see the plagues of the land and the diseases with which the Lord has afflicted it, will say,

23 ‘All its land is brimstone and salt, a burning waste, unsown and unproductive, and no grass grows in it, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in His anger and in His wrath.’

24 “All the nations will say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land? Why this great outburst of anger?’

25 “Then men will say, ‘Because they forsook the covenant of the Lord, the God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.

Isaiah 1:10 (NASB95)

God Has Had Enough

10 Hear the word of the Lord,

You rulers of Sodom;

Give ear to the instruction of our God,

You people of Gomorrah.

Matthew 10:13–15 (NASB95)

13 “If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace.

14 “Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet.

15 “Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

Revelation 9:7-8Meaning/implications:What is Jude attempting to communicate to the churches?Remember, Jude commented that judgment was

οἱ πάλαι προγεγραμμένοι εἰς τοῦτο τὸ κρίμα,

-"those written beforehand long ago for this judgment"

He is going back and giving examples of the history of apostates.Jude is demonstrating, by the OT, that God destroys those who pervert His Word, His people, and His kingdom.Jude teaches us that those who do these things will suffer under the hand of Almighty God for the sinister ways in which they reject authority, God and Christ's, and live by the impulses that ensue.But there is something more that I want you to realize: the descriptions that we have in this letter are not exactly here to say, "This is how they are living." Jude, as well as 2 Peter, are telling us the condition of their hearts!Let's review this reality in a few passages:Mt. 7:15-23I.e. "inwardly", Since inwardly, where no one can see, they are ravenous wolves, how will we know them? We will know them by what they produce. Look at their lives, the way they talk, their children, their wives, and you will see the condition of their hearts!Mt.12:33-37Consider the words that are used. Words reveal what is in the heart.Luke 6:43–46 (NASB95)

43 “For there is no good tree which produces bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree which produces good fruit.

44 “For each tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush.

45 “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.

Builders and Foundations

46 “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?

Mt. 23:23-33Jesus Christ called them beautiful on the outside, deadly on the inside. Their sentence will be the sentence of hell (v.33).Conclusion

Remember, our job is not to destroy these men and women who have invaded the church. Our job is to identify them, correct their error, and stand against them with the truth. However, there is coming a day in which the sentence of hell will be meted out to them, and the cannot escape.

Conclusion