Jude Series: Jude 11-Disaster Will Strike The Zealots and Like Cain, They Will Be Judged for Rebelling Against God

Jude 11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion. (NIV)

Like Jude 4, 8, and 10, Jude 11 is describing the unregenerate Jewish Zealots in Jude’s day and age in the first century A.D. who were rebelling against Rome in order to bring in the kingdom of God on earth.

Now, Jude 11 is composed of four declarative statements.

The first solemnly asserts that disaster will strike these unregenerate Jewish Zealots.

The second presents the reason for the first and asserts that these individuals have allowed themselves to follow Cain’s course of conduct.

The third declarative statement presents the second reason for the first and asserts that these unregenerate Jewish Zealots have abandoned themselves to Balaam’s perversion, namely, financial reward.

The fourth declarative statement presents the result of the first three declarative statements and asserts that these unregenerate Jewish Zealots will certainly cause themselves to be destroyed in association with Korah’s rebellion.

Jude 11 presents three examples from the Old Testament of individuals who were judged by the Lord for rebelling against His authority.

The first is Cain’s rebellion against the Lord, which is recorded in Genesis chapter four.

The second is Balaam’s rebellion against the Lord which is recorded in Numbers 22-24, Numbers 31:16 and Deuteronomy 23:4-5.

The third and final example is Korah’s rebellion against the authority of Moses, which was delegated to him by the Lord Himself, which is recorded in Numbers chapter sixteen.

Therefore, Jude 11 is teaching that just like Cain, Balaam and Korah were judged by the Lord for rebelling against Him so these Zealots would be judged by the Lord as well.

These three examples which appear in Jude 11 are in addition to the three presented in Jude 5-7.

Jude 11 also presents the sixth triad, which we have come across in our study of the epistle of Jude.

Now, Jude 11 appears in the form of a “woe” oracle, which appears often in the Old Testament.

This form of speech was also used by the Lord Jesus Christ in the gospels.

The interjection ouai (οὐαί), “woe,” which appears in the first declarative statement expresses extreme displeasure with someone which calls for retribution against this person.

Thus, the word is expressing the idea of the Holy Spirit promising through Jude that disaster would strike these unregenerate Jewish Zealots who were rebelling against the Roman Empire in the first century A.D. in Jude’s day and age.

It is thus expressing the Holy Spirit’s extreme displeasure with these individuals and that a sudden calamitous event bringing great damage, loss and destruction will be experienced by these individuals.

As we also noted, the second declarative statement which appears in Jude 22 presents the reason for the first and asserts that these individuals have allowed themselves to follow Cain’s course of conduct.

Therefore, this indicates that disaster will strike these Zealots “because” they have traveled or followed down the path of Cain or in other words, they followed the same course of conduct in which Cain lived his life, namely, murder.

Genesis chapter four asserts that “Cain” was the first son of Adam and Eve who was the brother of Abel who he murdered (Gen. 4:1-16; cf. Heb. 11:4).

His name in the Hebrew means “one gotten, obtained, or acquired.”

The story of Cain murdering his brother Abel appears in Genesis 4:1-16.

Cain’s murder of his brother Abel was the first murder in human history.

Cain is the firstborn child of humanity; however, he is also infamous in being the first murderer in human history.

The apostle John in 1 John 3:11-12 uses him as an example of one who hates his brother.

In Genesis chapter four, Eve acknowledges that Cain her first-born was a gift from the Lord (cf. Ps. 127:3).

The name “Abel” means, “vanity” and indicates that Eve was thoroughly aware of God’s curse on the world in which they lived.

The Lord Jesus Christ testified that Abel was righteous meaning a believer and that he was a prophet according to Matthew 23:35 and Luke 11:50-51.

Genesis 4:3 reveals that Cain was a farmer whereas Abel was a shepherd.

Both men were sinners and approached the Lord with an offering to worship the Lord but only Abel’s offering was accepted since it was presented in faith meaning in obedience to the Lord’s commands whereas Cain’s offering was not accepted because it offered in unbelief, which expressed itself in disobedience.

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. (NASB95)

Thus, disobedience and rebellion against God and selfishness and sin are the “way of Cain” as stated by Jude in Jude 11.