Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.
Having introduced himself in his letter and explained his topic, Jude begins a short review of history.
In Sunday school, I learned that Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. I was also told it took forty years to get there. One day it dawned on me that forty years is a really long time. How is it possible that a trip could take that long? (Even if you only walked one mile each day, a trip of forty years would cover 14,600 miles!)
Of course, there is a lot more to the story.
The Israelites arrive at Canaan very shortly after leaving Egypt. Moses sends twelve men to spy out the promised land. They report that the land is good, but the people are giants! Conflict ensues, and God swears that the men who refused to go in would all die in the desert. (Numbers 14: 26-35) And that is what happened. The forty years was punishment for not believing God’s promise. All those who did not believe in God’s promise were destroyed in the desert.
It is tempting to ask the question; Was that fair? Was it fair that God let all those Israelites die in the desert? For that matter, was it fair to ask Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt? Was it fair to make him lead them around the desert for forty years while the bad Israelites died off? Was it fair that he was not allowed to go into the promised land all because of one little mistake? Is that fair? (See Deuteronomy 34)
Well, yes, it is fair. Not from a human perspective, but from God’s perspective. Keep in mind that life and death are not the same to God as they are to us. From our perspective, death is the end. From God’s perspective, what we call “death” is simply a change of residence. God allows us to live in this body for a time, and then we move to a different kind of body. Think of a chess player taking a chess piece off of the board. The chess piece still exists, it just isn’t on the board any longer.
The idea of punishment for the Israelites is not to be mean for the sake of getting even. God is looking to teach the Israelites about good and evil, right and wrong. Israelites, who remained faithful to God, are blessed, and those who rebelled against God are cursed. Jude reminds his readers that God is not only fair, he is vigilant about enforcing fairness.
Application: Read Numbers 13-14 for an example of what Jude is talking about.
Food for Thought: Why is Jude reminding us about God’s wrath?
As a parent your responsibility is to your children. Teaching , experiencing and loving while enjoying their presence. God gifts us with the experiences of life to understand and grow. Riding a bike gives a child great freedom but having an accident on that bike is an natural life experience. Alone we can become sad …to then find a mate with great joy opens us to the unimaginable…to then Lose that mate is both sad and a praise of what was.
Life isn’t fair or unfair. Life is a gift whose joy is beyond our imagination. Life is for living with God experiencing that joy and Peace. Perspective is key.
Man’s Search for Meaning is more relevant than ever, Viktor Frank’s message provides perspectives for all times.
Feather,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts this morning! You are absolutely right when you say, “Perspective is key.” One of the goals I strive for here at ThreeMinuteBible.com is to help people see God’s Word from His perspective as well as from our own.
God’s wrath is very real and the only safe place to be is in Jesus. Like Noah was on the ark to be safe from God’s wrath so we must be in Jesus. Faith in Jesus is necessary to escape wrath. In one sense, God is saving us from His justice by applying to us Jesus’ righteousness. Romans 3: 23-26; John 3: 36.
Rich,
Thank you for reminding us about our “safe place” in Jesus. Your sermon, “Be Ready” on Jesus’ return touches on this topic. It is an excellent presentation on the subject. I highly recommend it.
In verses 3-4 he has told them of the ungodly among them. He is now telling them of the consequence coming to them as well as all who follow them.
God is Holy, and cannot allow Himself to be corrupted by sin. Gods wrath is His judgement, hatred, revulsion toward all sin.
Habakkuk 1:3, says that God is too pure to look on evil.
1 John 4:16 Says God is love, and all who live in His love “Christ” live eternally in Him.
Ron,
Nicely put! Imagine a powerful heavenly being corrupted by sin. Oh wait, there is one: Satan! Thank God that God is incorruptible.
Thanks Jeff for the link to “Be Ready” 👍🏻