Jude 1:9-16
New International
Version (NIV)
9 But even the archangel Michael, when he
was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to
condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 Yet these people slander
whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by
instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.
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.
12 These people are blemishes at your love
feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only
themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn
trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame;
wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied
about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy
ones 15 to judge everyone,
and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their
ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against
him.” 16 These people are
grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast
about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.
As
we continue in Jude we see that even the Archangel Michael did not rebuke satan
but left that to God. I was curious as
to where this story was in the Old Testament, the footnote in my ESV Bible
indicated that this was a lost writing, possibly a lost section of the Testament of Moses. However, these words
ring true with Jesus teaching that we should turn the other cheek when being
slapped by one of those who reject God, our enemies. (Matthew 5:39)
As
we read further in this scripture we see a clear picture of who Jude is speaking
of. In our world today I see those who
will destroy anyone that get in their way.
They may make you think they are on your side, that they adore you and
will even eat at your table. All along
they are out to destroy you because they think you will get ahead of them if
they don’t. I have to think of the show Celebrity
Apprentice, where they talk behind each others back and do whatever they can to
get the biggest threat off the show. I have run into these people before. They have hurt me and yet I feel sorry for
them. I know that their time is coming
and it won’t be a pretty sight for them.
I, myself, need to be careful that I am not one of them. I have dreams and desires in this world. I would like to be given the job of my
dreams. I have ambitions to be
considered worthy of certain positions but I must always remember that there is
only One who sits in the position to judge this world and I praise God that I
am not Him but that He is who He is!
Notice
verse 16, these people are described as grumblers and faultfinder, that could
be me, I have a tendency to grumble at times.
Yet, I have been forgiven and when I grumble, I am convicted of my
thoughts and words. Let us not find ourselves in the corporate world, clawing
ourselves to the top, but rather let us find ourselves seeking Him with all our
hearts, knowing that in the end, it does not matter what our status is on this
earth but what matters is that we hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful
servant.”
Seeking
Him with all my heart,
Sheila
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