Jude:1-25.  In the “Intro to Jude” we dealt with who write the book and who it was written to (v. 1).  You may want to read that too.  In verse 2 we see that Jude wants his readers lives to be filled with a lot of mercy, peace, and love.  In verses 3-4 we see that the letter is about some people who have come into the meetings of the believers (come into their church meetings which were probably small gatherings in a house at that time) and were telling the people they could live however they wanted to.  Also they were denying Jesus’ authority.

In  Galatians 5:22-23 we are told that the “fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control”.  In John 14:26 we learn that the Holy Spirit is a gift from God the Father (See “Three or One?”) to help us remember the things Jesus taught.  It is also important to notice in that verse that the Holy Spirit is sent in “Jesus’ name”, the idea there is that Jesus has authority and the Holy Spirit represents him and his authority.   So we see that Jesus is trying to help us have “self-control” through the help of the Holy Spirit.  Here in Jude, Jude tells us that these guys are telling us that since we are forgiven (“the grace of God”) we can do whatever we want to do (“licentiousness”, license is another way of saying permission and these guys were saying we have permission to do whatever we want to).  That is a direct challenge to the work of the Holy Spirit and the authority of Jesus.

Verse 5 starts a section of the letter where Jude reminds us of the consequences of disobeying God.  God had chosen a certain family to live for him help the world understand who the one true God is, the Israelites.  They grew to be a large nation while living as slaves in Egypt.  In 1441 BC God used a man, Moses, to bring the people out of Egypt and intended that they live in land promised to their ancestor Abraham.  Just as they were going to enter the promised land they balked and a whole generation was banished to wander in the desert south and east of the promised land.  These all dies in the desert and their children eventually settled in the promised land.  In Genesis 6:1-4 there is a story of “sons of God” having children with the “daughters of men”.  There is some dispute over who the “sons of God” are but term “sons of God” is used in Job 1:6; 2:1 for angels and it appears it is only used that way in the Old Testament.  In that case we have angels in some way having children with women on earth.  The consistent Jewish understanding of that part of Genesis agrees with that idea.  In Genesis 6:4 Nephlim may parallel the mighty men of old, in other words they were the same thing.  Nephlim were giants and in this case were probably some sort of hybrid angel/human.  Angels were imprisoned for these actions (Jude 6).  In verse 7 we see two cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, that were destroyed.  Verse 7 starts out with “Just as” comparing the angels with the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed for their sexual sins including rape and homosexuality (Genesis 18:16-19:24).  In comparing the angels to these two cities we see support for the traditions about Genesis 6:1-4.

In verse 8 Jude returns to the intruders and says they “pollute their bodies”.  In the context of the examples this is probably a reference to sexual sins.  These men were living loose lives.  They had rejected God’s authority in their lives and were breaking his commandments.  The slandering of angels probably comes from them breaking the same kind of rules the angels broke.  In other words they are not honoring the angel who honored God but were mocking their obedience.  In verse 9 Jude uses an example from a Jewish tradition called “The Assumption of Moses” that is not part of the Bible.  In that story Michael, one of the head angels according to the Bible, evidently disputes with the Devil over the body of Moses (which according to Deuteronomy 34 God buried in a valley in the land of Moab).  Many scholars believe that the angels had three main leaders, head angels called archangels.  The three were Michael, Gabriel, and Lucifer (the devil).  If that were true then we might see Michael and Lucifer as equals.  Of course Lucifer was demoted (kicked out of heaven for rebellion) but Michael and Gabriel retained their rank.  So, in theory, Michael could have ordered Satan (Lucifer, the devil) in that story, not that it would have done any good.  Instead Michael is seen respecting the power structure God had established by appealing to God to deal with the Devil.  The point is respect for authority, especially God’s.  In verse 11 they are compared to three men whose stories are in the Bible and all represent disobedience to God.  In verse 10 Jude describes the invaders as unreasoning, they are like animals following their desires or instincts.

It is interesting that later Gnosticism (See the “Intro to Jude”) believed that the physical world was entirely evil down to each atom, therefore they though it didn’t matter what you did with your bodies.  This attitude led to just the kind of actions Jude is describing here.  As we said in the introduction does not mean that these men were Gnostics they had just decided “if it feels good do it”.  In fact the Gnostics came to a point of justifying their actions, these men either were not thinking about it or were being actively rebellious.  In the end it doesn’t really matter they were in danger of destruction for their attitudes and actions (Woe means “Look out!”).

Verses 12-16 are both a warning to the people in the church who were trying to honor God and to those who were being rebellious.  The intrudes are called “reefs” dangerous shallow structures in the ocean on which ships are caught and destroyed.  By calling them this Jude is warning the faithful in the church.  In the rest of these verses Jude describes them as selfish and useless.  Then he warns that God was going to come and punish them.  Interestingly the quote of Enoch comes from another writing that is not considered part of the Bible.  Some people argue that truth only comes from God but here we see that there is truth outside of the Bible.  But be careful other sources may contain truth but the bible is truth.  We always want to compare what we hear with the Bible.  And remember that the Devil used the Bible when he tempted Jesus so we need to be sure to use it accurately.  In verse 16 we see a further description of the intruders, they complain all the time, are posers (saying things people want to hear), they have no humility (are always right), and do whatever they feel like doing.

Verse 17-23 are advise to the true believers in the church.  They need to remember that the original founders of the churches, the Apostles (“sent ones”) had warned them theses kind of people would come.  The advise is to stay faithful to God, remember what they have believed in.  that would include the sinfulness of mankind (sin is disobedience and rebellion), the need for someone to pay the un-payable price for our sins and help us overcome them, and that Jeus and the Holy Spirit are those solutions.  We need to live lives influenced by and filled with the love of God as we wait for the mercy of God which comes because of who Jesus is and what he has done.  Verse 22 is a contrast to verse 15.  In verse 15 the intruders who have rejected God’s authority, God’s truth, and God’s plan are headed for judgment (at a future time) but those who have submitted to God’s authority, truth, and plan are headed for an eternity with God (“Eternal life”).

In verse 22-23 we are encouraged to not only save ourselves by showing respect for God (“keep[ing] yourselves in the love of God”) but we are encouraged to share Gods’ love with others helping them find God’s forgiveness (mercy).  Perhaps verse 23 is the verse behind the idea “hate the sin but love the sinner”.  It is interesting that some of the sins in these intruders lives may have involved homosexuality (one of the major sins in Sodom and Gomorrah) so the idea of “hate the sin but love the sinner” is particularly appropriate for Christians to hear today because we tend to hate the sin and sinner both when it comes to homosexuality.  It is very clear that we cannot pretend that sins like homosexuality, adultery, fornication (sex between people who are not married nor married to others) is OK.  But we cannot hate the sinners either, we need to have mercy on them with respect both to God and them.

The closing of the letter contains very important ideas.  God can help us and it is he who will remove all our spiritual dirt, he alone can make us without blame.  God is our savior through Jesus and for that we need to honor him, praise him and respect his authority.  God deserves respect in all time past, present, and future.

God Help me show you respect.  Thank you for saving me.  Thank you for paying the price of my guilt.  I have been rebellious and probably will fall down in the future.  Help me walk, help me be obedient and respectful.  Thank you for your mercy help me help others find it.  Help me stand up to sin and love the sinner.

Jonah 4:1-11.  This is the hardest part of the book to understand.  In Jonah 2:2, 8-9 Jonah was desperate and cried out to In God for help.  As we saw in verses 8-9 he declared that his faith was in a real powerful God and then he promised to be faithful.  Then he went and did what God asked him to do, he went and preached to Ninevah.  I have never though that he really wanted to go, it seems his heart was never in it.  Scholars point out that his message to Ninevah was six words long (In the Hebrew record of it).  “Yet forty days and Ninevah will be destroyed.”  That doesn’t seem like much to say after walking several hundred miles.  It seem like he must have said more.  I mean the people repented and hoped that God would not hold back his punishment.  Jonah never even suggested that they change, at least not in what he recorded in the book.  We need to trust that the message that is recorded at least reflects the total message What ever words he used this is what he said.  For example he actually may have spoken to them in their own language and so the words in the book contain the idea of what he said, just like English translations contain more than six words but they give us the idea of what he said.

What is written may actually be all he said, based on today’s reading.  In chapter four we see Jonah’s response to the fact that God forgave the Ninevites.  It’s interesting to wonder how Jonah knew that God forgave them.  Did God tell him?  Or did Jonah give his one line message then step aside and wait forty days to see what might happen?  Jonah 3:10 almost leaves me thinking Jonah waited around to see if God would pound them.  In that verse we see that God saw their change of heart and so he decided not to destry them and that “he did not do it”.  That last little phrase makes me think Jonah waited the full forty days to see what would happen.  Jonah 4:2 makes me think even more that Jonah really didn’t give it his best effort when he preached to the Ninevites.  In that verse he tells God that he knew the Ninevites might respond and turn back to God.  He says tht is why he ran the other way, to delay the possibility.  He admits that God is forgiving and that he didn’t want that to happen in Ninevah.  Wow what an attitude for a prophet to have.  Helping people turn back to God, honor and obey him, it the job of a prophet.  Jonah clearly had a bad attitude and he certainly didn’t reflect the heart of God, he wanted to avoid the possibility of the Ninevites turning back to God.  Then in verse 3 his attitude gets even worse.  “Hey God just let me die, that would be better than living.”  Maybe Jonah was trying to commit “Suicide by saylor” when he got the saylors to throw him overboard.  All of this is why I said this is the hardest part of the book to understand.  I mean, your job is a prophet, you get the chance to preach in the wickedest city you know, and every one repents from the king on down.  Do you thing Billy Graham would break down and want to die if he gave a message and everyone in the stadium stood up and said “I want Jesus”?  Then he was told people were lining up out side, the whole city saying the same thing.  Then he was told that the President was landing in Marine 1 (the helicopter) and was calling in asking if it was too late to repent of supporting abortion and all the other stuff that makes God sad.  Do you think tht would make him sorry he ever gave the message?  No way!  He might break down or have a heart attack or fall over dead but it would be because he was astounded at the power of God not because he didn’t want it to happen.  In verse 4 God is basically saying, “What are you mad about?”

In verse 5 we see that Jonah leaves the city and sits outside waiting to see what will happen.  I guess he realized before the forty days were up that God wasn’t going to follow through on the destroy Ninevah thing, though I do thing some time went by before he complained to God, maybe even most of it.  But he is waiting to see what will happen.  I do think he sat there for what ever part of the forty days were left, even though he knew God was “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger with a lot of loving forgiveness.”  That last part of the description of God is a Hebrew word “hesed”. It is a very big word in Hebrew and talks about God’s faithfulness to his promises and how he goes above and beyond to help.  So here is “poor little” Jonah sitting waiting to see if God might change his mind back even though he uses a word like that to describe God.  Ninevah was located where modern day Mosul is in Iraq.  Just to let you know the weather today in Mosul is 108º with 16% humidity.  Very hot and dry.  And Jonah is sitting out side the city waiting.  God must have a sense of humor because he causes a plant to grow rapidly up over Jonah to give him some shade.  I’m sure there was not misunderstanding by Jonah that this was a miracle, plants just don’t grow that fast, anywhere, let alone in such a harsh climate.  And Jonah’s response was, That’s more like it, mercy on the man, shade for the servant!”  But then God gave Jonah a little lesson he cause the plant to die the next morning and sent a hot wind off the desert too.  I wonder if the worm killed the root of the plnat and it stood there looking like shade till the wind came and blew it over.  In verse 8 we have Jonah for at least the second time and maybe even the third time wanting to die.  This guy seems to be all about himself.

In verses 9-11 God gives Jonah a little lesson on priorities.  Jonah said he had good reason to be mad about the plant, it had given him pleasure and comfort and now it was gone, toast.  In verse 11 God gets to the real point, Jonah knew he was a compassionate God, had admitted it in verse 2 and enjoyed the comfort it brought him in verse 6, so what did he expect that God would just destroy 120,000 people who had turned back to him.  No way!  That is the kind of God we have, one who cares, and one who will accept anyone who turns back to him.  I don’t think he even waits until we are turned all the way around (John 4 is my reason for saying that but that’s another story).  God has “hesed” loving kindness and he’s not afraid to use it, what he really doesn’t want to use is his wrath, but he will.  Unfortunately, later in their history, after this generation had been long dead, God did destroy the Assyrian people.  We read predictions of that in Isaiah.  But God is willing to let each generation have a chance at turning to him.  He is willing to forgive even an exceedingly wicked city, or have compassion on one selfish servant.  Paul tells us in Romans 3:23 that we all disobey and fail to measure up to God’s perfection.  But he will forgive any one who turns back to him (John 1:12).  If you haven’t already done so give your life to Jesus today.  Accept him as the only way to have a right relationship with God and start enjoying god’s “hesed” right now.  If you do let me know.

God thank you for being so loving.  Help me see people as something you love. Help me have even a fraction of the love for others that you do.  Help me not exclude any one .  Make me a truly faithful servant.  Give me your heart, let me be your hands and mouth.