Lesson 2

Remember What You Know

Jude 5-7

As a pastor/preacher, I have the responsibility of reminding you of some things. I try to teach you things that you don't know but I also must remind you of those things which you do know. Everybody forgets. With the decaying process of death comes the loss of memory. Yet it important that we remember. It is especially important that we remember Biblical truth. So ... one of my jobs is to constantly remind you. That's what I want to do today.

That was also the intention of Jude as he wrote the section of scripture which forms our text for today. Twice in this short epistle Jude calls upon his readers to remember (v.5; v.17). In verse 5, Jude says remember what you once knew.

This reminder, this call to remembrance, is set in the context of Jude's warning about an encroaching apostacy. Don't be scared off by the word apostacy. It is a word derived from the Greek meaning "a departure from the truth". This Greek word is usually translated "fall away" or "depart" (Luke 8:13; I Tim. 4:1). An apostate is one who, knowing the truth, turns away from it. The best example of an apostate is Judas Iscariot.

Departers become deniers!

They deny divine power "Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof"

(II Tim. 3:5).

They deny Christ - "denying the Lord that bought them" (II Pet. 2:1).

They deny Christ's return - "Where is the promise of his coming" (II Peter 3:3-4).

They deny the faith - "Some shall depart from the faith" (I Tim.4:1).

They deny our freedom in Christ - "Forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats,

which God hath commanded to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know

the truth" (I Tim.4:3).

They deny moral standards - "For men shall be lovers of their own selves ..." II Tim.3:2-3

also Jude 18-19.

They deny Biblical authority - see II Tim. 3:8

The epistle of Jude is devoted to the subject of apostacy, speaking about those that depart from the truth and deny the faith. Jude's calls upon his readers to become "contenders of the faith" (v.3) and counsels them to be aware of pretenders in the ranks (v.4).

In verses 5-7, Jude reminds us of what happens to apostates ... punishment always follows apostacy. He does this by citing 3 historical instances of apostacy and the punishment that followed. In verse 5 he speaks about the nation of Israel; in verse 6 about the fallen angels, and in verse 7 about the destruction of Sodom and the surrounding cities. (Read)

This is very similar to the message of Peter in II Peter 2:4-9. (Read). Peter is also writing about apostacy. The also cites 3 Old Testament examples (fallen angels, the flood, Sodom). Peter points out both the judgment of the ungodly and the deliverance of the righteous.

And so, let us, this morning read what Jude writes about these 3 instances of apostacy and let us remember what we once knew ... that God punishes those that turn a deaf ear to the truth.

I. ISRAEL, v. 5.

The first example cited by Jude concerns the nation of Israel. Jude writes about ...

A. Israel's Deliverance - "how the Lord ... saved the people out of the land of Egypt".

This deliverance happened through a series of dramatic miracles which were demonstrative of God's power.

1. 10 plagues.

2. Parting of the Red Sea.

3. Defeat of the Egyptian Army.

4. Provision of food and water.

5. Guidance by the cloud and fire.

6. Giving of the law.

Yet, when they came to Kadesh Barnea and 10 of the 12 spies returned with a negative report about the size of the walls and of the people (grasshopper syndrome) they did not believe God and they would not obey. The account of this is recorded in Numbers 13-14 (see Num. 14:22-23). God had proven himself to these people. They had every reason to believe him. Yet they refused to believe. They were guilty of apostacy.

B. Israel's Destruction - "the Lord destroyed them that believed not." (See Num.14:29,32-33)

God punished their apostacy with death. What should have been a 4 day journey became a 40 wandering. All those over age 20 that left Egypt died in the wilderness except Joshua and Caleb.

This Old Testament account has a New Testament application (see I Cor.10:1-5,10-11; Heb.3:15-19). The application which the New Testament makes of this event is of knowing the truth and yet refusing to believe. Knowing that you are a sinner, that you need to be saved, that eternal punishment awaits if you remain in the same condition, that Jesus Christ is able to save you ... and yet turning your back on this truth and walking away. That is apostacy. What would cause a person who sees and knows to not believe?

1. Fear of persecution (family/friends).

2. Unwilling to accept the cost.

3. Unwilling to give up a sin.

4. Neglect.

5. A hard heart.

II. ANGELS, v.6.

Jude cites a second example of apostacy in verse 6. That example is of fallen angels. To be sure, this verse is one of difficult interpretation. What is unclear is identity of these angels. There are basically 3 interpretations.

First, some say that this verse refers to the original rebellion in heaven wherein Lucifer and 1/3 of the angels that joined him were banished from glory, see Rev.12:3-4,7-9. The problem with that interpretation is that this verse says that these angels are reserved in everlasting chains under darkness until the judgment". We know that Satan is not presently chained nor are all of his angels (demons).

Second, some say that this verse refers to Gen.6:2,4 where the sons of God cohabited with the daughters of men. This seems to be supported by the phrase "sons of God". This phrase is found only 5 times in the Old Testament (Gen.6:2,4; Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). In Job, the phrase clearly refers to angels. Some point out that Mt.22:30 says angels do not marry. But Jesus said that the angels in heaven neither marry nor are given in marriage. This interpretation also seems to be supported by II Peter 2:4-6, in the context of Noah and the flood. Finally, this interpretation also seems to be supported by Jude 6-7 which implies that the fornication in Sodom was "in like manner" to the angels.

The problems of this interpretation is that it does not make sense for fallen angels to be referred to as the "sons of God". Only holy angels deserve such a title. Furthermore, it is beyond our comprehension that angels and humans could produce offspring. These problems lead some to a third interpretation that a group of angels at some point in time and in some way that is not elsewhere recorded, sinned against God and were placed in these chains.

That's a rather long explanation of what we don't know. What we do know from verse 6 is this: There are apostate angels. They are fallen, they "kept not their first estate (domain)". They left their proper abode ("own habitation"). The point is that these angels made a choice. They chose to leave heaven. Apparently, they wanted more than they thought heaven could offer and so they left, they rebelled against God and wound up in hell. They are incarcerated, "reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the the great day", (see II Pet.2:4).

Remember what the point of this illustration is? Jude is warning us that punishment always follows apostacy. Israel had been given more than enough proof to believe God, yet they refused to believe and were destroyed. The angels had experienced heaven, yet they left it and are now in the chains of eternal darkness awaiting their final judgment. God punishes apostacy.

III. SODOM, v.7.

The third and final example cited by Jude of apostacy is of Sodom, Gomorrah, and the surrounding cities, v.7. This event is recorded in Genesis 19:1-13.

® The Presence of Angels, 1-2.

® The Pleading of Lot, 3.

® The Perversion of the Crowd, 4-7

Jude's description of this is that of complete control by lust, indulgence in excessive immorality.

Jude also says that they went after strange flesh (could refer to the perversion of homosexuality and/or to pursuit of angelic beings.

® The Persistence of the People, 8-11.

® The Punishment of the Cities, 12-13.

Jude says that they are set forth as an example. That phrase literally means that they are exposed openly to the public, that God punishes such blatant sin with severity. God wiped those cities out so much that archeologists even today cannot find them. God burned them with fire and turned them to ash. Jude is making the point that those persons who mock God's word and blatantly indulge in sin can expect what Sodom got. That person will suffer the punishment of eternal fire!

Israel committed apostacy. They refused to believe God. Angels committed apostacy. They left their abode in heaven, rebelling against God's authority. Sodom and the surrounding cities committed apostacy. They flounted their sinful indulgence. These things typically characterize apostates. They really do not believe. They reject authority. They indulge in immorality.

Beloved, remember what you know. And be warned! God judges apostates! Those who have crept into the church unawares (v.4) will one day be judged. There seeming success now will not last. God has the last word!