JUDE: WEEK 1 DAY 2

Jude 1:4-5

4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

5 Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.

Numbers 14:1-12

Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to one another, “Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel. 6 And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” 10 Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel.

11 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? 12 I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”

From Jude’s letter, it seems the problem was caused not by the obvious teachers in the church, but rather double agents who had snuck in and taken on influence among the people. This is why his first reference was to a group of grumblers and complainers who incited the Israelites against Moses in Numbers 14. God had led them out of Egypt to the promised land, but when they saw the people in the promised land, they were afraid because they were giants. Certain individuals who had spied out the land stirred up doubt among the people. They did not believe God would give them the land.

Introducing doubt is the modus operandi of Satan. Satan did it in the garden with Eve, he did it through the people in Numbers 14, and he still does it in churches today. Those who practice this spycraft are slick. At first, they even seem to be nice, but they tag these statements at the end of their sentences and suddenly you find yourself being skeptical about the person they were just talking about. Watch out for this tactic of the enemy and examine your heart to make sure you aren’t practicing it yourself.