"His Gift" -2

Looking a little deeper into the passages that were shared yesterday, they can be easily be taken to mean several different things. On the one hand, we are instructed by Jude to have compassion on some, while others require being pulled from the fire; at least this might be your first thought about his meaning. Was he speaking of something new, or was he continuing a previous point being made? Going back to verse 11, which is where Jude starts with "Woe unto them!", and prior to verse 14, which he speaks of the prophesy of Enoch, Jude is trying to illustrate a particular character to the persons that are deceived and who deceive others. Starting with "for they have gone in the way of Cain"; which was one who did not understand what a proper sacrifice to God involved, and then hated his brother for being right. Then moving to "and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward"; which is a reference in the New Testament as the symbol of false and seducing teachers. And then finishing with "and perished in the gainsaying of Korah"; which is speaking about full on rebellion against God, and the result of it. Jude then gives the character of who these are in the following fashion: "These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever." (verse 12 & 13) After which, he begins speaking about the prophecy of Enoch and the Last Times; of which Enoch spoke about the Lord coming with ten thousands of His saints to execute judgement; from which he runs the topic to the things spoken of the apostles, about what is to be expected in the last times; and then from that, he speaks about what we as Believers are required to do for ourselves in the midst of a world filled with deceivers; which is to pray, keep ourselves in the love of God and look for the mercy of Jesus Christ unto eternal life. What in the world does any of this have to do with "His Gift"? I know that is what you are asking, because I have been asking it myself!!! Cain was mistaken about what a sacrifice unto God was all about, being that his was based upon works; yet Abel, his was a sacrifice of atonement; one in which he was asking for God to have mercy, while at the same time offering up to God a more perfect sacrifice, which involved the shedding of blood. The issue that set Cain off against his brother, was not that Abel was not any better than him, it was that God did not accept his sacrifice; making him then jealous of his brother, and hating him for getting it right; even though in his heart, Cain still thought his sacrifice was the better one, because it was based upon his works. Those that get who Jesus was wrong, will also misunderstand the purpose that He had to come; because it is not about what we can do, but is about what He has done...