"Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah." (Jude 11 KJV)
"The very look on their faces gives them away. They display their sins like the people of Sodom and don't even try to hide it. They are doomed! They have brought destruction upon themselves. Tell the godly that all will be well for them. They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned! But the wicked are doomed, for they will get exactly what they deserve." (Isaiah 3:9-11 NLT)
For whatever it is worth, the title has quite a history to it; and it has been used in all sorts of ways: in songs, movies, and churches; but in this context, let's just say that we absolutely cannot hide what we do; whether good or bad, everything is witnessed by God for sure; and even angels, including the devil, are likely to see what we do. Hopefully you are doing your best to be godly and wanting to please the Lord in all that you do; chances are, that only God knows the intensions of your heart; but the others will see your expressions on your faces!
There are three people here that Jude is illustrating here; which, make me think of the three things Eve felt saw in the tree the bore the fruit she was about to eat: "That the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise." (Genesis 3:6) Basically there were three things to cause her to sin: It was desirable to the body; it was pleasing to the eyes; and it would enlighten the mind, making one wise.
The three things these three men all did that was wrong, closely resemble these things; as it goes, there is good and evil that is at work in each and every one of them. Instead of building towards self, we should ourselves be built by God and enjoying the fruit that He offers; which is a heart for God, eyes that look to please Him, and a mind that wants to know Him, by listening, and obeying...
"Then the Lord said to him, "You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy - full of greed and wickedness! Fools! Didn't God make the inside as well as the outside? So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over. "What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. "What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you love to sit in the seats of honor in the synagogues and receive respectful greetings as you walk in the marketplaces. Yes, what sorrow awaits you! For you are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption they are stepping on."" (Luke 11:39-44 NLT)
No comments:
Post a Comment