Today in the Word Devotional

Warren Wiersbe once said, “God’s people don’t live on explanations; they live on promises.” The life of faith is not simply mastering content or puzzling out the meaning of obscure passages of the Bible, as important as those things may be. Rather, it is learning to believe and trust in God’s promises. Zechariah 8 continues the Lord’s answer to the delegation of Jewish leaders (7:2–3). In a series of seven messages, the Lord weaves back and forth between describing the hope of Israel fulfilled in the millennial kingdom and the current life of the community. Realizing the hope of a fully restored Israel promised by God should impact the way God’s people lived in the present. Even more than that, the current remnant of exiles should serve as a signpost of the future kingdom. Zechariah paints a beautiful picture of that future kingdom. Children and the elderly—the most vulnerable—will be in the streets without fear of harm or violence (vv. 4–5). Crops will produce bountifully (v. 12). Most significantly, people from all nations will come together to worship and seek the Lord (vv. 20–23). God’s promise to Abram, “all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” would be fulfilled (Gen. 12:3). Because of this future hope, Israel should be compelled to act differently. They should, “Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts” (v. 16). In hope of a time when perfect justice would be administered, they should act justly now. We also live in hope of a promised future. The Lord Jesus has promised that He will “go and prepare a place” for us (John 14:2). The fact that He will come again and establish true justice and peace compels us to live in faithful obedience.Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do our motives matter to God? Sometimes people get the idea that in the Old Testament, Israel’s relationship with God was simply all about following external rules. Nothing could be further from the truth. Chapter 7 introduces a new section in the book of Zechariah. We have jumped forward a couple of years. The rebuilding of the Temple is well under way. This situation raises an important question for Israel. A group of Jewish leaders asked the prophet, “Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?” (v. 3). During the exile, the Jewish people had regular periods of fasting and mourning over the destruction of the Temple. The question now was, “With the Temple nearing completion, do we still need to fast?” This simple question sparks a passionate response from the Lord that will continue through chapter 8. God’s first message was to question the people’s motives for fasting in the first place, “Was it really for me that you fasted?” (v. 5). They had practiced fasting to get something from the Lord, not out of genuine repentance over their sin. There had been no genuine turning to the Lord. There was nothing wrong with their outward act of fasting, but it had not reached their heart. The evidence for this? They had not obeyed the Law. True repentance requires more than simply fasting and mourning over sin but results in a changed life. Instead of fasting from food, they should have fasted from mistreating the vulnerable around them, “Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor” (v. 10). As followers of Christ, we are also called to have a faith that evidences itself in a changed life.Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Symbolic acts are an important part of everyday life. Some are so common we hardly notice them—a handshake, a hug, or a wave goodbye. Others occur at meaningful moments in our lives—a wedding ceremony, baptism, or placing flowers by a grave. They all communicate something deeper and more meaningful than the act itself. Zechariah 6:9–15 includes a rich symbolic act. The Lord told Zechariah that a deputation of exiled Jews would arrive from Babylon bearing gifts (vv. 9–10). Zechariah was to take the silver and gold from these gifts and fashion two crowns (v. 11). The Hebrew word “crown” is plural although many translations render it as singular. These crowns were to be placed on the high priest, Joshua (v. 11). After the crowning, a prophetic pronouncement was to be made: “Here is the man whose name is the Branch, and he will branch out from his place and build the temple of the LORD” (v. 12). This event was symbolic for two reasons. First, after the ceremony, the crown was to be removed from Joshua and placed in the Temple as a memorial (v. 14). It was not Joshua’s to keep. Second, the Temple that Zerubbabel started was already almost complete. Clearly, this act pointed forward to a future Davidic King. The two crowns represented the roles of priest and king, indicating that this future Messiah would unite the two offices. This future Messiah would build a new Temple fulfilling Old Testament prophecy (Ezek. 40–48). As in many other places, the Messianic figure was called the “Branch” (Isa. 4:2; 11:1; Jer. 23:5; 33:15). This ceremony and the crown would serve as symbols for the Jewish people to look forward to a coming Messiah. When we take communion, we engage in a symbolic act that looks forward to Jesus’ return (1 Cor. 11:26).Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Until the advent of the automobile, horses were essential to everyday life. Today we use horses mainly for recreation and racing. But not long ago they were the main source of transportation, used in key roles in the military, on farms, and in cities. Zechariah 6 describes a vision of four chariots. These chariots came out from between mountains of bronze (v. 1). These mountains represent the gateway to heaven. These chariots are coming from the throne room of God. The chariot was a feared and fearsome military weapon, which indicates that this would bring judgment. They are pulled by horses of different colors. If you are confused by this imagery, you’re in good company, so was Zechariah! He asked, “What are these, my lord?” (v. 4). The angel replied that the chariots represented the “four spirits of heaven” (v. 5). They were powerful angels sent from the presence of God to go out to the whole world to bring judgment (vv. 5–6). Through their judgment, they would bring rest and peace (v. 8). The primary message is that the whole earth belongs to the Lord (Ps. 24:1). He will one day bring judgment and peace to the nations. This vision looks forward to a future time of tribulation, leading up to the Second Coming of the Messiah (Rev. 9:15). This is a message we need to hear. Often when we look out at the world, things seem chaotic and uncertain. This vision reminds us that God has a plan. He will be faithful to carry it out. Until that day, may the Lord “strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones” (1 Thess. 3:13).Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The book of Zechariah is one of the most quoted books of the Old Testament in the New Testament. Despite this, it is not well known. If you asked someone—“What’s your favorite passage in Zechariah?”— you’re likely to get a blank stare! One reason is that the book contains visions that seem strange to us. In Zechariah 5, the prophet saw a flying scroll (v. 1). The scroll was huge—thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide (v. 2)! Today we see airplanes towing banners as a form of advertising. That is the idea here. The scroll was unrolled and visible to all. On the scroll were two commands— one against stealing and one against swearing falsely (v. 3). These two commands represent the two tablets of the Law—laws related to relationships with other people and laws related to God. The message is that Israel was still responsible to obey the covenant. If they failed in this, they would be under the curse of the Law (v. 3). Just because the people had been exiled did not mean the covenant was no longer in effect. The second vision contains a large basket (v. 6). Inside sat a woman who represented the iniquity of the people (vv. 6–7). Despite the warning of the previous vision, Israel would still not be able to fully obey the Law. The message is that what the people could not do for themselves, the Lord would do. Two angels carried the basket far to the east (v. 11). Their sin would be removed as far as the east is from the west (Ps. 103:11–12). This points forward to the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross. Praise the Lord that in Christ, “the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people” (Titus 2:11).Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever been given a job that felt impossible? Many years ago, I volunteered to help a Christian summer camp prepare their grounds for the upcoming season. The director took a small group and tasked us with picking up all the sticks in the woods! After we had worked for hours, we stopped for lunch. Looking back on where we had been working, you could hardly tell what we had done. Israel was called to be a light to the nations. After the exile, God commanded Israel to rebuild the Temple. But the community was small, impoverished, and powerless. How could they live up to God’s calling? To encourage Israel, the Lord gave Zechariah a vision. The central image was a lampstand. The stand was topped with a bowl that had seven lamps (v. 2). On either side were two olive trees (v. 3). The idea seems to be that the olive trees would provide the oil, filtered through the bowl to the lamp and ensuring a continuing supply of fuel. The lamp represented the people of Israel. The Lord’s message is clear: Israel should know that their success is not “by might nor by power, but by my Spirit” (v. 6). Instead of trusting in their own strength, Israel was to rely on the power of the Spirit. The same Spirit that could bring life from the dead was at work in them (Ezek. 37:1–14). The completed Temple would be a witness to the world. The Lord provided not only His Spirit but also His anointed leaders—Zerubbabel and Joshua (v. 14). The church has also been entrusted with an “impossible” task: to proclaim the gospel to all nations (Matt. 28:18–20). Our power comes from the Holy Spirit (Acts 2), as we follow the Anointed One—the Messiah Jesus (Eph. 2:20).Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When I was driving down a rural Michigan road, I was pulled over by a county sheriff. I had not noticed that I had entered a small town and the speed limit had dropped to 35mph. There was nothing I could say to defend myself. I was clearly guilty. In Zechariah 3, Joshua—the high priest—is on trial before the angel of the Lord (v. 1). In this vision, Joshua represents the people of Israel, accused by Satan. He is clearly guilty. Joshua was dressed in “filthy clothes,” representing the sin of the people (v. 3). There was nothing Joshua could do to save himself. Yet, Satan was rebuked by the Lord. Despite Israel’s sin, God had chosen and delivered them (v. 2). The angel of the Lord removed Joshua’s filthy clothing and replaced it with festive garments (v. 3). The Lord charged Joshua to “walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements” (v. 7). Despite Israel’s sin, they were given another opportunity to be faithful to the Lord. In verses 8–10, we read about a future Servant called the Branch (v. 8). This servant is also called a stone (v. 9). “Servant, “Branch,” and “stone” are references to a future messianic figure (Isa. 42:1–4; Jer. 33:15; Isa. 28:16). When that figure comes, the Lord declared, “I will remove the sin of this land in a single day” (v. 9). This passage powerfully illustrates that we cannot save ourselves. Our sin has separated us from God, and we stand before Him guilty. It is only through the work of the Messiah Jesus that our sin can be forgiven and our relationship with God restored. God has done for us what we could never do for ourselves (Rom. 5:8). We can trust in the finished work of Jesus (John 3:16).Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to a recent Gallup poll, 69 percent of Americans believe in angels. That number is down from 79 percent in 2001. The Bible clearly teaches that there is a spiritual realm that does include angels. In Zechariah 2, we read about two different angels who delivered a message from the Lord to Zechariah. This chapter focuses on the message of the second angel. The angel came with an encouraging message. Despite the seemingly small and powerless appearance of the city of Jerusalem, it had a bright future. The city did not have any walls, the Temple was under construction, and many Israelites had decided to stay in Babylon instead of returning to their homeland. Yet the angel said the future Jerusalem would be a city without walls—not because it was so small but because it was so large! There would be so many people they could not be contained within walls (v. 4). Instead, the Lord “will be a wall of fire around it” (v. 5). God would dwell with His people: “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people” (v. 11). The promise God made to Abraham would be fulfilled, “all peoples on earth” would be blessed through him (Gen. 12:3). Today, the church is called to take the gospel to all the nations (Matt. 28:19). During the millennial kingdom, Jesus will reign over a renewed Israel in Jerusalem and the nations will stream to His presence (Isa. 2:2–4; 49:22–23; 60:10–11). This future hope should inspire us to faithfulness and gospel proclamation. Our hope is in the coming of the Lord Jesus! We can “be still before the LORD” (v. 13), trusting in God’s promised future.Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most people are deeply shaped by their upbringing. They embody patterns of behavior they saw in their parents and pass that down to their children. It is difficult to break patterns of generational sin and dysfunction. Yet, this is exactly what the Lord called Israel to do in the first prophetic message of Zechariah. The idolatry, oppression, and unfaithfulness of Israel’s ancestors led to their exile and destruction. In Zechariah 1, the Lord warned Israel, “Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed” (v. 4). Instead, He called them to change their ways. The Lord had miraculously allowed Israel to return from exile. He now gave them a chance to start over. The people of Israel resolved to get it right this time (v. 6). Shortly after the first message, the Lord came again to Zechariah. The message is carefully dated by the reign of a Persian king (v. 7). This reminded Israel that they were still under the thumb of a foreign empire. Yet, the message is hopeful. Zechariah saw angels mounted on horses roaming the earth (v. 10). These angelic beings reported back what they discovered—a world at peace (v. 11). This peace was a contrast to the ruin of Jerusalem. The angel of the Lord pleaded on behalf of Judah and Jerusalem (v. 12). The Lord responded by promising a future for Jerusalem in which, “My towns will again overflow with prosperity” (v. 17). This promise looks forward to the time when the Messiah Jesus will return and rule from Jerusalem (Jer. 31:38–40; Isa. 60:4–9). The call to believers today is the same as it was to Israel, “Come near to God and he will come near to you” (James 4:8).Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It would have been easy for the apostle Paul to get discouraged. He had worked so hard to share the gospel and plant churches. Yet he was regularly imprisoned, the churches he founded were bickering and embracing false teaching, and his own people accused him of defiling the Temple (Acts 21:28). But despite all the hardships, Paul stayed focused on his mission. While sitting in a jail cell, he wrote to the Philippian church: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13–14). It is this perspective rooted in a future hope that the Lord instilled in Haggai’s final prophetic message. The Lord encouraged Zerubbabel to reflect on the day of the Lord, when God would come to judge the earth (vv. 21–22). At that time, nations would not be saved because of their military might but because of their relationship with the Lord. The book ends with a particular promise to Zerubbabel. God said, “I will take you, my servant…and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you” (v. 23). A signet ring is a marker of identity. If a king sealed a document with his ring, it demonstrated that the document belonged to and came from the king. What is God saying here? Is He talking about Zerubbabel or a future figure? Since the overall context relates to the final judgment, it is best to understand that this verse points forward to a future Davidic king. Zerubbabel represents a future Messiah who would fulfill the Davidic covenant. God’s promises to restore Israel would be ultimately fulfilled in Jesus, Lord of the nations (Rev. 7:9). Today we can express this hope by praying, “Come, Lord” (1 Cor. 16:22).Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine a husband who every Friday night brought home a bouquet of flowers and a card expressing his love to his wife. The rest of the week, however, he was inattentive, rude, and uncaring. It would not take long before the flowers and card would feel empty and hollow. Haggai 2:10–19 provides us with the third message the Lord gave the prophet to deliver to the people. Here God asks the priest a question that may seem a bit strange to us. The question is: If someone took a piece of meat that had been made holy by sacrifice and then touched some bread or stew with it, would those items also become holy? The answer is quite clear according to the Law, “No” (v. 12). But what if someone was ceremonially unclean because they touched a dead body. If they touched something, does it become defiled? The answer is equally clear, “Yes” (v. 13). The Law treats ceremonial holiness and uncleanness like health and sickness. You can catch sickness by being around a sick person, but you can’t catch health by being around a healthy person. God then makes His point. In the same way that uncleanness is contagious, the people’s worship had been corrupted. They had been going through the motions of worship and sacrifice, but their hearts were far from God (v. 14). Their spiritual condition was manifested in their neglect of the Temple (v. 15). God cares deeply about our motives in worship. Our praise and worship does not mean much if it comes from a heart full of greed, selfish ambition, or pride. As the apostle Paul reminds us, “Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Rom. 12:1).Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At a church I once pastored, people often talked about the glory days. A decade earlier, the church had been bursting at the seams. There were multiple services, a variety of programs, and lots of energy. But then the church split, not just once, but twice. The church was now a quarter of the size it had been. Some members had trouble not comparing everything the church was currently doing with the glory days of their past. It had been a month since Haggai’s last message. Work on the Temple had begun. Volunteers were clearing the rubble and laying the foundation. Haggai 2 begins on the last full day of the Feast of Booths. Perhaps some older members of the community had been comparing the current Temple with the glory of Solomon’s Temple (v. 3). Solomon had paid skilled workers from other countries and paneled the inside of the building in gold. This new work might have looked small and pathetic in comparison. The problem with nostalgia is that it can make you miss what God is doing in the present. When we remember the glory days, our memories tend to make them out as better than they actually were. Idolatry at the former Temple was part of the reason Israel ended up in exile. The Lord wanted to direct the people’s attention to the opportunity before them. The Lord promised, “I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory” (v. 7). The Lord will be with his people. The Temple will be a place that all nations will stream to. It will be a place of true peace (v. 9).Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When I was a young pastor, an older member of our congregation took me aside to give me some advice on preaching. My initial response was to feel defensive. But by God’s grace, I held my tongue and listened. He helped me to notice that I had some habits that needed to change. He said, “You always walk to the left and look at that side of the sanctuary. We feel a bit left out on the other side.” I had no idea. I probably walked to the left because I’m left-handed. I put in my notes to walk both ways until it became a habit. In the first chapter of Haggai, the Lord had brought some significant criticism upon Israel and its leadership. He charged Israel with selfishness. They had been prioritizing their own needs and neglecting the house of the Lord. How would Israel respond? It might have been tempting to be defensive. Thankfully, Israel responded in just the right way, “the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the message of the prophet Haggai” (v. 12). They were able to look honestly at their past behavior and repent. They had a heart that feared the Lord (v. 12). In response, God promised that He would help them complete the difficult and demanding work He had called them to (v. 13). God would empower the people to obey His commands. Work on the Temple was restarted (v. 14). The Lord has given the church a job that often seems difficult and demanding—to make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19). Yet, God has not left us to our own efforts. The Lord Jesus promised, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). God is with you today as you seek to live for Him.Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever had a difficult job to do, but it was hard to get started? Maybe the project seemed so daunting you weren’t even sure where to start. It is easy to come up with reasons to delay. But as evangelist Billy Sunday once quipped, an excuse is “the skin of a reason stuffed with a lie.” The book of Haggai records four messages the Lord gave between August and December of 520 BC. Twenty years earlier, the Lord had worked a miracle. The Jewish people had been allowed to return from their exile in Babylon and were commissioned to rebuild the Temple (Ezra 1:1–4). Shortly after, they faced vigorous opposition from their neighbors, the Samaritans (Ezra 4:1–24). The work of rebuilding the Temple was put on hold. Twenty years later the Temple mount was still in ruins. The work had never been restarted. The book of Haggai opens with a word from the Lord, “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the LORD’s house’” (v. 2). God gets right to the heart of the issue. The people were making excuses. From their perspective, it was not the right time to rebuild the Temple. The economy was struggling. People had their own worries. The Lord saw their apathy as a sign of their spiritual condition. They have found time to make lovely paneled houses for themselves (v.4). So why was the house of God in ruins? It was ultimately an issue of the heart. It is not just ancient Israel that struggled with these issues. The apostle Paul lamented, “For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 2:21). God does not want our leftovers. He wants all of us. Our relationship with Him should be our first priority.Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As many letters of the New Testament, Jude’s letter ends with a doxology, an expression of praise to God. Jude’s doxology begins by addressing God directly: “To him” (v. 24). He praises “the only God our Savior” (v. 25). God is the focus, the center, and the purpose in this doxology, and in our lives. After warning of the many threats that had grown up within the church and would increase in the last days, Jude ends by reminding us that God can keep us from “stumbling” (v. 24)! Jude’s words remind us of Hebrews 12:1,“Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” As believers, we can run with the end as our focus, assured that God will keep our feet steady and enable us to reach the finish line. We can finish “without fault” based not on our own effort but on the perfection bought by Christ’s sacrifice. Verse 25 shifts our focus to the greatness of our God, His “glory, majesty, power and authority.” We serve a God who was “before all ages” and will exist “forevermore.” When we read the book of Revelation, we are amazed by the majesty of God and the Lamb (Jesus). Revelation 4 states that the four living creatures day and night never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come” (Rev. 4:8). Later, 24 elders fall down before Him and say, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being” (Rev. 4:11). What an awe-inspiring God we serve!Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When I was a child, whenever I left for school, my mom would give me a list of things to remember. Remember to look both ways before you cross the street. Remember to listen to the teacher. As Jude draws his letter to a close, he gives his readers some serious things to remember, things the apostles of Jesus Christ had told them. Jude’s “remember” resembles the words of Peter: “I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles (2 Peter 3:2). What did they need to remember? Jude was warning about the last times (which is our present age) when scoffers will follow their own desires. They will try to divide the people of God. They will follow their own instincts and be devoid of the Spirit of God (v. 18). John, the apostle, gave a similar warning: “Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come” (1 John 2:18). He continues, “Many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God” (1 John 4:1–3). Peter echoes his words as well, “In the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires” (2 Peter 3:3). We must remember the warnings given by the apostles about antichrists, false prophets, and scoffers. At the same time, we should build ourselves up in the faith for which we are contending, pray for one another, and keep ourselves in God’s love as we wait on the Lord (vv. 20–21).Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you heard the story of Enoch? Enoch’s relationship with God was so incredible that the Bible doesn’t record him dying. Scripture tells us that “Enoch lived a total of 365 years. Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away” (Gen. 5:23–24). After seeing so many examples of disobedience in the book of Jude, we may be surprised to read Enoch’s name. After all, Enoch had led such an exemplary life that God took him directly to heaven. But as Jude continues to describe false prophets and teachers, he also details exactly what their end will be through a prophecy given by Enoch. Although we don’t have the chapter and verse account in Scripture, Jude asserts that this godly man, Enoch, prophesied about these ungodly individuals. Enoch stated, “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him” (vv. 14–15). Not only were they ungodly but they spoke rebellious words against God Himself. Jesus told His disciples, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matt. 7:15–16). Their rotten fruit consists of being grumblers. They are never happy. They nitpick everything that is not initiated by them. They follow their own evil desires. They are egotistical and flatter to get their way. As followers of Christ, we are to be known by the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal. 5:22–23). Oh, that we might be faithful to the Lord, like Enoch!Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A metaphor is a direct comparison between two objects. You might say, for example: He is a night owl! We know the man is not an actual owl; he only acts like one, staying awake when everyone else is asleep. In verses 12 and 13, Jude uses metaphors to describe a group of ungodly people who have infiltrated the local church. They are causing harm within the community of believers. First, he calls these people blemishes or “spots” at their love feasts (v. 12). These love feasts were gatherings of the local church to share a meal centered around the Lord’s Supper. This feast was for believers, not these impostors. They were shepherds who feed only themselves. They were self-centered and self-serving leaders who wanted to consume the flock. Jude says these individuals are “clouds without rain, blown along by the wind” (v. 12). They promise great things but don’t deliver. These types of people move on to the next ministry after they have consumed enough and before it’s time to deliver on their empty promises. They are “autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead” (v. 12). Fruit trees are expected to bear fruit during the harvest season. But in this instance harvest comes and goes, with no produce to be enjoyed. In fact, not only do the trees not produce, but their roots have been upended; they are twice dead. “They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame” (v. 13). These individuals are accountable to no one, with their shameless deeds on display for all to see. “They are wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness of eternal punishment is promised” (v. 13). They are “false prophets” who misuse and manipulate people to gain what they want. There is no fear of God in their hearts.Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In every community there are bad examples, people whose stories serve as a warning of “what not to do.” In the book of Jude, the author identifies three people from the Old Testament whose bad choices characterize the false teachers that had infiltrated the early church. Jude begins, “Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain” (v. 11). What is the “way of Cain?” Some think it is a spirit of murder. But while Cain did murder his brother Abel, it was the result of the “way” he had chosen. Cain envied his brother and rejected God’s counsel (Gen. 4:3–7). As a result of that envy, he murdered his brother and refused to submit to God’s instruction. Second, Jude mentions “Balaam’s error.” In the book of Numbers, Balak, the king of Moab had requested that a non-Israelite prophet named Balaam curse Israel (Num. 22:4–7). Directed by God, Balaam was not allowed to do so. However, Balaam did try to hinder God’s program by directing Moabite women to seduce the men of Israel (25:1; 31:15–16). He partially obeyed God but worked the system to obtain a profit and hinder God’s purpose. Finally, Jude lists the rebellion of Korah. In Numbers 16, Korah led a group of leaders against Moses and Aaron. He stated to Moses and Aaron: “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD’S assembly?” (Num. 16:3). Korah refused to submit to godly authority, and he and his family paid with their lives. What do all three of these people have in common? They all turned from God and pursued their own self- interest. They were judged by God for their disobedience. Jude issues a stern warning that we must learn from their mistakes and obey God wholeheartedly.Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We live in a cynical world. It seems the way to gain credibility is to be critical of others’ ideas. By tearing people down, we try to build up ourselves. Unfortunately, this disposition has worked its way into the church. This is not something new. In Jude’s day, false teachers were quick to belittle the authority of those in leadership and attacked the character of those appointed by God. However, this slander was not limited to humans but also to “celestial beings” (v. 8). Jude says that “these people slander whatever they do not understand” (v. 10). They were clueless and ignorant of the authority given by God to certain individuals (human and celestial). In verse 9, Jude refers to a dispute about the body of Moses. It is helpful to look at Deuteronomy 34, where we read about the end of Moses’ life. God had prohibited Moses from entering the Promised Land, but He graciously allowed him to see it from Mt. Nebo. Moses died, and “He buried him in Moab…but to this day no one knows where his grave is” (Deut. 34:6). One interesting thing about this epitaph is the phrase “He buried him in Moab.” The pronoun “He” seems to refer to God. Is it possible that God appeared as He did with Abraham (Gen. 18–19) and buried Moses Himself? Could this unique burial be the reason for the dispute between the archangel Michael and the devil (Jude 1:9)? In that dialogue, Michael, without slander, refuted the devil by stating, “The Lord rebuke you!” (v. 9). The cynics in Jude’s day had the arrogance and audacity to slander celestial beings, when even Michael (the archangel) would not slander Satan. As believers, let us live with a spirit of humility. At the same time, look out for those who have a spirit of arrogance and cynicism. Humility and cynicism cannot occupy the same space.Donate to Today in the Word: https://give.todayintheword.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.