Three Rash People Series

Jude 1:11-Three Rash People

Jude 1:11: “Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have given themselves up to the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.” (NASB).

Woe unto them! It is an echo of Christ's denunciations in the first three Gospels, whereby the description of these evil-doers takes for the moment a denunciatory form. Woe oracles are a particularly Jewish literary device, almost unheard of in Gentile writings. There are 65 occurrences in the LXX of the Old Testament and 46 in the New Testament, But only once it is used in a Gentile setting (1 Corinthians 9:16) with a very different idea. The term is an exclamation of dismay and is a reaction to bad news, a dangerous situation, or a statement of judgment. It is best to understand this woe oracle as a recognition of a state rather than a pronouncement of a curse.

Jude’s love of threes continues in this section. Three men are brought forward as examples that prove the insurgents’ certain damnation. Each is mentioned in the Old Testament in negative terms and are well-known character to Jude’s Judaean audience.

CAIN was the first human being born naturally, to his parents Adam and Eve, being a farmer who offered vegetables to the Lord (Genesis 4:3). The Lord rejected Cain's offering (Genesis 4:4–5). Cain was the first great criminal, and the first to outrage the laws of nature. Cain was a man of pride, haughtiness, hatred of religion, restlessness, envy that others were more favoured, and a spirit of hatred of the brethren. The apostates followed his manners and the way of envy. He did not offer his body as a living sacrifice. He didn’t offer his whole resources. God wanted humility but Cain was arrogant. He was ingratitude. He didn’t respect authority. He dishonored people.

Cain's ways were absent from the presence of God, and the place of his worship; so, these men separated themselves, and went out from the churches, forsook assembling together with them. The ‘way of Cain’ phrase is the familiar one for a habitual course of conduct (Psalm 1:1, Acts 9:31, 14:16). Cain is supposed to be introduced as the type of murderous envy, of the persecuting spirit, or of those who live by the impulse of nature, regardless of God or man. “Way of Cain” was a way of disobedience. Cain was a professor of "religion" (brought his offering) but his deeds were evil (1Jn 3:12) proving he did not possess saving faith. The “way of Cain” is the way of religion without faith, righteousness based on character and good works. The “way of Cain” is the way of pride, a man establishing his own righteousness and rejecting the righteousness of God that comes through faith in Christ

The rabbis speculate that there was tension between Cain and Abel for a variety of reasons. Cain means “gotten.” Abel means “vanity, vain, meaningless, empty.” For Hebrews the name was associated with character, many rabbis speculated that this vain and empty Abel was trying to undermine Cain and get what belonged to the firstborn. Like the story of Jacob and Esau. Rabbis taught that Cain did not offer to God as per God’s instructions that is Faith's instructions. He also chose “some” of his crop rather than his choice crop (Genesis 4:3-5).

BALAAM was a heathen prophet. Balak, King of Moab, offered rewards to Balaam if he would curse the Exodus community of the Israelites. Though Balaam refused to curse them, he gave evil counsel to Balak to corrupt Israelites through Moabite women (Numbers 22—25). The Greek for "ran greedily" means "they were poured out in streams" and the Greek word for "error" means "deception." It was like a river bursting its banks and running on a rampage, pictures these men as wholeheartedly abandoned to their covetous course of action, without self-restraint pursuing their selfish goal.

Balaam's error was guilty of covetousness, or an immoderate love of money as it is the root of all evil, the bane of religion, and the source of heresy, and what the false teachers were greatly addicted to. The error of Balaam led others into both idolatry and adultery (Revelation 2:14). The main thought connected with the name of Balaam is that of the sin of evil gain through advising for uncleanness, fornication, and adultery. Greedy for gain: 1 Samuel 2:12-17, Isaiah 56:11, Jeremiah 6:13, 8:10, Ezekiel 34:3, Micah 3:11, Philippians 3:2, 3:19, 2 Peter 2:3. Balaam in a sense made the house of God, a house of merchandise.

KORAH was a Levite of the exodus generation who became disgruntled by the fact that only Aaron and his sons could serve as priests before Yahweh (Numbers 16). Korah incited a rebellion among the people so that a large portion of Israel rejected Yahweh’s choice of leadership both religiously (Aaron) and politically (Moses). Korah represents the person of contradiction, or speaking against, controversy, question, strife, contumely, reproach, or rebellion. The idea here seems to be, that they were guilty of insubordination, of possessing a restless and dissatisfied spirit, and of a desire to rule.