Lessons From The Old Testament Series

Tonight, we are going to take only one verse out of Jude. He makes reference to three events in the OT that I want to make sure you understand those events and how they relate to what he is teaching in this epistle. Please turn to Jude 1:11

Woe to them!

The them Jude refers to are the false teachers who have gotten into the church.

Woe! Is a statement of warning and judgment. Most translations use woe, but the NLT said “What sorrow awaits them!” and the International Standard Version says “How terrible it will be for them!”

They have taken the way of Cain;

The different translations word the phrase a little differently:

• NLT - For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother.

• KJV - for they have gone in the way of Cain

• ESV - For they walked in the way of Cain

The word “way” refers more to his kind of thinking and deciding.

Those with the KJV have “have gone” or NIV follow or ESV walked – to set out or go on a journey metaphorically.

Cain’s story is told in Genesis 4:5-8. Please turn there.

Cain was the first-born son of Adam and Eve. The Bible tells us both Cain and his brother Abel brought gifts to the altar. God accepted Abel’s gift but rejected Cain’s gift. The various translations have:

• KJV – looked with respect

• ESV – looked with regard

• NIV – looked with favor

• NLT – accepted

It is essential we understand why?

Verses 3 and 4 tells us what they brought as their offerings:

3In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD.

4And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering

You tell me what did Cain bring? “Some of the fruits of the soil”

What did Abel bring? “Fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock”.

The issue is twofold:

1. Type of offering

The type Cain brought was fruits of the soil when what God wanted was a blood sacrifice such as He had done when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. God killed an animal to use it skin to cover their naked bodies.

2. Quality of the offering

Look closely at the wording and you will see Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil compared to Abel’s firstborn of his flock. The phrase “fat portions” is another way of saying “the biggest and fattest lamb in the flock”. The best he had.

What does the “way of Cain” mean? The way of Cain is do it my way instead of God’s way. Cain rebelled against God’s authority in salvation and refused to bring a blood sacrifice to the altar. Hebrews 11:4 informs us Abel’s offering was “more excellent” than Cain’s. Abel’s faith motivated him to give more of himself in worship than Cain did. It is not a comparison, but each is reflective of two kinds of worshipers.

Cain killed his brother Abel rather than offer God the right kind of sacrifice.

Dr. John MacArthur said it this way: This presupposes that they had been told what to bring. He knew God required a blood sacrifice. But he wasn't interested in the way of God, he was only interested in the way of Cain. He rejected the way of God. He did what he wanted in the name of worship. He had a self-styled worship. He invented his own worship. He rejected revelation and followed his own desire and his own intuition. He had his own ideas. He defied the Word of God. He was disobedient, in a word, and the character of his heart which led him to disobedience is manifest in his anger, in his sullenness and in his immoral act by which he murdered his own brother. He is immoral. He is insubordinate. And he is irreverent. He is a model of an apostate mentality.

The false teachers in the church are doing the same kinds of things Cain did. Instead of teaching the blood sacrifice of Jesus, they are telling people to earn their salvation by good works.

they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error;

The different translations word it differently:

• NLT – Like Balaam, they deceive people for money

• KJV - and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward,

• ESV - abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error

Link key words together:

NIV - Rushed for profit

KJV - Ran greedily for reward

ESV - Abandoned for the sake of gain

At first, I was surprised at the use of the word abandoned. Usually I can see the similarity in the words from the different translations. Later, a phrase I have heard used in sports describing a player who was fearless, not concerned if he might get injured, he played with reckless abandon.