Evil Men Reject God’s Authority - Jude

 Jude 1:8-9 (ESV)

Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”

How we respond to evil can make us look exactly like the evil we are responding to, or it can show that we are different than that evil.   The book of Jude is small little book. The authors wanted to write to the church about their “common salvation” (vs 3).   But, instead he wanted to warn the church about false teachers who were acting in rebellion toward church leadership and toward Christ’s commands.  This is how he both describes them and, subsequently, makes an argument for his powerful letter:

Jude 1:4 (ESV)

For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

These false leaders have become, as stated above, people who “rely on dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority and blaspheme the glorious ones.”    The point Jude is making is that these false teachers have no respect for authority, or chains-of-command.   These are dangerous people to the Body of Christ.  Their rejection of authority and failure to honor what God honors can destroy the Church.   The comment that they “blaspheme the glorious ones,” is a reference that not only do they reject the human authority of the church, but the also reject the work God in the church through angelic hosts.   To put it simply:   They reject all authority that represents God.  To explain further, Jude gives the example of the actions of Michael (God’s highest “glorious one”) at the time of Moses’ death.   There are no other Old Testament references that Michale and the Devil had a fight about Moses body, after his death.  So, this is a new revelation from the Spirit.  To explain it might be that since Moses did murder an Egyptian, Satan was trying to lay hold of Moses’ body, claiming Moses as wicked.   Yet, God’s blood (at the Passover) cleansed Moses.  Or, it could be that Satan wanted to turn Moses’ corpse and burial site into a place for Israel to set up a false worship system around it.  We have no idea why Satan wanted the body of Moses but we do know Michael’s response.   Michael, God’s most powerful and favored angel, did not use that privilege, or any power, against Satan (God’s move fallen, evil and despised angel).   All Michael did is say, “The Lord rebuke you.”   The point Jude is making is that our privilege in Christ does not give us permission to become our own judge and jury and authority.    These false teachers were not submissive to Christ, or His church, or church leadership.  That is Jude’s point.  Jude is say that even Michael, who had power and privileges to act upon Christ’s behalf, did not use that authority, but submitted to the Lord by calling on the Lord to rebuke Satan.   How we respond to authority and evil situations shows as much about our character as those who are evil.   Jude will go on to mention Cain, Balaam and Koran as examples of those who responded in an evil way toward authority.   Our submissions to the authority and power of Christ reveals a heart that is submissive to Christ.   How we respond to evil tells us if we are like evil or we are submissive to the power of Christ over evil.