QT 22 Apr 19, Jude 12-13, False teachers are worthless! Watch out!

Jude 12–13 (ESV) — 12 These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever.

NOTE: Jude 13 continues the description of the false teachers in the church. They are called wild waves of the sea casting up the foam of their own shame. On many beaches, garbage comes up onto the beach because of the waves and tide. It was true back then as well, although maybe a little less of the man-made garbage, but certainly there was some. For all the magnificence of the waves, garbage is the result as they recede. That is the value of false teacher, they leave garbage in their wake (pun intended).

Wandering stars are the planets which would not have been clearly known in Jude's time. These "stars" appear to wonder from one constellation to another. The constellations were important because this was how the ancients identified groups of stars. This information was useful for navigation and also determining the seasons. But "wandering" stars just confused the constellations and made things more difficult. Plus, since they didn't hold their position, there was no information to be gained by their location or appearance in the skies. They seemed useless.

Finally, these false teachers are not true believers, They will spend eternity in the gloom of utter darkness. They are probably church members and do-gooders, but Jesus will say to them, "away from me, I never knew you."

PRAYER: Father, help us to identify false teachers. Keep us away from their teaching. Judge them for their sin. And open their eyes that may see that they do not know Jesus in the hope that they still may repent before it is too late.