Chapter 46
Dear Heavenly Father, Almighty God,
We come to You in the Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Father we ask You to please bless this study and open our minds so we can understand what You are teaching us. Help us, oh God, to live our lives in a manner worthy of the high calling we have in Christ Jesus.
Amen
We begin this study by reading,
[24] Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; [25] but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. [26] But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. [27] So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ [28] He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ [29] But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. [30] Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
Jesus’ explanation of this parable is recorded in,
[36] Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” [37] He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. [38] The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. [39] The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. [40] Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. [41] The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, [42] and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. [43] Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
This raises the question of;
WHO ARE THE TARES?
The answer is in the letter by Jude and the second letter by Peter.
With this in mind we begin our study with,
Jude1: 1-4
[1] Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: [2] Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.[3] Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. [4] For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us notice the following verses,
1-3a … Jude’s letter was written to those who were sanctified by God and preserved in Jesus Christ.
3b … We are to earnestly maintain or struggle for the true faith in Christ.
4 … To identify the men who were and now are tares, we begin with,
2 Peter 2:1-3
[1] But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. [2] And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. [3] By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.
Let us notice the following verse,
1 … These false prophets and teachers (the tares) will be among us (the born-again believers or the wheat).
3 … As recorded in the “Amplified Bible”, they will try to exploit us with false arguments and twisted doctrine.
We return to Jude and read the warning from,
Jude 1:5
[5] But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.
To expand upon this let us read from,
1 Corinthians 10:1-12
[1] Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, [2] all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, [3] all ate the same spiritual food, [4] and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. [5] But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. [6] Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. [7] And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” [8] Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; [9] nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; [10] nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. [11] Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. [12] Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
Let us pay particular attention to the following verse,
12 … “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”
To learn more about the tares, let us now read about,
THE FALLEN ANGELS
Jude 1:6
[6] And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;
This verse raises the question as to; “What is the Scripture referring to?” To address this question we begin by reading from,
Genesis 6:1-4
[1] Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, [2] that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. [3] And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” [4] There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
The question now arises as to; “Who were these sons of God?” To find out we go to the “Amplified Bible” and read from,
Job 1:6
[6] Now there was a day when the sons of God (angels) came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan (adversary accuser) also came among them.
With the above background let us read what Peter wrote about this incident,
2 Peter 2:4
[4] … God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;
To see how the above background relates to the tares we go to,
Jude 1:7
[7] As Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
To further expand upon this type of sinful activity, we go to,
Romans 1:18-25
[18] For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, [19] because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. [20] For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, [21] because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. [22] Professing to be wise, they became fools, [23] and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. [24] Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, [25] who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Let us notice the following verses,
19-20b … By the things He made within His creation and the world we live in, God has revealed to us His invisible attributes.
20c … There is no excuse for those who do not believe that God exists.
22-23 … Instead of worshipping God, many made idols or images of what He created and worshipped them, not God.
24-25 … As a result, God gave them up to their own lusts.
To expand upon this consequence, we go to,
Romans 1:26-32
[26] For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. [27] Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. [28] And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; [29] being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, [30] backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, [31] undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; [32] who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
The ultimate fate for this particular characteristic of the tares is given in,
2 Peter 2:6-9
[6] and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; [7] and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked [8] (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)-[9] then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,
Let us notice the following verses,
6 … The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was an example of the consequences for those who would live ungodly lives.
9 … As God saved Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; He will do the same for those of us who remain faithful to Him and His ways.
To continue our reading about the characteristics of the tares we go to,
Jude 1:8-10
[8] Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. [9] Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” [10] But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.
The question arises as to; “Who are these dignitaries?” The answer is embedded within,
Ephesians 6:10-12
[10] … my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. [11] Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. [12] For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
To clarify this, we go to the following footnote from “The Amplified Bible”,
The point is if the archangel Michael had such respect for Satan’s power, then mere humans are extremely foolish to insult or show disrespect to angelic beings. This does not mean that true born-again believers cannot or should not engage in spiritual warfare with satanic forces; quite the contrary. However, we should not underestimate their power and follow Michael’s example.
Moving on to additional characteristics of the tares we go to,
Jude 1:11
[11] Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
The first example of the three examples identified above is,
THE EXAMPLE OF CAIN
To read it we go to,
Genesis 4:1-5
[1] Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” [2] Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. [3] And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. [4] Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, [5] but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
Let us notice the following verses,
3 … Cain brought an offering to God from the fruit of the ground. Let us remember one of the consequences of Adam and Eve’s fall was that God had cursed the ground. Thus, Cain brought to God the fruit from the labor he did from a cursed ground.
4 … Abel brought to God a sheep which implied a life for his life. Thus, it was a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ.
5 … God did not respect/accept accept Cain’s offering. It is the same for us. Specifically, if instead of relying upon Jesus’ sacrifice for our salvation, we, with our sinful nature, try to please God with our good work, then, we along with our works, also will not be respected by God. Another way to see this is by reading,
Galatians2:20-21
[20] I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. [21] I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
The second example given in verse 11 is,
THE ERROR OF BALAAM
To gain some insight as to his error we go to,
2 Peter 2:15-16
[15] They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; [16] but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.
Let us notice the following verse,
15 … The wages of unrighteousness was his love for money and praise from King Balak.
To see how this relates to today’s Christian environment we read Paul’s advice in,
Philippians 3:17-19
[17] Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. [18] For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: [19] whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.
Let us notice the following verses,
18-19 … As Balaam, these false prophets and teachers love money and the praise from men.
The third example given in verse 11 is,
THE REBELLON OF KORAH
The error of Korah is summarized in,
Numbers 16:8-10
[8] Then Moses said to Korah, “Hear now, you sons of Levi: [9] Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to serve them; [10] and that He has brought you near to Himself, you and all your brethren, the sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking the priesthood also?
Let us notice the following verse,
9-11 … God set apart the sons of Levi to maintain the Temple and serve the Israelites. However, they were not set apart to be priests. The priesthood was reserved for Aaron and his descendents.
The consequence of their disobedience and selfish ambition is recorded in,
Numbers 16:28-33
[28] And Moses said: “By this you shall know that the Lord has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will. [29] If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then the Lord has not sent me. [30] But if the Lord creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the Lord.” [31] Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, [32] and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods. [33] So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly.
This illustrates the end result for those who do their own will rather than God’s, which means lawlessness. To read what Jesus said about this we go to,
Matthew 7:21-23
[21] “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. [22] Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ [23] And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
To read more characteristics of the tares we go to,
Jude 1:12-13
[12] These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; [13] raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.
Let us notice the following verses,
12a … The love feast refers to the periodic communal dinner/supper of the early church. After the dinner, they celebrated the Lord’s Supper.
12b … These false prophets/teachers, without fear, participated in these feasts, including the Lord’s Supper.
SUMMARY
To summarize all we have covered we go to,
Jude 1:14-15
[14] Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, [15] to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”
Before we close this study, let us read,
AN EXHORATION FOR YOU AND ME
To do this we go to,
2 Peter 3:10-18a
[10] … the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. [11] Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, [12] looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? [13] Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.[14] Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; [15] and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, [16] as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. [17] You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; [18a] but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
CLOSING
Let us close this study by prayerfully reading the following words of praise to God our Savior.
Jude 1:24-25
[24] Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
[25] To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen and Amen