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Daily Devotions

Jude

Jude 
Day 
Day 11

"Michael the archangel..."

Text: Jude 9

A COMPLEX TEXT

One of the more challenging things to study and to understand are citations from “extra-Biblical” sources. Jude cited an extra-Biblical source in the following text.

“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!'”

Jude 9

1. The extra-Biblical source

a) We are unable to determine where Jude obtained this source of information.
b) Thus we are unable to examine the original source for ourselves.

2. The implications

a) This does not mean that there is no value in citing extra-Biblical sources.
b) We have to fall back on other means to determine the value of such quotations.

3. The value

a) We will have to trust Jude’s reason for citing this extra-Biblical source.
b) We have to determine the point of why he cited this extra-Biblical source.

4. “Yet Michael the archangel”

a) He was mentioned in Daniel 10:13 as the angel who appeared to Daniel.
b) He is depicted as a mighty angel who had charge over Israel.

5. “In contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses”

a) This was the content of Jude’s extra-Biblical quotation.
b) There was a dispute between Michael and the Devil concerning the body of Moses.
c) Why there was this contention we are not informed.
d) How this dispute was finally resolved we are not informed either.
e) It is possible that God had sent Michael to dispose of the body of Moses.
i) To honour Moses at his death.
ii) To ensure that his body was not venerated as worthy of worship.
f) In any case, the devil disputed with Michael.

6. “The Lord rebuke you”

Michael’s response was to use the name of the Lord to rebuke the Devil. He did not deem it wise to use reviling accusations against the devil. This approach was cited as truly exemplary!