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An aspect of my biblical training is online audio bible. The smaller books, as example, can be listened to again and again in one sitting, or while I am working out.
This section from Jude has impacted me:
Jude 1:5
Jude 5 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
5 Now I desire to remind you, though you know all things once for all, that [a]the Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, [b]subsequently destroyed those who did not believe.
Footnotes:
Jude 1:5 Two early mss read Jesus
Jude 1:5 Lit the second time
Jude 5 English Standard Version (ESV)
5 Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved[a] a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.
Footnotes:
Jude 1:5 Some manuscripts although you fully knew it, that the Lord who once saved
Jude 5 King James Version (KJV)
5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.
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From these three Biblical versions, it is Scripturally documented that among those that were brought out of the land of Egypt, some were destroyed because of lack of belief.
Within Jude, this Exodus group without belief is compared to fallen angels (6) and Sodom and Gomorrah (7), and therefore it can be reasoned that all three groups mentioned did not have a belief, trust and faith in God as revealed in the Hebrew Bible. This God, further revealed as triune in the New Testament. This would not be merely an intellectual belief in God, which fallen angels would posses having experienced God in a supernatural context. Strong documenting that belief here as written is tied to faith, to entrust, to trust. (77).
Although the Jude text is in a sense commenting on the older Exodus text, it is also provided in light of progressive revelation and therefore can be taken as Scripturally authoritative in this non-exhaustive article context. I do acknowledge the original Hebrew Bible revelation and for example, Exodus 32 and the 'molten calf' (NASB) episode where a significant lack of belief was demonstrated by the people of the Exodus, however, again this article is intentionally short and not-exhaustive.
From
Bible Hub
'Strong's Concordance pisteuó: to believe, entrust
Original Word: πιστεύω
Part of Speech:
Verb Transliteration: pisteuó
Phonetic Spelling: (pist-yoo'-o)
Short Definition: I believe, have faith in Definition: I believe, have faith in, trust in; pass: I am entrusted with.'
'...James 2:19; acknowledgment joined to appropriate trust, absolutely, Jude 1:5; εἰς Θεόν, John 12:44; John 14:1; equivalent to to believe and embrace what God has made known either through Christ or concerning Christ: τῷ Θεῷ,'
David F. Payne explains from Jude 1: 5 that these people were 'guilty of presumption, lack of faith, or gross immortality and they had all paid the dreadful penalty.'
In New Testament terms, the unbelieving people of the Exodus are grouped with fallen angels and those from Sodom and Gomorrah. These are those that do not believe in the Lord with trusting faith.
Yesterday, I received via email a non-exhaustive theological opine that mentioned the Israelites in the Exodus context. Christians were warned against the dangers of complaining against God as it is (paraphrased) a very serious sin, a great sin. The concept I gathered, being that God meets the needs of his people and therefore not to complain because real needs will always be met. It was stated (paraphrased) that our supposed 'needs' are often 'greeds'.
In the past a pastor at the church I attend has stated that many times our supposed needs while suffering are 'felt needs'.
I can agree that at times supposed needs can be 'greeds' and 'felt needs'. This is often true in a materialistic Western culture.
However, when I connected the written theological opine with my online audio learning, based on the Jude text, it was clear that unbelieving people of the Exodus were not destroyed by God for complaining about supposed unmet needs. To be clear, the email opine did not deal directly with the Jude text.
Therefore:
I can acknowledge that complaining to and against God can be a serious and great sin. But, in light of my significant, theodicy, problem of evil and problem of suffering research and analysis, I reason that God is infinite, holy and the only being that exists by necessity. His will is always prioritized over human needs, both real and unreal needs. Unreal needs could be defined as wants.
There are real human unmet needs within the problem of suffering, such as blind persons that cannot see and starving children in Africa that do not have sufficient food and drink. Some of these persons are Christians and/or belong to Christian families and therefore could be defined as God's people from a New Testament perspective. At the same time acknowledging God is the creator of all persons and his Hebrew Bible relationship with the people of Israel.
PAYNE DAVID F. (1986) 'Jude' in F.F. Bruce (ed.), The International Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.
STRONG, J. (1890)(1986) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Pickering, Ontario, Welch Publishing Company.
