1Hear this word that Yahweh has spoken against you, children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up out of the land of Egypt, saying:
2“I have only chosen you of all the families of the earth.
Therefore I will punish you for all of your sins.”
3Do two walk together,
unless they have agreed?
4Will a lion roar in the thicket,
when he has no prey?
Does a young lion cry out of his den,
if he has caught nothing?
5Can a bird fall in a trap on the earth,
where no snare is set for him?
Does a snare spring up from the ground,
when there is nothing to catch?
6Does the trumpet alarm sound in a city,
without the people being afraid?
Does evil happen to a city,
and Yahweh hasn’t done it?
7Surely the Lord Yahweh will do nothing,
unless he reveals his secret to his servants the prophets.
8The lion has roared.
Who will not fear?
The Lord Yahweh has spoken.
Who can but prophesy?
9Proclaim in the palaces at Ashdod,
and in the palaces in the land of Egypt,
and say, “Assemble yourselves on the mountains of Samaria,
and see what unrest is in her,
and what oppression is among them.”
10“Indeed they don’t know to do right,” says Yahweh,
“Who hoard plunder and loot in their palaces.”
11Therefore the Lord Yahweh says:
“An adversary will overrun the land;
and he will pull down your strongholds,
and your fortresses will be plundered.”
12Yahweh says:
“As the shepherd rescues out of the mouth of the lion two legs,
or a piece of an ear,
so shall the children of Israel be rescued who sit in Samaria on the corner of a couch,
and on the silken cushions of a bed.”
13“Listen, and testify against the house of Jacob,” says the Lord Yahweh, the God of Armies.
14“For in the day that I visit the transgressions of Israel on him,
I will also visit the altars of Bethel;
and the horns of the altar will be cut off,
and fall to the ground.
15I will strike the winter house with the summer house;
and the houses of ivory will perish,
and the great houses will have an end,”
says Yahweh.
In verse 1 we are immediately introduced to an interesting self-description of the half-brother of James. Jude first describes himself as a “bondservant” or “slave.” The word “slave” or “servant” (Greek word, “doulos”) is used literally and figuratively in Scripture. Literally, “slave” refers to a person of servile condition. Metaphorically, “slave” describes a person who has surrendered himself to another’s will. Why use this title if he is James’ brother and the half-brother of Jesus Christ? For one, there is no spiritual benefit for being physically related to Jesus’ family. Some may contend Jude used this title as “self-punishment” for his earlier rejection of Jesus as the Messiah (cf. Acts 1:12-14). With the subsequent revelation that Jesus is the Messiah, Jude describes himself as a “slave” or “servant” of Jesus Christ. On the other hand, if one considers what it means to be a “slave” to God from a Hebrew mindset, then Jude was not describing himself as one filled with remorse. Great men of the Hebrew Scriptures are described as God’s “servants”: Moses (Deut 34:5; Joshua 14:7), Elijah (2 Kings 10:10), David (Psalms 89:3 cf. 2 Samuel 7:5-8), and the prophets (Jer 44:4; Amos 3:7). This concept extends beyond Israel’s leaders to the nation itself. Isaiah 41:8-9 and 44:1-5 record that Israel, the nation, received the privilege from God to be His “servant,” called to testify to God’s greatness before all the nations of the earth. Lastly, in Isaiah 42:1-4, even the Messiah is described as the “Servant of the Lord” (cf. Matthew 12:17-21). Therefore, being God’s “servant” is an honor and a responsibility (cf. Mark 8:34). For the Christian, slavery is best expressed by means of inward conformity and outward obedience to God as beautifully expressed in the phrase, “Not I, but Christ.”