1:9
In this verse Jude is referring to a tale from the Assumption of Moses, a non-Biblical source. He is not affirming this source, just using it to illustrate a point. The tale was that when Moses died the archangel Michael went to get Moses’ body. Satan argued that he had authority over the body. Instead of insulting the devil, Michael simply said “the Lord rebuke you”. Now why does Jude raise this point? The false teachers were very full of themselves, and perhaps delighted in pouring abuse on angels and demons, think they were being very clever. Jude warns that far from being clever, they are being stupid.
1:10
The false teachers claimed to be clever, but were actually fools. They slandered what they do not understand, ie they actually knew very little about angels and demons. The things they actually did understand were only their own fleshly desires. They followed their desires just as animals live by instinct. In the end doing this would lead to their destruction. We have a very similar situation today. The concept of self-control in matters of sexual morality is given very little weight by the so-called experts. They think that because someone has a desire for something then it must be good to fulfil that desire. In doing so they reduce humans to level of animals. But we are not animals, we are made in the image of God. An animal is guided by its natural instincts, we should be guided by the Spirit, by the word of God. We are to have self-control. Secularism, humanism and atheism are all actually demeaning to human beings.
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