Jude 5
[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.”
Jude reminds us of something that we already know. We can read in the Old Testament how God brought His people out of Egypt and saved them from a life of bondage. You would think that no one would ever forget the miracle of the crossing of the Red Sea. How could anyone ever live in unbelief after seeing the power of God on that day? All the Israelites that crossed over witnessed God’s deliverance but not all trusted in His deliverance. That is how apostasy begins in the heart of an individual. They reject the light and choose not to believe.
There are those who do not believe because they have never heard or seen the mighty works of God. However, there are others who have chosen to reject the things that they have heard and seen. They deny the truth of God, and turn it into a lie. To discard the light of God’s Word is a serious thing. It’s one thing to sin without knowledge, but to sin against the Word can bring swift destruction.
Jude is teaching us in this verse that privilege brings responsibility, and God cannot overlook the sins of His people. Anyone who chooses to walk in unbelief or follow false teachings will end up in destruction, because unbelief leads to corruption. When a person chooses not to believe the truth, the only thing left is to believe a lie. Jude has given us the first of three Old Testament examples of apostasy. He is reminding us of their corruption and their destruction. In a world full of lies and deceit, I’m thankful that I know the truth, and I’m grateful that I have a solid foundation to stand on.