“Neither Murmur Ye”

Bulletins

Michael Hickox
12/01/24 - General

Jude 16a: These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts…

Jude 15 references the ungodly who God will execute judgment on. When ungodly people are described in the Bible, words such as proud, worldly, covetous, and dishonest are often used. A word which may not be as commonly used is seen in Jude 16: murmurers.

The generation of Israelites who left Egypt murmured against Moses (and God) when their desires were not met (Exod. 16:7-8; Num. 14:27,36). The inspired apostle Paul warned the church at Corinth not to murmur like these Israelites did (1 Cor. 10:10). The church at Philippi was commanded, “Do all things without murmurings and disputings:” (Phil. 2:14). A consistent mark of the Jews rebuked by Jesus was murmuring against Him (Luke 15:2; 19:7; John 6:41). What is this murmuring, and why is it wrong?

The definition Thayer gives for the word translated “murmurers” in Jude 16 is “a murmurer, one who discontentedly complains (against God)” (G1113). The murmuring condemned by God isn’t putting forth a just complaint to encourage correction, but grumbling discontentedly.

Digging into the murmuring that marked the “exodus” generation of Israelites helps us understand why it can be destructive.

At the beginning of Exodus, the Israelites were in Egyptian bondage and facing oppression. “God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob” (Exod. 2:24).

God showed His faithfulness to that covenant by leading the Israelites out of Egyptian bondage. As the Israelites started their exodus from Egypt, God showed more evidence that He was with them (Exod. 13:21-22; 14:19-30). Despite this, the Israelites time and again distrusted and murmured against God (Exod. 15:24; 16:2; 17:3; Num. 14:2,29).

The murmuring of the Israelites was caused by discontentment, lack of faith, shortsightedness, and ingratitude. These attitudes must be avoided.

This isn’t to say that disappointments never come (cf. Rom. 12:15) or should never be noted (cf. Col. 4:18). It also isn’t to say that negative topics should never be discussed. The inspired apostles spoke of the ugliness of sin (2 Pet. 2:1-6). The purpose of such teaching, though, was to warn against sin (verse 6).

The murmuring condemned by God is different. It serves no good purpose.

The Israelites fell into the trap of murmuring by forgetting God’s promises (Exod. 6:6-8). May we learn from this example, and “Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured...”