Michael The Archangel
Our Bible passage, introduction to Sunday 21st July service and hymns are below.
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Our principal verse is:
Jud 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.
Michael The Archangel
In the New Testament there really is not another epistle quite like Jude’s. Jude draws on Old Testament history, prophecy and imagery to support a strong, impassioned argument against false teachers who have infiltrated and troubled the church from apostolic days. He attaches to these ‘ungodly men’ vivid, illustrative epithets and grimly likens them to notorious characters such as Cain, Balaam and the sons of Korah. He enlists ancient writers such as Enoch and Moses to support his message. Jude’s burden is for the damage being done to the true gospel.
Michael the archangel
In all this, perhaps today’s reference to ‘Michael the archangel’ is the most enigmatic of all Jude’s observations and comments. Michael is not an unusual Bible name – around seven or eight men bear it in scripture. However, Michael the archangel is referred to in only a few places; three times in Daniel, once in Revelation and here in Jude. Michael means ‘one with God’ or ‘who is as God’ and while we cannot be absolutely definitive it seems very likely that Michael the archangel is a heavenly title of the Lord Jesus Christ.
‘The voice of the archangel’
The word archangel is used only twice in scripture, by Jude here and by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:16. There we read, ‘For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel’. We have no reason to assume there are more archangels than one. The word is singular and arch-angel signifies the first, or principal, or prince, of the order of angels. Furthermore, where Michael the archangel is spoken of his role seems to be as guardian and protector of the church, an office which aligns well with the advocate-work of the eternal Word on behalf of His people.
Satan the accuser
Jude relates an incident in which Michael the archangel contended with the devil concerning the body of Moses. Some think this refers to Moses’ actual body which was claimed by the devil but buried secretly by the Lord in a valley in the land of Moab. However, Jude seems rather to be referring to Satan’s accusation in Zechariah 3:1 against Joshua, or Jeshua, the high priest at the time of Ezra and Nehemiah who was guilty of transgressing Moses’ law, which is ‘the body’ of Moses spoken of here.
Christ the Representative
Jeshua had been physically opposed in his efforts to rebuild Jerusalem after the exile by Sanballat and others, motivated by Satan. Here Satan is said to oppose Jeshua spiritually before the Angel of the LORD by reproaching him for sins he had committed. The prophet Zechariah portrays this as a court scene with Satan the accuser. At first there appears to be merit in Satan’s case for Jeshua is not without fault. However, Christ, the uncreated Angel of the LORD comes to Jeshua’s aid and represents him.
The Gospel in Zechariah
Jeshua typifies the church and every believer guilty of sin. Christ, the Angel of the LORD – elsewhere He is called the Angel of the Covenant – advocates for His people. Jude explains how the angel of the LORD contended with Satan on Jeshua’s behalf and silenced the accuser with the rebuke that God’s purpose of grace will be fulfilled, the sins of the church notwithstanding, for they are brands plucked from the burning. Then, to Jeshua, the Angel said, ‘Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment’.
Don’t rail, preach!
Jude’s argument to the church of his own day, and to us, is that even though the Lord Jesus was more powerful, glorious and dominant over Satan, the rebuke He delivered as Michael the Archangel was measured and controlled. Much more could have been levelled at Satan by way of counter-accusation using sterner language and yet the Lord simply restated the settled and unchangeable purpose of God to save His people from their sin and deliver them from judgment. Christ accomplished this deliverance personally while maintaining and fulfilling perfect justice by bearing His peoples’ sin and clothing them with perfect righteousness.
Preach the Word!
Those false teachers against whom Jude warns display none of the exemplary qualities demonstrated by the Lord Jesus ‘who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously’. On the contrary, these ungodly men despise dominion and speak evil of dignities, being divisive in the church and having no respect for God’s established rule either in the church or out of it. It is characteristic of false prophets to oppose and deride true gospel preachers for their own self-promotion. It is characteristic of true gospel preachers simply to get on with their job!
Amen
Our hymns are below.
Hymn 1
Gadsby selection 126
The Personal Glories and Government of Christ. Ps. 45
I. Watts C.M.
1
I’ll speak the honours of my King.
His form divinely fair;
None of the sons of mortal race
May with the Lord compare.
2
Sweet is thy speech, and heavenly grace
Upon thy lips is shed;
Thy God with blessings infinite
Has crowned thy sacred head.
3
Gird on thy sword, victorious Prince,
Ride with majestic sway;
Thy terror shall strike through thy foes
And make the world obey.
4
Thy throne, O God, for ever stands;
Thy word of grace shall prove
A peaceful sceptre in thy hands
To rule thy saints by love.
5
Justice and truth attend thee still,
But mercy is thy choice;
And God, thy God, thy soul shall fill
With most peculiar joys.
Hymn 2
Gadsby selection 217
A Song of Redemption. Rom. 3. 24; Titus 3. 5-7
J. Kent 8.8.6.
1
Let Zion, in her songs, record
The honours of her dying Lord
Triumphant over sin;
How sweet the song, there’s none can say
But he whose sins are washed away,
Who feels the same within.
2
We claim no merit of our own,
But, self-condemned before thy throne,
Our hopes on Jesus place;
In heart, in lip, in life depraved,
Our theme shall be, a sinner saved,
And praise redeeming grace.
3
We’ll sing the same while life shall last,
And when, at the archangel’s blast
Our sleeping dust shall rise,
Then in a song for ever new
The glorious theme we’ll still pursue,
Throughout the azure skies.
4
Prepared of old, at God’s right hand,
Bright, everlasting mansions stand,
For all the blood-bought race;
And till we reach those seats of bliss,
We’ll sing no other song but this:
A sinner saved by grace.
Michael the archangel is very likely the Lord Jesus Christ by a heavenly name. Michael contended with Satan to deliver Jeshua from the devil’s accusations. Our Lord Jesus Christ has delivered His church from under the curse of Moses’ law and brought us peace with God.
21st July 2024