Verse 9: But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
Before Jude continues his unmasking of the false teachers, he presents the example of Michael the archangel who showed respect for God’s authority “in sharp contrast to the false teachers who do not.”1
It should be noted at the outset that this episode which Jude relates of Michael vs. the devil is found nowhere in Scripture. Most scholars believe Jude is quoting from the Assumption of Moses, a book written in the 1st Century A.D.2 This book is believed to have been “a composite work made up of two distinct books, the Testament and the Assumption of Moses.”3 The story is an expansion of the Old Testament account of Moses’ death and burial:
So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord. And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor; but no man knows his burial place to this day. (Deuteronomy 34:5–6)
The event described in Jude 9 is found in a Greek fragment of the Assumption of Moses. The 19th Century scholar Robert H. Charles provided a summary of the account:
1. Michael is commissioned to bury Moses:
2. Satan opposes his burial and that on two grounds
a. First, he claims to be the lord of matter (hence the body rightfully should be handed over to him).
To this claim Michael rejoins: “The Lord rebuke thee, for it was God’s Spirit that created the world and all mankind.” (Hence not Satan, but God was the Lord of matter.)
b. Secondly, Satan brings the charge of murder against Moses. (The answer to this charge is wanting.)
3. Having rebutted Satan’s accusations, Michael then proceeds to charge Satan with having inspired the serpent to tempt Adam and Eve.
4. Finally, all opposition having been overcome, the Assumption takes place in the presence of Joshua and Caleb, and in a very peculiar way. A twofold presentation of Moses appears: one is Moses “living in the spirit,” which is carried up to heaven; the other is the dead body of Moses, which is buried in the recesses of the mountains.4
There is no way to confirm the authenticity of this account. As I stated in the introductory material, the fact that Jude quoted from this book does not imply that the Assumption of Moses in its entirety is inspired by the Holy Spirit. However, what Jude has written is considered inspired by the Holy Spirit and therefore regarded as absolute truth.
What we should learn from this verse involves Michael’s response to the devil: literally “May the Lord rebuke you!” Note that Michael does not believe that he has the authority to rebuke the devil, knowing that to do so would be to usurp the Lord’s dominion over the devil—Satan (cf. Zechariah 3:2). Jude states that he did not dare to utter a railing judgment against him. Railing is an old English word translated from the Greek word for “blasphemy,” meaning to insult, slander or defame. MacArthur states that “Michael, recognizing the great presence and power of Satan, refused to speak evil of him, but called on the Lord to do so.”5
It was not Michael’s place to rebuke the devil, just like this it is not our responsibility. I have heard believer’s erroneously declare when they are tempted: “Get thee behind me, Satan!” It was the Lord who made this statement (Matthew 16:23) and only the Lord who has the authority over the devil. There is no Scriptural directive for us to do this. It is also improbable to even think that Satan would personally tempt a believer, since he is presently before God, as established by the Apostle John:
Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.” (Revelation 12:10)
There is much confusion in Christianity today concerning this issue. It is true what Peter states about the devil:
Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)
But the Greek word for “prowl” in Scripture is used figuratively, “signifying the whole round of the activities of the individual life, whether of the unregenerate, or of the believer.”6 Note the word “like,” the idea Peter is trying to get across is that the devil is ravenous and fanatical in his endeavor to devour us. This describes his prime objective. Yet Peter does not mean that he will literally eat and swallow us, but instead, the devil’s strategy is to extinguish and destroy our testimony for Jesus Christ and to accuse us before the thrown of God. Scripture tells us that Satan is not working alone in this scheme of his—he has legions of demons who work for him. The Apostle Paul instructed believers of this reality and what we must do to be prepared:
Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:11–12)
Summary
Our struggle is a conflict with an unseen foe, the devil, who rules an evil spiritual force of demons within our world—the cosmos. Dr. L.S. Chafer has described it in this manner:
The cosmos is a vast order or system that Satan has promoted, which conforms to his ideals, aims, and methods...It is properly styled the satanic system, which phrase is in many instances a justified interpretation of the so-meaningful word, cosmos. It is literally a cosmos diabolicus. [emphasis his]7
We need to emulate Michael’s respect for God’s authority over the devil and instead “resist him firm in your faith” (1 Peter 5:9). Therefore, it would be spiritually beneficial to follow Paul’s directive:
Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:13–18)
[1] Ryrie, C. C. (1995). Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 update (Expanded ed.,). Chicago: Moody Press, p. 2007 note.
[2] Schürer, Emil (2008) A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, II.iii.78f.
[3] Mayor, J.B. (1990). The Expositor’s Greek Testament (Nicoll, W. Robertson, ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 5.235.
[4] Charles, R.H. (1897). The Assumption of Moses, London: Adam & Charles Black, p.106.
[5] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2 Peter 2:11 note.
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