9 But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” 10 But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. 11 Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion. 12 These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever. 14 It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16 These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.

Jude compares false teachers to the following events and people of the Bible:

v.9 is not an account in the Bible (other than the fact that Deuteronomy 34:6 indicates that no one knows where Moses was buried) but could be a reference to a lost Testament of Moses.  Nevertheless, the point is made without the lost reference – which is even the archangel Michael deferred blasphemous judgment, even of Satan, to the Lord while the false teachers wantonly blaspheme all that they do not understand.  The point of Jude is that people who do not hold the true Gospel speak confidently and blasphemously of things that they do not understand, especially matters pertaining to the word of God.

v.11a is a reference to Cain’s rejection of God even after God showed mercy to him for his brother’s murder and protected him from further harm.

v. 11b is referring to Balaam’s love of money and not God or his people. And because he loved money, he sold Israel to the king of Moab. Accordingly, Peter reveals that Balaam “loved the wages of wickedness” (2 Peter 2:15).

v.11c is referring to the sad account of Korah’s rebellion against Moses as recorded in Numbers 16:1–35.  Korah, Dathan, and Abiram with their respective families were swallowed up by the earth; 250 leaders were consumed by fire. Likewise, Jude’s adversaries presumably rejected their ordained leadership and teaching in the Christian church. Jude is so positive that he writes the verb destroy in the past tense, as if the action already had taken place: “They have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.”

Finally, as indicated in v.16, people who do not hold the true Gospel display the following example…and we know many in our lives with these traits:

1. They are complainers - breaking things down but never building up
2. They are blamers – rising out of discontent
3. They follow their sinful desires – pursue worldly ambitions
4. They boast unashamedly - maybe in speech but more often by what they wear, drive, display, etc.
5. They seek advantage and favor in man's eyes - to exhibit niceness and giving compliments to gain man's approval is ungodliness

We are called to sight these signs and symptoms, especially when they are infecting the church.  This wasn't some rare event that happened a long time ago, it happened to us and it may be brewing again as we speak.