In keeping with what has been previously said about trials and
wisdom, James passes to the subject of poverty and wealth. Both
circumstances can bring their own temptations, and wisdom is needed
to live godly in both situations. 'The last chapter (section
of verses) talked about the double-minded man who was unstable
in everything. Such a man has the wrong view of life. He thinks
that if he is poor, he is forsaken of God and if he is wealthy,
he is blessed of God.' (Draper p. 25) 'The trials that believers
encounter often cause a reassessment of life's real values. They
frequently affect economic conditions and social standing. Rich
believers can become poor, and the poor can become poorer. The
occasion is offered for some careful evaluation of what is really
important.' (Kent p. 42)
1:9 'But let the brother of humble circumstances
glory in his high position;'
'brother of humble circumstances'-'of
position, power, and esteem, of low position, poor, lowly, undistinguished
of no account' (Arndt p. 804) That is, someone who is "undistinguished"
in the eyes of the world, someone who is poor and seems from a
worldly point of view to have no apparent value in the community.
'glory in his high position'-'rejoice
in his exalted station as a Christian' (Wms).
Points To Note:
'glory'-Which means to take pride
in and boast. The Christian should never suffer from a lack of
purpose or lack of self esteem. We need to take pride in the
status which God has given to us. The poor man should not be
intimidated or ashamed of his humble position, rather, in reality
he is extremely wealthy. Let us spend more time boasting in our
blessings from God (Romans 5:11; 15:17; 1 Cor. 1:31; Phil. 3:3;
Galatians 6:14; Romans 5:2; 2 Thess. 1:4).
1:10 'and let the rich man glory in
his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away.'
'rich man'-It would seem very
clear that the rich man under consideration is a Christian. There
were wealthy Christians in various congregations (1 Timothy 6:17).
'glory in his humiliation'-'The man who is wealthy in the things of the world should rejoice that his personal value is more permanent than his wealth' (Draper p. 26) 'He (the rich), too, could find reason to glory in his Christian faith, even in persecution. To be the object of ridicule and scorn because he had adopted Christian values would have been an humiliating experience for a rich man, perhaps even more so than for a poor one. To relegate material things to a lesser plane because the wealthy person had put his concentration on spiritual concerns would lower him in the eyes of many of his pagan neighbors. James said to him that this should be no cause of shame, but rather an opportunity for proper exultation that his values had now been straightened out.' (Kent p. 43)
The rich Christian needs to rejoice, because God has shown him
his true spiritual poverty and the temporal nature of his wealth
(Luke 12:15-21). 'The great peril of riches is that they tend
to bring to a man a false sense of security. He feels that he
is safe; he feels that he has the resources to cope with anything;
he feels that he can buy anything he wants, and buy himself out
of any situation which he may wish to escape or to avoid.' (Barclay
p. 55)
'because like flowering grass he will
pass away'-Life is fleeting for both poor and rich alike,
but the rich man has the greater tendency to trust in the uncertainty
of riches, and think that he and his life will last forever (1
Tim. 6:17; James 4:13-14; Luke 12:15-21). In addition, the rich
man could lose his wealth overnight, and cease to be a rich man
(Hebrews 10:34; Philippians 3:5-8).
'flowering grass'-(1 Peter 1:24-25).
'James's description of the wealthy man and the comparative shortness
of human life reminds him of the wild flowers that carpeted the
hillsides of his native land. They were dazzlingly beautiful
for a few brief weeks in the spring after the rains had come,
but their beauty was always short-lived.' (Kent p. 44)
Points To Note:
1. Temptations exist for both the poor man and the rich man (Proverbs
30:7-9). 'Poverty is not an unmixed blessing, nor are riches
an unadulterated evil.' (Woods p. 47). 2. 'The greatest temptation
the poor face is coveteousness. We would think that the rich
would be the most coveteous, but it is easy for those who do not
have all the things they would like to have to view themselves
as deprived (Mark 4:19)
.James is saying, "Don't become
bitter and depressed by dwelling on your poverty, but recognize
from a new perspective that you are exalted in the eyes of God
and in the face of eternity." There is no room in the Christian's
life for bitterness because we don't have what we want. We would
then saying that God has given us less than we need.' (Draper
p. 27) 3. Clearly, we have the tendency to rejoice about the
wrong things. 4. 'When asked how much money it takes to make
a man happy, John D. Rockefeller answered, "Just a little
more".' (Draper p. 30)
1:11 'For the sun rises with a scorching
wind, and withers the grass; and its flower falls off, and the
beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in
the midst of his pursuits will fade away.'
'scorching'-'burning heat' (Thayer
p. 342) In the land of Palestine, there were times when a hot
wind coming off the deserts from the east would hit the land like
'a blast of hot air when an oven is opened' (Barclay p. 56).
As quickly as the sun or a hot wind can destroy vegetation, just
as quickly a rich man can die or lose everything (Luke 12:20 'This
very night
')
'rich man in the midst of his pursuits'-that
is, in his busy pursuits, his undertakings. It is amazing that
we spend so much time pursuing things that don't last. In the
midst of all his great plans, activities and endeavors, the rich
man can either die or lose everything. So much for the idea
that as long as I am working hard, as long as I am busy and trying
to stay ahead I am safe (James 4:13ff). Great passages concerning
the short-comings of wealth are found in Ecclesiastes 2:8-11,
18-21; 4:8; 5:10-14; 6:2.
1:12 'Blessed is the man who perseveres
under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the
crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.'
'Blessed'-'Fortunate, happy,
usually in the sense, privileged recipient of divine favor' (Arndt
p. 486) 'Happiness is not a normal response to temptation and
testing. We would say, "Blessed is the man who is never
under pressure. Blessed is the one who never has his faith tested.
Blessed is the individual who always gets his way, who is prosperous,
who never experiences sorrow, who never knows sickness, who always
succeeds.' (Draper p. 32)
Carefully note that the blessing isn't upon the man who is tested-for
everyone experiences hardship (1 Corinthians 10:13). Rather,
the blessing is upon the individual who endures. 'Happy is the
man who doesn't just simply go through testing, but endures it.
His endurance has the capacity to take something that could devastate
him, turn it around and make it into a blessing' (Draper p. 33)
'perseveres'-'bear bravely and
calmly' (Thayer p. 644); 'stand one's ground, hold out, endure
in trouble, affliction' (Arndt p. 845); 'present active indicative'
(Robertson p. 16) (Matthew 10:22; 24:13; Mark 13:13; Romans 12:12;
1 Corinthians 13:7).
'under trial'-The trials under
consideration are typically viewed as outward trials which need
to be endured, such as persecution, poverty, hardship, etc
.and
not inward spiritual temptations which need to be resisted. And
yet, an outward trial can quickly lead to spiritual problems if
our attitude isn't right. Persevering under trial would include
resisting the temptation to blame God, seek relief in sinful activities,
compromise and so on.
'for once he has been approved'-'approved,
tried and true, genuine' (Arndt p. 203). Side reference NASV,
'passed the test'. 'For once his testing is complete' (Phi);
'for when he has stood the test' (Wey). (Romans 16:10; 2 Timothy
2:15). Concerning the word "approved", 'It is the
Greek word meaning to test metal to see if it is pure, to purge
out the impurities and leave only the purest metal. The word
speaks of heating a piece of metal in the furnace in order to
scrape off the impurities that rise to the top. What is left
is pure and valuable.' (Draper p. 34) (1 Peter 4:12)
'he will receive the crown of life'-'STEPHANOS-the
victors crown, the symbol of triumph in the games or some such
contest
a reward or prize.' (Vine p. 258) (2 Tim. 4:8; 1
Peter 5:4; Revelation 2:10). "of life"-the crown which
consists of eternal life.
Points To Note:
'which the Lord has promised to those
who love Him'-One more verse which clearly teaches that
love for God is shown by a definite pattern of conduct and attitude
(John 14:15). This also infers that to overcome trials, one must
have a great love for Jesus. Too many people think that sheer
human determination will enable them to overcome every hardship,
such thinking is nothing more than declaring that man himself
is God. (Matthew 5:10-12). The Bible is full of promises to
those who love God (Exodus 20:6; Deut. 7:7-11; 1 Corinthians 2:9).
In Jewish thought there were many ideas concerning the source
of temptation. Some said it started with Satan, or fallen angels
were responsible. Some even argued that since God was the Creator
of all things, that God must be responsible for evil. Draper
notes, 'Testing and temptation are not necessarily the same thing.
A trial is not necessarily an enticement to do evil. And yet
we need to recognize that in every test of our faith, in every
trial of our lives, in every pressure that we experience, there
is an element of temptation. It contains, for example, an opportunity
to become bitter or resentful, or to let animosity and hatred
build.' (p. 39)
'The Christian life is not always the tranquil experience that
is commonly expected. Believers are not less subject to trouble
and calamity than are other people. They are often part of a
minority, and this can provide special pressures. Their physical
bodies are just as susceptible to disease or injury as their neighbors'.
Their houses catch fire, their possessions are stolen, their
jobs are lost, and their families are threatened
.Another
kind of trouble, however, is more subtle and is often more difficult
to handle. This is the problem of evil thoughts, tendencies to
sin, feelings of guilt and discouragement
.Every person has
such temptations, and Christians are not immune. Some have tried
to escape the problem by associating only with other Christians,
or even by withdrawing totally from the world into some monastic
setting, however, those who are perceptive and honest will admit
their sinful thoughts went right along with them.' (Kent pp. 47-48)
1:13 'Let no one say when he is tempted,
"I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted
by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.'
'Let no one say when'-Which infers
that all Christians will be tempted (1 Corinthians 10:13). The
question is not "if" you will be tempted, but rather,
"when" temptation will happen. The verse also infers
that there is the tendency to shift blame during temptation.
"I am being tempted by God"-'Even
though God is not usually blamed directly
.there are subtle
ways in which the blame is shifted elsewhere, often to God
The
frequent heard defense, "I'm only human," implies that
the sinner could not help himself, and thus the blame is shifted
to the Creator." (Kent p. 49) The Greek word rendered here
"by", is usually translated "from" in other
passages. 'He meant that it is not enough merely to avoid blaming
God for being the direct instigator of some temptation. We must
not even imply that He is remotely responsible.' (Kent p. 49)
Points To Note:
'for God cannot be tempted by evil'-God
cannot be enticed to sin. Which means that there is nothing in
God which responds to evil. 'God is perfect; he needs nothing
else. He is complete within himself. There is nothing within
God that needs fulfillment, satisfaction, or gratification. God
is whole. His happiness is perfect. He needs nothing else.'
(Draper p. 40) There is no desire for evil within God, in fact,
God never even toys with the idea of doing something evil. God
is never tempted to misuse His absolute power and authority.
Rather, God is totally pure (1 John 1:5; Titus 1:2; 1 Peter 1:15).
'and He Himself does not tempt anyone'-Since
God is untemptable, then how could He ever tempt others? God
does allow people to be tested (Genesis 22:1; Deut. 4:34; 7:19;
29:2; Psa. 95:8) to strengthen their faith (James 1:2-4; Romans
5:3-5). But God never entices people to sin. What this means
is that the trials which God allows were never meant to destroy
our faith. We can therefore have confidence that God is always
pulling for us, that every hardship or setback can be used for
our improvement. 'Tempting others to evil would require a delight
in evil, of which he is himself incapable.' (Adamson p. 70)
Point To Note:
In view of the above statement, certain conclusions must be made.
Since Jesus is God (John 1:1), it is also clear that Jesus never
tempts anyone and there is nothing in Jesus which would respond
to evil. Which means that when the Bible says that Jesus was
tempted, it doesn't mean that there was something in Jesus which
would respond to sin. It doesn't mean that Jesus was often on
the verge of yielding to sin (Hebrews 2:18; 4:14-16). When the
text says that Jesus was tempted, it is clear that all the various
trials which come upon all men generally, fell upon Jesus, but
there was nothing in the nature of Jesus which responded to any
of those temptations. Some seem to think that since Jesus had
a physical body that such made Him more vulnerable to evil. But
there is nothing evil about our physical bodies, and temptation
arises in the mind, not the body (Mark 7:20-23). In addition,
I would think that absolute and unlimited power would be a greater
"temptation" to someone who could be enticed to sin-then
a physical body.
1:14 'But each one is tempted when he
is carried away and enticed by his own lust.'
'is tempted'-Obviously, the word
"tempted" here means to be enticed to sin. Carefully
note that the idea of entire sanctification wherein one rises
above the possibilities of sin by the eradication of evil tendency
in himself is false. In this life, the Christian never rises
above the possibility of being tempted (1 Corinthians 9:27; 1
John 1:8).
'carried away'-'to lure forth'
(Thayer p. 222); 'as in hunting or fishing game is lured from
its haunt' (Vine p. 337); 'drag away, taken in two by his own
desires' (Arndt p. 274)
'and enticed'-'to lure by a bait'
(Vine p. 36). 'Temptation is the pull of man's own evil thoughts
and wishes' (Draper p. 41) These two words "carried away",
"and enticed" are hunting and fishing terms. 'one
can visualize the fish being first aroused from its original place
of safety and repose, and then being lured to the bait that hides
the fatal hook.' (Kent p. 51)
'by his own lust'-Man is not
enticed by Adam's sin or the sin of his parents, but rather, his
own lusts. Man does not sin due to circumstances, determinism,
fate, predestination, natural forces beyond his control, inherited
factors or the whim of various deities.
Points To Note:
Barclay aptly describes how the wholesome can become twisted into
the sinful: 'Immorality, impurity, licentiousness are perversions
of the sexual instinct which is in itself a lovely thing and a
part of love. Idolatry is a perversion of worship, and was begun
as an aid to worship. Sorcery is a perversion of the use of healing
drugs in medicine. Envy, jealousy and strife are perversions
of that noble ambition and desire to do well which can be a spur
to greatness
anger
. a perversion of that righteous
indignation without which the passion for goodness cannot exist.
Dissension and the party spirit are a perversion of the devotion
to principle which can produce the martyr.' (Flesh and Spirit,
p. 39)
Often we talk about the "power of sin". We need to
remember that the power of sin is what happens when we become
selfish, when we become convinced that God and His ways cannot
be trusted for our happiness. Selfishness and unbelief can take
the most wholesome desires and completely twist them into something
which is tremendously evil.
1:15 'Then when lust has conceived,
it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings
forth death.'
'when lust has conceived'-'The
will yields to lust and conception takes place' (Robertson p.
18). 'sin occurs following the arousing of sinful desires and
the attraction to some tempting lure.' (Kent p. 51)
Point To Note:
Various writers have noted that James seems to place a gap between
lust and sin, that the moment an evil thought enters your mind,
doesn't mean that you have right then and there sinned. Woods
notes, 'James does not affirm that sin sprang into life at the
moment desire was experienced
it is impossible to purge our
minds of fleeting desires, improper thoughts, and questionable
ideas
.We must, when such occur, rigidly exclude them, and
never harbor and entertain them.' (p. 61) Some have said that
while you can't stop evil thoughts from entering your mind, you
do have control as to whether or not you will dwell upon those
thoughts. Such things must be resisted (2 Timothy 2:22), we must
work on having our minds and thoughts in subjection to Christ
(2 Corinthians 10:5; Philippians 4:8). A good illustration is
that while you can't stop the birds from flying over your head
you can certainly prevent them from building a nest in your hair.
All of these are good thoughts. But, we need to warn people
that God doesn't tell us what the "time frame" is between
lust and sin. In certain situations, it may be very short!
And the line between the evil desire and the point of sin might
be thin. Jesus pointed out that evil deeds are the result of
evil desires (Mark 7:20-23). And He rebuked people for having
or dwelling upon sinful desires (Matthew 5:28; 5:22). In view
of these last two passages I think most would agree that while
the initial evil thought might not be viewed as sin, a lust upon
which one dwells is sin.
'when sin is accomplished'-'when
it has run its course' (Arndt p. 101); 'to perfect, to bring to
maturity, to become "full-grown", the full development
of sin.' (Vine p. 101) James is not saying that a some sins
or sin at a certain level doesn't result in spiritual death.
Rather, sin does develop, and again, this process can be very
rapid and quick. In Matthew 5:28 we see sin at a certain stage,
still within the mind. There is a warning here and that is that
sin will grow. Unchecked, lusts will break out into action and
evil deeds.
'bringeth forth death'-(Romans
6:16,21,23; 2 Cor. 7:10; 1 John 5:16,20). 1. If sin is not repented
of, if lustful thoughts are not checked, such will always result
in spiritual death! 2. Sin, uncontrolled and unrestrained and
allowed to run its natural course will always result in separation
from God, and if one dies in that condition, eternal separation
from God. Carefully note that this warning was given to Christians!
Christians can sin and they can so sin as to forfeit their salvation
(James 5:19-20). James is not teaching that sin separates us
from God only when it has done all the damage it can accomplish.
Because even evil thoughts can defile a man (Mark 7:20-23).
There is a warning here. If we refuse to check an evil thought
which enters our mind---we already know the outcome! We will
always pay a high price for being spiritually slack. Carefully
note, that people end up separated from God, not because of the
sins of others, but because of their own choice in yielding to
sin. The good news is that since sin is our fault, it also means
that we can do something about it! We can short-circuit the
process! (Philippians 4:8)
1:16 'Do not be deceived, my beloved
brethren'.
'Do not be deceived'-'make no
mistake' (Arndt p. 665). It includes the idea of deceiving yourself.
Christians are often warned against being deceived (1 Cor. 6:9;
15:33; Galatians 6:7). 'Make no mistake about this' (Mof).
'my beloved brethren'-Notice
the combination of pointed teaching, of warning and admonition,
with an intense love for these people (2 Timothy 2:24-25).
Points To Note:
1:17 'Every good thing bestowed and
every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father
of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.'
'Every good thing bestowed and every
perfect gift'-'Every beneficent gift and every perfect
present' (Ber). "Good"-useful, being good in its character
or constitution, beneficial in its effect. 'Fit, capable, useful'
(Arndt p. 2)
'perfect'-complete or without
defect. In addition, this also could mean that what God gives
us, is perfectly suited for us and the stage in our life when
it is given. 'appropriately suited to the person or the occasion.
It is all that the gift should be.' (Kent p. 55)
Point To Note:
But do we really believe this assertion? How many Christians
are still convinced that there is "good" outside of
what God allows or gives? How many think that God and His way
of doing things actually prevents us from receiving good things?
In view of such a statement how can any of us ever claim that
we don't have everything we need to live happy and productive
lives? Do you believe that God is taking good care of you, do
you believe that every good thing you enjoy, comes ultimately
from God?
'coming down from'-present tense,
a continual stream of blessings coming from God.
'the Father of lights'-apparently,
the "lights" in this verse refer to the heavenly bodies
in the solar system (Genesis 1:3, 14-16; Amos 5:8). In addition,
to being the source of all physical light, God is also the source
of all spiritual light (John 8:12). The idea seems to be, how
could the Creator of all light ever abide in the darkness?
'with whom there is no variation, or
shifting shadow'-"Variation"-'who is himself
never subject to change' (TCNT); 'change in the degree or intensity
of light, such as is manifested by the heavenly bodies' (Vincent
p. 732). "Shifting shadow"-as with changes seen in
the stars, moon and planets.
Points To Note:
1. God is unchangeable (Hebrew 13:8). God doesn't have 'bad'
days in which He tempts people, rather, He consistently gives
good gifts. 2. God gives good things on a constant basis (James
1:5; Matthew 7:7-11). 3. 'As constant as the heavenly bodies
are, they do exhibit changes as man perceives them. Seasonal
variations, eclipses, phases of the moon, clouded skies, and the
shifting shadows seen hourly on the sundial
But God's character
and nature are unchanging. He does not shift from good given
to occasional evil giving.' (Kent p. 56) 4. Do we ever thank
God for not being moody? Are we thankful that God is always the
same, that He is consistent and that He doesn't keep changing
the rules on us? 'For one thing, this means that God is always
approachable. We can always find him.' (Draper p. 47) It also
tells us that God always loves us and is always wishing for the
sinner to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). That God will always
forgive us-if we seek forgiveness.
1:18 'In the exercise of His will He
brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as
it were, the first fruits among His creatures.'
'In the exercise of His will'-'Of
his set purpose' (NEB); 'Voluntarily' (Ber); literally, having
willed. Let the reader be impressed that man's salvation was
a deliberate choice on the part of God. It wasn't a forced choice
or a regretted choice. Rather, God freely chose to have Jesus
die for our sins (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). Note, that is wasn't
God's fault that we sin, for God gives only good things (1:17).
God gives every incentive as to why we shouldn't sin.
'brought us forth'-'to produce'
(Thayer p. 64); 'bear young' (Vine p. 153). This is the language
of the new birth (John 3:5; 1 Corinthians 4:15; 1 Peter 1:23).
'by the word of truth'-God didn't
cause us to be born again in some miraculously or mysterious manner.
Rather, it was through the Gospel message that we came to believe
(Romans 10:17), our hearts were pricked (Acts 2:38), and this
message also told us to repent of our sins (Acts 2:38), confess
Christ (Romans 10:9-10) and submit to water baptism for the remission
of our sins (Acts 2:38). Compare with 1 Corinthians 4:15; 1 Peter
1:23; Luke 8:8,15. The statement "word of truth" contradicts
the idea that the Bible is a mixture of truth and error. The
"word of truth" is simply another way of saying the
gospel message (Colossians 1:5), or the word of God (John 17:17).
Point To Note:
Seeing that the preaching of the Word of God and the acceptance
of that Word brings about the new birth. And that the gospel
message is to preached to all (Mark 16:15). It is clear that
God hasn't predestined who will be lost and who will be saved.
In saying that the exercise of the will of God resulted in
our salvation is not to say that His will was exercised arbitrarily
or that the choice was made independently of human choice. The
Lord calls men and women by the gospel message (2 Thess. 2:14);
but all are called (Mark 16:15). Remember, whenever we talk
about the new birth, we need to remember that the writer is addressing
people who have been baptized for the forgiveness of their sins.
'so that we might be, as it were, the
first fruits among His creatures'-the phrase, "as
it were" is also translated, "a kind of" (KJV);
"in a sense" (Bas); "so to speak" (Phi).
Which means, not literal first fruits. In the Old Testament,
the first fruit was the first portion of the produce or livestock.
It belonged to God and was to be offered to Him before the rest
could be used by man. It was to be the choicest part of the harvest
(Deut. 18:4; Numbers 18:12; Exodus 13:11-16).
Points To Note:
James now makes a quick shift from God's word, to our words.
This is something which people in every generation need to heed.
For we often rely upon our own human wisdom rather than the wisdom
available to us in the Scriptures. In addition, seeing that
we live in a world which will contain many trials (1:2-4); in
which we need wisdom to survive (1:5), and in which we can turn
the wholesome into the perverted by being selfish (1:14), it is
essential to recognize that we don't have the answers to life
within ourselves!
1:19 'This you know, my beloved brethren.
But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to
anger;'
'This you know'-Side reference
NASV, 'Or, "Know this". We all have the problem of
not putting into practice what we already know. Reminding people
of what they already know is a constant need among Christians
(2 Peter 1:12). See also Eph. 5:5 and Hebrews 12:17.
'let everyone'-all Christians
need this teaching. One never reaches a point in their relationship
with God that they don't need to be 'quick to hear', etc
It
is easy to become arrogant and think that you have progressed
to a point that you know it all and that you don't need to listen
to what others have to say.
'quick to hear'-as in a quick
and attentive ear. We can often listen rather carelessly, we
can also listen to what only sounds good to our ears (2 Timothy
4:3). In the context, attentive hearing is especially needed
in reference to the word of truth (1:18). (Matthew 13:19; Luke
8:18 'Therefore take care how you listen'; Hebrews 3:7; 4:2; Proverbs
15:31-32; 18:13.
Points To Note:
'slow to speak'-The Bible places
a tremendous importance upon the ability to control what you say
(Prov. 13:3; 15:28; 17:27,28; 21:23; Ecc. 3:7; James 1:26; 3:1ff).
Points To Note:
'and slow to anger'-Rash speaking
is often the result of anger and can add more fuel to the fire
(Proverbs 10:14; 15:1).
Points To Note:
1:20 'for the anger of man does not
achieve the righteousness of God.'
'anger of man'-as opposed to
righteous opposition to sin (Romans 12:9; Psalm 119:104).
'does not achieve the righteousness
of God'-'does not further the righteous purpose of God'
(Mon); 'does not produce the uprightness God wishes' (Gspd); 'an
angry man doesn't do what is right before God' (Beck).
Points To Note: