The first question we are confronted with as we enter this chapter
is whether James is addressing rich non-Christians, Christians
or both. 1. The rich mentioned in 1:10-11 were members of
the Church, while the rich man mentioned in 2:2 could have been
a non-Christian visitor. While the rich in verses 5:1-6 are not
directly or specifically called upon to repent, I believe that
the door to repentance was open. In fact repentance was the only
way to avoid the coming condemnation (Acts 17:30). 2. In the
Old Testament the prophets often addressed and included judgments
against the unbelieving world in their writings. The book of
Isaiah contains judgments against many non-Jewish nations, Babylon
(13:3), Philistia (14:28), Moab (15:1), Damascus (17:1), Ethiopia
(18:1), and Tyre and Sidon (23:1). 3. Clearly these verses
apply to any greedy individual among the wealthy, Christian or
non-Christian. 4. Roberts writes, "It certainly would be
a warning to any Christian who might be tempted to act in the
wrong way
..But the probable purpose which James had in mind
was to put such unjust people in the proper perspective before
the church. Those who suffer as Christians from the hands of
such people are not to envy the rich
..They are to see these
sinful people for what they are in God's sight: wretched people
fattening themselves for a day of slaughter" (pp. 180-181).
Jesus pointed out that even religious people often make the
mistake of trying to combine a love for God with a love for wealth
(Matthew 6:24). In addition, it is clear that some of the Christians
which James addresses thought too much of wealth and were holding
the wealthy on a pedestal (2:1ff).
To this day Christians are tempted to envy the wealthy (Psalm
73). It is a common temptation to glorify those who seem self
sufficient and above the aches and pains of daily living. Our
society especially is captivated by the person who wheels and
deals, wines and dines, makes the big bucks, and doesn't care
what man or God thinks about him.
5:1 "Come now, you rich, weep and
howl for your miseries which are coming upon you".
"Come now"-the same
expression is found in 4:13. "It is a set phrase, an interjection
to gain attention
.it is somewhat like our "come, come
now" (Roberts p. 175). "It summons the ones addressed
to give careful attention to what will be said" (Kent p.
168). These rich people thought of themselves as invincible,
untouchable, able to steal from their employees and get away with
it (5:4).
"you rich"-once again,
there is nothing inherently wrong with being rich. Rich Christians
did exist (1 Timothy 6:17ff). "James does not condemn riches,
nor does the Bible anywhere condemn those who have material possessions.
Rather, the Bible condemns the ungodly way that people gain their
possessions and use them
..And we don't have to
be rich to be possessed by riches . A lot of poor folk are
obsessed with material things" (Draper p. 142). "Those
who have understood Christianity as being anti-wealth and anti-property
have misunderstood it. It is the wrong use of wealth and the
acquisition of wealth in the wrong manner which are condemned
.James
is speaking of wealth acquired by robbing laborers of their just
wages" (Roberts p. 180).
Points To Note:
"weep and howl"-the
tense in the Greek is a command which points to something to be
done immediately, "Burst into weeping" (Robertson p.
57). "Weep"-mourn, lament, a loud expression of grief.
"Howl"-which means to wail and cry aloud, to shriek.
"These two strong words indicate the frantic terror of those
on whom God's judgment has fallen
.Any person who builds
his life only upon the physical things of this life will come
to know this kind of despair" (Draper p. 143). While there
isn't any specific call to repentance, I believe we could say
that as long as there is life, repentance is an option. Jonah's
message to Ninevah didn't contain a command to repent, but God
accepted their repentance (Jonah 3:4,9-10), compare with Jeremiah
18:7-8. "if the rich understood their coming fate, they
would literally shriek over the prospect" (Roberts p. 182).
Compare with Isaiah 13:6; 14:31; 15:2; 23:1,6,14).
"for your miseries which are coming
upon you"-"Miseries"-"hardship, trouble,
calamity" (Thayer p. 614); "wretchedness, distress"
(Arndt p. 803). "Which are coming upon you"-the idea
is of certain destruction (Hebrews 10:27 "but a certain terrifying
expectation of judgment").
Points To Note:
5:2 "Your riches have rotted and
your garments have become moth-eaten".
"have rotted"-"make
corrupt, destroy" (Vine p. 243); "cause to rot, decay,
decay" (Arndt p. 749). "In Oriental lands, riches,
in addition to gold, silver, and precious stones, consisted of
highly perishable goods, such as grain, oil, food, and garments
of many types and kinds" (Woods p. 259).
"your garments have become moth-eaten"-"Eastern
people have always reckoned collections of raiment among their
choice treasures, and estimate them in the accounts of their wealth
along with silver and gold" (Manners/Customs, Freeman p.
213).
Points To Note:
5:3 "Your gold and your silver
have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and
will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that
you have stored up your treasure!"
"Your gold and your silver have
rusted"-"In the judgment, their corrupted wealth
will stand as a witness to their misuse of God's provision. No
excuses will undo the evidence of their hoarded wealth, which
was used only for selfish luxury, not for assisting others"
(Kent p. 170). "The whole picture of these three basic
types of wealth is the picture of wealth unused" (Draper
p. 144). "There is no book which condemns dishonest and
selfish wealth with such searing passion as the Bible does
(Amos
3:10; 5:11; 8:4-7; Isaiah 5:8)" (Barclay p. 137). Once
again, in the sight of God, their wealth was corrupted. Silver
and gold do not rust, but they can corrode.
"their rust will be a witness against
you"-"evidence against you" (RSV), "it
will serve as a proof of your wickedness" (Thayer p. 392),
"that which serves as testimony or proof" (Arndt p.
493). "The witness is about the non-use of the materials;
the rust becomes the proof of their sin" (Roberts p. 184)
The same condemnation is found in Luke 16:19ff; Luke 12:17-19.
"and will consume your flesh like
fire"-"burning into your flesh" (Bas).
1. "As rust eats through, and destroys metal, so the greed,
avarice and love for money which characterized these people would
destroy them" (Woods p. 261). 2. "What happens
to our riches, our clothes, our gold and silver is but a symbol
of what is happening to our soul. That wealth that soon slips
through our fingers, that we cannot hold on to, is but a symbol
of what is happening in our heart" (Draper pp. 144-145).
3. The fire here refers to the fires of hell (Matthew 5:29;
22; 10:28).
"It is in the last days"-"You
have been building the wrong kind of treasure" (Draper p.
146). "These people have treasured up as if they would live
and the world would go on forever" (Davids p. 177). The
phrase "last days" can refer to the Christian age (Hebrews
1:1-2; Acts 2:17; 1 Peter 1:20), which naturally includes the
whole period of time up until the Lord's return(John 6:39-40,
44,54; 11:24; 12:48). Of course, we must reject the view that
the apostles and other inspired writers thought Jesus had
to come within their lifetime. Such would contradict their claim
to inspiration and go against what they actually did teach (1
Thess. 5:1-3; 2 Thess. 2:1ff). The treasure they have stored
up will only condemn them at the judgment. But the death of
Christ did begin a period of time known as the last days (Acts
2:17), and during this period of time Jesus could come
at any time.
"you have stored up your treasure!"-How
many people today are making the same mistake? All their plans
are concerning this earth and this earthly life and all their
efforts are towards those ends. There is so much talk today about
IRA's, social security, investment in the stock market, and so
on. Where is your treasure? What have you been heavily investing
in and what are you depending on? What is your true security?
5:4 "Behold, the pay of the laborers
who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries
out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting
has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth".
"Behold"-(see, consider,
take notice of).
"the pay of the laborers who mowed
your fields, and which has been withheld by you"-mowing
a field is a general term for reaping. "The laborers were,
therefore, farm workers who toiled in the fields for the rich
" (Woods p. 263). "Withheld by you"-The Law of
Moses had condemned those who retained the wages of hired workmen
even for one night (Lev. 19:13), see also Jeremiah 22:13, Deut.
24:14-15; Job 7:1-2; 24:10; 31:38-40; Malachi 3:5. One of Jesus'
parables reflected the proper practice of paying workers daily
(Matthew 20:1-16). One cannot say that the Bible presents a morality
which is only affordable or practical for the rich or middle class,
for the Bible is filled with legislation designed to protect the
poor. God is extremely concerned with how we treat the less fortunate
or the vulnerable.
"cries out against you"-Like
the blood of Abel (Genesis 4:10), this stolen money cries out
for justice. Which should make us think, does any of our money
or possessions cry out to God for justice? Have we been dishonest
with others, have we failed to pay our debtors or have we failed
to give to God as we should?
"and the outcry of those who did
the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord"-God
hears the cries of people who are being oppressed and taken advantage
of by others. "The ears of the Lord is simply a vivid
way
of saying God listens and responds to his people" (Adamson
p. 186).
Points To Note:
"the Lord of Sabaoth"-"Sabaoth"-"is
the transliteration of a Hebrew word which denotes hosts or armies
(note: it is not the same as the word Sabbath)
.came
to designate Him as the One who is supreme over all the innumerable
hosts of spiritual agencies, or of what are described as the 'armies
of heaven'" (Vine p. 311). That is, "The Lord Of Hosts".
"the most majestic title you can find for God in the Old
Testament. It speaks of the Almighty God and his sovereign omnipotence.
It is a word that applies to the King, the Leader of the armies
of heaven
.You might think their cries have gone unheeded
and that they have no champion on earth. But their champion is
none other than the Lord God Almighty" (Draper p. 146).
And if the Almighty hears such cries then you can be sure that
something will be done! "The original idea was that of
God fighting on the side of Israel to vindicate their cause and
give them victory in battle (1 Sam. 15:2; Isaiah 2:12; 2 Samuel
5:10; Psalm 59:5). But the idea was extended to include the hosts
of angels which God might send forth to carry out His will (Joshua
5:14; 2 Kings 6:14)
..The reference here then means that
the same omnipotent God who fought with Israel and whose word
even the hosts of angels carried out in heaven has listened and
heard the cries of injustice" (Roberts p. 187). The same
God who destroyed the armies of Egypt, rooted out the Canaanites----is
the God who hears such injustices.
Point To Note:
Before we lump ourselves automatically in the category of these
oppressed workers, we need to seriously ask ourselves if we are
or have cheated anyone. Have we ran out on our bills, have we
left creditors holding the bag, have we borrowed from relatives
and friends without ever repaying them? Are we up front and
honest in our dealings with others? On this point I have always
liked the following comment in connection with Romans 13:7-8:
"I have known of those who make large donations to Church
treasuries while they leave unforgiven creditors to beg for money
the Christian owes them. There is a foolish idea abroad that
money given into Church treasuries is more appreciated by God
than the paying of honest debts
We're doing God no
favors if we drive the unforgiven creditor to believe that God
approves of thieves so long as they contribute to some Church
budget. Spend your money wisely; live within your means; keep
in mind the spreading of the Gospel and the needs of the poor
and needy" (Romans, Jim McGuiggan pp. 384-385).
5:5 "You have lived luxuriously
on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened
your hearts in a day of slaughter."
"You have lived luxuriously"-"a
soft and luxurious life" (Thayer p. 631); "give oneself
up to pleasure" (Vine p. 288); "lead a life of luxury
or self-indulgence, revel, carouse (Arndt p. 828). Like the plans
which the rich man in Luke 12:19 had for his future, "eat,
drink, and be merry". "A second example of their misuse
of money is the selfishness and unwarranted opulence with which
the wealthy indulged themselves
.In this context of James,
it has the negative connotation of using wealth solely for display
or personal whim" (Kent p. 173). "This is luxurious,
extravagant living with no regard for anyone around us" (Draper
p. 146).
"on the earth"-this
would be the extent of their pleasure seeking.
"led of life of wanton pleasure"-(1
Timothy 5:6). "live luxuriously or voluptuously, in indulgence"
(Arndt p. 761). "It is the condemnation of the selfish
rich that they have used their possessions to gratify their own
love of comfort, and to satisfy their own lusts, and they have
forgotten all duty to their fellow-man" (Barclay p. 140).
Apparently the wages that had been withheld, were used for selfish
purposes. The idea of wasteful indulgence. "To give oneself
to pleasure" (Thayer p. 583). Many people in our current
society, and too many members of the Church are sadly---- people
who are addicted to pleasure and spend the vast majority of their
resources solely on themselves.
Point To Note:
Woods reminds us, "It is well to take note of the fact that
the word here used does not denote a wicked and sinful life, per
se
.One does not have to live a sinful life (or what we uselessly
think of when we use the term "sinful life") to fall
under the censure of the Lord
if we live indolently, selfishly,
uselessly, our lives are not pleasing in the sight of God"
(p. 266). There are a good number of people who never commit
fornication or adultery, and yet who live purely for themselves.
The rich men of Luke 16 or Luke 12 were not necessarily immoral
men (engaging in all sorts of immoral activities), rather they
were simply ignoring the needs of others, which is just as immoral
in the sight of God.
"you have fattened your hearts"-"gratified
your appetite" (Wey). Supplied themselves with everything
they desired, pampered themselves. They have engaged in the business
of fattening themselves, taking care of their own needs, doing
what they wanted to do, looking out for number one.
"in a day of slaughter"-a
life spent on fattening "self" is simply fattening yourself
for condemnation (Romans 2:1-5). "This pictures a steer
at the stockyard who is not quite heavy enough to be killed.
So they put him in a pen and give him the finest food he could
possibly have. That steer is so stupid---he doesn't know he is
about to be killed, so he lives only for the pleasure and the
cravings that he has. When he gains enough weight, they kill
him. That is like the man who takes his possessions, lives as
though there were no God and no needs in the world around him"
(Draper p. 147). The world is filled with many selfish people
who are just like cattle who are gorging themselves and blissfully
unaware of coming judgment. Compare with Jeremiah 12:3; 25:34;
Isaiah 32:2,61; Ezekiel 21:15; Amos 6:1-6.
Point To Note:
Just because people live like God doesn't exist or that there
won't be a judgment day doesn't mean that their selfish lives
determine reality or what the truth of the matter is. Judgment
will come even though the vast majority might deny it. Reality
and truth isn't determined by how the majority or the most influential
in this world live.
5:6 "You have condemned and put
to death the righteous man; he does not resist you".
"You have condemned and put to
death the righteous man"-To condemn is to pronounce
guilty. Evidently, the various wealthy and influential individuals
had quite a bit of pull in the Roman court system (James 2:6-7).
The exploitation of the righteous was also denounced by the
prophets in the Old Testament (Amos 2:6; 5:10-12; Psalm 10:8-9;
Isaiah 3:14-15; 57:1). "The episode of Ahab, Jezebel, and
Naboth provided a graphic example (1 Kings 21:1-16)" (Kent
p. 174). "The rich long to get rid of those who are a
blight upon their conscience; the presence of a godly man will
always condemn an ungodly man" (Draper p. 147).
"he does not resist you"-"he
offers you no resistance" (Arndt p. 76). Which only heightens
the crime of these oppressors. They are persecuting righteous
individuals who are not offering physical resistance. See 1 Peter
2:18-21; Matthew 5:38-45; Romans 12:19. Carefully note that
this verse isn't teaching that Christians can't defend themselves.
But there are times when all our options and means of protection
have been removed. This was a persecution sanctioned by the civil
government, and in such instances a Christian might not have too
many resources with which to defend themselves.
5:7 "Be patient, therefore, brethren,
until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the
precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it
gets the early and late rains."
"Be patient, therefore, brethren"-Indicating
that a good number of Christians were suffering at the hands of
wealthy individuals who were abusing their position and power.
This letter has already mentioned the need to be patient (1:3-4,
1:12). Without such endurance we won't make it (Hebrews 6:12;
12:1). See also 1 Corinthians 13:4; Galatians 5:22 and 2 Peter
1:6. It is clear that patience is a quality without which we
cannot please God.
Points To Note:
"until the coming of the Lord"-While
God does from time to time come in physical judgment upon groups
of people, such as nations and cities (Jerusalem-A.D. 70, is one
example, Matthew 24:27). And such comings can take the pressure
off of Christians by sweeping away or breaking the power of their
enemies. This coming appears to be the Second Coming. Which
means that the Second Coming, while being a day of deliverance
for the righteous, will be a day of condemnation for the wicked
(2 Thess. 1:7-9; 1 Thess. 4:13-5:3).
"Behold, the farmer waits for the
precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it
gets the early and late rains".
The early rain fell in October, November, and December, and extended
in January and February. "The first showers of autumn which
revived the parched and thirsty soil and prepared it for the seed;
and the later showers of spring which continued to refresh and
forward both the ripening crops and the vernal products of the
field" (Pulpit Comm. p. 69). The latter rains are much lighter
and they fall in March and April.
This illustration would especially be relevant to this audience,
for some of them were laborers in the field. They understood
the patience of the farmer. The farmer does not expect to harvest
on the same day he has planted. He may suffer several disappointments
or set backs before he receives a harvest. "Just as the
farmer can know that the Lord is going to send the rain for the
crops, so we can know the Lord is going to send his Son once again.
Just as the farmer trusts the final outcome to the Lord who sends
the rain, we can trust God for the final outcome of our lives"
(Draper p. 150).
5:8 "You too be patient; strengthen
your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand".
"You too be patient"-For
God's judgment is just as certain at the rain! "The point
is not the length of time one must wait
.but whether one
will endure the period of waiting" (Davids p. 184). Be patient
like the farmer, don't panic, but realize that God will deliver!
"strengthen your hearts"-"strengthen,
make firm, confirm one's mind" (Thayer p. 588). To be fixed
and confirmed in one's belief (Rom. 1:11, 16:25; 1 Thess. 3:2,13,
2 Thess. 2:17, 3:3; 1 Peter 5:10, 2 Peter 1:12, Revelation 3:2).
Strengthen your emotions, wishes, and desires. Cultivate endurance
and a strong dependence upon God.
"for the coming of the Lord is
at hand"-According to the Scriptures the Second Coming
is always "at hand", for it could come at any time (1
Thess. 5:1-3). In their generation, what was also at hand was
the judgment of God upon the Jewish nation.
Points To Note:
Christians today need a greater awareness that Jesus could come
at any time (1 John 3:1-3). "If we knew Jesus Christ was
coming back today, it would make a profound difference in what
we do today. There are acts of obedience and commitments
that
we would waste no time doing. If we thought we had only one worship
service to attend before the Lord returned, it would make a difference
in how we worship. If we lived in the expectancy of the return
of Jesus Christ, we would be equipped for the pressures and the
trials of life. We are to live in that kind of expectation"
(Draper p. 151).
This isn't speculating about the Lord's return---rather it is
living as if Jesus could come at any time-which is the truth of
the matter. Living as if each day were our last, living as if
our non-Christian neighbors could be facing judgment tomorrow.
Years ago I ran across the following. It is called the infidel's
challenge to us:
"If I firmly believed, as millions say they do, that the
knowledge and practice of Christianity in this life influences
destiny in another world, Christianity would be to me, everything.
I would cast aside earthly cares as follies and earthly thoughts
and feelings as vanity. Christianity would be my first waking
thought, and my last image before sleep sank me into unconsciousness.
I would labor in its cause alone. Earthly consequences should
never stay my hands or seal my lips. I would esteem one soul
gained for heaven worth a lifetime of effort. I would go forth
to the world and preach Christ in season and out of season, and
my text would be, 'for what is a man profited, if he shall gain
the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give
in exchange for his soul?'"