Lesson 9 – James Chapter 5:1-9
Reflecting back on what James taught in chapter 4, we need to humble ourselves before the Lord, resist the devil, use Scripture to fight our battles, we’re not to judge others in a condemning way, obey the law of love, and remember that life is short, live our life for God, come close to God… and then live within His will. James always has such godly wisdom for us.
Now we come to the final chapter with James, and in the first six verses he points his finger at the rich. In those days there was a major difference between the rich and the poor. There wasn’t much of a “middle class” as we understand it in today’s society, although today, the middle class seems to be losing ground. The poor were more open to God’s message of salvation, while the rich were rejecting Christ (of course there were some exceptions). The rich were famous for oppressing the poor. Remember how Jesus cleared out the money changers in the temple who had no real relationship with God. As James starts out, he will issue a warning to the rich…
James 5:1
“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you!”
“Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you.” (NLT)
James is addressing the “make-believers” in the church community, and specifically the rich. These rich people had the common attitude we see in wealthy people today, if there’s a problem of any kind, they just throw money at it, and in their misguided minds, thought they could buy their way into heaven as well.
When James says, “Come now” we could interpret it as “Listen up” or “Pay attention.” We saw this same wording in James 4:13 addressing the same foolish people who were living as though God didn’t exist.
James 4:13
“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”
James 5:2
“Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.”
Luke 16:13
“No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
The rich being addressed by James have made their money their god. They have stored up treasures on earth instead of heaven… Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.
Matt. 6:19
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;”
I’m sure you’ve seen it, the people that are all about having “things,” they have to have the biggest, the best, and the newest of anything and everything. You’ve also heard it said, “Just look at a person’s check book and you’ll see where their heart is.”
A life of materialism is easy to detect, and it’s sad when it becomes obvious that the only god in their life is the god of money and wealth.
Matt. 16:26
“And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”
Does God hate people that are rich? No, it’s all about how they handle their riches. Take for example David Green, the founder and former CEO of Hobby Lobby. While there are a few successful businessmen out there that openly credit God for their successes, Green takes it just a bit further. Green intertwines his beliefs into his operations, and he claims that God owns everything he has. He believes that God owns his business or any other businesses there may be for that matter. For Green, being a believer doesn’t just happen on Sundays. Everything he believes in is part of his life every day of the week and in every single part. David Green doesn’t allow his money to own him, and that’s how it should be. He’s quoted as saying, “Wealth can be a curse and, in most cases, if you drill down on it, wealth is a curse in terms of marriage, children and things of that nature.”
David Green has been blessed by God with riches, and David knows who really owns his money.
James says, Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire.
If you bury gold and silver in the ground they will tarnish, but they will not corrode away. What can cause gold and silver to corrode is the way in which it is used.
Another way to look at it is in the day of God’s judgment, gold and silver will be useless as if they had rusted.
Rev. 6:6
“And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, “A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay. And don’t waste the olive oil and wine.” (NLT)
Eat your flesh like fire…
Fire symbolizes fast, inescapable, fatal, and final judgment. This is a vivid picture of hell.
You can be the richest person in the world, but when the White Throne Judgment comes, all those riches won’t mean a thing to God… a person without Jesus is doomed to hell.
I Peter 1:18-19
“For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom He paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.” (NLT)
You have heaped (stored) up treasure in the last days…
The last days is the time period between Jesus’ first and second coming. These people had horded their riches. There is a last day coming for everyone.
Heb. 9:27
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,”
For every person there is a day of accountability that is coming, whether it’s with a last breath or at the final judgment. That’s why the choices we make on this side of eternity mean everything. God is not a respecter of man, whether rich or poor or somewhere in between, we all have to give an account for our lives before God.
Those who trust in Jesus for salvation will be saved, everyone else will face God’s judgment throughout all eternity.
James 5:4
“Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.”
The rich James is talking about were guilty of ripping off the people they hired. They used fraud to seal the wages owed and their sins would find them out. We often hear the phrase “Money talks,” in this case, the stolen wages cry out to God for Justice.
Lev. 19:13
“Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. Do not make your hired workers wait until the next day to receive their pay.” (NLT)
James 5:5
“You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter.”
“You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter.” (NLT)
These wicked rich were all about themselves, they stole, robbed, and horded their way to pleasure and luxury. They look left and they look right, they look all around to see if anybody is watching and then they do their dirty deeds, but they never remember to look up. Our sin always finds us out, nothing is hidden from God.
The NASB uses the phrase “led a life of wanton pleasure,” it has the implication of giving oneself to the pursuit of pleasure. In other words, this is all they think about, it’s habitual and can easily get out of control, becoming an obsession for a person.
When a reporter asked John D. Rockefeller, “How much money is enough?” He responded, “Just a little bit more.”
John MacArthur; “Those with money frequently close their eyes to the needs of others and the work of God, living solely to gratify their selfish, sinful desires. And apart from faith in Christ, they face eternal ruin and loss.”
Those with all the wealth and pleasures in life apart from Christ better enjoy it now, because it will be the only heaven they will ever know.
You have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter…
We have cattle here in Colorado. When it’s getting time to send the cattle to market they are put in pens to reduce their activity and they are fed lots of grains, it’s called cattle fattening, making them prime for the slaughter house.
This gives us a great picture of the wicked rich, lining their pockets, fattening their hearts with all they desire, making them prime for God’s judgment.
James 5:6
“You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.”
Condemned… the Greek translates this, to pass sentence upon. Then the verse says, you have murdered…
Matt. 5:21
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.”
The implication by James is that the wicked rich were using the courts to judicially murder some of the abused poor that were in their way.
He does not resist you…
This is the poor man that has been hauled off to court. We saw this in James chapter 2…
James 2:6
“But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?”
Perhaps the poor man in verse 6 had the mind of Christ and was being Christ-like in his behavior… He does not resist you.
I Peter 2:23 (Peter speaking of Jesus)
“He did not retaliate when He was insulted, nor threaten revenge when He suffered. He left His case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.”
The Christian life is not always easy. As believers we should constantly live according to the way Jesus has taught us.
Matt. 5:39-42
“But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.” (NLT)
In response to this someone might say, “If I do this I could lose so much.”
Matt. 6:33
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
Living for Christ requires faith and trust on our part. Will the “world” take advantage because we are faithful in our Christian conduct? It could happen, but regardless of how the “world” treats you, God has your back. For many, the only justice for the crimes against them will be in heaven. But, that’s okay, for great is their reward.
I John 4:4
“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
James 5:7-8
“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.
(8) You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”
Both verses here give us a reference to the coming of Jesus Christ. Whenever I come across scriptures that remind us that Jesus is returning, I perk-up a little and pay close attention to what is being said.
James uses the word “therefore” which causes us to reflect on the truths he has presented, and one of the truths we found was at the end of verse 6… he does not resist you. Again, this action takes Christ-like behavior, which over time, might cause the believer to become a little weary, but take heart, because James says, therefore be patient brethren, until the coming of the Lord. We could paraphrase this by saying, “Hang in there brothers and sisters, Jesus is indeed coming back for you, and it could be very soon.”
Yes, we will experience all kinds of injustice, rip-offs, and unfairness as Christians, but always remember, Jesus is coming back. When He does, He’s going to right every wrong… nothing will get past Him.
In Romans 8, Paul talks about the bodies we will receive when Jesus comes for us.
Rom. 8:24-25
“We were given this hope when we were saved. If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.” (NLT)
As believers, the best is yet to come, God has great plans for us. In the meantime, we need to exercise patience. We’ve examined patience before, and it’s something we need in life. Remember patience is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Col. 3:12
“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;”
Then in the rest of verse 7 James gives the example of a famer. A famer must exhibit patience, as each step he takes, takes time… time to plant seeds, time to water, time to cultivate, and time to harvest.
In the grand scheme of things, the farmer knows good things are coming. Good things come to those who wait.
Isaiah 40:31
“But those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.”
In verse 8 it says, establish your hearts or strengthen your hearts…
Establish and strengthen have the same Greek word “stay-rid’-zo” meaning: to make firm, to render a constant, confirm one’s mind. This term is also used in Luke 9:51 using the word “steadfastly” to show the mind-set of Jesus. “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.”
Jesus knew He was about to die on the cross, and He was determined to achieve the task set before Him. In the same way, we are to “confirm in our minds” the truth that Jesus is coming again. By confirming this in our mind, we will be strengthening our hearts by doing so.
Scripture is neither vague nor misleading on the promise of Christ’s return. A large portion (by some accounts, as much as one-fifth) of Scripture is prophetic, and perhaps a third or more of the prophetic passages refer to the Second Coming of Christ or events related to His coming. It is undeniably a major theme in the prophecies of both Old and New Testaments.
Charlie Kirk; “Prophecy poorly understood creates paralysis and cynicism… Prophecy properly understood creates urgency and optimism.”
By understanding prophecy in the Bible about the second coming of Christ, we will strengthen and establish our hearts in the way James is talking about.
James 5:9
“Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!”
Grumble or complaining… don’t do it, God doesn’t like it. That’s a simple way to say it.
Exo. 16:8
“Moses said, “This will happen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread to the full in the morning; for the Lord hears your grumblings which you grumble against Him. And what are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against the Lord.”
John 6:43
“Jesus answered and said to them, “Do not grumble among yourselves.”
How many of us are guilty of complaining? For some of us, it can become a favorite pastime. I know I’m guilty of it. Moses had it right when he said, “Your grumblings are not against us but against the Lord.” When we’re not happy with whatever it might be… our income, our living conditions, our social status, or cost of living… when we complain, we’re complaining against God.
Matt. 6:33
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
If we’re complaining, we’re in a way saying to God that we’re not happy with the way He has provided for us. I think if we look closely at this we will find it a bit sobering.
Phil. 4:11
“Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.”
I Tim. 6:8
“If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.”
Heb. 13:5
“Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.”
It’s like the old saying, “You’d complain if they hung you with a new rope.”
I have a few friends who if you ask them “How ya doing?” they’ll say, “Better than I deserve.” So, we have an excellent reminder here from the Word of God, let’s keep our complaining in check… everything we go through in life must first pass through the will of God.
Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!
James is illustrating for us that our Lord Jesus Christ is about to come into the judgment hall, and this day is coming. The world would like to dismiss it, saying there is no God, therefore there is no judgment.
II Tim. 4:1
“I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom.”
I Peter 4:5
“They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.”
Acts 10:42
“And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.”
Who are the living and the dead? We’re talking about the second birth and the second death. The second birth is simply those who have been born-again, and the second death are those who refused to accept Jesus as Lord.
Rev. 21:8
“But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars – their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” (NLT)
Judgment is coming for both believers and unbelievers. James gave us the reminder that Jesus is coming back in verses 7 and 8. Along with Jesus’ return He brings His judgment with Him. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! Born-again believers will be judged at the Bema seat (judgment seat of Christ) and those of the second death will be judged at the White Throne Judgment at the End of Days.
Now while we’re standing in front of Jesus to receive rewards for the things we have done, I don’t know if Jesus will talk about all the complaining we did in our lifetime. Just saying.
Phil 2:14-16
“Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.”
If we are indeed close to the Rapture, we are most definitely not going to like what’s going on around us. It’s referred to “as in the days of Noah.” When we see evil and all kinds of corruption, let’s make a major effort not to complain, Paul said, “shine as lights in the world.” You never know, someone might ask you why you never complain, thus giving you the opportunity to share Christ with them.
We’ve examined the wicked rich. Jesus talked about how hard it is for the rich to come into the kingdom of God. When you see the worldly rich, say a prayer for them. When you see the godly rich, thank the Lord for them.
When the things of the world start crowding in around you, stand strong in your faith and be patient. We’re running the race just like generations before us, so let’s finish well.
Our King Jesus is coming back… first He’s coming for you, then He will return as a conquering King… the great Judge is coming.