Theme Scripture: --James 4:17 “Therefore, if one knows how to do what is right and yet does not do it, it is a sin for him.”
Theme Scripture Chapter Five: “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.”
“1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 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. 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. 5 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.”--James 5:1-6
The opening scriptures in this chapter are a continuation of what Chapter 4 presented. So, as we consider the beginning of Chapter 5, we notice the final chastisement comes to the rich, specifically the ones who employ others to tend their fields and goods. Notice, verse 1 is a behest to see the miseries about to come upon them for the reasons stated in vs 2 through 6. Notice the how and what is affected by their corruption.
Vs 2 – Riches Corrupted/Clothes moth eaten
Vs 3 - Their gold/silver corroded. Corrosion will be witness against/will eat flesh like fire
Vs 4 - The fraud they engaged – Stealing wages from staff cry out/staff’s cries have reached the ears of GOD
Vs 5 - You have lived well.
Vs 6 - You have condemned and murdered them just without resistance!
How more poignant is this scriptural statement in the last verse of the previous chapter in James: “Therefore, if one knows how to do what is right and yet does not do it, it is a sin for him.”
Is James here condemning all who are rich? Well, it seems certain if their riches are improved on the back of the work of others with no pay of any sort then, YES! However, when one reads this and jumps to the conclusion that it is not right for a believer to be ‘rich’ materially it is a dangerous summation of the text. In fact, this text spends no small amount of effort from James, who in 6 verses spells out HOW this particular rich person was living large off the laborious efforts of his farm hands who likely worked a typical week which could have been totally 150 hours a year! Think of how they were able to take care of their families on that ANNUAL income. And, sometimes it was all done at one time annually. Likely, harvest time.
See this site for interesting info on the work week through time.←https://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/users/rauch/worktime/hours_workweek.html
Let’s work this out and see what we learn from the conclusion of the first 6 verses of this chapter. Based on the motive of the ‘boss’ in the first 6 verses of this chapter we learn the following:
Riches are disposable/they corrode, decay,etc
Fraud can be deadly
What is your gain/does it match GOD’s
Are you a bully → vs 6
Based on the example in the first 6 verses “Where are your riches and where are they stored” If they are stored in your possession what should you do to change your destination? Here is a peak at your answer: ‘Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” [ Vs 7] It is only part of the answer but it is a HUGE change and in order to accomplish it successfully you need the aide of the of the next 3 verses in James 5. Return in a couple of weeks for the next installment.
Questions? lightwritingmatters@gmail.com
©lightwritingmatters 2015
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| lightwritingmatters 2015 |
NOTICE: If you are feeling inclined or feeling led to want Jesus as your Savior, your leader, your King, your source of Peace and Joy but are feeling woefully inadequate, uninformed on how best to get to know HIM, or find yourself at wit’s end because you believe yourself trapped and in need of GOD, please know Jesus stands ready to welcome you with HIS Holy Spirit. Believe these words: “16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. “—John 3:16
“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” – Acts 3:19-20
