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The Epistle of James Chapter 5:1–17 Misuse of Riches 5.1. Come now, you rich! Weep and cry aloud over the miseries that are coming on you. In addressing the rich here James does so to a class of rich people who oppress and cheat the poor believer and unbeliever alike. His plea to them is not a direct one to reform but a warning of the judgment that is to come upon them if they do not change their ways and make amends for the wrongs they have done. The language used “weep” and howl” literally shriek is expressive of a very deep distress. This he calls them to do now because of the terrible wretchedness that will come upon them. 5.2. Your riches have rotted and your clothing has become moth-eaten. Because they have not done anything good with the wealth they have for the welfare of those less fortunate than themselves but just stored their wealth for their own benefit it is already rotting away and their fine clothes are being eaten by moths. 5.3. Your gold and silver have rusted and their rust will be a witness against you. It will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have hoarded treasure! Their gold and silver that they considered indestructibly are completely rusted through and will be like a poison that will eat away the flesh like fire and this will be evidence against their disuse of it. Instead of storing up treasure in heaven they were saving it in these last days and when Christ comes they will have nothing to show for it for their silver and gold is not eternal (Math.6: 20, Luke 12:33). These verses could be just as easily applied to anything else that people have besides money and property such as the time that God has have given to worship and to serve him with all heart (Deuteronomy 10:12) or the abilities and gifts we have. The end will be the same as these rich people like the in the man in the parable that did nothing with the one talent given him by his lord (Matthew 25: 28 - 30).
Social Injustice 5.4. Look, the pay you have held back from the workers who mowed your fields cries out against you, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. In order to build up this wealth for themselves they had withheld the rightful wages that had be earned by those who reaped in their harvests. The cry of the workers against their employers had fallen on deaf hears but the Lord of Hosts (Saboath) had heard their cries and He would avenge them (Rom. 12: 19). 5.5. You have lived indulgently and luxuriously on the earth. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. The life of these rich people on earth is filled with days of revelry and luxurious living “let us eat drink and be merry� like the man who built bigger barns (Luke 12:19). As cattle and sheep are fattened for the day of slaughter so they fatten their hearts in luxurious living ready for the Day of Judgment (Romans 2:5). 5.6. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person, although he does not resist you. They condemn pronounce as guilty and kill the innocent while they offer no resistance (2 Peter 2:9).
Be Patient - the Lord is Coming 5.7. So be patient, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's return. Think of how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the ground and is patient for it until it receives the early and late rains. Turning from the wealthy James now gives his attention to believers who suffer at their hands. He exhorts them to have a patient spirit (patient is literally long spirited or forbearing) as they wait for the coming of the Lord. As an illustration of this patience he uses the farmer who sows his seed and patiently waits for the early rain in October or November to germinate the seed and then for the latter rain in April and May for maturing the grain so that he can reap in the harvest a period of six to seven months after he has sown the seed. 5.8. You also be patient and strengthen your hearts, for the Lord's return is near. The suffering believer must have this kind of patience and adhere firmly and devotedly to the faith and the sure hope that they have for the coming of the Lord is very near (Psalm 27:14,1 Peter 4:7). 5.9. Do not grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be judged. See, the judge stands before the gates! Do not moan, groan or complain about one another so that you will not be condemned for judging others. The Lord Jesus Christ who is to come and judge the world is already waiting at the door ready to do so. 5.10. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord's name.
For examples of patience in suffering look at the prophets who spoke in the Name of the Lord and follow in their footsteps. They endured persecution, hardship and even death (Heb. 11: 36 - 38). 5.11. Think of how we regard as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job's endurance and you have seen the Lord's purpose, that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. Those who endure such afflictions were considered to be blessed. Job is a prime example of a man who had great patience as he suffered many things not knowing what God’s intentions were or what the outcome would be. We know from the beginning of the book that God’s hand was in it all and because we are in possession of the whole story we know how God richly blest him. Through Job we see how very compassionate and full of tender mercy God is. 5.12. And above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath. But let your "Yes" be yes and your "No" be no, so that you may not fall into judgment. Above all else James exhorts believers not to swear (omnuo) by heaven or earth when provoked or stressed by trials or to make oaths (horkos) (Math. 5: 33 -34) but let your yes be a simple straightforward yes if you mean it and your no a simple straightforward no (2 Corinthians 1: 17 - 20). This will save you from sin and condemnation for taking the Name of God in vain (Exod. 20: 7).
Prayer and Praise 5.13. Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing praises. If anyone is undergoing hardships, afflictions or trouble then let them turn to God in prayer for it is only God that can save and deliver (Psalm 50:15, Psalm 77:2). If anyone is in good spirits, are cheerful, joyful and of good courage let them sing psalms. 5.14 - 15. Is anyone among you ill? He should summon the elders of the church, and they should pray for him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick and the Lord will raise him up — and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. If anyone is sick, then let them call for the elders of the church this is the step of faith required of the sick. Let the elders pray over them anointing with oil in the Name of the Lord and the prayer of faith by the elders will heal the sick and restore them to full health. When Jesus sent out His disciples they anointed with oil those that were sick and healed them (Mark 6:13). This is the only place other than James where this is recorded; although Mark doesn’t say that Jesus had told them to do this He must have instructed them to do so. If it was sin that was the cause of the sickness, then the sin will be forgiven. From the scriptures we must conclude that any sin that has been committed has been confessed and repented of before the sinner can be forgiven and healed (1 John 1:9). Note. The fact that James says if any is sick among you, that is believers, make it clear that this anointed with oil was only to be used in praying for believers that were sick. 5.16. So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness.
If it is the sin of having anything against another brother or of offended a brother that is meant here He is to go and confess his fault to him and be reconciled and pray for each other so that there may be healing (Math. 5: 23 - 24, Luke 17:4). The sincere earnest prayer of a righteous person has a very powerful effect. 5.17 - 18. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain and there was no rain on the land for three years and six months! Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land sprouted with a harvest. James names Elijah as being human just like we are with the same kind of nature he was subject to hunger and weariness, he was subject to reproach, affliction and persecution, he was not free from sinful passions, impatience fear or unbelief yet he prayed earnestly for it not to rain and no rain fell for three and half years. He prayed again for it to rain the heavens opened and poured rain upon the earth and it brought fourth the crops.
Bringing back a Stray 5.19 - 20. My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path will save that person's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. If anyone strays from the Truth and falls into error (backslides) and somebody turns him back into “The Way” then we can be sure that whoever brings the erring one back to Christ will be instrumental in delivering his soul from death and will bring about the forgiveness of his many sins. In using the term deliver his soul from death James shows the peril that a believer is in when he backslides and will remain in unless they repent. Ezekial 18:4 says "Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die. That is why James concludes that there is a hope for backsliders if they will confess, repent and return to God their sins will be forgiven and they will be delivered from death the penalty for sin. © Derek Williams & Mathew Bartlett 2015 Bible Studies Online UK www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk You may copy, print or distribute our studies freely in any form, just so long as you make no charges. Sign up today for our FREE monthly Bible study magazine “Living Word” Scriptures taken from the NET Bible www.bible.org