The Bible has much to say about the power of God in praise and in the prayer of praise. The prayer of praise releases more of God's power than any other form of prayer of petition. The Bible gives examples which demonstrate this fact again and again. We shall discuss some of these examples.
God has the right to praise as His due, firstly, for who He is, the creator of the universe and all in it. Secondly, for all that He has done for us in making provision for our eternal salvation and our life here on the earth. It is one of the basic Biblical requirments of believers to praise the Lord. In order to do this meaningfully we need a revelation of God as our Heavenly Father and that He is the God of love.
Paul said: "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened" (Romans 1:20, 21, NKJV).
This passage of Scripture states that every person is born with an awareness of God through creation and therefore rejection of God is a deliberate choice. God expects us to glorify Him and give Him thanks. Praise is an acknowledgement that God is God and He is worthy to be praised. Humanism, atheism and evolution deny God the praise that is rightfully His, for we are fearfully and wonderfully made. If we are believers then God expects praise from us as part of the daily walk and relationship and not just in meetings or Church services. It is part of the walk of the Spirit.
Not only can we praise God for who He is but also for what He has done. Our salvation alone is priceless, apart from all the other blessings God gives to those who love Him. Deuteronomy 28 lists the blessings which Old Testament believers were entitled but as New Testament believers we have been blessed with evey spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 1:3).
David, the psalmist said: "Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction. Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's" (Ps. 103:1 - 5).
We need to be aware how important praise is in the move of the Spirit and why there is so much emphasis on it. God delights in being exalted to His rightful position in our lives and responds to those who do this.
The Lord inhabits the praises of His people
David, the psalmist said: "But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel" (Ps. 22:3, KJV).
God's power and presence is near when we praise Him. He actually dwells, inhabits, and resides in our praises!
The following are some examples of the power in praise:
King Jehoshaphat of Judah
Jehoshaphat was king of Judah. One day he discovered that his little kingdom was surrounded by the powerful armies of his enemies - the Moabites, the Ammonites and the Meunites. Johoshaphat knew that little Judah did not have a chance in its own might, and he cried out to God: "O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against the great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You" (2 Chron. 20:12).
An important step in the act of praising God is to take our eyes off the threatening circumstances and look to God instead. Notice that Jehoshaphat was not just closing his eyes to the threat against his kingdom or pretending the enemies were not there. He took careful stock of the situation, recognized his won helplessness, and turned to God for help.
We are not to be blind to the very real threats of evil in our lives. Seeing them for what they are only gives us greater cause to praise and thank God for working in them with perfect control and authority. But we are not to be preoccupied with the appearance of evil around us. See it, admit our helplessness to cope with it in our own strength, then turn to God.
God said: "Do not be afraid nor desmayed because of this great multitude, for the battle in not yours, but God's" (2 chron. 20:15).
I think that is a tremendous statement. We don't have the power to deal with the circumstances of our lives, so obviously, the battle isn't ours, but God's!
What a promise! Now what kind of position did God want Jehoshaphat to hold while he was to stand still and watch God at work?
The next morning Jehoshaphat appointed those whose who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying "Praise that Lord, for His mercy endures forever" (2 Chron. 20:21).
The scene took place right in front of the massed ranks of the enemy-armies ready to slaughter the men of Judah. Can you imagine the reaction of their captains as they saw the small band of singers coming out on the battlefield agains them? They would have thought they were mad!
But what happened to Jehoshaphat and his men? "Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another" (2 Chron. 20:22, 23).
There was total confusion and they killed one another. We can assume that if Jehoshaphat had decided that "he better play it safe" and had ordered his men to fight, the outcome would have been very different.
Many of us are constantly defeated by the circumstance around us because we are not ready to accept that the battle is God's and not ours. Even when we realize our own powerlessness to cope with the enemy, we are afraid to let go and trust ourselves ot God's power. This is where we've allowed our own understanding to assume the wrong position in our lives. We don't understand and therefore we don't dare to believe.
God's Word makes it clear that the only way out of that dilemma is the step of faith on our part. Believing that God's promises are valid, accepting them, and daring to trust in them leads to understanding. The Biblical principle here is ver clear - Acceptance comes before understanding.
Jehoshaphat would never have dared follow God's plan if he had insisted on understanding it. God's proposal and promise undoubtedly staggered and went beyond Jehoshaphat's understanding. But Jehoshaphat, we read in the account, was a man who believed and trusted God. With his understnding, he relied on and trusted God.
The Battle of Jericho
Joshua was another leader who received battle orders from God that must have staggered his understanding and challenged his willingness to accept what must have seemed absurd to many who watched.
The city of Jericho was a fortified stronghold, and the Israelites who had wanderd for forty years in the wilderness certainly didn't have the weapons or the power to take the city. But Joshua believed God when He promised to deliver the enemies of Israel into their hands.
God told Joshua to march aroung Jericho six days in a row. On the seventh day they were to blow their trumpets and shout. "... then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him" (Josh. 6:5).
Joshua trusted God, but I wonder what you or I would hae thought and said if we had been among his followers. Would we have grumbled and balked at his foolhardy suggestion? I wonder what the inhabitants of Jericho thought as they stood on the sturdy fortified walls of their city and watched the Israelites marching around, carrying the Ark of the Covenant with them.
At one time I used to think that the story of Joshua and the battle of Jericho was a mixture of myth, exaggeration, and fairy tale. But archaeologists have located the ruins of old Jericho in recent years, and found ample evidence that the walls of the city did collapse at a time in history corresponding to the Biblical record. The walls of Jericho did come tumbling down. The Power of God was at work while His people showed their trust and confidence by praising Him with trumpets and shouts.
Earthly ministry of Jesus Christ
The examples of Jehoshaphat and Joshua clearly demonstrate that God wins our victories by means and principles that look untterly foolish and contradictory to our human wisdom and strategies.
We are told to trust Him, praise Him, and watch Him work. This is essentially how Jesus Christ operated during His time of ministry in Israel. He openly admitted that by Himself He could do nothing; His part was to submit to His Father's will in perfect obedience, trust, and faith, so that God's power could meet the needs of the people.
We may take a look at a couple of Jesus' prayers concerning a different problem.
1. Feeding of 5,000
There was the case of the 5,000 who had followed Him out of town to hear Him preach. They wer hungry. The only food available was one little boy's lunch - five loaves of bread and two fish.
How did Jesus pray? Did He plead with God to perform a miracle?
"And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. So they all ate and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men" (Mark 6:41 - 43).
Some of us may object here and say, "But that was Jesus; He knew what God could do. It wouldn't work for us!
But Jesus told his followers, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son" (John 14:12, 13).
Jesus said we could do greater things. Does that mean that God possibly has a plan concerning famines around the world and the projected food shortage that environmentalists and agricultural experts so solemnly predict?
Yes, I do believe it does. I know of several instances where people have taken God at His Word, thanked Him, and praised Him for a limited food supply, and seen it stretch to feed many more that it was originally projected for.
2. The raising of Lazarus from the dead
When Jesus was confronted with the death of Lazarus, He again prayed a simple prayer of thanksgiving. When the stone was rolled away from the grave opening where Lazarus had been buried for four days, Jesus lifted His eyes, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me" (John 11:41). He then commanded Lazarus to come from the grave. And the man who had been dead four days walked out!
Jesus made possible for us to praise God
The Bible says that Jesus came to earth to make it possible for us to praise God. Isaiah the prophet fortold Jesus' coming and said that He would come "to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengence of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified" (Isa. 61:1 - 3).
You may recognize your own condition on the list. Are you brokem-hearted? Bound by physical limitations, sickness, and spiritul limitations? In physical prison, or imprisoned by you own spiritual blindness? Are you mourning? Unable to rejoice, be thankfull, or praise God? Is your spirit heavily burdened and failing?
Perhaps it is because you haven't fully accepted and understood the Good News Jesus came to bring.
Praise is an active response to what we know what God has done and is doing for us in our lives and in the world through His Son Jesus Christ and the person of the Holy Spirit.
If we doubt in our hearts what God has done and is doing, we cannot wholeheartedly praise Him. Uncertainty about the Good News will always be a barrier to praise. If we want to be able to praise God in everything, we need to be sure or foundation is solid and without cracks of doubt and uncertainty.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Let us be Prayerful
The gift of speech is a marvelous blessing, if it is used to the glory of God. As we have seen, James had a great deal to say about tongue; and this section (James 5:13 - 20) is no exception. He mentioned some of the lowest uses of the tongue - complaining (James 5:9) and swearing (James 5:12). But he also named some of the highest uses of the tongue - proclaiming God's Word (James 5:10) and praying and praising God (James 5:13).
Prayer is certainly a high and holy privilege. To think that, as God's children, we can come freely and boldly to His throne and share with Him our needs! Seven times in this section James mentioned prayer. The mature Christian is prayerful in the troubles of life. Instead of complaining about his situation, he talks to God about it; and God hears and answers his prayers. "Taking it to the Lord in prayer" is certainly a mark of spiritual maturity.
James said: "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produces its fruit. Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:13 - 20, NKJV).
In this section, James encourages us to pray by describing four situations in which God answers prayer - Prayer for the suffering, prayer for the sick, prayer for the nation and prayer for the straying.
Prayer for the suffering (James 5:13)
James said: "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms" (James 5:13).
What should we do when we find ourselves in such trying circumstances? We must not grumble and criticize the saints who are having an easier time of it (James 5:9) nor should we blame the Lord. We should pray, asking God for the wisdom we need to understand the situation and use it to His glory (James 1:5).
Prayer can remove affliction or suffering, if that is God's will. But prayer can also give us the grace we need to endure troubles and use them to accomplish God's perfect will. God can transform troubles into triumphs - "He gives more grace" (James 4:6). Paul prayed that God might change his circumstances, but instead, God gave Paul the grace he need to turn his weakness into strength (2 Cor. 12:7 - 10). Our Lord paryed in Gethsemane that the cup might be removed, and it was not. Yet the Father gave Him the strength He needed to go to the cross and die for our sins.
James indicated that everybody does not go through troubles at the same time - "Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms" (James 5:13). God balances our lives and gives us hours of suffering and days of singing. The mature Christian know how to sing while he is suffering. God is able to give "songs in the night" (Job 35:10). He did this for Paul and Silas when they were suffering in the Philippian Jail - "But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, ..." (Acts 16:25).
Praying and singing were important elements in worship in the early Church, and they should be important to us too. Our singing ought to be an expression of our inner spiritual life. The believer's praise should be intelligent (1 Cor. 14:15), and it should come from the heart (Eph. 5:19) and be motivated by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18). Christian songs must be based on the Word of God (Col. 3:16) and not simply on the clever ideas of men. If a song is not Biblical, it is not acceptable to God.
Prayer for the sick (James 5:14 - 16)
James said: "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he wil be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:14 - 16, emphasis added).
I do not think that James gave us a blanket formula for healing the sick. James was describing a Church member who was sick because he had been desciplined by God. This explains why the elders of the Church were called. The man could not go to Church to confess his sins, so he asked the spiritual leader to come to him. The leaders would be in charge of the discipline of the congregation.
In the early Church, the believers practiced Church discipline. First Corinthians 5 is a good example. Paul told the believers at Corinth to dismiss the sinning member from the assembly until he repented of sins and made things right.
In the case of this sick person, he was healed by "the prayer of faith" - a prayer offered when you know the will of God. The elders would seek the mind of God in the matter, and then pray according to His will. God does not heal every case and it is not true that every sickness is out of His will. But where we have the inner conviction from the Word and the Spirit that it is God's will to heal, then we can pray "the prayer of faith" and expect God to work.
Keep in mind that it is not one individual who is praying; it is the body of elders (spiritual men of God) who seek God's will and pray. James did not instruct believer to send for a faith healer. The matter is in the hands of the leaders of the Local Church.
The "confessing" that James wrote about is done among the saints. He was not suggesting confessing our sins to a preacher or priest. We confess our sins first of all to the Lord (1 John1:9), but we must also confess them to those who have been affected by them. We must never confess sin beyond the circle of that sin's influence. Private sin requires private confession; public sin requires public confession.
Prayer for the nation (James 5:17, 18)
James said: "Elijah was a man with nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit" (James 5:17, 18).
The background of this incident is found in 1 King 17, 18. Wicked King Ahab and Jezebel, his queen, had led Israel away from the Lord and into the worship of Baal. God punished the nation by holding back the rain that they needed (read Deut. 18:12, 23). For three and one-half years, the heavens were as brass and the earth unable to produce the crops so necessary for life.
Then Elijah challenged the priests of Baal on Mt. Carmel. All day long the priests cried out to their god, but no answer came. At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah repaired the altar and prepared the sacrifice. He paryed but once, and fire came from heaven to consume the sacrifice. He had proved that Jehovah was the true God.
But the nation still needed rain. Elijah went to the top of Mt. Carmel and fell down before the Lord in prayer. He prayed and sent his servant seven times to see if there was evidence of rain. And the seventh time his servant saw a little cloud. Before long, there was a great rain, and the nation was saved.
James said: "Elijah was a man with nature like ours, ..." (James 5:17). In other words, he was not perfect. In fact, right after his victory on Mount Carmel, Elijah became afraid and discouraged and ran away. But he was a "righteous man," that is, obedient to the Lord and trusting Him. God's promises of answered prayer are for all his children, not just for ones we may call the "spiritual elite."
Elijah prayed in faith, for God told him He would sent the rain (1 Kings 18:1). Someone said, "Prayer is not getting man's will done in heaven. It is getting God's will done on earth." You cannot separate the Word of God and prayer, for in His Word He gives us the promises that we claim when we pray.
Elijah was not only believing in his praying, but he was persistent just as James said - "... he prayed earnestly ... And he prayed again" (James 5:17, 18). On Mount Carmel, Elijah continued to pray for rain until his servant reported "a cloud the size of a man's hand." Too many times we fail to get what God promises because we stop praying too sonn. It is true that Jesus said that "we will not be heard for our many words" (Matt. 6:7), but there is a difference between vain repetitions and true believing persistence in prayer. Our Lord prayed three times in the Garden, and Paul pray three times that his thorn in the flesh might be taken from him.
Elijah was determined and concerned in his praying - "... he prayed earnestly ..." (James 5:17). The literal Greek reads "... he prayed in prayer." Many people do not pray in their prayers. They just lazily say religious words, and their hearts are not in their prayers.
I believer prayer power is the greatest power in the world today. Tremendous power is made available through earnest prayer. History shows how mankind has progressed from manpower to horsepower, and then to dynamite and TNT, and now to nuclear power.
But greater that nuclear power is prayer power. Elijah prayed for his nation, and God answered prayer. We need to pray for our nation today, that God will bring conviction and revival, and that "showers of blessing" will come to the land. One of the first responsibilities of the Local Church is to pray for government leaders (1 Tim. 2:1 - 3).
Prayer for the straying (James 5:19, 20)
James said: "Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:19, 20, emphasis added).
The "truth" means the Word of God - "Your word is truth" (John 17:17).
While James did not specifically name prayer in these verses, the implication is there. If we pray for the afflicted and the sick, surely we must also pray for the brother who wanders from the truth.
These verses deal with our ministry to a fellow believer who, through deceiption, strays from the truth and gets into sin. The ward "wanders" suggest a gradual moving away from the truth of God's Word which is the will of God. The Old Testament term for this is "backsliding." Sad to say, we see this tragedy occurring in our Churches regularly. Usually the sin is the result of slow, gradual spiritual decline. Paul said; "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted" (Gal. 6:1).
Such a condition (straying from the truth) is, of course, very dangerous. It is dangerous to the offender because he may be disciplined (chastised) by the Lord (Heb. 12). He also faces the danger of committing "sin leading to death" (1 John 5:16, 17). God disciplined the sinning members of the Corinthian Church, even to the point of taking some of them to heaven" (1 Cor. 11:30)
But this backsliding is also dangerous to the Church. A wandering offender can influence other and lead them astray - "... one sinner destroys much good" (Ecc. 9:18). This is why spiritually matured members of the Local Church must step in and help the man who has wandered away.
I believe unless the believer stays close to the truth, he will start to drift away. The writer of Hebrews said: "Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away" (Heb. 2:1). Jesus warned Peter that Satan was at hand to tempt him, and Peter refused to believe the Word. He even argued with the Lord! When he should have been praying with the Lord in the Garden, Peter was sleeping. No wonder he denied the Lord three times.
The outcome of this wandering is "sin" and possible "death" (James 5:20). The sinner here is a beliver, not an unbeliever; and sin in the life of a Christian is worse than sin in the life of an unbeliever. We expect unsaved people to sin, but God expects His children to obey His Word.
What are we to do when we see a fellow believer wandering from the truth? We should pray for him, to be sure; but we must also seek to help him. He needs to be "converted" - turned back into the right path again. Many Christians think believers need not to be converted. Look at Peter. Jesus said to him: "... when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Luke 22:32, KJV).
It is important that we seek to win the lost, but it is also important to win the save. Jesus said: "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother" (Matt. 18:15, emphasis added). The word "gain" means "won." It is important to win the saved as well as the lost!
If we are going to help an erring brother, we must have an attitude of love, for "love will cover a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). Both James and Peter learned this principle from Proverbs - "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins" (Prov. 10:12).
This does not mean that love "sweeps the dirt under the carpet." Where there is love, there must also be truth - "... speaking the truth in love, ..." (Eph. 4:15). Where there is truth, there is honest confession of sin and cleansing from God. Love not only helps the offender to face his sins and deal with them, but love also assures the offender that those sins, once forgiven, are remembered no more.
Conclusion
This brings us to the end of our study of the Epistle of James. His emphasis has been spiritual maturity. We need to bear in mind that the born-again experience is only the beginning. After that, you have to grow up! Many problesms in our lives are caused by spiritual immaturity. God wants us to grow up, not just grow old. And He has given us the formula for maturity in the Epistle of James.
Prayer is certainly a high and holy privilege. To think that, as God's children, we can come freely and boldly to His throne and share with Him our needs! Seven times in this section James mentioned prayer. The mature Christian is prayerful in the troubles of life. Instead of complaining about his situation, he talks to God about it; and God hears and answers his prayers. "Taking it to the Lord in prayer" is certainly a mark of spiritual maturity.
James said: "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produces its fruit. Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:13 - 20, NKJV).
In this section, James encourages us to pray by describing four situations in which God answers prayer - Prayer for the suffering, prayer for the sick, prayer for the nation and prayer for the straying.
Prayer for the suffering (James 5:13)
James said: "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms" (James 5:13).
What should we do when we find ourselves in such trying circumstances? We must not grumble and criticize the saints who are having an easier time of it (James 5:9) nor should we blame the Lord. We should pray, asking God for the wisdom we need to understand the situation and use it to His glory (James 1:5).
Prayer can remove affliction or suffering, if that is God's will. But prayer can also give us the grace we need to endure troubles and use them to accomplish God's perfect will. God can transform troubles into triumphs - "He gives more grace" (James 4:6). Paul prayed that God might change his circumstances, but instead, God gave Paul the grace he need to turn his weakness into strength (2 Cor. 12:7 - 10). Our Lord paryed in Gethsemane that the cup might be removed, and it was not. Yet the Father gave Him the strength He needed to go to the cross and die for our sins.
James indicated that everybody does not go through troubles at the same time - "Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms" (James 5:13). God balances our lives and gives us hours of suffering and days of singing. The mature Christian know how to sing while he is suffering. God is able to give "songs in the night" (Job 35:10). He did this for Paul and Silas when they were suffering in the Philippian Jail - "But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, ..." (Acts 16:25).
Praying and singing were important elements in worship in the early Church, and they should be important to us too. Our singing ought to be an expression of our inner spiritual life. The believer's praise should be intelligent (1 Cor. 14:15), and it should come from the heart (Eph. 5:19) and be motivated by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18). Christian songs must be based on the Word of God (Col. 3:16) and not simply on the clever ideas of men. If a song is not Biblical, it is not acceptable to God.
Prayer for the sick (James 5:14 - 16)
James said: "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he wil be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much" (James 5:14 - 16, emphasis added).
I do not think that James gave us a blanket formula for healing the sick. James was describing a Church member who was sick because he had been desciplined by God. This explains why the elders of the Church were called. The man could not go to Church to confess his sins, so he asked the spiritual leader to come to him. The leaders would be in charge of the discipline of the congregation.
In the early Church, the believers practiced Church discipline. First Corinthians 5 is a good example. Paul told the believers at Corinth to dismiss the sinning member from the assembly until he repented of sins and made things right.
In the case of this sick person, he was healed by "the prayer of faith" - a prayer offered when you know the will of God. The elders would seek the mind of God in the matter, and then pray according to His will. God does not heal every case and it is not true that every sickness is out of His will. But where we have the inner conviction from the Word and the Spirit that it is God's will to heal, then we can pray "the prayer of faith" and expect God to work.
Keep in mind that it is not one individual who is praying; it is the body of elders (spiritual men of God) who seek God's will and pray. James did not instruct believer to send for a faith healer. The matter is in the hands of the leaders of the Local Church.
The "confessing" that James wrote about is done among the saints. He was not suggesting confessing our sins to a preacher or priest. We confess our sins first of all to the Lord (1 John1:9), but we must also confess them to those who have been affected by them. We must never confess sin beyond the circle of that sin's influence. Private sin requires private confession; public sin requires public confession.
Prayer for the nation (James 5:17, 18)
James said: "Elijah was a man with nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit" (James 5:17, 18).
The background of this incident is found in 1 King 17, 18. Wicked King Ahab and Jezebel, his queen, had led Israel away from the Lord and into the worship of Baal. God punished the nation by holding back the rain that they needed (read Deut. 18:12, 23). For three and one-half years, the heavens were as brass and the earth unable to produce the crops so necessary for life.
Then Elijah challenged the priests of Baal on Mt. Carmel. All day long the priests cried out to their god, but no answer came. At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah repaired the altar and prepared the sacrifice. He paryed but once, and fire came from heaven to consume the sacrifice. He had proved that Jehovah was the true God.
But the nation still needed rain. Elijah went to the top of Mt. Carmel and fell down before the Lord in prayer. He prayed and sent his servant seven times to see if there was evidence of rain. And the seventh time his servant saw a little cloud. Before long, there was a great rain, and the nation was saved.
James said: "Elijah was a man with nature like ours, ..." (James 5:17). In other words, he was not perfect. In fact, right after his victory on Mount Carmel, Elijah became afraid and discouraged and ran away. But he was a "righteous man," that is, obedient to the Lord and trusting Him. God's promises of answered prayer are for all his children, not just for ones we may call the "spiritual elite."
Elijah prayed in faith, for God told him He would sent the rain (1 Kings 18:1). Someone said, "Prayer is not getting man's will done in heaven. It is getting God's will done on earth." You cannot separate the Word of God and prayer, for in His Word He gives us the promises that we claim when we pray.
Elijah was not only believing in his praying, but he was persistent just as James said - "... he prayed earnestly ... And he prayed again" (James 5:17, 18). On Mount Carmel, Elijah continued to pray for rain until his servant reported "a cloud the size of a man's hand." Too many times we fail to get what God promises because we stop praying too sonn. It is true that Jesus said that "we will not be heard for our many words" (Matt. 6:7), but there is a difference between vain repetitions and true believing persistence in prayer. Our Lord prayed three times in the Garden, and Paul pray three times that his thorn in the flesh might be taken from him.
Elijah was determined and concerned in his praying - "... he prayed earnestly ..." (James 5:17). The literal Greek reads "... he prayed in prayer." Many people do not pray in their prayers. They just lazily say religious words, and their hearts are not in their prayers.
I believer prayer power is the greatest power in the world today. Tremendous power is made available through earnest prayer. History shows how mankind has progressed from manpower to horsepower, and then to dynamite and TNT, and now to nuclear power.
But greater that nuclear power is prayer power. Elijah prayed for his nation, and God answered prayer. We need to pray for our nation today, that God will bring conviction and revival, and that "showers of blessing" will come to the land. One of the first responsibilities of the Local Church is to pray for government leaders (1 Tim. 2:1 - 3).
Prayer for the straying (James 5:19, 20)
James said: "Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins" (James 5:19, 20, emphasis added).
The "truth" means the Word of God - "Your word is truth" (John 17:17).
While James did not specifically name prayer in these verses, the implication is there. If we pray for the afflicted and the sick, surely we must also pray for the brother who wanders from the truth.
These verses deal with our ministry to a fellow believer who, through deceiption, strays from the truth and gets into sin. The ward "wanders" suggest a gradual moving away from the truth of God's Word which is the will of God. The Old Testament term for this is "backsliding." Sad to say, we see this tragedy occurring in our Churches regularly. Usually the sin is the result of slow, gradual spiritual decline. Paul said; "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted" (Gal. 6:1).
Such a condition (straying from the truth) is, of course, very dangerous. It is dangerous to the offender because he may be disciplined (chastised) by the Lord (Heb. 12). He also faces the danger of committing "sin leading to death" (1 John 5:16, 17). God disciplined the sinning members of the Corinthian Church, even to the point of taking some of them to heaven" (1 Cor. 11:30)
But this backsliding is also dangerous to the Church. A wandering offender can influence other and lead them astray - "... one sinner destroys much good" (Ecc. 9:18). This is why spiritually matured members of the Local Church must step in and help the man who has wandered away.
I believe unless the believer stays close to the truth, he will start to drift away. The writer of Hebrews said: "Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away" (Heb. 2:1). Jesus warned Peter that Satan was at hand to tempt him, and Peter refused to believe the Word. He even argued with the Lord! When he should have been praying with the Lord in the Garden, Peter was sleeping. No wonder he denied the Lord three times.
The outcome of this wandering is "sin" and possible "death" (James 5:20). The sinner here is a beliver, not an unbeliever; and sin in the life of a Christian is worse than sin in the life of an unbeliever. We expect unsaved people to sin, but God expects His children to obey His Word.
What are we to do when we see a fellow believer wandering from the truth? We should pray for him, to be sure; but we must also seek to help him. He needs to be "converted" - turned back into the right path again. Many Christians think believers need not to be converted. Look at Peter. Jesus said to him: "... when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Luke 22:32, KJV).
It is important that we seek to win the lost, but it is also important to win the save. Jesus said: "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother" (Matt. 18:15, emphasis added). The word "gain" means "won." It is important to win the saved as well as the lost!
If we are going to help an erring brother, we must have an attitude of love, for "love will cover a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8). Both James and Peter learned this principle from Proverbs - "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins" (Prov. 10:12).
This does not mean that love "sweeps the dirt under the carpet." Where there is love, there must also be truth - "... speaking the truth in love, ..." (Eph. 4:15). Where there is truth, there is honest confession of sin and cleansing from God. Love not only helps the offender to face his sins and deal with them, but love also assures the offender that those sins, once forgiven, are remembered no more.
Conclusion
This brings us to the end of our study of the Epistle of James. His emphasis has been spiritual maturity. We need to bear in mind that the born-again experience is only the beginning. After that, you have to grow up! Many problesms in our lives are caused by spiritual immaturity. God wants us to grow up, not just grow old. And He has given us the formula for maturity in the Epistle of James.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
The Power of Patience
In this section (James 5:7 - 12) James went back to the theme he started with, at the beginning of his Epistle (James 1:1 - 5), where he addressed the suffering believers who went through various trials. God is not going to right all the wrongs until Jesus Christ returns, and we believers must be patient and persevering.
James said: "Therefore be patient, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmers waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and later rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord - that the Lord is very compassionate and mereciful. But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No," "No,"lest you fall into judgment" (James 5:7 - 12, NKJV, emphasis added).
Notice that three times James reminded us of the coming of the Lord (James 5:7, 8, 9). This is the "blessed hope" of all Christians (Titus 2:13). We do not expect to have everything easy and comfortable in the present life.
Jesus said: "In the world you will have tribulation; ..." (John 16:33). Paul exhorted his converts that "we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). We must patiently endure hardships and heartaches until Jesus returns.
James gave three encouraging examples of patient endurance to illustrate the power of patience - the farmer, the prophets and Job.
The farmer (James 5:7 - 9)
James said: "See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door" (James 5:7 - 9)!
If a man is impatient, then he had better not become a farmer. No crop appears overnight, and no farmer has control over the weather. Too much rain can cause the crop to rot, and too much sun can burn it up. An early frost can kill the crop. How long-suffering the farmer must be with the weather!
He must also have patience with the seed and the crop, for it takes time for plants to grow. Jewish farmers would plow and sow in the autumn months. The "early rain" would soften the soil. The "later rain" would come in early spring and help to mature the harvest. The farmer had to wait many weeks for his seed to produce fruit.
Why did he willingly wait so long? Because the fruit is "precious" (James 5:7). The harvest is worth waiting for.
Paul said: "... for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart" (Gal. 6:9).
Jesus said: "For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come" (Mark 4:28, 29).
James pictured the Christian as a "spiritual farmer" looking for a spiritual harvest - "You also be patient. Establish your heart, ..." (James 5:8). Our hearts are the soil, and the "seed" is the word of God" (Luke 8:11). There are seasons to the spiritual life just as there are seasons to the soil. Sometimes, our hearts become cold and "wintry," and the Lord has to "break up (plow) your fallow ground" before He can plant the seed (Jer. 4:3). He sends the sunshine and the rains of His goodness to water and nurture the seeds planted; but we must be patient to wait for the harvest.
Here, then, is a secret of endurance when the going is tough: God is producing a harvest in our lives. He wants the "fruit of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22, 23), and the only way He can do it is through trials and troubles. Instead of growing impatient with God and with ourselves, we must yield to the Lord and permit the fruit to grow. We are "spiritual farmers" looking for a harvest.
You can enjoy this kind of havest only if your heart is established (James 5:8). One of the purposes of the spiritual ministry of the Local Church is to establish the heart - "For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established ..." (Rom. 1:11). Paul sent Timothy to Thessalonica to establish the young Christians in the faith (1 Thess. 3:10 - 13). The ministry of the Word of God and prayer are important if the heart is going to be established. A heart that is not established cannot bear fruit.
Keep in mind that the farmer does not stand around doing nothing. He is constantly at work as he looks toward the harvest. James did not tell these suffering believers to do nothing while waiting for Jesus to return. They should keep working and waiting. Jesus said: "Blessed is that servant whom his muster will find so doing when he comes" (Luke 12:43).
The farmer should not grumble or fight with his neighbors. One of the usual marks of farmers is their willingness to help one another. Nobody on the farm has time and energy for disputes with the neighbors. Impatience with God often lead to impatience with God's people, and this is a sin we must avoid.
The prophets (James 5:10)
James said: "My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience" (James 5:10).
Jesus said: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matt. 5:10 - 12, emphasis added).
The prophets were persecuted for righteousness sake. They were in the will of God, yet they suffer. They were preaching "in the Name of the Lord," yet they were persecuted. Satan tells the faithful Christian that his suffering is the result of sin or unfaithfulness; and yet his suffering might well be because of faithfulness!
Paul said: "... all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12).
We must never think that obedience automatically produces ease and pleasure. Our Lord was obedient, and it led to a Cross!
The prophets encourage us by reminding us that God cares for us when we go through sufferings for His sake. Elijah announced to wicked King Ahab that there would be a drought in the land for three and one-half years; and Elijah himself had to suffer in that drought. But God cared for him, and God gave him victory over the priests of Baal. Someone said: "The will of God never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you."
Many of the prophets had to endure great trials and sufferings, not only at the hands of unbelievers, but at the hands of professed believer. Jeremiah was arrested as a traitor and even thrown into an abandoned well to die. God fed Jeremiah and protected him throughout that terrible siege of Jerusalem, even though at times it looked as though the prophet was going to be killed. Both Ezekiel and Daniel had their share of hardships, but the Lord delivered them. And even those who were not delivered, wh died for the faith, received that special reward for those who are true to Him.
Why is it that those who "speak in the Name of the Lord" often must endure difficult trials? It is so that their lives might back up their messages. The impact of a faithful, godly life carries much power. We need to remind ourselves that our patience in times of suffering is a testimony to others around us.
But have not many faithful Christians suffered and died without any notice or recognition? Yes, but when Jesus returns, these "obscure heroes" will receive their rewards. The prophets were killed and buried, but today their names are honored. When our Lord comes again, He will bring His reward with Him (Rev. 22:12).
Job (James 5:11)
James said: "Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord - that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful" (James 5:11, emphasis added).
Notice that perseverance and trial go together in your life. You cannot persevere unless there is a trial in your life. There can be no victories without battles; there can be no peaks without valleys. If you want the blessing, you must be prepared to carry the burden and fight the battle.
In order to prevent us from becoming spoiled, pampered children God has to balance privileges with responsibilities and blessing with burden. God had to give Paul a thorn in the flesh to keep him humble (2 Cor. 12:1 - 10).
When do "blessings" come? In the midst of trials we may experience God's blessings, as did the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace (Dan. 3); but James taught that there is a blessing after we have endured. His example was Job.
The Book of Job is quite lengthy. The chapters, filled with speeches, seem long and tedious. In the first three chapters you have Job's distress - he losses his wealth, his family (except for his wife, and the told him to commit suicide), and his health. In chapters 4 - 31 we read Job's defense, as he debates with his three friends and answers their false accusations. Chapters 38 - 42 present Job's delieverance. First God humbles Job, and then He honors Job and gives him twice as much as he had before.
In studying the experience of Job, it is important to remember that Job did not know what was going on "behind the scenes" between God and Satan. Job's friends accused him of being a sinner and a hypocrite. They argued with him that there must be some terrible sin in his life, otherwise God would never have permitted this suffering. Job disagreed with them and maintained his innocence during the entire conversation. The friends were wrong. God had no cause against Job (Job 2:3), and in the end, God rebuked the friends for telling lies about Job (Job 42:7).
It is difficult to find a greater example of suffering than Job. Circumstances were against him, for he lost his wealth and his health. He also lost his beloved children. His wife was against him for she said, "Curse God and die" (Job 2:9). His friends were against him, for they accused him of being a hypocrite, deserving of the judgment of God. And it seemed like God was against him! When Job cried out for answers to his questions there was no reply from heaven.
Yet, Job endured. Satan predicted that Job would get impatient with God and abandon his faith, but that did not happen. It is true that Job questioned God's will, but Job did not forsake his faith in the Lord - "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him" (Job 13:15). Job was so sure of God's perfections that he persisted in arguing with Him, even though he did not understand all that God was doing. That is endurance.
God made a covenant with Israel that He would bless them if they would obey His laws (Read Deut. 11). This led to the idea that, if you were wealthy and comfortable, you were blessed of God; but if you were suffering and poor, you were cursed of God. Sad to say, many people have that same erroneous idea today. When Jesus said it was difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven, the disciples were astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"
The Book of Job refutes that idea; for Job was a righteous man, and yet he suffered. God found no evil in him, and even Satan could not find any. Job's friends could not prove their accusations. Job teaches us that God has higher purposes in suffering than the punishing of sin. Job's experience paved the way for Jesus, the perfect Son of God who suffered, not for His own sins, but for the sins of the world.
In Job's case, I believe the end purpose of the Lord is to reveal Himself as full of pity and tender mercy. There were other results from Job's experience, for God never wastes the suffering of his saints. Job met God in a new and deeper way (Job 42:1 - 6). After that, Job received greater blessings from the Lord.
Someone might argue that if God is so merciful, surely He would protect Job from all that suffering to begin with. I believe that there are mysteries to God's working that our finite minds cannot fathom. But this we know - God was glorified and Job was purified through this difficult experience. If there is nothing to endure, you cannot learn endurance.
What did Job's story mean to the believers James wrote to, and what does it means to us today? It means that some of the trials of life are caused directly by satanic opposition. God permits Satan to try His children, but He always limits the extent of the enemy's power (Job 1:12; 2:6). When you find yourself in the fire, remember that God keeps His gracious hand on the thermostat! - "But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10).
Satan wants us to get impatient with God, for an impatient Christian is a powereful weapon in the Devil's hands! When Satan attacks us, it is easy for us to get impatient and run ahead of God and lose God's blessing as a result.
Exhortation (James 5:12)
James said: "But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No," "No," lest you fall into judgment" (James 5:12).
It is easy to say things you do not mean, and even make bargains with God, when you are going through difficulties. "'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.' In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong" (Job 1:21, 22).
James was reminding us of our Lord's teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:34 - 37). Believers are not to swear falsely but to let their "Yes" be Yes," and their "No," be "No," and anything more if from the evil one.
One of the purposes of suffering is the building of character. Certainly Job was a better man for having gone through this furnace of affliction.
Conclusion
As you review this section, you can see the practicality of it. James wanted to encourage us to be patient in times of suffering. Like the farmer we are waiting for a spiritual harvest, for fruit that will gloriy God. Like the prophets, we look for opportunities for witness, to share the truth of God. And, like Job, we wait for the Lord to fulfill His loving purpose, knowing that He will never cause His children to suffer needlessly. And, like Job, we shall have a clearer vision of the Lord and come to know Him better for having been in the furnace of affliction.
James said: "Therefore be patient, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmers waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and later rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord - that the Lord is very compassionate and mereciful. But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No," "No,"lest you fall into judgment" (James 5:7 - 12, NKJV, emphasis added).
Notice that three times James reminded us of the coming of the Lord (James 5:7, 8, 9). This is the "blessed hope" of all Christians (Titus 2:13). We do not expect to have everything easy and comfortable in the present life.
Jesus said: "In the world you will have tribulation; ..." (John 16:33). Paul exhorted his converts that "we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). We must patiently endure hardships and heartaches until Jesus returns.
James gave three encouraging examples of patient endurance to illustrate the power of patience - the farmer, the prophets and Job.
The farmer (James 5:7 - 9)
James said: "See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door" (James 5:7 - 9)!
If a man is impatient, then he had better not become a farmer. No crop appears overnight, and no farmer has control over the weather. Too much rain can cause the crop to rot, and too much sun can burn it up. An early frost can kill the crop. How long-suffering the farmer must be with the weather!
He must also have patience with the seed and the crop, for it takes time for plants to grow. Jewish farmers would plow and sow in the autumn months. The "early rain" would soften the soil. The "later rain" would come in early spring and help to mature the harvest. The farmer had to wait many weeks for his seed to produce fruit.
Why did he willingly wait so long? Because the fruit is "precious" (James 5:7). The harvest is worth waiting for.
Paul said: "... for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart" (Gal. 6:9).
Jesus said: "For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come" (Mark 4:28, 29).
James pictured the Christian as a "spiritual farmer" looking for a spiritual harvest - "You also be patient. Establish your heart, ..." (James 5:8). Our hearts are the soil, and the "seed" is the word of God" (Luke 8:11). There are seasons to the spiritual life just as there are seasons to the soil. Sometimes, our hearts become cold and "wintry," and the Lord has to "break up (plow) your fallow ground" before He can plant the seed (Jer. 4:3). He sends the sunshine and the rains of His goodness to water and nurture the seeds planted; but we must be patient to wait for the harvest.
Here, then, is a secret of endurance when the going is tough: God is producing a harvest in our lives. He wants the "fruit of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22, 23), and the only way He can do it is through trials and troubles. Instead of growing impatient with God and with ourselves, we must yield to the Lord and permit the fruit to grow. We are "spiritual farmers" looking for a harvest.
You can enjoy this kind of havest only if your heart is established (James 5:8). One of the purposes of the spiritual ministry of the Local Church is to establish the heart - "For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established ..." (Rom. 1:11). Paul sent Timothy to Thessalonica to establish the young Christians in the faith (1 Thess. 3:10 - 13). The ministry of the Word of God and prayer are important if the heart is going to be established. A heart that is not established cannot bear fruit.
Keep in mind that the farmer does not stand around doing nothing. He is constantly at work as he looks toward the harvest. James did not tell these suffering believers to do nothing while waiting for Jesus to return. They should keep working and waiting. Jesus said: "Blessed is that servant whom his muster will find so doing when he comes" (Luke 12:43).
The farmer should not grumble or fight with his neighbors. One of the usual marks of farmers is their willingness to help one another. Nobody on the farm has time and energy for disputes with the neighbors. Impatience with God often lead to impatience with God's people, and this is a sin we must avoid.
The prophets (James 5:10)
James said: "My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience" (James 5:10).
Jesus said: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matt. 5:10 - 12, emphasis added).
The prophets were persecuted for righteousness sake. They were in the will of God, yet they suffer. They were preaching "in the Name of the Lord," yet they were persecuted. Satan tells the faithful Christian that his suffering is the result of sin or unfaithfulness; and yet his suffering might well be because of faithfulness!
Paul said: "... all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12).
We must never think that obedience automatically produces ease and pleasure. Our Lord was obedient, and it led to a Cross!
The prophets encourage us by reminding us that God cares for us when we go through sufferings for His sake. Elijah announced to wicked King Ahab that there would be a drought in the land for three and one-half years; and Elijah himself had to suffer in that drought. But God cared for him, and God gave him victory over the priests of Baal. Someone said: "The will of God never lead you where the grace of God cannot keep you."
Many of the prophets had to endure great trials and sufferings, not only at the hands of unbelievers, but at the hands of professed believer. Jeremiah was arrested as a traitor and even thrown into an abandoned well to die. God fed Jeremiah and protected him throughout that terrible siege of Jerusalem, even though at times it looked as though the prophet was going to be killed. Both Ezekiel and Daniel had their share of hardships, but the Lord delivered them. And even those who were not delivered, wh died for the faith, received that special reward for those who are true to Him.
Why is it that those who "speak in the Name of the Lord" often must endure difficult trials? It is so that their lives might back up their messages. The impact of a faithful, godly life carries much power. We need to remind ourselves that our patience in times of suffering is a testimony to others around us.
But have not many faithful Christians suffered and died without any notice or recognition? Yes, but when Jesus returns, these "obscure heroes" will receive their rewards. The prophets were killed and buried, but today their names are honored. When our Lord comes again, He will bring His reward with Him (Rev. 22:12).
Job (James 5:11)
James said: "Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord - that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful" (James 5:11, emphasis added).
Notice that perseverance and trial go together in your life. You cannot persevere unless there is a trial in your life. There can be no victories without battles; there can be no peaks without valleys. If you want the blessing, you must be prepared to carry the burden and fight the battle.
In order to prevent us from becoming spoiled, pampered children God has to balance privileges with responsibilities and blessing with burden. God had to give Paul a thorn in the flesh to keep him humble (2 Cor. 12:1 - 10).
When do "blessings" come? In the midst of trials we may experience God's blessings, as did the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace (Dan. 3); but James taught that there is a blessing after we have endured. His example was Job.
The Book of Job is quite lengthy. The chapters, filled with speeches, seem long and tedious. In the first three chapters you have Job's distress - he losses his wealth, his family (except for his wife, and the told him to commit suicide), and his health. In chapters 4 - 31 we read Job's defense, as he debates with his three friends and answers their false accusations. Chapters 38 - 42 present Job's delieverance. First God humbles Job, and then He honors Job and gives him twice as much as he had before.
In studying the experience of Job, it is important to remember that Job did not know what was going on "behind the scenes" between God and Satan. Job's friends accused him of being a sinner and a hypocrite. They argued with him that there must be some terrible sin in his life, otherwise God would never have permitted this suffering. Job disagreed with them and maintained his innocence during the entire conversation. The friends were wrong. God had no cause against Job (Job 2:3), and in the end, God rebuked the friends for telling lies about Job (Job 42:7).
It is difficult to find a greater example of suffering than Job. Circumstances were against him, for he lost his wealth and his health. He also lost his beloved children. His wife was against him for she said, "Curse God and die" (Job 2:9). His friends were against him, for they accused him of being a hypocrite, deserving of the judgment of God. And it seemed like God was against him! When Job cried out for answers to his questions there was no reply from heaven.
Yet, Job endured. Satan predicted that Job would get impatient with God and abandon his faith, but that did not happen. It is true that Job questioned God's will, but Job did not forsake his faith in the Lord - "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him" (Job 13:15). Job was so sure of God's perfections that he persisted in arguing with Him, even though he did not understand all that God was doing. That is endurance.
God made a covenant with Israel that He would bless them if they would obey His laws (Read Deut. 11). This led to the idea that, if you were wealthy and comfortable, you were blessed of God; but if you were suffering and poor, you were cursed of God. Sad to say, many people have that same erroneous idea today. When Jesus said it was difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven, the disciples were astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?"
The Book of Job refutes that idea; for Job was a righteous man, and yet he suffered. God found no evil in him, and even Satan could not find any. Job's friends could not prove their accusations. Job teaches us that God has higher purposes in suffering than the punishing of sin. Job's experience paved the way for Jesus, the perfect Son of God who suffered, not for His own sins, but for the sins of the world.
In Job's case, I believe the end purpose of the Lord is to reveal Himself as full of pity and tender mercy. There were other results from Job's experience, for God never wastes the suffering of his saints. Job met God in a new and deeper way (Job 42:1 - 6). After that, Job received greater blessings from the Lord.
Someone might argue that if God is so merciful, surely He would protect Job from all that suffering to begin with. I believe that there are mysteries to God's working that our finite minds cannot fathom. But this we know - God was glorified and Job was purified through this difficult experience. If there is nothing to endure, you cannot learn endurance.
What did Job's story mean to the believers James wrote to, and what does it means to us today? It means that some of the trials of life are caused directly by satanic opposition. God permits Satan to try His children, but He always limits the extent of the enemy's power (Job 1:12; 2:6). When you find yourself in the fire, remember that God keeps His gracious hand on the thermostat! - "But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10).
Satan wants us to get impatient with God, for an impatient Christian is a powereful weapon in the Devil's hands! When Satan attacks us, it is easy for us to get impatient and run ahead of God and lose God's blessing as a result.
Exhortation (James 5:12)
James said: "But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No," "No," lest you fall into judgment" (James 5:12).
It is easy to say things you do not mean, and even make bargains with God, when you are going through difficulties. "'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.' In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong" (Job 1:21, 22).
James was reminding us of our Lord's teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5:34 - 37). Believers are not to swear falsely but to let their "Yes" be Yes," and their "No," be "No," and anything more if from the evil one.
One of the purposes of suffering is the building of character. Certainly Job was a better man for having gone through this furnace of affliction.
Conclusion
As you review this section, you can see the practicality of it. James wanted to encourage us to be patient in times of suffering. Like the farmer we are waiting for a spiritual harvest, for fruit that will gloriy God. Like the prophets, we look for opportunities for witness, to share the truth of God. And, like Job, we wait for the Lord to fulfill His loving purpose, knowing that He will never cause His children to suffer needlessly. And, like Job, we shall have a clearer vision of the Lord and come to know Him better for having been in the furnace of affliction.
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Money does talk
"If money talks," said a poor man, "all it ever says to me is good-bye!"
But money was not saying "good-bye" to the men James addressed in the section (James 5:1 - 6) of his Epistle. These men were rich, and their riches were sinful. They were using their wealth for selfish purposes, and were persecuting the poor in the process.
James said: "Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. 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 Saboath. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you" (James 5:1 - 6, NKJV, emphasis added).
One of the themes that runs through James 5 is "trouble." We meet poor people deprived of their wages (James 5:4), as well as people who are physically afflicted (James 5:13 - 16), and spiritually backslidden (James 5:19 - 20).
A second theme that James introduced is "prayer." The poor laborers cry out to God (James 5:4). The sick and afflicted should pray (James 5:13 - 16). He cited Elijah as an example of one who believed in prayer (James 5:17, 18).
When you join these two themes, you arrive at the fifth mark of the mature Christian: "He is prayerful in trouble." The other four marks of the mature Christians are: Patient in testing (James 1), practices the truth (James 2), power over his tongue (James 3), not a troublemaker (James 4) - Please refer to my earlier message, "Spiritual Maturity."
Instead of giving up when trouble come, the mature believer turns to God in prayer and seeks divine help. The immature person trusts in his own experience and skill, or else turns to others for help. While it is true that God often meets our needs through the hands of other people, this aid must be the result of prayer.
James did not say it was a sin to be rich. After all, Abraham was a wealthy man, yet he walked with God, and was greatly used of God to bless the whole world. James was concerned about the selfishness of the rich, and advised them to "weep and howl." He gave three reasons for his exhortation - The way the rich got their wealth, the way they used their wealth and what their riches will do.
The way the rich got their wealth (James 5:4, 6)
James said: "Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and their cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Saboath. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you" (James 5:4, 6, emphasis added).
The Bible does not discourage the acquiring of wealth. In the Law of Moses, specific rules are laid down for getting and securing wealth. The Jews in Canaan owned their own property, worked it, and benefited from the produce. In several of His parables, Jesus indicated His respect for personal property and private gain. There is nothing in the Epistles that contradicts the right of private ownership and profit.
What the Bible does condemn is acquiring wealth by illegal means or for illgal purposes. The prophet Amos thundered a message of judgment against the wealthy upper crust who robbed the poor and used their stolen wealth for selfich luxuries. Isaiah and Jeremiah also exposed the selfichness of the rich and warned that judgment was coming. It is in this spirit that James wrote. He gave two illustrations of how the rich acquired their wealth.
1. Holding back wages (James 5:4)
In those days, laborers were hired and paid by the day and did not have any legal contracts with their employers. The Parable of the laborers (workers) in Matthew 20:1 - 16 gives some idea of the system in those days. In the Law of Moses, God gave definite instructions concerning the laboring man in order to protect him from the oppressive employer.
"You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether one of your brethren or one of the aliens who is in your land within your gates. Each day you shall give him his wages, and not let the sun go down on it, for he is poor and has set his heart on it; lest he cry out against you to the Lord, and it be sin to you" (Deut. 24:14, 15).
"You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning" (Lev. 19:13).
Jeremiah said: "Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by injustice, who uses his neighbor's service without wages and give him nothing for his work" (Jer. 22:13).
These rich men had hired the laborers and promised to pay them a specific amount. The men had completed their work but had not been paid. The tense of the verb "kept back" in the original Greek indicates that the laborers never will get their salaries.
"Thou shalt not steal" is still the Law of God, and it is a law He will enforce. As Christians, it behooves us to be faithful to pay our bills. It is embarrassing when unsaved men tell us about Christians who owe them money and apparently have no intention of paying.
2. Controlling the courts (James 5:6)
James said: "You have condemned, you have murdered the just; ..." (James 5:6, emphasis added) .
It is often that those who have wealth also have political power and can get what they want. To them the Golden Rule is : "Whoever has the gold makes the rules!"
James said earlier: "But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts" (James 2:6)?
When God established Israel in her land, He gave the people a system of courts (read Deut. 17:8 - 13). He warned the judges not to be greedy (Ex. 18:21). They were not to be partial to the rich or poor (Lev. 19:15). No judge was to tolerate perjury (Deut. 19:16 - 21). Bribery was condemned by the Lord (Isa. 33:15; Micah 3:11; 7:3). The prophet Amos denounced the judges in his day who took bribes and "fixed" cases (Amos 5:12, 15).
The courts in James' days were apparently easy to control if you had enough money. The poor workers could not afford expensive lawsuit, so they were beaten down every time. The workers had the just cause, but they were not given justice. Instead, they were abused and ruined. The word "murdered" should probably be taken in a figurative way, although it is possible that the rich men could so oppress the poor that the poor would die. The poor man did not resist the rich man because he had no weapons with which to fight. All he could do was to call on the Lord for justice.
The Bible warns us against the securing of wealth by illegal means. God owns all wealth (Ps. 50:10); He permits us tho be stewards of His wealth for His glory.
"Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished. But he who gathers by labor will increase" (Prov. 13:11).
"Do not overwork to be rich; because of your own understand, cease" (Prov. 23:4)!
Jesus said: "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things whall be added to you" (Matt. 6:33).
We must put God first in our lives, and He will see to it that we always have all that we need.
The way the rich used their wealth (James 5:3 - 5)
James said: "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. 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 Saboath. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in the day of slaughter" (James 5:3 - 5, emphasis added).
It is bad enough to gain wealth in a sinful way, but to use that wealth in sinful ways just makes the sin greater.
Heaped up treasure
There is nothing sinful about saving - "heaped up treasure." Paul said: "For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children" (2 Cor. 12:14). Paul also said: "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his houshold, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever" (1 Tim. 5:8).
But it is wrong to store up wealth when you owe money to your employees. These rich men were hoarding grain, gold, and garments. They thought that they were rich because they had these possession. instead of laying up treasure in heaven by using their wealth for God's glory (Matt. 6:20), they were selfishly guarding it for their own security and pleasure. Not more than 10 years after James wrote this Epistle, Jerusalem fell to the Romans, and all this accumulated wealth was taken.
What did Jesus mean by "laying up treasure in heaven"? Did He mean we whould "sell everything and give to the poor" as He instructed the rich young ruler (Matt 19:21)? I think not. He spoke that way to the rich ruler because covetousness was the young man's besetting sin, and Jesus wanted to expose it. To lay up treasures in heaven means to use all that we have as stewards of God's wealth. You and I may possess many things, but we do not own them. God is the Owner of everything, and we are His stewards.
Kept back by fraud
The rich men robbed the poor by fraudulent. They were not using their own wealth, but they would not pay their laborers and permit them to use the wealth.
Since we are stewards of God's wealth, we have certain respondibiltities toward our Master. We must be faithful to use what He gives us for the good of others and the glory of God.
Lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury
All of us are grateful for the good things of life, and we would certainly not want to return to primitive conditions.
Someone said: "Tell me what you need and I will tell you how to get along without it."
Jesus said: "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of things he possesses" (Luke 12:15).
There is a great difference between enjoying what God has given us (1 Tim. 6:17) and living extravagantly on what we have withheld from others. Even if what we have has been earned lawfully and in the will of God, we must not waste it on selfish living. There are too many needs to be met.
Luxury has a way of ruining character. It is a form of self-indulgence. If you match character with wealth, you can produce much good; but if you match self-indulgence with wealth, the result is sin. The rich man Jesus described in Luke 16:19 - 31 would have felt right at home with the rich men James wrote to!
What the rich's riches will do (James 5:1 - 4)
James said: "Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 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. Indeed the wages of the laborers who moved your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and ther cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of saboath" (James 5:1 - 4, emphasis added).
The rich thought they had it made because of their wealth, but God thought otherwise - "weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you!"
These are the consequences of misusing riches:
Riches will vanish (James 5:2, 3)
Riches are corrupt and garments will become moth-eaten. Nothing material in this world will last forever. The seeds of death and decay are found in all of creation.
It is a great mistake to think there is security in wealth. Paul said: "Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy" (1 Tim. 6:17). Riches are uncertain. The money market fluctuates from hour to hour, and so does the stock market. Gold is losing its value though it does not rust the way iron does. Add to the fact that life is brief, and we cannot take wealth with us, and you can see how foolish it is to live for the things of this world. God said to the "rich fool": "Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided" (Luke 12:20)?
Misused riches erode character (James 5:3)
James said: "... their corrosion will be witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire."
The poison of wealth has infected the rich that they are being eaten alive. Of itself, money is not sinful; it is neutral. But "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil" (1 Tim. 6:10). The last of the Ten Commandments is - "Thou shalt not covet." But, it is the most dangerous, because covetousness will make a person break all the other nine Commandments!
Judgment is a certainty (James 5:3, 5)
James not only saw a present judgment (their wealth decaying, their character eroding), but also a future judgment before God. Jesus Christ will be the Judge and He is "standing at the door" (James 5:9)!
Note the witnesses that God will call on that day of judgment. First, the rich men's wealth will witness against them (James 5:3). Their rotten grain, rusted gold and silver, and moth-eaten garments will bear witness of selfishness of their heart. The wages they held back will also witness against them (James 5:4). Money does talk! These stolen salaries cry out to God for justice and judgment. God heard Abel's blood cried out from the ground (Gen. 4:10), and He hears this stolen money cry out too.
The workers will also testify against them (James 5:4). There will be no opportunities for the rich to bribe the witnesses or the Judge. God hears the cries of His oppressed people and He will judge righteously.
This judgment is a serious thing. The lost will stand before Christ at the Great White Throne (Rev. 20:11 - 15). The saved will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ (Rom. 14:10 - 12; 2 Cor. 5:9, 10). God will not judge our sins, because they have already been judged on the Cross, but He will judge our works and ministry. If we have been faithful in serving and glorifying Him, we will receive a reward. If we have been unfaithful we shall lose our reward but not our salvation (1 Cor. 3:1 - 15).
Conclusion
James did not condemn riches or rich people. He condemned the wrong use of riches, and rich people who use their wealth as a weapon and not as a tool with which to build. Yes, money does talk. What will it say to you at the last judgment?
But money was not saying "good-bye" to the men James addressed in the section (James 5:1 - 6) of his Epistle. These men were rich, and their riches were sinful. They were using their wealth for selfish purposes, and were persecuting the poor in the process.
James said: "Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. 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 Saboath. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you" (James 5:1 - 6, NKJV, emphasis added).
One of the themes that runs through James 5 is "trouble." We meet poor people deprived of their wages (James 5:4), as well as people who are physically afflicted (James 5:13 - 16), and spiritually backslidden (James 5:19 - 20).
A second theme that James introduced is "prayer." The poor laborers cry out to God (James 5:4). The sick and afflicted should pray (James 5:13 - 16). He cited Elijah as an example of one who believed in prayer (James 5:17, 18).
When you join these two themes, you arrive at the fifth mark of the mature Christian: "He is prayerful in trouble." The other four marks of the mature Christians are: Patient in testing (James 1), practices the truth (James 2), power over his tongue (James 3), not a troublemaker (James 4) - Please refer to my earlier message, "Spiritual Maturity."
Instead of giving up when trouble come, the mature believer turns to God in prayer and seeks divine help. The immature person trusts in his own experience and skill, or else turns to others for help. While it is true that God often meets our needs through the hands of other people, this aid must be the result of prayer.
James did not say it was a sin to be rich. After all, Abraham was a wealthy man, yet he walked with God, and was greatly used of God to bless the whole world. James was concerned about the selfishness of the rich, and advised them to "weep and howl." He gave three reasons for his exhortation - The way the rich got their wealth, the way they used their wealth and what their riches will do.
The way the rich got their wealth (James 5:4, 6)
James said: "Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and their cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Saboath. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you" (James 5:4, 6, emphasis added).
The Bible does not discourage the acquiring of wealth. In the Law of Moses, specific rules are laid down for getting and securing wealth. The Jews in Canaan owned their own property, worked it, and benefited from the produce. In several of His parables, Jesus indicated His respect for personal property and private gain. There is nothing in the Epistles that contradicts the right of private ownership and profit.
What the Bible does condemn is acquiring wealth by illegal means or for illgal purposes. The prophet Amos thundered a message of judgment against the wealthy upper crust who robbed the poor and used their stolen wealth for selfich luxuries. Isaiah and Jeremiah also exposed the selfichness of the rich and warned that judgment was coming. It is in this spirit that James wrote. He gave two illustrations of how the rich acquired their wealth.
1. Holding back wages (James 5:4)
In those days, laborers were hired and paid by the day and did not have any legal contracts with their employers. The Parable of the laborers (workers) in Matthew 20:1 - 16 gives some idea of the system in those days. In the Law of Moses, God gave definite instructions concerning the laboring man in order to protect him from the oppressive employer.
"You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether one of your brethren or one of the aliens who is in your land within your gates. Each day you shall give him his wages, and not let the sun go down on it, for he is poor and has set his heart on it; lest he cry out against you to the Lord, and it be sin to you" (Deut. 24:14, 15).
"You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning" (Lev. 19:13).
Jeremiah said: "Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by injustice, who uses his neighbor's service without wages and give him nothing for his work" (Jer. 22:13).
These rich men had hired the laborers and promised to pay them a specific amount. The men had completed their work but had not been paid. The tense of the verb "kept back" in the original Greek indicates that the laborers never will get their salaries.
"Thou shalt not steal" is still the Law of God, and it is a law He will enforce. As Christians, it behooves us to be faithful to pay our bills. It is embarrassing when unsaved men tell us about Christians who owe them money and apparently have no intention of paying.
2. Controlling the courts (James 5:6)
James said: "You have condemned, you have murdered the just; ..." (James 5:6, emphasis added) .
It is often that those who have wealth also have political power and can get what they want. To them the Golden Rule is : "Whoever has the gold makes the rules!"
James said earlier: "But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts" (James 2:6)?
When God established Israel in her land, He gave the people a system of courts (read Deut. 17:8 - 13). He warned the judges not to be greedy (Ex. 18:21). They were not to be partial to the rich or poor (Lev. 19:15). No judge was to tolerate perjury (Deut. 19:16 - 21). Bribery was condemned by the Lord (Isa. 33:15; Micah 3:11; 7:3). The prophet Amos denounced the judges in his day who took bribes and "fixed" cases (Amos 5:12, 15).
The courts in James' days were apparently easy to control if you had enough money. The poor workers could not afford expensive lawsuit, so they were beaten down every time. The workers had the just cause, but they were not given justice. Instead, they were abused and ruined. The word "murdered" should probably be taken in a figurative way, although it is possible that the rich men could so oppress the poor that the poor would die. The poor man did not resist the rich man because he had no weapons with which to fight. All he could do was to call on the Lord for justice.
The Bible warns us against the securing of wealth by illegal means. God owns all wealth (Ps. 50:10); He permits us tho be stewards of His wealth for His glory.
"Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished. But he who gathers by labor will increase" (Prov. 13:11).
"Do not overwork to be rich; because of your own understand, cease" (Prov. 23:4)!
Jesus said: "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things whall be added to you" (Matt. 6:33).
We must put God first in our lives, and He will see to it that we always have all that we need.
The way the rich used their wealth (James 5:3 - 5)
James said: "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. 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 Saboath. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in the day of slaughter" (James 5:3 - 5, emphasis added).
It is bad enough to gain wealth in a sinful way, but to use that wealth in sinful ways just makes the sin greater.
Heaped up treasure
There is nothing sinful about saving - "heaped up treasure." Paul said: "For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children" (2 Cor. 12:14). Paul also said: "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his houshold, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever" (1 Tim. 5:8).
But it is wrong to store up wealth when you owe money to your employees. These rich men were hoarding grain, gold, and garments. They thought that they were rich because they had these possession. instead of laying up treasure in heaven by using their wealth for God's glory (Matt. 6:20), they were selfishly guarding it for their own security and pleasure. Not more than 10 years after James wrote this Epistle, Jerusalem fell to the Romans, and all this accumulated wealth was taken.
What did Jesus mean by "laying up treasure in heaven"? Did He mean we whould "sell everything and give to the poor" as He instructed the rich young ruler (Matt 19:21)? I think not. He spoke that way to the rich ruler because covetousness was the young man's besetting sin, and Jesus wanted to expose it. To lay up treasures in heaven means to use all that we have as stewards of God's wealth. You and I may possess many things, but we do not own them. God is the Owner of everything, and we are His stewards.
Kept back by fraud
The rich men robbed the poor by fraudulent. They were not using their own wealth, but they would not pay their laborers and permit them to use the wealth.
Since we are stewards of God's wealth, we have certain respondibiltities toward our Master. We must be faithful to use what He gives us for the good of others and the glory of God.
Lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury
All of us are grateful for the good things of life, and we would certainly not want to return to primitive conditions.
Someone said: "Tell me what you need and I will tell you how to get along without it."
Jesus said: "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of things he possesses" (Luke 12:15).
There is a great difference between enjoying what God has given us (1 Tim. 6:17) and living extravagantly on what we have withheld from others. Even if what we have has been earned lawfully and in the will of God, we must not waste it on selfish living. There are too many needs to be met.
Luxury has a way of ruining character. It is a form of self-indulgence. If you match character with wealth, you can produce much good; but if you match self-indulgence with wealth, the result is sin. The rich man Jesus described in Luke 16:19 - 31 would have felt right at home with the rich men James wrote to!
What the rich's riches will do (James 5:1 - 4)
James said: "Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 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. Indeed the wages of the laborers who moved your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and ther cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of saboath" (James 5:1 - 4, emphasis added).
The rich thought they had it made because of their wealth, but God thought otherwise - "weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you!"
These are the consequences of misusing riches:
Riches will vanish (James 5:2, 3)
Riches are corrupt and garments will become moth-eaten. Nothing material in this world will last forever. The seeds of death and decay are found in all of creation.
It is a great mistake to think there is security in wealth. Paul said: "Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy" (1 Tim. 6:17). Riches are uncertain. The money market fluctuates from hour to hour, and so does the stock market. Gold is losing its value though it does not rust the way iron does. Add to the fact that life is brief, and we cannot take wealth with us, and you can see how foolish it is to live for the things of this world. God said to the "rich fool": "Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided" (Luke 12:20)?
Misused riches erode character (James 5:3)
James said: "... their corrosion will be witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire."
The poison of wealth has infected the rich that they are being eaten alive. Of itself, money is not sinful; it is neutral. But "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil" (1 Tim. 6:10). The last of the Ten Commandments is - "Thou shalt not covet." But, it is the most dangerous, because covetousness will make a person break all the other nine Commandments!
Judgment is a certainty (James 5:3, 5)
James not only saw a present judgment (their wealth decaying, their character eroding), but also a future judgment before God. Jesus Christ will be the Judge and He is "standing at the door" (James 5:9)!
Note the witnesses that God will call on that day of judgment. First, the rich men's wealth will witness against them (James 5:3). Their rotten grain, rusted gold and silver, and moth-eaten garments will bear witness of selfishness of their heart. The wages they held back will also witness against them (James 5:4). Money does talk! These stolen salaries cry out to God for justice and judgment. God heard Abel's blood cried out from the ground (Gen. 4:10), and He hears this stolen money cry out too.
The workers will also testify against them (James 5:4). There will be no opportunities for the rich to bribe the witnesses or the Judge. God hears the cries of His oppressed people and He will judge righteously.
This judgment is a serious thing. The lost will stand before Christ at the Great White Throne (Rev. 20:11 - 15). The saved will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ (Rom. 14:10 - 12; 2 Cor. 5:9, 10). God will not judge our sins, because they have already been judged on the Cross, but He will judge our works and ministry. If we have been faithful in serving and glorifying Him, we will receive a reward. If we have been unfaithful we shall lose our reward but not our salvation (1 Cor. 3:1 - 15).
Conclusion
James did not condemn riches or rich people. He condemned the wrong use of riches, and rich people who use their wealth as a weapon and not as a tool with which to build. Yes, money does talk. What will it say to you at the last judgment?
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