seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
James 5:1 Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. 2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.[a] 6 You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.
7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.
13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.
19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
a. James 5:5 Or yourselves as in a day of feasting
This is from the easy English site.
James accuses these rich people of four things:
• They are foolish in storing up so many riches. Possessions that are not used spoil and do no good.
• They were not honest in what they did. They got their wealth by unfair actions and they cheated their workers.
• They lived a life of luxury while other people were in need of their help.
• They were guilty of the crime of murder.
James warns about the punishment that would soon come upon these rich persons. He does not call on them to change their ways, to escape the judgement of God. He just speaks about the fate that will come to them. They should weep and cry aloud because it will be so awful. God will not punish them because they are rich. They are guilty because of how they got their riches. And they are guilty because of what they did, or did not do, with them. They are guilty because of the way they cheated other people. They are guilty because they depend on their riches and not on God.
The rich people lived in luxury and for their own pleasure. A way of life like that shows that they did not care about the needs of other people. They lived for themselves alone. They lived in the excess of luxury. But they were not aware of the judgement that was soon to come upon them. The farmer feeds his animals to make them fat before he kills them. The rich are just like that. They are preparing themselves for their end. They are making themselves ready for the day when God will judge them.
James says that the rich had caused the death of innocent people. The picture is of the rich taking the righteous poor to the law courts. The judges in these courts were themselves rich owners of land. So, the wealthy persons were always able to win. There was no justice for the poor person. As a result, the courts would decide that the poor person was guilty. That often meant the death of the innocent person. It may also be that the rich, by this means, took from the poor. As a result, the poor would suffer and lack what they needed for living. As they died, the rich had in effect murdered them. The poor could not defend themselves. There was no help for them against the rich persons. They had to be patient in their suffering and put their hope and trust in God.
If anyone is in trouble, that person should pray to God. The answer to that prayer may not remove the problem. But it will give help and strength to be able to live through the trouble. Those who are cheerful (who feel good) should praise God. They should sing psalms or praises to God. James is reminding his readers to turn to God in good times as well as bad. Prayer and praise are important parts in the lives of Christians.
Those who pray with the sick person must believe. They must believe that God will answer their prayers. They must be confident that God will heal. It is the prayer with faith that God uses. It is prayer, not the oil, that leads to the healing of the sick person. In answer to the prayer, God will make the sick person well again. If sin was the cause of the illness, God will forgive that sin. ‘If’ makes it clear that not all illness comes from sin. More often than not sin is not the direct cause of it.
It is possible for a person, who knows the truth about the Lord Jesus, to turn away from him. This is not when a Christian does something wrong. It is more than that. It is when a person wanders away from Jesus Christ and denies the truth.
Christian brothers and sisters should look after one another. So, when one of them wanders away, the rest should feel it deeply. It is their duty and desire to try to bring back to the Lord Jesus any who have turned away. Suppose that a person brings another one back to the Lord Jesus. He should know that by this God has saved that person from death. Most Christians believe that this cannot mean death of the body. James is speaking about the death of the soul. To bring back a brother or sister to Jesus is a great work. As that brother or sister comes back to the Lord Jesus, God will forgive all his or her sins. A person who comes to Jesus with real trust and receives new life from him, can never lose that life. But these verses talk about one of them, that is one of that church, who turns away. This passage speaks about those who have heard the truth but they have not really put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
That last couple of verses got to me right away.... this is form enduringword.com.If anyone among you wanders from the truth: Having introduced the topics of sin and confession, James reminds us of the need to confront those who have wandered from the truth. Wanders from the truth is a good picture. Most people don’t wander deliberately – it just sort of happens. Nonetheless, it still gets them off track and possibly in danger.
“Read the verse and you will see that it was that of a backslider from the visible church of God. The words, ‘If any of you,’ must refer to a professed Christian.” (Spurgeon)
And someone turns him back: This shows us that God uses human instruments in turning sinners back from the errors of their ways. God does not need to use such human instruments, and sometimes He does not. The Apostle Paul – or rather, Saul of Tarsus – was not converted through any human instrument, save perhaps the prayers of the dying martyr Stephen for him. Yet no one preached to him, but Jesus decided to meet him directly.
One reason God uses human instruments is because it brings Him more glory than if He were to do His work by Himself. In this way God is like a skilled workman who makes incredible things using the worst of tools. After the same pattern, God uses earthen vessels to be containers of His glory.
“Most persons have been convinced by the pious conversation of sisters, by the holy example of mothers, by the minister, by the Sabbath-school, or by the reading of tracts or perusing Scripture. Let us not therefore believe that God will often work without instruments; let us not sit down silently and say, ‘God will do his own work.’ It is quite true he will; but then he does his work by using his children as instruments.” (Spurgeon)
Along this line, can we not say that when we refuse to make ourselves available to God’s service – weak and failing as we are – we in fact rob Him of some of His glory? He can glorify Himself through a weak vessel like you; you should let Him do it.
“It may not appear so brilliant a thing to bring back a backslider as to reclaim a harlot or a drunkard, but in the sight of God it is no small miracle of grace, and to the instrument who has performed it shall yield no small comfort. Seek ye, then, my brethren, those who were of us but have gone from us; seek ye those who linger still in the congregation but have disgraced the church, and are put away from us, and rightly so, because we cannot countenance their uncleanness; seek them with prayers, and tears, and entreaties, if peradventure God may grant them repentance that they may be saved.” (Spurgeon)
He who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins: There is a blessing for the one who loves his brother enough to confront him, and who turns him from the error of his way. He has saved that soul from death and covered a multitude of sins.
This speaks powerfully of the restoration that is possible for those who have sinned. “I know of men of good standing in the gospel ministry, who, ten years ago, fell into sin; and that is thrown in our teeth to this very day. Do you speak of them? You are at once informed, ‘Why, ten years ago they did so-and-so.’ Brethren, Christian men ought to be ashamed of themselves for taking notice of such things so long afterwards. True, we may use more caution in our dealings; but to reproach a fallen brother for what he did so long ago, is contrary to the spirit of John, who went after Peter, three days after he had denied his Master with oaths and curses.” (Spurgeon)
I cut a lot out of the commentaries. There was a lot of "explaining" this morning. It occurred to me yesterday that James was the younger brother of Jesus. He was dealing with Messianic Jews.... that is descendants of Jacob [whom God renamed Israel] who were waiting for Jesus to return any minute. There were a lot of men who sold their land, left their families, sharpened their swords and got ready. They thought Jesus was coming back any minute now... and He, with His army would join up with believers in Jerusalem and run Rome out of town..... they planned and plotted to run Rome right back to the heel of the boot Rome came from.... but Jesus didn't come that "any minute".... then Jesus didn't come that "any day"..... then Jesus didn't come that "any month"..... then Jesus didn't come in their timeframe. [I still wonder if God giggled at their big headedness.... thinking God had to work to a human time clock.] So these men were going back to their old ways. All that "good feeling" they got on Sabbath morning didn't last the day.... they were back being miserable and cheating people. They never got the concept anyway..... I bet they were questioning the whole "coming back with an army" bit too.....
These are the guys who verses 19 and 20 are all about.... IMHO..... See they didn't really believe that Jesus walked out of a tomb after a Roman crucifixion..... so when Jesus didn't come back right away... they gave up and went back to what they were doing. All the excitement of the "new" church had worn away... the revolution was on hold... and they were deflated and they went back to the Temple... and the bloody altar.... and they took an ox to slaughter.... even though they were told that Jesus was slaughtered and survived.... too good to be true....
So James says.... they didn't really get the whole "Salvation" thing. In other words... they fell asleep for the sermon and woke up for what they thought was the benediction. They hadn't heard the real "Salvation" sermon.... and James says the church needs to pray for them and reach out to them. James says whatever sins they committed would be forgiven if they would come back to the church.... it would be possible because when they returned to the church they will be accepting the gift God offered them while they were sleeping through the sermon, once again.... so this time when they nod their head at the right spot... they are actually asking Jesus to take over.... not just suffering heavy head syndrome.
Over the years I've met a lot of people who use to go to church as a kid.... but they have no use for it now. They know all about the nativity with its three kings and the shepherds. They know about the cross..... and a little about the tomb..... they just don't get the whole importance. On top of that... they don't have time for church. They have to work.... or complete the chores they didn't get to the rest of the week.
Over the years.... young children have grown to become patient techs.... working in a hospital... on the COVID floor.... feeling helpless.... watching people pass away... feeling helpless..... wondering why God would do this. Life has shaken their faith.... that decision they made when they were just barely old enough to make it.... that decision has been scrubbed clean as they scrub their hands over and over and over again on the night shift.... reusing the face mask because no one knows the hospital is running out again.... and they say "I'm not on speaking terms with God right now". Those are today's warriors.... waiting on God to send Jesus to straighten all this out.
Over the years.... young children have grown to become parents..... with children of their own... they are both working make ends meet... they are barely squeaking by every month. They don't have time to take the kids to church.... they have to work.... or they have to do the chores they didn't have time to get to during the week...... or they are worrying about where the next meal is coming from for their babies because their job has been shut down..... those are today's warriors.... waiting on God to send Jesus to straighten all this out.
Humans want miracles on their schedule. God isn't in the business of curing human scheduling needs. God works on His own timetable.
Humans want God to answer their every whim. Humans want God to work miracles for them and then go away. God doesn't go away.
Humans want God to understand them..... God understands humans.... He sculpted each of them and counted the hairs on their heads while doing so.... and Jesus became a human.... so Jesus knows what it's like to be broken hearted and broken spirited..... and They want to help.... it's the humans who insist on sleeping through the message.
