Explore the Bible Lesson Preview November 25, 2018 With Anticipation Background: James 5:1-20 Lesson: James 5: 7-9, 13-20 Motivation: Living in a community of faith requires understanding and dedication on the part of all Believers. The Body should be unified across social distinctions, expectantly waiting the return of their Lord and dedicated to prayer. Examination: I. Confidence Concerning Judgment (1-6) A. Wail of the Rich Come now, you rich people! Weep and wail over the miseries that are coming on you! (1) The normal view of the poor toward the rich is that money solves all problems. James warning is very counter-intuitive: if those rich without God knew of their coming judgment, they would wail (howl, moan, shriek in horror). p.2142, 5:1-6 Oppressive landowners and people who put their trust in riches were commonly addressed in prophetic and apocalyptic speech, including by Jesus Himself (e.g., Lk 6:24). People who use their wealth to oppress others may seem to go unpunished in this lifetime, but James warns that miseries are coming in the future judgment. 1 / 9
B. Worthlessness of Riches Your wealth is ruined and your clothes are moth-eaten. Your silver and gold are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. (2) William Barclay (The Letters of James and Peter ) p. 115-116: In the East there were three main sources of wealth and James has a word for the decay of each of them. They were corn and grain. That is the wealth that grows rotten ( sepein ). There were garments. In the East garments were wealth. Joseph gave changes of garments to his brothers (Gen. 45:22). It was for a beautiful mantle from Shinar that Achan brought disaster on the nation and death on himself and his family (Joshua 7:21). It was changes of garments that Samson promised to anyone who would solve his riddle (Judges 14:12). It was garments that Naaman brought as a gift to the prophet of Israel and to obtain which Gahazi sinned his soul (2 Kings 5:5-22). It was Paul s claim that he had coveted no man s money or apparel (Acts 20:33). These garments, which are so splendid, will be food for moths ( setobrotos, cf.matt. 6:19). The climax of the world s inevitable decay comes at the end. Even their gold and silver will be rusted clean through ( katiashthai ). The point is that gold and silver do not actually rust; so, James in the most vivid way is warning men that even the most precious and apparently most indestructible things are doomed to decay. This rust is proof of the impermanence and ultimate valuelessness of all earthly things. More, it is a dread warning. The desire for these things is like a dread rust eating into men s bodies and souls. (Deut. 8:18; Hag. 1:3-6; Luke 12:15; I Pet. 1:3-5; Rev. 3:17) C. Warnings of Wrongdoing James leveled four charges against the rich: 1. Hoarding You stored up treasure in the last days! (3b) The treasure did not provide security, it became moth-eaten, and corroded. It also did not provide lasting significance; the riches will be a witness against you and will eat up your flesh like fire. (3b) Ultimately, selfishness so turns a person in-ward that it can devour their peace of mind, satisfaction, and sense of wellbeing. (I Tim. 6:3-19) 2. Harassment Look! The pay that you withheld from the workers who reaped your fields cries out (4) William Barclay declares The law of the Bible is 2 / 9
nothing less than the charter of the laboring man (p. 119). Throughout the law and the prophets, the rights of the common person are enforced. Although the rich have ignored the cries for justice, the Lord of Hosts has heard and will vindicate the common worker who trusts in Him. (Is. 11:3-11) p.2142, 5:4 In ancient times payment for work performed was due at the end of the workday. Greed motivated some landowners to withhold these wages. Withheld could be translated defrauded. Lord of Hosts is an OT reference to God as a warrior (1 Ch 11:4-9; Is 2:12ff). The plight of the poor and oppressed worker is known to God. 3. Hard hearted You have lived luxuriously on the land and have indulged yourselves. You have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter. (5) lived luxuriously has a darker meaning: reveled on the earth and plunged into dissipation (Moffat); Barclay writes that lewdness and lasciviousness are implied (pg. 119). By selfishly withholding wages from the poor, these rich landowners have spent it in attempts to fatten their hearts but have done so only for the day of slaughter (judgment). (Amos 4:1; 6:1-14; 8:4) 4. Harmful You have condemned-you have murdered- the righteous man; he does not resist you (6) A final charge against the rich was of the outright murder of defenseless workers. In a larger sense, it was the rich rulers who murdered Jesus (Acts 2:23; 3:14; 4:28); as the righteous poor are harmed, so the Body of Christ is harmed. p. 2142, 5:6 Condemned is a legal term suggesting that the wealthy took land and wages through decisions rendered in dishonest courts. He does not resist you (see 4:6) indicates the helplessness of the poor. 3 / 9
II. Patience (7-12) Therefore, brothers, be patient until the Lord s coming. (7) the Lord s coming is near. (8) Five resources are given to patiently await the Lord s coming: p. 2143, 5:7-8 In light of the certainty of God s coming judgment on their oppressors, James encouraged his audience to be patient and to await the Lord s coming. The phrase strengthen your hearts is an expansion on the be patient, signifying firm resolve in light of the coming of the Lord and in spite of trying circumstances. A. Perspective See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and late rain. (7b) Just as crops follow seasonal rain, (Joel 2:23; Deut. 11:14; Hos. 6:3) so the Lord s coming will follow predicted signs. Jesus gave the example of the fig tree: Now learn this parable from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, recognize [ ] a that He [ ] b is near at the door! (Matt 24:32-33). B. Peace You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord s 4 / 9
coming is near. Brothers, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door! (8-9) We don t have to worry or fret. Jesus promised peace to His followers (John 14:27); Paul declared that peace would guard our hearts (Phil 4:6-8) if we have peace, there is no reason to complain (9) p. 2143, 5:9 To complain about one another constitutes being judgmental, already prohibited in 4:11-12. The immediacy of the Lord s return brings judgment to the person who judges, just as it does for the oppressors. C. Prophecy Brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord s name as an example of suffering and patience (10) The Old Testament contains at least 333 prophesies concerning the Lord s first coming. Yet, none of those prophets lived to see the birth of Jesus. (Heb. 11:37-40) In fact, Israel was notorious for causing suffering to those very prophets (Matt 5:12, 23:37). Their patience in suffering, looking forward to the coming of their Messiah should inspire us. (II Tim. 4:8) D. Perseverance See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job s endurance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is very compassionate and merciful (11) The patience of Job is legendary. James points to him as one who endured. William Barclay, p. 125: He quotes the example of Job, of whom in the synagogue discourses they had often heard. We generally speak of the patience of Job, which is the word, the Authorized Version uses. But patience is far too passive a word. There is a sense in which Job was anything but patient. As we read the tremendous drama of his life we see him passionately resenting what has come upon him, passionately questioning the conventional arguments of his so-called friends, passionately agonizing over the terrible thought that God might have forsaken him. Few men have spoken such passionate words as he did; but the great fact about him is that in spite of all the agonizing questionings that tore at his heart, he never lost his faith in God But I know my living Redeemer, and He will stand on the dust at last. (Job 19:25). His is not unquestioning submission; he struggled and questioned, and sometimes even defied, but the flame of his faith was never extinguished. The word used of him is that great New Testament word hupomoñe 5 / 9
, which describes, not a passive patience, but that gallant spirit which can breast the tides of doubt and sorrow and disaster and come out with faith still stronger on the other side. E. Principled Now above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. Your yes must be yes, and your n o must be no, so that you won t fall under judgment (12; 2 Cor. 5:10, 11) Christ s coming carries with it a final judgment. Thus, the Believer should live in a way that brings honor to His name rather than dishonor. Believer s Study Bible, p. 1763: 5:12 This verse echoes the words of Jesus in Matt. 5:33-37. When the verse is read against the context of all Scripture, it is clear that James is not forbidding the taking of a solemn oath. Jesus and James are stressing the need for integrity in speech, and the sinfulness of carelessly or flippantly using God s name or sacred object to guarantee truthful speech. (Is. 43:2; Rom. 8:1) III. Prayer (13-18) Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they should pray over him after anointing him with olive oil in the name of the Lord. 15 The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will restore him to health; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours; yet he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land. 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit. 6 / 9
(13-18) Believer s Study Bible, p. 1763: 5:14-16 This passage has led many erroneous teachings. The central theme of the passage is prayer. It is through the prayer of Believers that divine aid and blessing are invoked. Oil was widely believed to have a medicinal value in biblical times (cf. Is. 1:6, Luke 10:34) and is here used in this sense. The text is stating that the prayer of faith will heal, and that medical means are to be used. God does occasionally, however, directly heal those who are ill. The Believer has a right to ask for healing from the Lord, who revealed Himself to His people in Ex. 15:26 as Yahweh Ropheka (Heb., For I am the Lord who heals you ). God heals and often employs means in the process (Is. 38:21; Mark 6:12,13; 1 Tim 5:23). One excellent illustration of the activity of God in regard to sickness occurs in Acts 28, when Paul and Luke the physician are shipwrecked in Malta. The father of Publius was very ill, and Paul went in to him and prayed, and he laid his hands on him and healed him (Acts 28:8) The word used here to describe the miraculous healing by Paul is iaomi (Gk.). The others on the island who were sick were also brought to be healed (Acts 28:9). The word used to describe their healing is from therapeuõ (GK.) and, together with the plural pronoun in Acts 28:10 ( they also honored us ), clearly indicates that medicine was practiced on them by Luke. God does heal with and without means. In fact, if there is healing, God does the healing. It may not be in God s will for healing to occur in a particular case. Believers are instructed to pray for healing, but they are also instructed to seek God s will (1 John 5:14) and are taught by Christ s example to pray, Nevertheless not my will, but Yours, be done (Luke 22:42). Note also 2 Cor. 2:7-10, in which Paul earnestly prays for healing that does not occur, and 2 Tim 4:20, in which Paul s valued friend and helper, Trophimus, remains sick at Miletus. Yet Paul did not heal him. (James 5:16b; 1 Pet. 4:19; III John 2) IV. Protecting My brothers, if any among you strays from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his life from death and cover a multitude of sins (19-20) Believers Study Bible, p. 1763: 5:19-20 The one who wanders from the truth is either (1) a professing, though not genuine, Christian who is in danger of spiritual death, or (2) a brother in Christ who has fallen into sin and is in danger of the most severe discipline of the heavenly Father by the loss of physical life. Both realities are taught in scripture and the interpretive step is not an easy one, though the content of the passage would seem to favor the first option. In v 20, the wanderer is called a sinner not 7 / 9
a brother and it is his soul which he is in danger of losing. Soul in this passage has the meaning of life, and more particularly, his eternal life that will forever continue in either heaven or hell. James may again be echoing the words of the Lord Jesus, who said in Matt. 16:26, For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? (1 John 5:16-19; Matt. 10:28) Application: 1. Material riches involve a heavy responsibility to God, both personally and socially. 2. Believers are to patiently expect the rapture of the church and Christ s Second Coming 3. Prayer is needed for physical and spiritual healing of God s people. Leader Pack Item 4 Poster Doctrine of Salvation Illustrator: p. 36 Quickbites: Treating Sickness in the Greco-Roman World Notes: **You may access David s Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: www.hfbcbiblestudy.or g ; Dates: 11/18 Christmas Store gift collection; 11/18 Thanksgiving Lunch (Spanish); 11/22-23 Thanksgiving Holidays; 11/25 No LBS; 12/1 Deacon s Christmas Party; 12/6-9 - Celebration Performances; 8 / 9
12/15 Night of Hope Tour with Nockels @ (CYP); 12/23 No LBS; 12/24 - Christmas Eve Services @ 2,4 & 6; 12/24-25 Christmas Holidays; 12/31 Summit New Year s Eve. 9 / 9