James 5:1-6 says, “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.”
Last week we considered James 4:13-17 where James confronted believers who were being arrogant, boasting in an evil way, and sinning. (5:16-17) What were these people boasting about? James says, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit’.” These Christians were speaking and acting as though everything in life was under their control and that they could predict the future and guarantee certain outcomes.
Those who boasted in this way ignored two undeniable truths.
First, James says, “You do not know what tomorrow will bring.”
Second, James says, “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”
Would you agree that there are many arrogant people who will admit that these facts are true?
Consideration: Even if someone believes that these two facts are true this does not mean that they will turn to the Lord, repent, and humble themselves before Him. (James 4:6-10) On the contrary, most would admit that these two facts are true and then they will become even more emboldened to carry out their plans. They will say, “Since these things are true let us be even more determined to eat and drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” (Isaiah 22:14; 1 Corinthians 15:32)
This is why it is important that James gives another fact to consider. When this fact is believed it will keep a person from responding in a way that will lead them into more sin and unbelief. James says that these people ought to consider that the LORD is sovereign and we should be doing His will. He says, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
With these words James has introduced the fact that God and His Word are to be at the center of all that we think and do. As we do this James promises that God will provide us with grace and exalt us; however, if we will not do this then God will resist us. The two verbs, ‘will’ and ‘do’ are in the indicative mood which gives us two facts concerning the gracious disposition that every believer should reflect. Namely, they will live and do God’s will by His grace.
When a Christian submits to the LORD He will give them grace and exalt that person; (4:6,10) so that they are able to serve the LORD in any situation and under all types of circumstances. (This will be important to understand in our text today! These believers are suffering greatly.)
Philippians 2:14-18 pictures this grace (the Philippians were poor and suffering), “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Such a humble servant will hear the LORD say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” (Matthew 25:23)
Sadly, not everyone will receive this commendation from the LORD. James is speaking to people who have made their plans, booked their travel, packed their bags, they are ready to leave, and they are convinced that they will make a profit. Most of the people who are around these individuals enthusiastically support their decision and are encouraging them in this endeavor. Therefore, most people in this situation will continue on with their plans and will not heed James’ warning.
These individuals may accept the first two facts but they reject the third truth regarding the will of God. We see this sort of scenario played out in passages like Luke 9:57-62 where we read, “As they were going along the road, someone said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Yet another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’” Disciples who obey God must have a high view of Jesus, the Gospel, and the Kingdom of God.
Those that do not heed James’ words in James 4:13-17 will experience one of two things. First, they may go off but their plans do not work out as they had hoped. When this happens they will blame God and are angry at Him. Second, some will succeed and this will make them think very highly of themselves and they will become even more arrogant and prideful. Following the same worldly wisdom and faithlessness that brought them this success they may become the people that we will now read about in our text today.
In James 5:1-6 we read, “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.”
James 4:13 began with the words, “Come now”, and in our text this week James begins with the same words. These words are meant to arrest our attention, keep them from danger, and then lead them to safety.
Consider, “Come now, you rich…”, in a particular way. These people have a strong desire to be rich and they have taken risks to obtain it. They have sacrificed a lot to become rich, to keep it, and to multiply it. They don’t realize it, but they have sinned a lot too.
Through this process they become defined by these very things as Psalm 115:4&8 says, “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands...Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.” Now simply known as the ‘rich’. To God they are simply known as a ‘fool’. (Luke 12:20- “But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your soul shall be required of you: then whose shall these things be, which you have provided for yourself?’”)
Illustration: The family who built a 2.5 million dollar home and boasted often about their riches. (Isaiah 49:2-4)
When James says, “Come now, you rich…”, there may be some people who might wish to be part of this group. Well, do not be envious. James is about to strongly admonish these rich people. James says, “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.”
There are two things that might be helpful to understand. First, when James tells the rich that they should weep and howl he is not saying this in the context of repentance as in James 4:7-10. No, they are to weep (mourn, lament, grieve) and howl (wail, loud cry, of great sorrow) because of the miseries (hardship, trouble, calamity) that is coming upon them.
Interestingly, the phrase, “are coming upon you”, is in the present tense which implies it is happening even now. (cf: Romans 1:18)
Observation- When you think of the severity of the accusation against them concerning the poor in James 5:6 it would be a comfort for the poor to know that James is warning that judgment against this sin has already begun. God is not far off, aloof, dis-compassionate, unresponsive, etc. God desires justice and righteousness and the guilty will by no means go unpunished- it has already begun.
Second, even though James is not directly speaking about a weeping and howling as it pertains to repentance, the offer to repent is being given. He does this with the words, “Come now”. James is seeking to grab their attention, alert them to danger, and lead them to a safe place. If they do not respond in this way they should weep and howl for the miseries coming upon them. If, however, they repent (4:7-10) they will be forgiven and the fruits of this repentance will be seen by those who have been suffering because of them.
With these words, James is like the Prophet Isaiah who said, “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if your refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 1:18-20)
James gives two pieces of evidence against the rich. First James says in v.2-3, “Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.” The evidence is the hoarding up of their wealth in greed and selfishness.
The ‘rich’ have amassed great riches for themselves in these last days at the expense of others. Some believe that James is speaking against the large industries of his day: the agricultural industry (rottenness), the textile industry (moth-eaten), and the banking industry (gold and silver corrodes).
When I think of these things I also think also about the religious and political systems. (Matthew 21:13; Acts 19:23-27) In our day we might think about the tech industry, sports and entertainment industry, political industry, big pharmaceutical, health industry, insurance industry, etc. James says that the first thing that testifies against these people is the great wealth that they have horded up for themselves. These things that they are amassing now will one day eat their flesh like fire.
The second witness against the ‘rich’ are the wages they have withheld and the people that they are hurting. James says, “Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.”
In James’ day the workers were to be paid at the end of every day that they worked. (Dt. 24:15; Mt. 20:8-15) These rich people were withholding their workers pay by fraudulent means. They ignored the plight of these poor people who would have lacked food, clothing, and money. The rich withheld and hoarded the very things that these people desperately needed. These items sat unused and were rotting, corroding and rusting away helping no one.
Finally, James says, “You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.”
Mindy and I have been watching some documentaries about things that have happened in America over the centuries. Some of the things we have learned is about times when there were the very rich who enjoyed great luxury and self-indulgence while the majority of people lived in absolute poverty. Very young children were living and dying in the mines, fields, factories, and in their own homes because of the terrible conditions.
Jesus speaks of this sort of situation when he tells the story about a rich man and Lazarus. In Luke 16:19-25 we read, “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.”
Notice that, as in our text today, we are not given the name of the rich man. We are given the names of two others: Lazarus and Abraham. Proverbs 10:7 says, “The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.”
It is ironic that today so many of the rich, powerful, and influential people of our day talk a lot about their legacy. In the end, if they do not obey James 4:6-10 they will not be remembered and their legacy will be short and quickly forgotten. These people chose the comforts of this world and they neglected to seek the comforts that could have been theirs through Jesus Christ in eternity.
When we studied the book of Hebrews we learned that when Israel sinned they would look to the Abrahamic Covenant and not to Moses’ Covenant for mercy. The promise comes through Abraham and not through the Law. When in Sheol this rich man calls out to Abraham and Abraham could not help him. My friends, the time to call out to the LORD for mercy is ‘Today’ before death comes upon us. (Hebrews 3&4) Every sinner, even the worst of sinners, can find mercy and receive grace if they will humble themselves before the LORD. If they will repent the LORD will forgive their sins and lift them up out of their condemnation and shame. (James 4:6-10)
Finally, I would like to address the very last thing that James says, “You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.” Those last five words have been a challenge for me to understand but I believe they are best understood in this specific context.
What do these words mean and how are we apply them in many different scenarios?
How is James defining ‘murder’?
How does James define ‘resist’?
There is probably much we could say about these things but after having considered these words I would like to give you four things to consider.
Notice that James 5:7 begins with the conjunction ‘Therefore’. This connects these two passages together. Then James emphasizes the need for God’s people to be patient 5x. (James 1:2-4,12-15) James may not be calling us to protest or to be pacifists, but he will call suffering Christians to be patient. We need the grace of God to d this!
James said in James 4:6 that it is God who resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. In James 5:1-6 the whole message is more focused upon how God resists the proud and is judging them. When we understand this we can begin to see the ways that God supports His people during difficult times. Again, He is present and active despite what it may seem.
The believer should focus on submitting and humbling themselves before God to receive grace and to be exalted by Him. God’s grace is always a welcome strength when we are weak. (2 Cor. 12:1-10) God’s presence is the best comfort that we could ever have. (2 Cor. 1) Because of God’s grace His people can place their faith and focus on Him and not upon the things of this world and the wicked people in it. (Psalm 73)
The rich are to know that they are being resisted by God. In fact, James has said in our text today that miseries are already coming upon them. Therefore, they desperately need to repent. True repentance will change their eternal destiny and it will make this world a better place because of the Holy Spirit’s work of sanctification.
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