A Rich Warning
We have seen time and time again throughout our study in the book of James, that he does not shy away from difficult topics. While the majority of the book is for the believer to reflect upon their faith so they may mature, James five begins with a warning.
“Come now, you rich people, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver have corroded, and their corrosion will serve as a testimony against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! 4 Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of armies. 5 You have lived for pleasure on the earth and lived luxuriously; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.6 You have condemned and put to death the righteous person; he offers you no resistance.”
James 5:1-6
The beginning of chapter five is a continuation of James 4:12-14, “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you, judging your neighbor? 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away.” The concepts of God as the only Lawgiver and Judge are expounded upon in chapter five as well as dealing with those who find themselves boastful regarding the future.
First let us look at those who are boastful. As we saw in James chapter four, mankind is prone to think that their future extends forever; and so we continually make plans regarding our hopes and desires. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it can be if you do not put into consideration God’s will for your life. It is why James admonishes the believers, “15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” James 4:15.
So then why does James begin his last chapter with a warning against the rich? The answer is actually simple, those who have all their needs met here on earth are those who have a more difficult time leaning on the Lord. Now this is not to say that those who are wealthy cannot be saved, after all God wants to provide for His children, this can and does include financially. James is not addressing the wealthy born-again believers, he is addressing those who boast in their own talents, the ones who take advantage of others in order to increase their own earnings. These individuals do not acknowledge God’s control in their life.
However, we see that those who do not place their faith in God but in material things, James warns that it will be taken away from them. They have placed their hope on earthly goods, not heavenly. “19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21. Those who place their treasure on earthy things, receive their payment in full on earth.
When we read this passage, it would almost be too easy for the believer to become discouraged. On the surface the opening to James five makes it appear as if the unbelievers win and the believers are doomed to pain and suffering at their hands. However, this is not the case and while we will expound upon this topic more later on, I want to draw your attention to one very important fact.
“Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of armies.” James 5:4
Again, this is a continuation of a thought found in James 4, and that is that God is the only Lawgiver and Judge. He is aware of all that has occurred to His children, and He will not leave the acts against us unpunished. While we should not wish for punishment for those around us (Proverbs 24:17), we can find peace in knowing that one day it will come.
Seek the truth and encourage one another,
Alex