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Main Idea

My hope in this life flows from a patient trust in the Lord’s provision, vindication, and return.

I remember a time in my elementary school days when my family went to Tweetsie. I was so excited to get to the top of the mountain where the carnival rides were, and I was incredibly excited to drive my own car around the track for the first time. Do you know which one I’m talking about? Both of my grandmas took me up top, and we secured our place in line. To my surprise, we didn’t have to wait in line until the worker at the front was letting a group of kids shuffle to the front. So, thinking this was for all kids, I excitedly went up front as well and was let through to get into the driver’s seat of my own car by myself. The excitement, however, was short-lived as the worker approached my car with a frustrated expression. He asked me if I was part of the birthday party group. I answered no. I didn’t even know there was one. And, with a sharp rebuke, he told me I was cutting in line and sent me to the back of the line.

Not only did I lose my chance to drive a car alone, but I was wrongfully accused and embarrassed in front of the crowd. I started to cry and ran to both of my grandmas, trying to hide behind them so no one would look at me. As I told them what happened, I witnessed an amazing transformation. Both of my grandmas morphed from sweet old ladies to wild-eyed defenders. At that moment, you could have shackled them with 3-inch thick chains, but the fire of their fury would have melted it all away. They marched up to that employee and laid into him in ways I’ve never witnessed before! It didn’t take long until the man was apologizing to me and allowing me to take my ride. I will never forget that day when I was swiftly comforted and vindicated by my awesome grandmothers.

I- Recap

Ch 1- Trials = Divine testing that develops steadfast faith.

Ch 2- Don’t show favoritism or have a dead faith. A Living Faith is proven through good works.

Ch 3- The destructive power of the tongue vs a harvest of righteousness through godly wisdom.

Ch 4- Infighting and Spiritual Adultery from friendliness to the world that produces bitter envy and selfish ambition. This is happening in the present and for entrepreneurs planning for profits and arrogantly boasting about the future. Instead of bragging, they should say, “If the Lord wills…”

The rich are spoken to in 1:9-11; 2:6-7, and 4:13-16:

James 1:9–11 CSB

Let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his exaltation, but let the rich boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field. For the sun rises and, together with the scorching wind, dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance perishes. In the same way, the rich person will wither away while pursuing his activities.

James 2:6–7 CSB

Yet you have dishonored the poor. Don’t the rich oppress you and drag you into court? Don’t they blaspheme the good name that was invoked over you?

James 4:13–16 CSB

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like vapor that appears for a little while, then vanishes.
Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

Chapter Five continues the discussion of how corrosive and deceiving wealth can be, followed by godly advice on responding wisely.

Passage

James 5:1–12 CSB

Come now, you rich people, weep and wail over the miseries that are coming on you. Your wealth has rotted and your clothes 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 stored up treasure in the last days. Look! The pay that you withheld from the workers who mowed your fields cries out, and the outcry of the harvesters has reached the ears of the Lord of Armies. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and have indulged yourselves. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous, who does not resist you.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.

Brothers and sisters, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!

Brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name as an example of suffering and patience. See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and have seen the outcome that the Lord brought about—the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “yes” mean “yes,” and your “no” mean “no,” so that you won’t fall under judgment.

I- Warnings to the Wealthy (vv. 1—6)

Wealth itself is not condemned, but rather, a sinful use and pursuit of it. Wealth can be a blessing from God, but trusting in wealth instead of Him is futile, foolish, and temporary. It also has a strong side-effect of corrupting one’s moral compass.

This section underscores wealth’s corrosive effect on people, guiding them to improperly obtain and steward it at the expense, exploitation, and oppression of fellow human beings. God has no tolerance for such things.

Have you ever had a sibling get in trouble for mistreating you and be summoned to their room for a good verbal spanking from mom and dad? And, have you ever put your ear to the closed door so you could savor every delicious rebuke?  It almost feels like James gives us a glimpse as if we were eavesdropping on a conversation behind closed doors between God and the wicked wealthy about what their sins had earned them.

But the question is… are these people really our siblings?

Are these wealthy folks believers or non-believers?

My conviction is that they are non-believers.

1. They are not called brothers and sisters.

2. They harm God’s righteous people.

3. They are not encouraged to repent and turn to God.

4. Their condemnation is sure.

6 warnings

1.     Weep and wail – judgment language (Isa 10:30; 13:6; 14:31; Ezek 21:12; Hos 7:14; Amos 5:16; Zech 11:2–3; Luke 23:28; Revelation 18:11, 15, 19).

2.     Wealth is rotten – their source of security and pomp has been brought to ruin. They hoarded wealth and let it ruin. Think of a grand banquet hall with rows of tables filled with bowls and platters overflowing with rotten food and vast closets filled with what was once beautiful and ornate clothing that is now ragged and moth-eaten. What was once glamorous is now grotesque.

3.     Wealth is a Witness – Like a witness on the stand in a courtroom pointing at her attacker, such a person’s corroded wealth is a witness condemning their wickedness. Gold doesn’t corrode unless foreign substances or other alloyed metals are intermingled with it. Ultimately, it will eat their flesh like fire – More judgment language (e.g., Isa 10:16–17; 30:27; Jer 5:14; Matt 13:42; Mark 9:47–48).

4.     The Victim’s Two-fold cry – (1) Their withheld pay cries out like Abel’s blood cried out from the ground. (2) They cry out like the Israelites to God on multiple occasions for God’s divine assistance. Who do they cry out to? The Lord of Armies – (OT) Yahweh Saba – The God who commands vast military forces.

5.     Fattened for the slaughter. An agricultural farming community would have grasped this illustration quickly. Their extravagant lifestyle has prepared them for their judgment day.

6.     You stand condemned for condemning and murdering the righteous innocent who don’t fight back.

This was a call for believers then and today to examine what they treasure and ensure they have the proper attitudes toward material possessions. Two questions come to mind after reading this passage.

1.     What material possessions give you a sense of security or power? The warning of this passage is for anyone who elevates wealth, possessions, status, or lifestyle above loving God and His image-bearers. Takeaway #1: None of us are immune to the slow fade of corruption this type of idolatry can bring. Jesus told us that where our treasure is, our heart will also be and that we should lay up treasures in heaven, where rust, rot, and moths cannot destroy what we have procured.

2.     How do you react when you are the one who is oppressed and exploited? What emotions well up in your heart? What words and actions overflow from those emotions? Is it a constant flow of anger, complaint, cursing, and vengeance? Or is there a genuine reliance on a God whose throne is established on justice and righteousness?

Put yourself back at the closed door, listening to your dad scold your brother or sister. Are you licking your lips and wringing your hands in preparation for their punishment, or are you listening to your father’s words, hoping for vindication? Is your focus on seeing your sibling punished, or is it on the character of your father who defends you… or gives mercy to your sibling if he feels that is the right move? Don’t desire the destruction of the enemy, but trust the Lord and in His righteousness.

Those are two very different reactions, and this is where James is leading us next.

II- Power in Patient Endurance (vv. 7-11)

This section is the polar opposite of the first section. The wealthy who used their wealth wickedly were warned of sure consequences. But now, believers are exhorted to endure with patience. Each time, believers are addressed (brothers and sisters), and encouragement is given.

Amid their suffering and exploitation, they are called to focus not on their oppressor’s judgment but on the coming of the Lord and what that means for them. The presence of their Lord and Savior meant everything to them. Jesus was their provision, protection, and righter of wrongs. Their eyes were not to be on their sufferings or oppressors but on the Lord Jesus Himself.

The advice given to those of us on the receiving end of the rich man’s exploitations is offered in three different illustrations:

1. The Farmer

In Palestine, crops are planted by late October before the early rains, which help the seeds germinate and take root. The spring rains provide the additional nourishment the plants need to produce the harvest. The farmer can plant and tend the crops, but he cannot make the plants grow or cause the clouds to dispense the rain. He is forced to submit to the process and patiently wait for the harvest, trusting God to bring the early and later rains to produce the promised harvest.

If the farmer gets impatient with his co-workers or even the constant financial pressure from the bank’s loan officer, grumbling and complaining at them (or vice versa) won’t help the crop to grow. Complaining will only have a negative impact with an inevitable result in some form of judgment from you or them. When tempted to grovel, the remedy is patient trust, which leads to enduring trust.  And what are you trusting will happen? Your trust is in the Lord’s provision and presence, which strengthens you, knowing that the Lord is near and will right all wrongs.

You want to refrain from judging others or having them judge you because the one coming is the only one with the right and authority to judge! The one who brings provision in the nourishing rains is also the Judge who will defend and vindicate His people from whatever injustice they are experiencing. It is just as much the revealing of His character as it is the refinement of yours. In fact, it is a call to stand firm in Christian character because of who He is. This agricultural language is the same language Moses gave the Israelites before entering the promised land, which is no coincidence:

Deuteronomy 11:13–14 CSB

“If you carefully obey my commands I am giving you today, to love the Lord your God and worship him with all your heart and all your soul, I will provide rain for your land in the proper time, the autumn and spring rains, and you will harvest your grain, new wine, and fresh oil.

Takeaway #2: Who do we look to in times of suffering? We patiently look to the faithful Provider, who will demonstrate His faithfulness in our care and defense.

2. The Prophets

The prophets of the Old Testament were worthy portraits of patient endurance and faithfulness during trials. Name just about any OT Prophet, except maybe Jonah, and you will discover moments in their lives when they spoke the Lord’s truths in the Lord’s name and suffered as a result. And yet, they endured. They were given the word of the Lord to speak and aimed to be faithful to the task. Many denied the impulse of self-preservation to see that the message they were given was communicated. See Hebrews 11:32-38 as a sampling:

Hebrews 11:32–38 CSB

And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead, raised to life again. Other people were tortured, not accepting release, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Others experienced mockings and scourgings, as well as bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they died by the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins, in goatskins, destitute, afflicted, and mistreated. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and on mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

These prophets were examples of faithfulness to God despite the circumstances or consequences, and the world was not worthy of them. Takeaway #3: Our patience doesn’t make us passive. It makes us boldly active.

3. Job

Finally, we see the man we all respect, but none of us want to be. Job endured Satan’s attacks on his family, wealth, status, and health alongside his friend’s misguided wisdom. He maintained his innocence and never once blamed God. He was eventually restored and vindicated because he knew, and we are called to remember that we serve a God who is compassionate and merciful.

Through these three illustrations, James is coming full circle to the advice he started with.

James 1:2–4 CSB

Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

Even when the man who has been corrupted by wealth mistreats and oppresses you, don’t focus on him. You have already heard what God will do to such people. Your job, and mine, is to endure patiently… keeping your eyes on Jesus. And I know that is easier said than done. When we are in times like these, God can feel distant. Sometimes, we might wonder if He has intentionally turned His back on us, and we wonder why He doesn’t act. And when we feel that sort of despair, we might be tempted to take matters into our own hands. In those moments, we must remember that God never breaks His promises. He will come to bring justice to His people and provide for their needs. If we can embrace who God is, we can submit to Him and pass our test.

III- Integrity as True Wealth (v. 12)

Lastly, we are told not to make oaths but to let our yes be yes and no be no. If you embrace the wisdom of this passage, then you don’t need to swear an oath.  You won’t be tempted to flippantly use the name of the Lord as a means to escape your trial or negotiate better terms for yourself. Simply let your word be your word and follow through, thereby maintaining your Christ-like integrity in the trial.

In closing, we need to remember that worldly wealth is a false treasure. The true treasures of righteousness, justice, and faithfulness to God are found through enduring patient trust in Him and His return to make all things right again.

Final takeaway: You can stand firm in the conviction of God’s faithfulness and patiently wait for His provision with integrity, knowing that passing the test will mature your faith.

Questions to Consider