The Big Pay Off James 5: 1-12
1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. 4 Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 5 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.
Caption: (Be Patient and Persevering)
7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! 10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. 12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.
Public troubles are most grievous to those who live in pleasure. All idolized treasures will soon perish; they will rise up in judgment against their possessors. Take heed of defrauding and oppressing; and avoid the very appearance of it. God does not forbid us to use lawful pleasures; but to live in pleasure, especially sinful pleasure, is a provoking sin. The just may be condemned and killed; but when such suffer by oppressors this is marked by God.
Consider him that waits for a crop of corn; and will not you wait for a crown of glory? If you should be called to wait longer than the husbandman, is not there something more worth waiting for? In every sense the coming of the Lord draws near, to short-lived creatures a few years seem an age; but Scripture, measuring all things by the existence of God, reckons thousands of years but so many days. Our eternal happiness is safe if we trust to him!
James gives those who trust in uncertain riches a stern warning, Vs.1 Come now, you rich- weep and howl for your miseries!
In the text it’s important that we understand that ‘riches’ in it self isn’t the problem, but it’s the handling of the riches.
Riches above the love of others, riches above the love of the poor and needy, and Riches above the love of God are idolatry and sin!
James gives instructions unto the person whose priorities are wrong- weep, howl for your miseries!
Now in vs.2-3 James gives this rich man his sin and rebuke. Your riches are corrupted- “Where’s your trust?”
Those who love riches over everything-one day you will detest your own riches because they remind you of your own misery!
You will have moth-eaten garments, (Unto the ‘rich’ their garments are a sign of their wealth!) gold and silver corroded because you have heaped up treasures in the last day!
II Timothy 3: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
James say’s “The wages of laborers who work for you, you have kept back by fraud, and the worker’s cry has reached the Lord!”
James 5: 5 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter.
You live for pleasure, luxury, and you have required a fat lazy heart! In other words, the rich are like fattened pampered animals that aren’t aware of their approaching day of slaughter!
James 5:6 the rich controlled the courts through bribery or other forms of injustice you have condemned and murdered the just through your actions!
Oaky, here’s the “Big Pay Off”- Here’s our word of Exhortation!
James 5:7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.
Be patient: When I am told these words in scripture I should rejoice, because I need to know that if I am asked to be patient- something out of this world is coming!
See how the farmer waits. Romans 8:18-25 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
James 5:8 Be patient-Establish your heart because the Lord is coming!
James 5:9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!
Do not grumble-the Lord is at hand! (He’s standing at the door!)
James 5:10-11 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
Remember Job and his end! Lamentations 3:21-23 Great is the Lord’s faithfulness, mercies and compassions!
James 5:12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.
James words are very close to Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:33-37. Listen, what we utter and integrity go hand and hand! Failure to perform in this area either brings holiness or judgment!
