Blunders of Self-indulgent Gain-I—James 5:1-8
Attention:
My kindergarten-aged daughter suddenly announced just before school that she needed to take a clean tee shirt to class. She told us the teacher was going to iron an anti-drug message on it. My wife frantically swept through my daughter’s room, finding nothing usable but one tee shirt that already had something printed on one side.
She sent it off to school with my daughter.
That afternoon, my daughter returned & happily showed off her shirt.
On one side it said, "Families are Forever."
And on the other... "Be Smart, Don’t Start."
By her blunder(careless actions), the mother embarrassed herself & her family.
Likewise, ‘Religious’ people can make tremendous life-altering blunders.
Need:
James warned of the danger in self-indulgent gain
Accumulation of wealth is spiritually questionable.
So there are danger in self-indulgent gain.
What are the dangers of self-indulgent gain?
How is self-indulgent gain dangerous?
5 Blunders of self-indulgent gain.
1—A Blunder of self-indulgent gain is...
Accumulated MISERY/Wrath(:1)
Explanation:(:1)
:1—“Come now, you rich, weep & howl for your miseries that are coming upon you!”
This section (:1-8) is minimally an extension of 4:13-17, where those who do business for profit act without acknowledgment of God’s allowance & provenance in their endeavors.
James attempts to reprove & bring to repentance the rich who have shrewdly brought profit to themselves(:13).
The rich specifically are encouraged to both “weep” & “howl” over their sin. The rich are instructed to do just as the “warring” & “fighting” among the church should, i.e., to “Lament & mourn & weep” over their sin. Such sinfulness, if it remains unsubmitted to Jesus, will absolutely produce “miseries” for the very ones who are trying to reduce those miseries thru human effort—Even thru self-provision.
“Come now/Go to now/Now listen”—age nun— agw—1) To lead, take with one; 3) To pass a day, keep or celebrate a feast, etc.; 4) To go, depart. Strong—properly, To lead; by implication, To bring, drive, (reflexively) Go, (specially) Pass (time), or (figuratively) Induce:-- Be, bring (forth), carry, (let) go, keep, lead away, be open.
“Rich/Rich men/Rich people”—plousiov—Adj.—1) Wealthy, abounding in material resources; 2) metaph. Abounding, abundantly supplied, 2a) Abounding (rich) in Christian virtues & eternal possessions.
“Weep”—klaiw—1) To mourn, weep, lament—1a) Weeping as the sign of pain & grief for the thing signified (i.e. for the pain & grief), 1b) Of those who mourn for the dead; 2) To weep for, mourn for, bewail, one. To weep audibly, cry as a child. Strong—To sob, i.e. Wail aloud (whereas dakruw is rather to cry silently):-- bewail, weep.
“Howl/Wail”—ololuzw—1) To howl, wail, lament—1a) Of a loud cry whether for joy or of grief. Strong—a reduplicated primary verb; To "howl" or "halloo", i.e. Shriek:-- Howl.
“Miseries”—talaipwria—1) Hardship, trouble, calamity, misery. Strong—Wretchedness, i.e. Calamity:-- Misery. Used 2X.
“Coming upon”—epercomai—1) To come to arrive; 2) To come upon, overtake, one. Strong—To supervene, i.e. arrive, occur, impend, attack, (figuratively) influence:-- Come (in, upon).
Argumentation:
*Rom. 2:5—“But in accordance with your hardness & your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath & revelation of the righteous judgment of God,”
Lk. 12:15-21—“And He said to them, “Take heed & beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ “So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns & build greater, & there I will store all my crops & my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, & be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, & is not rich toward God.””
Ps. 49:15-20—“But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me. Selah Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him. Though while he lives he blesses himself (For men will praise you when you do well for yourself), He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see light. A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, Is like the beasts that perish.”
Lk. 6:22-24—“Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, & cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man’s sake. Rejoice in that day & leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets. But woe to you who are rich, For you have received your consolation.”
Mat. 6:1-2, 5, 16—““Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues & in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.”....““And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues & on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.”.....““Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.”
1Tim. 6:6-12—“Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, & it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food & clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation & a snare, & into many foolish & harmful lusts which drown men in destruction & perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, & pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee these things & pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called & have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
Deut. 32:28-29—““For they are a nation void of counsel, Nor is there any understanding in them. Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, That they would consider their latter end!”
Illustration:
Marriage based on either a Trophy Wife’ or Sugar Daddy’ mentality is doomed from the start/There is no substance to it which can survive the long haul/Trust can never be had because it is based on temporal satisfaction/Looks & Money will fade & be lost/Accumulated MISERY
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has 6 reactors/Has faithfully provided electricity since 1970-79/BUT...On Mar. 11, 2011 a 9.0 scale earthquake & subsequent tsunami occurred/Now radiation scare in Japan resulted/Exposure to radioactive particles in the air/Have a cumulative effect which can destroy our flesh or set it against itself(cancer & other maladies)/Accumulated MISERY
Application:
?Your Blunder of self-indulgent gain netted an Accumulated MISERY of eternal scope?
?You the victim of your own Self-indulgent Gain, or that of others?
2— A Blunder of self-indulgent gain is...
Accumulated CORRUPTION(:2-3)
Explanation:(:2-3)
:2—“Your riches are corrupted, & your garments are moth-eaten.”
“Your riches are corrupted...”
?What does your wealth consist of?
Wealth was & is still measured in terms of foodstuffs. In the dainties & delicacies available to the wealthy palate.
—Watch & listen some of the things on Food Network.
The wealth which these people tangibly possess, is itself “corrupted/rotted,” containing within its very nature, a rottenness which will eventually destroy the substance itself.
Gen. 49:20—““Bread from Asher shall be rich, And he shall yield royal dainties.”
Ps. 141:3-4—“Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice wicked works With men who work iniquity; And do not let me eat of their delicacies.”
Delicacies associated with the wicked.
Dan. 1:3-16—“Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel & some of the king’s descendants & some of the nobles, young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge & quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king’s palace, & whom they might teach the language & literature of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king’s delicacies & of the wine which he drank, & three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king. Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, & Azariah. To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; & to Azariah, Abed-Nego. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God had brought Daniel into the favor & goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs. And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food & drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king.” So Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, & Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days, & let them give us vegetables to eat & water to drink. Then let our appearance be examined before you, & the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies; & as you see fit, so deal with your servants.” So he consented with them in this matter, & tested them ten days. And at the end of ten days their features appeared better & fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies. Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies & the wine that they were to drink, & gave them vegetables.”
“Corrupted/Rotted”—shpw—1) To make corrupt, to destroy. 2) To become corrupt, corrupted, rotten. RWP —From Apparently pleotov fulness (from pleov full, pimplhmi to fill). Strong—To putrefy, i.e. (figuratively) Perish:-- Be corrupted.
Used in extrabiblical Greek “to describe rotten wood, decayed flesh & rotten fruit.”—John MacArthur
“& your garments are moth-eaten.”
The luxurious clothing which the rich seek so diligently is itself “moth-eaten,” so that like the wealth in general it is destroyed.
Wealth was also partially measured in terms of clothing(Judg. 14:12-13).
Gen. 45:22—“He[Joseph] gave to all of them, to each man, changes of garments; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver & five changes of garments.”
Judg. 14:12-13—“Then Samson said to them, “Let me pose a riddle to you. If you can correctly solve & explain it to me within the seven days of the feast, then I will give you thirty linen garments & thirty changes of clothing. But if you cannot explain it to me, then you shall give me thirty linen garments & thirty changes of clothing.” And they said to him, “Pose your riddle, that we may hear it.””
“Garments”—imation—1) A garment (of any sort)—1a) Garments, i.e. the cloak or mantle & the tunic; 2) The upper garment, the cloak or mantle. Used in a general sense to mean clothing, & may thus be applied to any garment when it is not desired to express its exact nature. In a more specific use, however, it denotes the large loose outer garment, a cloak, which ordinarily was worn, but in working was laid aside. Strong—A dress (inner or outer):-- Apparel, cloak, clothes, garment, raiment, robe, vesture.
“Moth eaten”—shtobrwtov—Moth eaten. Used 1X.
:3—“Your gold & silver are corroded, & their corrosion will be a witness against you & will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.”
“Your gold & silver are corroded,....”
Wealth was & is still measured in terms of precious metals.
“Its about the bouillon, baby!”—Brownlee Jeweler’s commercial
The above corruption extends to a “corrosion” of that which is seemingly indestructible in men’s eyes—their objects & monies consisting of “gold & silver.”
“& their corrosion will be a witness against you & will eat your flesh like fire.”
These “corroded/cankered” metals will become “a witness against” the rich individual. This corrosion will be found on their person, in their name & as their possession, thus condemning them, because corrosion is no help to others in need. The rich are condemned per :5.
The gold & silver of the rich will in effect, “eat your flesh” in the same manner as “fire.” It will eat it up because of the standing promises of God against utter selfishness, to which the amassing of wealth is a testimony.
“You have heaped up treasure in the last days.”
The days in which James lived & in which we now live are considered the “last days.” These are times of absolute reckoning from which none can return as time is linear. Knowing full well that they are answerable, the rich have chosen even now to “heap up treasure.” They have taken it upon themselves to amass wealth even while knowing that they will soon be made to answer to the Lord.
“Corroded/Cankered/Rusted”—katiow—1) To rust over, cover with rust. Strong—To rust down, i.e. Corrode:-- Canker. Used 1X.
“Witness/Testify”—marturion—Testimony. Strong—Something evidential, i.e. (genitive case) Evidence given or (specifically) the Decalogue (in the sacred Tabernacle):-- To be testified, testimony, witness.
“Eat”—fagw—1) To eat; 2) To eat (consume) a thing—2a) To take food, eat a meal, 2b) metaph. To devour, consume. Strong—To eat (literally or figuratively):-- Eat, meat.
“Flesh”—sarx—1) Flesh (the soft substance of the living body, which covers the bones & is permeated with blood) of both man & beasts; 2) The body; 3) A living creature (because possessed of a body of flesh) whether man or beast; 4) The flesh, denotes mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, & therefore prone to sin & opposed to God. Strong—Flesh (as stripped of the skin), i.e. (strictly) The meat of an animal (as food), or (by extension) The body (as opposed to the soul [or spirit], or as The symbol of what is external, or as The means of kindred), or (by implication) Human nature (with its frailties [physically or morally] & passions), or (specifically) A human being (as such):-- carnal(-ly, + -ly minded), flesh([-ly]).
“Heaped up treasure/Heaped treasure together/Stored up treasure/Hoarded wealth”—yhsaurizw—1) To gather & lay up, to heap up, store up—1a) To accumulate riches, 1b) To keep in store, store up, reserve; 2) metaph. So to live from day to day as to increase either the bitterness or the happiness of one’s consequent lot. Strong—To amass or reserve (literally or figuratively):-- Lay up (treasure), (keep) in store, (heap) treasure (together, up).
“Last”—escatov—1) Extreme—1a) Last in time or in place, 1b) Last in a series of places, 1c) Last in a temporal succession; 2) The last—2a) Last, referring to time, 2b) Of space, the uttermost part, the end, of the earth, 2c) Of rank, grade of worth, last i.e. lowest. Strong—a superlative probably from ecw (in the sense of contiguity); farthest, final (of place or time):-- ends of, last, latter end, lowest, uttermost.
Argumentation:
Jer. 12:13—“They have sown wheat but reaped thorns; They have put themselves to pain but do not profit. But be ashamed of your harvest Because of the fierce anger of the LORD.””
Lam. 4:1-6—“How the gold has become dim! How changed the fine gold! The stones of the sanctuary are scattered At the head of every street. The precious sons of Zion, Valuable as fine gold, How they are regarded as clay pots, The work of the hands of the potter! Even the jackals present their breasts To nurse their young; But the daughter of my people is cruel, Like ostriches in the wilderness. The tongue of the infant clings To the roof of its mouth for thirst; The young children ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them. Those who ate delicacies Are desolate in the streets; Those who were brought up in scarlet Embrace ash heaps. The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown in a moment, With no hand to help her!”
Mat. 6:19-21—““Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth & rust destroy & where thieves break in & steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys & where thieves do not break in & steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Illustration:
In our garage is a plastic tub full of balls from the kid’s childhood—Basketballs—Softballs—Footballs—Soccerballs—Tennisballs—Baseballs/Never used(since our last move)!/At one time they were/Now they are old, mildewed, corroded & spoiled/Accumulated CORRUPTION
Application:
?Your Blunder of self-indulgent gain netted an Accumulated CORRUPTION of eternal scope?
?You the victim of your own Self-indulgent Gain, or that of others?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
The mother’s T-shirt blunder—"Families are Forever"And... "Be Smart, Don’t Start."
Action:
A Blunder of self-indulgent gain is/are Accumulated...
1—MISERY/Wrath(:1)
2—CORRUPTION(:2-3)
Presented 03/20/2011am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
