Iraqi Christians were forced to flee the northern city of Mosul under threat from Islamic extremists described on Tuesday leaving behind all their possessions. Signs emerged that the crackdown on the minority was causing tensions between the radicals and Sunni allies in the insurgency. The militants imposed a deadline last Saturday for Christians to convert to Islam, pay a tax or face death. The UN said on Sunday that at least 400 families from Mosul — including other religious and ethnic minority groups — had sought refuge in the northern provinces of Irbil and Dohuk. (http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/07/22/iraqi-christians-flee-from-mosul-after-isis-ultimatum-covert-to-islam-pay-a-tax-or-face-death/)
James wrote his epistle to Jewish believers who had been forced to flee from Palestine by the persecution recorded in Acts 8:1–4. In 1:1 he referred to them as “the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad.” Being both Jewish and Christians, they faced hostility from the pagan culture in which they lived. Knowing that, James opened his epistle with an exhortation to patiently endure trials (1:2ff.). In chapter 5 he returned to that theme. The first six verses described the persecution his poor readers were suffering at the hands of the wicked rich—even to the point of death (v. 6). Verses 7–11 call for patient endurance of trials and persecution. James exhorted those about to collapse under the weight of their afflictions to prop up their hearts and resolutely, determinedly persist.
James He calls on those who are suffering the persecution discussed in 5:1–11 to pray, since prayer taps the source of spiritual endurance. The theme of verses 13–18, then, is prayer, which is mentioned in every one of those verses. James’s exhortation to prayer embraces the prayer life of the entire church. Individual believers are called to pray in verse 13, the elders in verses 14–15, and the congregation in verse 16. In James’s compassionate pastoral care for his suffering flock; his main focus is on the casualties of the spiritual battle, the persecuted, weak, defeated believers.
Although we may never be threaded with death for our faith, many today are and we are called to pray for them. We are to look in our midst for those who are suffering under the weight of the spiritual battle. At times in our own lives, we may feel spiritually exhausted, aimless or just plain discouraged. The wisdom here from James will not only direct our own thoughts but as a congregation, help us all in strengthen one another in the spiritual battle.
The Prayer of the Righteous can help in the spiritual battle with: 1) Comfort (James 5:13), 2) Restoration (James 5:14–15), 3) Fellowship (James 5:16a), and 4) Power (James 5:16b-18).
1) Prayer and Comfort (James 5:13)
James 5:13 [13]Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. (ESV)
The objects of James’s pastoral care are identified first as the weary, suffering believers. The word here for Suffering (kakopatheō), refers to enduring evil treatment by people—not physical illness (cf. its only other New Testament uses in 2 Tim. 2:9; 4:5). James addresses not those suffering from physical diseases, but those being persecuted, abused, and treated wickedly.
Please turn to 2 Corinthians 1 (p.964)
As an antidote to their suffering, James exhorts them to pray. Prayer is essential to enduring affliction. God is the ultimate source of comfort. There are many responses to trouble. Some of us worry; some of us vow revenge against those who have caused the trouble; some of us let anger burn inside us. Some grumble. But James says the correct response to trouble is to pray (see also Psalm 30; 50:15; 91:15). This is not necessarily a prayer for deliverance from the trouble, but for the patience and strength to endure it (Barton, B. B., Veerman, D., & Wilson, N. S. (1992). James (p. 137). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.).
The present tense of the verb translated let him/he must pray suggests a continual pleading with God in prayer; it could be translated “let him keep on praying.” There is a reason to keep on praying and a purpose in what God is doing in the need for prayer:
2 Corinthians 1:3-7 [3]Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, [4]who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. [5]For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. [6]If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. [7]Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. (ESV)
• As with the suffering mentioned in James, the sufferings here can to both outward circumstances (4:17; 6:4; 8:2) and inward states of mind (2:4; 7:4–5). (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2223). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)
• If you were to think of the hardest thing in your life right now, is the greatest effort in dealing with this problem in prayer? If we are honest with ourselves, it is either what we do last or just ask God to bless what we have already decided. I believe God allows many of our most lingering problems to continue so that we might finally, faithfully and fully come to Him in prayer. He puts problems in our path that only He can solve so we, and the world might see who He is.
Those, through faith, who are able manage to maintain a cheerful attitude in their suffering are to sing praise. Cheerful is from euthumeō and describes those well in spirit, or having a joyful attitude—not those who are physically well. Cheerful refers not to outward circumstances, but to the cheerfulness and happiness of heart that one can have whether in good times or in bad (Moo, D. J. (1985). James: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 16, p. 181). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)
The suffering and the happy, the wounded, broken spirits and the whole, rejoicing spirits are both to pray. The one is to plead with God for comfort, the other is to sing praise to God for comfort given. Psallō (sing praise) is the verb from which the noun translated “psalm” derives (cf. Acts 13:33; 1 Cor. 14:26; Eph. 5:19). Praise and prayer are closely related; praise is actually a form of prayer (Phil. 4:6; Col. 4:2). Both are essential for the spiritual strength of those undergoing persecution.
• We must realize the corporate implication here of song. We minister to one another in song as a way of encouraging them and lifting them up. For the one who is despondent, the song is to remind them that they are not alone. God has not forgotten them and they are a part of a body of believers that is with them and will do whatever it takes for their situation.
Hymn: Without an understanding of our suffering and continual reliance in God through prayer, we will be troubled, discouraged, and weak. In the words of the beloved hymn “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” : O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry Ev’rything to God in prayer. Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged, Take it to the Lord in prayer. Are we weak and heavy-laden, Cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge Take it to the Lord in prayer.
2) Prayer and Restoration (James 5:14–15)
James 5:14-15 [14]Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. [15]And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. (ESV)
Here is the most misunderstood and disputed portion of this passage. At first glance it appears to be teaching that sick believers can expect physical healing through the prayers of the elders. But such an interpretation is out of harmony with the context. The suffering James has in view here is evil treatment, not physical illness. There may be physical illness as a result of sin or persecution, but it is the mental distress that is the primary focus.
The Greek word behind sick astheneō, means “to be weak.” This word and its cognate noun (astheneia) and adjective (asthenēs) are applied to all kinds of situations in the NT: mental ability (e.g., Rom. 6:19); spiritual condition (Rom. 5:6); general physical appearance (e.g., 2 Cor. 10:10); the conscience (e.g., 1 Cor. 8:7, 9; cf. Rom. 14:1, 2); or one’s bodily constitution (Moo, D. J. (2000). The letter of James (p. 236). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos.)
James here moves beyond the suffering believers of the previous point to address specifically those who have become weak by that suffering. The weak are those who have been defeated in the spiritual battle, who have lost the ability to endure their suffering. They are the fallen spiritual warriors, the exhausted, weary, depressed, defeated Christians. They have tried to draw on God’s power through prayer, but have lost motivation, even falling into sinful attitudes. Having hit bottom, they are not able to pray effectively on their own. In that condition, the spiritually weak as we saw from 1 Thes. 5:14 last week, need the help of the spiritually strong.
• Have you ever come to worship, or even avoided worship because you feel like you would be a hypocrite? How can I sing about joy and forgiveness, when I feel like I have failed and just sank deeper into sin? This passage is for you.
Please turn to Galatians 6 (p.975)
That help, James says, is to be found in the elders of the church. Notice that it is the responsibility of the sick one to request a visit from the “elders.” (Let him call for the elders) . These procedures were to be done at the home of the weak one, not necessarily the gathered church (Utley, R. J. D. (2000). Jesus’ Half-Brothers Speak: James and Jude (Vol. Volume 11, p. 70). Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International.).
To call on the elders ([προσκαλεσάσθω) does not necessarily mean that the sick one is to call in person on the elders of the Church, it leaves the manner of appeal undefined, one might call on them in person or summon them to his side by the intervention of others (Lange, J. P., Schaff, P., van Oosterzee, J. J., & Mombert, J. I. (2008). A commentary on the Holy Scriptures: James (p. 138). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.)
Weak, defeated believers are to go to them and draw on their strength. They are to call (from proskaleō, “to call alongside”) the elders to come and lift them up. It is the same thought that the apostle Paul expressed in Galatians 6:1:
Galatians 6:1-10 [6:1]Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. [2]Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. [3]For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. [4]But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. [5]For each will have to bear his own load. [6]One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches. [7]Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. [8]For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. [9]And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. [10]So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (ESV)
• The wounded, exhausted, broken sheep are to go to their shepherds, who will intercede for them and ask God for renewed spiritual strength on their behalf. But in order for the refreshing to occur they must call. The elders cannot read your mind, and if you don't share a struggle, we can't help or intercede for you.
This is an important—and largely neglected—ministry of the church’s pastors and elders. The apostles acknowledged its priority when they said, “We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). But in today’s church, weak, struggling believers are often handed over to so-called expert professional counselors—who often have little power in prayer. Those who have been defeated in the spiritual battle do not need to hear opinions of human wisdom; they need to be strengthened by the power of God through their leaders’ prayers.
The anointing with oil in the name of the Lord done by the elders is not a reference to some symbolic ceremony. Aleiphō (the root form of the verb translated anointing) is not used in the New Testament to refer to a ceremonial anointing. Noted Greek scholar A. T. Robertson comments, “It is by no means certain that aleiphō here … means ‘anoint’ in a ceremonial fashion rather than ‘rub’ as it commonly does in medical treatises” (Word Pictures in the New Testament [reprint, 1933; Grand Rapids: Baker, n.d.], 6:65). Richard C. Trench agrees: “[aleiphō] is the mundane and profane, [chriō] the sacred and religious, word” (Synonyms of the New Testament [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983], 136–37).
This anointing (Aleiphō) in the New Testament describes anointing one’s head with oil (Matt. 6:17; cf. Luke 7:46), the women’s anointing of Jesus’ body (Mark 16:1), Mary’s anointing of the Lord’s feet (John 11:2; 12:3), and anointing the sick with oil (Mark 6:13). Perhaps the best way to translate the phrase would be “rubbing him with oil in the name of the Lord”; it literally reads “after having oiled him.” It may well have been that the elders literally rubbed oil on believers who had suffered physical injuries to their bodies from the persecution (cf. Luke 10:34). Medical science was certainly in a primitive state and there were few trustworthy doctors. It would have been a gracious, kind act on the part of the elders to rub oil on the wounds of those who had been beaten, or into the sore muscles of those made to work long hours under harsh treatment. Oil was one of the most common medicines of biblical times. It is evident, then, that James is prescribing prayer and medicine (Burdick, D. W. (1981). James. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews through Revelation (Vol. 12, p. 204). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.).
Metaphorically, the elders’ anointing of weak, defeated believers with oil conveys the responsibility for elders to stimulate, encourage, strengthen, and refresh (cf. Luke 7:46) these people. Speaking of Israel, Isaiah wrote, “From the sole of the foot even to the head there is nothing sound in it, only bruises, welts and raw wounds, not pressed out or bandaged, nor softened with oil” (Isa. 1:6). Lacking godly leaders, the people of the nation had not had their spiritual wounds treated. David expressed God’s gracious, compassionate, spiritual restoration of him in these familiar words: “You have anointed my head with oil” (Ps. 23:5).
The elders’ ministry of intercession and restoration is to be done in the name of the Lord. Any truly biblical encouragement must be consistent with who God is (which is what His name represents). To do something in the name of Christ is to do what He would have done in the situation; to pray in the name of Christ is to ask what He would want; to minister in the name of Christ is to serve others on His behalf (cf. John 14:13–14).
• For elders to dismiss or worse yet condone sin that God has or will correct is not to comfort but to harm. It is not ministry in the name of the Lord.
The blessed result of the elders’ comfort and ministry of intercession is noted in verse 15, how the prayer of/offered in faith will save/restore the one who is sick. This relates to the prayer of the “elders,” not the sick believer (Utley, R. J. D. (2000). Jesus’ Half-Brothers Speak: James and Jude (Vol. Volume 11, p. 72). Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International.)
The faith that expresses absolute confidence in God’s will. A true prayer of faith will acknowledge God’s sovereignty in his answer to that prayer. It is not always God’s will to heal those who are ill (see 2 Corinthians 12:7–9). A prayer for healing must be qualified with a recognition that God’s will is supreme (Barton, B. B., Veerman, D., & Wilson, N. S. (1992). James (p. 139). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.).
Again, sick (kamnō), is not confined to physical illness. As has been noted, James speaks here of a spiritual restoration of weak, defeated believers. Nor does sozō (save/restore) necessarily refer to physical healing; it is most commonly translated “save” elsewhere in the New Testament. The idea here is that the elders’ prayers will deliver weak, defeated believers from their spiritual weakness and save/restore them to spiritual wholeness. Those prayers, of course, are but a channel for God’s power; it is the Lord who will raise up the weak. Egeirō (raise up) can also mean “to awaken” or “to arouse.” Through the righteous prayers of godly men, God will restore His battered sheep’s enthusiasm.
James’s note that if one of the spiritually weak believers has committed sins, they will be forgiven provides further evidence that this passage does not refer to physical healing. The Bible nowhere teaches that all sickness is the direct result of an individual’s sins. The conditional clause “if he has sinned” makes it clear that not all sickness is the result of sin (Burdick, D. W. (1981). James. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews through Revelation (Vol. 12, p. 204). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.).
Spiritual defeat, however, is often both the cause and result of sin. When that is the case, the antidote is to confess those sins to God and obtain His forgiveness. “I acknowledged my sin to You,” wrote David, “and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’; and You forgave the guilt of my sin” (Ps. 32:5). David’s son Solomon echoed that comforting truth: “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion” (Prov. 28:13). In the familiar words of 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” If sin has contributed to or resulted from the spiritual weakness and defeat of a fallen believer, that sin will be forgiven when the believer cries out to God for forgiveness. The elders can encourage such a person to confess, help them discern their sins, and join their prayers for forgiveness. That is an essential element of their ministry of restoration.
Illustration: Victor Guaminga, an Ecuadorian Christian, is a World Vision project coordinator in his own country. Wanting to eradicate water-borne diseases in his home village, Laime Chico, Victor developed a plan for building a pipeline to supply the villagers with clean, drinkable water from a source some distance away. Unfortunately, the best path for such a pipeline was right through Laime San Carlos, a rival village—one with which Victor’s village had a long-lasting feud. When certain ruthless enemies in the rival village heard about the proposed water line, they made it known that they would destroy any pipes laid for that purpose. Therefore, the whole plan was stymied. In spite of their neighbors’ hostility, however, Christians in Victor’s village, knowing that the other village had no church, decided to conduct an evangelistic effort there. Doing so was both difficult and dangerous. Not many of the rival village’s people paid any attention to the evangelizers. But four did respond to the gospel message and became believers in Christ. After being spiritually nurtured by believers from Victor’s church, the four converts became faithful witnesses to others in their own village. Slowly, a church formed there also. Eventually the very man who had most vehemently opposed the water project became a believer himself. Seeing, then, how wrong his attitude had been, he asked forgiveness and gave his cooperation to the project. Five years after that project in Ecuador was proposed, clean, drinkable water flowed through dependable pipes not only to Victor’s village but to the formerly hostile one, plus two other nearby villages. And now there are growing churches in all four places. (Example in Ecuador: Forgiveness Unclogs a Pipeline,” World Vision, February-March 1986, 18.)
Confession of sin and repentance is not only the means of forgiveness, it is also the pipeline to communal blessing.
3) Prayer and Fellowship (James 5:16a)
James 5:16 [16]Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. (The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working). (ESV)
Fellowship (Greek koinonia) ‘is a relationship, not an activity’. As such, it consists in A common life in Christ as a spiritually organic community with shared union and communion with the Lord and unity in the truths of the Word of God; (1 Corinthians 12:13; 1 Thessalonians 2:11; 1 Peter 2:5; 1 John 1:3.) Partnership in the goal of glorifying God and promoting the gospel of Christ in the conversion of the lost and the building up of the church (Philemon 17; Galatians 2:9; Philippians 1:5.) Practical sharing of communion with others in spiritual things to the end of bearing one another’s burdens and encouraging one another in the faith (Ephesians 4:11–13; 1 Thessalonians 4:1; 1 Timothy 3:2; 5:17; 2 Timothy 4:2.) and Sharing material possessions and thus expressing the most comprehensive unity of Christ’s body in meeting practical needs in everyday life.’(Acts 2:44–45; Romans 12:13; 2 Corinthians 8:13–14; 9:13; Hebrews 13:16.) (Keddie, G. J. (1989). The Practical Christian: The Message of James (pp. 209–210). Darlington, England: Evangelical Press.)
Therefore turning his attention from the sins of those believers who have been defeated in the spiritual battle, James now addresses the congregation as a whole, exhorting believers to continually confess their sins to one another and not wait until those sins dragged them into the depths of utter spiritual defeat. Confession should always be as wide as the sin. If we have sinned secretly, we should confess it to God. If we have sinned against someone else, we should confess it to God and to the person whom we have wronged. And if we have sinned publicly, we should confess it to God and in public. Furthermore, if a fellow-believer comes to us to confess that he or she has sinned against us, we must always be willing to grant forgiveness. Only in this way can we be ‘healed’ or reconciled (Ellsworth, R. (2009). Opening up James (p. 162). Leominster: Day One Publications.).
Maintaining open, sharing, and praying relationships with other Christians will help keep believers from bottoming out in their spiritual lives. Such relationships help give the spiritual strength that provides victory over sin. And they also provide godly pressure to confess and forsake sins before they become overwhelming to the point of total spiritual defeat. The inspired writer was well aware that sin is most dangerous to an isolated believer. Sin seeks to remain private and secret, but God wants it exposed and dealt with in the loving fellowship of other believers. Therefore James called for mutual honesty and mutual confession as believers pray for one another.
Please turn to Hebrews 12 (p.1009)
The purpose for the mutual prayer that James called for is that believers may be healed. Iaomai (healed) does not necessarily refer to physical healing. In Matthew 13:15 it symbolized God’s withheld forgiveness of Israel’s sins (cf. John 12:40; Acts 28:27). Peter used it to describe the healing from sin Christ purchased for believers on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24). James uses it to refer to God’s forgiveness, making the repentant believer spiritually whole again.
The writer of Hebrews also used it metaphorically to speak of spiritual restoration (Heb. 12:12–13),
Hebrews 12:7-15[7]It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? [8]If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. [9]Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? [10]For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. [11]For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. [12]Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, [13]and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. [14]Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. [15]See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; (ESV)
• As they pursue peace and holiness (v. 14), Christians should watch out for each other (cf. 3:13; 10:24–25) in order that no one falls short of the gift of eternal salvation (i.e., fails to obtain the grace of God; cf. 4:16; 10:29). root of bitterness. The author warns against “bitterness” by alluding to Deut. 29:18, which describes one who turns away from God and pursues other gods. A bitter and resentful person is like a contagious poison, spreading his resentment to others (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2383). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.).
Illustration: Prior to World War II in Nazi Germany, Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer conducted an underground seminary for the training of young pastors in Pomerania, where he shared a common life with about twenty-five students. His experience produced a now famous spiritual classic, Life Together, in which he documents the Biblical insights gained from that experience. In the fifth and final chapter of the book, “Communion and Confession,” he gives some reasons for the practice of mutual confession. Primary among them is the isolation that sin brings. Sin drives Christians apart and produces an individualism—a deadening autonomy. Bonhoeffer said: “Sin demands to have a man by himself. It withdraws him from the community. The more isolated a person is, the more destructive will be the power of sin over him.” But confession to a fellow brother or sister destroys this deadly autonomy. It pulls down the barrier of hypocrisy and allows the free flow of grace in the community. (R.K. Hughes commenting on (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (New York: Harper and Row, 1954), p. 112).
4) Prayer and Power (James 5:16b–18)
James 5:16-18 [16](Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.) The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. [17]Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. [18]Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. (ESV)
By way of encouraging both elders and Christians to this kind of intercession for those in spiritual weakness, James reminds them that such prayer is working/effective. Working/Effective translates energeō, from which our English word “energy” derives. The prayer of a righteous person (cf. 4:3; Ps. 66:18; Prov. 15:8; 28:9), James notes, has great power/can accomplish much/is very strong”. Weak prayers come from weak people; strong prayers come from strong people. The energetic prayers of a righteous person are a potent force in calling down the power of God for restoring weak, struggling believers to spiritual health.
To further demonstrate the power of righteous prayer and provide an illustration that captures the essence of his discussion, James illustrates in verses 17 with one of the most popular Old Testament figures. Elijah, he reminds his readers, though a prophet and man of God, was a man with a nature like ours. The Bible records that he was hungry (1 Kings 17:11), afraid (1 Kings 19:3), and depressed (1 Kings 19:3, 9–14). Yet when he prayed fervently/earnestly (lit. “he prayed with prayer”), incredible things happened: He prayerd that it might not rain for three years and six months on the earth.
Please turn to 1 Kings 18 (p.300)
Then verse 18 concludes with the fact that: he prayed again, and heaven/the sky gave/poured rain and the earth bore/produced its fruit. Elijah’s prayers both created and ended a devastating three-and-one-half-year drought (cf. Luke 4:25). While 1 Kings 17 records the drought, only James gives its duration and links it to the prayers of Elijah.
Among the larger portion of Elijah before the prophets of Baal, Elijah prays:
1 Kings 18:36-39 [36]And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, "O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. [37]Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back." [38]Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. [39]And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, "The LORD, he is God; the LORD, he is God." (ESV)
• Elijah’s public prayer gives evidence of great faith and confidence that God will answer. It was not pure effort itself, like that of the prophets of Baal, but confidence in God. All the people realize, this fire can only be a special work of God (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 635). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles).
The story of Elijah and the drought would certainly be a strange illustration if James had physical illness and healing in view throughout this passage. Certainly there are numerous clear biblical illustrations of physical healing he could have drawn from. But the picture of rain pouring down on parched ground perfectly illustrates God’s outpouring of spiritual blessings on the dry and parched souls of struggling believers. And He does both in response to the righteous prayers of godly people.
(Format Note: Outline & some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1998). James (pp. 273–283). Chicago: Moody Press.)
