James (epistles)

Saturday, 7 September 2019

My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. James 5:10

James has said that “the coming of the Lord is at hand” (verse 8). However, he also said that his audience is also to be patient. What is true, then, is that the coming of the Lord being “at hand” means at any given time, but not specifically in a short amount of time. It is obvious now, two thousand years after he wrote this, that this is true. And as a part of the wait – no matter how long it will be – the brethren can expect trials. And in those trials, there is to be an acknowledgment that they are not unknown to the Lord.

Understanding this, he says, “My brethren.” As he has done numerous times, he indicates that his letter is written to believers who are “brethren” in Christ. This is not without importance, because he next says, “take the prophets.” He is making a connection between the prophets of old and the brethren in the church. In essence, “As they were, so you should be.”

He then further clarifies who “the prophets” are that he is speaking of by saying, “who spoke in the name of the Lord.” He is obviously referring to the true prophets, not the lengthy list of false prophets recorded in books such as Jeremiah. Were the true prophets exempt from difficulty which extended out for unknown durations of time? No! Rather, they faced the same limitations as anyone else. And they also faced suffering like anyone else. But James says to look to them “as an example of suffering and patience.”

The meaning of this is that they suffered, but that they were also patient in their suffering. Patience here implies not knowing how long they would suffer, but they bore up through their trials. Jeremiah was called to be a prophet, and at the time of his calling he was told that things would be tough –

“‘They will fight against you,
But they shall not prevail against you.
For I am with you,’ says the Lord, ‘to deliver you.’” Jeremiah 1:19

Daniel faced the lions, his three friends faced the fiery furnace, Isaiah was told to go about naked and barefoot, Ezekiel’s wife was taken from him and he was instructed to not mourn over her. On and on, the record of the prophets reflected that of difficulty, trial, and suffering. And yet they were patient in their affliction because they knew the Lord was with them. And the believers in Christ have this same guarantee –

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” Hebrews 13:5

James is imploring his audience to understand that the same Lord of the prophets is the Lord of the church. Believers in Him have the same assurance of affliction that the prophets did, but they also have the same promise of His faithfulness that the prophets possessed. Paul was told this right at the beginning of his ministry –

“But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. ¹⁶ For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.’” Acts 9:15, 16

Paul knew that suffering lay ahead, and yet he accepted his commission (see Acts 26:19) without reservation. James is asking for his reader to consider these things, to understand that suffering is a part of the human experience of which believers are not exempt, and to be patient through that suffering – no matter how long it will continue.

Life application: So much for the “prosperity gospel” where everyone gets wealthy and lives carefree lives after accepting Jesus! James reminds us that the very people who received God’s word were often the ones who suffered the most. The Lord’s chosen were placed in stocks, stoned, deprived of food, and tortured.

These great heroes of the faith accepted what God chose for them because they understood that God is sovereign. He created them and has every right to portion out both blessings and hardships. Likewise, we need to accept the good and the bad, the joyous and that which saddens, and prosperity and poverty.

We can carry a like attitude during all circumstances when we have a strong and grounded faith. It is this type of faith that God is pleased with and which He acknowledges with favor. When we can look beyond the moment and see the eternal rewards in store, then we have truly come to that comfortable spot where nothing can steal our joy.

As the Psalmist of old said –

“I called on the Lord in distress;
The Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.
⁶ The Lord is on my side;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?” Psalm 118:5, 6

Heavenly Father, it is easy to read words of courage and strength during suffering, but it is much harder to actually live that way ourselves. Give us the ability to praise You and to accept what You have given us – good or bad – that we may be true children of faith. May You be the One who is glorified through our lives. Amen.

Friday, 6 September 2019

Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! James 5:9

James now gives words of instruction for the wait which will end at “the coming of the Lord” as stated in verse 7. It could be a long one, and during that period he instructs the brethren to “not grumble against one another.” The word used signifies a sigh or a groan. By saying, “against one another,” it then signifies to grumble or complain.

This is certainly referring to being impatient, envious, grumpy, haughty, and the like. When we are in such a condition, we may grumble against other brothers, but this is inappropriate. Further, it signifies that we feel we have no one that we are accountable to in our grumbling. We might say in our minds, “Jesus is a long way off,” and because of this, we will tend to forget how we are expected to act. In this, James says, “lest you be condemned.”

Here, there is a variance in manuscripts. Some translate it as “condemned,” while others translate it as “judged.” Judged is certainly the more likely. First, it is the exact words of Matthew 7:1 where “judged” is used. Secondly, there is the truth that there is “now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” Jesus is not coming to condemn His people, but to judge them. And this is what James then says to those who forget that this is so. He calls out, “Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!”

He just said in the previous verse that “the coming of the Lord is at hand.” In the previous chapter, he spoke of those who boastfully speak of “tomorrow” as if they have a claim to it. But James said that it is otherwise. We don’t know our next breath, nor do we know if our heart will beat again. Likewise, we do not know when Christ will return. There was to be a constant anticipation of His return from the moment he left. And that is still true today.

Christ stands at the door, and His people are to be ever-mindful of this, not grumbling against one another, not boasting about tomorrow, and simply waiting patiently for His perfect timing. And more, the idea of Jesus standing at the door as Judge is reflected in the words of Revelation 3:20 –

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

Christ is the Judge for salvation or condemnation of those who either will or will not come to Him, and He is the Judge of those who do come to Him for reward and loss. At all times, He is the Judge, and He stands at the door.

Life application: In this chapter, James has admonished us concerning the following –

1) We are told to be patient until the Lord’s coming. This tells us it is something that must be waited on and can refer to any amount of time. It is indeterminate in nature.

2) The farmer waits on the time of harvest, and the Bible speaks of the work of the Lord through various types of harvests.

3) Just as the farmer needs to be patient for the rains to come, so the people waiting on the Lord should wait. If James’ words concerning the coming of the spring and autumn rains refers to the return of both rains to the land of Israel, which has finally happened after 2000 years, then the return of these rains may indicate the general time of the Lord’s return.

4) As we wait, we need to not grumble – judgment, though seemingly a long way off, is certainly coming. And,

5) When the times indicated arrive, the Judge will be standing at the door. This could be referring to the rapture as indicated in Revelation 4:1 –

“After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, ‘Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.’”

At the rapture, the trumpet will sound, the door to heaven will be open, and the people of God will be translated in the twinkling of an eye. Then the door will be closed and judgment will fall on the unbelieving, unrepentant world.

Are we close to the return of Jesus? Well, one thing is for certain – we’re 2000 years closer than when the New Testament was penned! Keep looking up, Jesus is coming – be it soon or be it a while more, Jesus is coming.

O God! What a great and glorious hope we have in Christ. Just to see Your face, Lord Jesus. Just to see Your face! We wait on You with antici….. pation! Until then, give us patient hearts. The wait will be worth it when the trumpet sounds and the call is made. Even so, Come Lord Jesus. Amen.

Thursday, 5 September 2019

You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. James 5:8

James repeats his words of the previous verse. They are set in parallel –

7) Therefore be patient, brethren

8) You also be patient

The meaning of “You also be patient” is based on what he said about the farmer in verse 7, that he waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and that his waiting is based on the coming of the former and latter rains. Each thing is interconnected, and there is nothing the farmer can do about what lies ahead once the seed is sown. Likewise, James says, “Establish your hearts.”

The word translated as “establish” gives the sense of strengthening, being steadfast, or being fixed and firm. Here, James says that the hearts of the believers are to be so established. They are not to waiver. In the Bible, the heart is not speaking of the physical heart which pumps blood, but of the mind which is the seat of moral reasoning.

One can see that he is basing this exhortation on the treatment from the rich which was mentioned in the first six verses of the chapter. There is fraud and there is deceit in the world, but it does not mean that the Lord will never show up to correct it. The time of the coming forth of “the precious fruit of the earth” of the previous verse is a part of a fixed cycle which will come about in its due time. Thus, the admonition to establish the heart is set in parallel to those words concerning the ripening of the fruit –

7) See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth

8) Establish your hearts

Paul made a similar encouraging exhortation to the saints at Thessalonica –

“And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, ¹³ so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.” 1 Thessalonians 3:12, 13

James then explains why his reader is to establish his heart. It is because “the coming of the Lord is at hand.” Again, this is set in parallel to the words of verse 7 –

7) Waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.

8) For the coming of the Lord is at hand.

James is equating the coming of the early and latter rain directly to the coming of the Lord, meaning His second coming. Why would he do this when Israel was receiving these rains when he wrote this epistle? It is because it was prophesied by the prophet Hosea. Hosea prophesied 700+ years before James of a time when Israel would return to the Lord. The obvious meaning is that they must first turn from the Lord. The prophecy of Hosea shows this, but it also shows more –

“Come, and let us return to the Lord;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
² After two days He will revive us;
On the third day He will raise us up,
That we may live in His sight.
³ Let us know,
Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord.
His going forth is established as the morning;
He will come to us like the rain,
Like the latter and former rain to the earth.” Hosea 6:1-3

Hosea said that “After two days He will revive us,” and “On the third day, He will raise us up.” This is actually a prophecy of the ending of Israel’s second, extended exile. As the Bible records in Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8, a day to the Lord is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day, this is a prophecy that Israel would be exiled for 2000 years and then revived, and in the third day (the third millennium) Israel would be raised up.

Hosea then equates the coming of the Lord to be “like the rain,” and “Like the latter and former rain to the earth.” As noted in the commentary in the previous verse, these rains were interrupted in Israel after their exile. The land became barren and unproductive. Only with the return of Israel, their draining of the swamps and planting of millions of trees, and etc, have these cyclical rains returned. It is a sign – a prophetic sign to the world, and believers in particular – that “the coming of the Lord is at hand.”

Life application: Never mind that this was written 2000 years ago. The verse needs to be taken in its proper context. James was talking to the recipients of his letter about being patient, just as the farmer is patient. The body of believers is to wait on the Lord for His return through any time-frame, be it 100 years or 25000 years.

Considering that the church is made up of individuals, the Lord’s coming for each of us really isn’t that far away regardless of when He actually returns to earth. We will each be called home after a short walk on this earth. We need, therefore, to stand firm and be patient each day we live. None of us knows the hour of our death, nor do we know the time of the Lord’s second coming. So we simply need to be about His business at all times.

Don’t be misguided by preachers or Bible teachers who deny the rapture of the church. Christ is coming for His church at the rapture. This will be followed by a 7-year period known as the tribulation, during which Israel will be the center of attention.

After this, there will be a literal 1000-year reign of Christ on earth known as the millennium. These verses are to be taken literally, but they are often dismissed as allegory because they otherwise differentiate between the church and Israel. If you believe the church replaced Israel, then you will inevitably come to the wrong conclusion about future events. But if you believe, as the Bible teaches, that Israel has a specific role which is yet to be fulfilled, then you will be able to understand the other future events in their proper context.

Lord, open our eyes to understand where our doctrine is wrong. And then, help us to not be stubborn, but to correct it according to the truth of Your word. May our thoughts on what is revealed concerning Jesus, salvation, and those things which are to come align properly with what You have given us. And Lord, help us to defend the integrity of Your word concerning all of these glorious things! Amen.

Wednesday, 4 September 2019

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. James 5:7

The word “Therefore” which begins this verse is given to sum up the things described in the previous section. In essence, “Since these things are this way…” From there James says, “be patient.”

The word signifies longsuffering. It is the type of patience which will only express itself in anger as the Lord directs, in a logical and reasonable way. It never responds in a quick-tempered, emotional way. Vincent’s Word Studies, citing earlier scholars says it is –

“…as a tumultuous welling up of the whole spirit; a mighty emotion which seizes and moves the whole inner man. Hence the restraint implied … is most correctly expressed by long-suffering, which is its usual rendering in the New Testament. It is a patient holding out under trial; a long-protracted restraint of the soul from yielding to passion, especially the passion of anger.”

With this type of attitude, James then says, “brethren.” The reason is two-fold. First, he is addressing believers, and secondly, he is contrasting them to those who would oppose them from the previous six verses. He then tells his readers how long they should be patient. It is “until the coming of the Lord.”

What this means is that as long as we walk in this life, and until this life ends with the Lord coming to His people – either through death, rapture, or second advent (depending on whichever applies), they are to continue to be longsuffering. Then, to give a concrete example of the idea, he next says, “See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth.”

Israel which was formed under the Old Covenant was an agrarian society. They would perfectly understand James’ words. There was a cycle to life which could not be hurried, nor could it be changed through anxiety, frustration, or anger. The farmer lived by the cycle, and he learned to wait for it to come to its next anticipated stage. If bills were owed, and it was four months until the harvest, his anxiety would not change the situation. If he was owed money, and it was not yet harvesting time, his anger at his neighbor for being late on the agreed payment schedule would not change a thing.

The grain would be sown, the cycle of growth would begin, and it would eventually be time to reap the grain. During the entire cycle, he could only watch the process unfold and busy himself with other duties to keep himself and his family going. As the days turned to weeks and then into months, he would be “waiting patiently for it.”

As noted already, he could do nothing to change the cycle, and if he allowed anger at the slowness of the process to enter his soul, only he would suffer. It would show a truly unwise streak in him to be angry at something he had absolutely no control over. This is just as true with the events which occurred during the wait as it was with the time of the wait itself. And for each crop, this was “until it receives the early and latter rain.”

There are two rains which prevailed in the annual cycle of Israel. The early rain and the latter. They are also known as the autumnal and spring rains. The early (or autumnal) rains would come around October and November. They would last through February. The latter rains would come from March through April.

Vincent’s Word Studies notes of these rains –

“The early rain fell in October, November, and December, and extended into January and February. These rains do not come suddenly, but by degrees, so that the farmer can sow his wheat or barley. The rains are mostly from the west or southwest (Luke 12:54), continuing two or three days at a time, and falling mostly in the night. Then the wind shifts to the north or east, and fine weather ensues (Proverbs 25:23). The latter rains, which are much lighter, fall in March and April.”

This was how the cycle normally occurred. To have rain out of this cycle was considered miraculous and even a sign of divine displeasure. That is noted in 1 Samuel 12:16-18 –

“Now therefore, stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes: ¹⁷ Is today not the wheat harvest? I will call to the Lord, and He will send thunder and rain, that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking a king for yourselves.”

After the destruction of Israel by the Romans, and in the exile of the people of Israel, the land was so devastated that it actually changed this normal cycle, and for the next 2000 years, Albert Barnes notes –

“At the present time there are not any particular periods of rain, or successions of showers, which might be regarded as distinct rainy seasons. The whole period from October to March now constitutes only one continued rainy season, without any regularly intervening time of prolonged fair weather.”

In other words, the early and latter rains that governed the cycle of life in Israel ceased to occur. When the Romans came in to destroy, they cut down all the trees in the land for building siege-works. It is this which changed the climate so that the rains became irregular.

The land went into upheaval, and it became a desert in most places and unusable marshes in others. Everything became chaotic and unmanageable. However, with Israel returned to her land, the cycle has returned to that noted in Scripture. Since the Jewish people have returned, they have drained the swamps, cleared the land, and planted millions of trees. Because of this, the land now receives both the autumn and spring rains once again. The rains are predictable, the land is flourishing, and the farmer can again sow and reap.

Thus, James’ words are a prophetic clue to the return of the Lord. This will be seen in the coming verse. Paul speaks of this same type of patient attitude for believers during the church age –

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” Galatians 6:9

Life application: Compared to the Old Testament, there is not a great deal of predictive prophecy in the New. Most of it comes from Jesus’ words and from the book of Revelation. Along with these, there are a few passages in Acts and the Epistles which tell us about coming events. For the most part, James is not a book of prophecy, but his word here very well may be an indication of when the Lord’s coming is drawing near.

James tells his readers to be patient until the Lord’s coming. This is because Jesus isn’t going to return when we want, but only when the time of harvest has come. Are the return of the early and latter rains to Israel an indication that Jesus also will be coming soon?

If you want to know the times, there is no better place to look than to the land of Israel. As events there unfold, the stage is again being set for the people to take a prominent position in world events, culminating in a rebuilt temple, seven years of tribulation on earth, and climaxing in the glorious return of Jesus. Before these things happen though, the rapture will occur. Are you ready? Jesus is coming.

Lord God, You have set a prophetic marker into the stream of human history. It is an indication that the times are coming to their fulfillment, and that the return of our Lord is soon. Your word said that it would happen, and it has come about as You spoke. Israel has returned to her land. Surely the coming of the Lord is at hand! We wait with eager anticipation for that day. Even so, come Lord Jesus. Amen.

Tuesday, 3 September 2019

You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you. James 5:6

James is still speaking to the rich of verse 1. He has rightfully pointed out the failings which the rich are commonly guilty of. What he says is a general commentary on the state of those who are rich and who use their wealth without taking their position before God into consideration. As has been seen, such people go from bad to worse in their actions, and in their treatment of others. He now goes so far as to say, “You have condemned.”

The Greek of these words is a single compound verb which signifies, “to pass sentence upon.” It is an aorist verb, signifying something like, “You are accustomed to condemning the just.” It is as if the rich were a judge who had judged the poor. What is understood is that the judgment is based upon his wealth alone. There is no true basis for the condemnation except an exalted feeling of personal worth.

From there, James continues with, “you have murdered the just.” Here, “the just” is in the singular. It is speaking of an individual. It is debated who is being referred to. Some think he is referring to the crucifixion of Christ. As it is the highest example of one who is just being murdered, it is the example which can be applied universally to all such cases. In essence, “You (whoever ‘you’ might be) have murdered Christ through your actions.”

Others suppose that it is speaking of any just man who is improperly condemned and murdered. The singular standing for the whole.

Or, it could specifically be referring to the laborers of verse 4. The rich man condemned him, as if in a trial and in withholding his wages, he has murdered him. If so, the singular again stands for the whole. Any rich man who has so condemned and murdered his laborers is being referred to.

No matter which, the principle is clearly understood. There is the guilt of blood because the rich has unlawfully sat as a judge, pronounced sentence, and deprived a just man of his life. And this is all the more poignant because, says James, “he does not resist you.”

The very fact that the man is termed “just” shows that he has a legitimate right to resist his treatment, and yet he does not. Christ did not resist His accusers, though he was without fault. The just laborer who has earned his pay may ask for it, but when he doesn’t receive it, he doesn’t come after the rich with murderous intent. Instead, he cries out in his misery (verse 4). There is no resistance. Likewise, there is no fear on the part of the rich, and yet they take action to silence the man who has done rightly so that they can continue to oppress whoever stands in the way of their obtaining more.

Life application: It is easy for us to look at the oppressors of the world and judge them for their actions, but in the end, don’t the words of James’ also point back to us? Each of us has participated in the crucifixion of Christ. It is our sin, our greed, and our wayward lives which necessitated His cross.

In the movie The Passion of the Christ, there is a short clip of a Roman soldier’s hand bringing the hammer down on the nail which was piercing Jesus’ hand. During the shooting of the film, Mel Gibson came forward, grabbed the hammer, and the shot was filmed with his hand being portrayed as the Roman soldier’s hand. He said that his life made him a participant in the death of Jesus. This was his way of acknowledging that. As troubling as it may seem, we have condemned and murdered the just and innocent One – Jesus our Lord.

We should contemplate the sin in our lives which brought about such a terrible demonstration of its penalty. Likewise, we should look with gratitude to our Heavenly Father who loved us enough to offer His Son in our place. Jesus took our stripes, our mocking, and our cross. And after the turmoil of His soul, He saw the light of life – having prevailed over death. It is with grateful hearts that we can anticipate freedom from the bonds of death as well. The murdered innocent One has prevailed.

Lord God, what are we that You saw it fit to send Christ Jesus to die for us? How can such love exist? Thank You for Christ Jesus our Lord who has brought us back to You. Amen.