Sorry. No good news this week. James takes on the role of Old Testament prophet and blasts the oppressive rich–those who have defrauded and crushed the poor.
There really is no good news in this section. No call to repentance or confession of sin. No hope held out. No olive branch, peace treaty or truce even. Just a withering condemnation toward those who would choose personal wealth over the well-being of their fellow humans.
Here is the text:
- (James 5:1–6 ESV) 1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.
No resolution. Only condemnation. So what do we take from this? What good might come from such an unusual text? It is like the prophet Nahum has snuck into the letter of James.
- (Nahum 1:1–6 ESV) 1 An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum of Elkosh. 2 The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. 3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. 4 He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; he dries up all the rivers; Bashan and Carmel wither; the bloom of Lebanon withers. 5 The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth heaves before him, the world and all who dwell in it. 6 Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.
Questions_____________________________
- To whom is James preaching? Was this intended for believers? Non-believers? What lessons might we learn? Is it wrong to be rich?
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Message Title: The Coming Miseries of the Oppressive Rich!
Message Text: James 5:1-6
- PDF LESSON 12 : The Miseries of the Oppressive Rich : James 5-1-6 : ffc : dave scott : 020716 : STUDY SHEET ONE
- PDF LESSON 12 : The Miseries of the Oppressive Rich : James 5-1-6 : ffc : dave scott : 020716 : STUDY SHEET TWO
