20161014 Friday, October 14 2016
James 05: Corrupted Riches

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted"

The first half of the Fourth Commandment is to work: "Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work" (see Which Commandment Is Actually Two Commandments?).

"20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." (Exodus 20:8-11 KJV)

Abraham was one of the most righteous men that ever lived - and he became very wealthy as a blessing from the LORD (see A Biography Of Abraham: From Ur To Canaan).

"13:2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold." (Genesis 13:2 KJV)

On the other hand, wealth can greatly magnify evil thoughts and behavior (see the Fact Finder question below). Those who make a "god" out of wealth are going to find that their idol will one day be lost to them (see The Mammon Of Past And Present and What Does The Bible Say About Lucre?).

"5:1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 5:2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 5:3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

5:4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. 5:5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. 5:6 Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you." (James 5:1-6 KJV)

The LORD is the God of true Justice. All who have done wrong will, if they haven't already, have their day of reckoning for it. So too, all who have done right, if they haven't already, will receive the reward that awaits them. Those whose lives have been destroyed by liars and cheats will also be vindicated in due time. "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord" (see The Race Toward The Dawn Of The New World).

"5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 5:8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. 5:9 Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.

5:10 Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. 5:11 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

5:12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation." (James 5:7-12 KJV)

It doesn't matter what the "world" does (see Be Aware Of Diverse And Strange Doctrines). Everyone is sovereign in their ability to choose the right way (see Strait And Straight and Which Way Is Right And Left?). Until then, "Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms" (see also How To Pray: 12 Biblical Principles Of Personal Prayer and Singing In History And Prophecy).

"5:13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 5:14 Is any sick among you? 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: 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

5:17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 5:18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

5:19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 5:20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." (James 5:13-20 KJV)

Fact Finder: What was the lesson of the parable of "Lazarus and the rich man"?
See What Was Lazarus Doing At The Rich Man's Gate?