Warning to Rich Oppressors James 5:1-6, Part 10

Read James 5: 1-6

James starts our chapter by addressing unbelievers, those who try to live independently from God. He rebukes those who are wicked, wallowing in wealth, abusing it with pride, oppression, cruelty and wastefulness. James first shows the ultimate worthlessness of earthly wealth and possessions, then he speaks of the horrible character of some who are wealthy. He is not issuing a blanket statement about all wealth and wealthy, but rather, he gives a warning to those who have hoarded wealth, failed to pay what is due, lived in excessive luxury, fattened themselves and those who have condemned innocent men. He is warning his readers against placing their hopes and desires on earthly things.

James starts with telling these unbelievers to mourn, to weep and wail when they consider their future. Their riches will be shown to be corrupted, moth-eaten, and corroded. James warns of God’s judgement to come, and this should make them weep and howl. The very things they thought brought them happiness were a stumbling block and would ultimately lead to their destruction. All the things they placed their confidence in were temporary and will be worthless when Christ returns. It is better to weep and mourn here, then to perish in the end.

The Bible often talks about how riches can hinder our faith and present a significant obstacle to entering God’s kingdom. James is expanding on his statements about the rich, and those who desire riches, earlier in the book. Chapter 1 verse 10 says, “But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position because he will pass away like a wildflower.” In James 2:6 he wrote, “Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court?” And in James 4:2 he wrote, “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.” Our passage today is in line with Christ’s teaching in Matthew 19:23 where Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the Kingdom of Heaven. “Luke 6:24 tells us, “Woe unto you that are rich! For you have received your consolation.” Money in and of itself is not wrong. We need money to live and support our families, but the love of money causes people to oppress and abuse others in the pursuit of it. The love of money leads to the many sins James talks about. 1 Timothy 6:9-10a says, “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” It often leads to idolatry. J.C. Ryle once said, “It is possible to love money without having it and it is possible to have money without loving it.” Again, money, in itself, is not evil. God gives wealth and prosperity to some, but it is not corrupt. We are the ones that are corrupt with it. There’s a difference between careful planning for your future and the wrongful hoarding and acquisition of wealth.

James gives, as example, three types of wealth: food, garments and gold and silver. He echoes Christ’s teaching in Matthew 6:19 where Jesus says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.”

James first says, “Your wealth has rotted.” (chapter 5 verse 2). He is most likely referring to storing up food. Life in Biblical times was marked by a vast divide between the poor and the rich. In the story of Lazarus, we can see how drastic the difference really was. It also shows a perfect example of those living indulgently with no regard to others. The rich man wouldn’t even give Lazarus the crumbs the dogs were getting from his table. (See Luke 16). James speaks not only to those who don’t share their food with others, but also to those who hoard and are gluttonous. Food is not a lasting thing; it eventually rots and is no good. What good will vast stores of food be on Judgement Day?

The next type of wealth James mentions is clothing. In Biblical times garments were a sign of wealth. We can see that in several Old Testament passages. In Genesis 45 Joseph shows his wealth by bestowing garments on his brothers. In Judges 14, Samson offers garments as a prize for the ones who could solve his riddle. In Joshua 7 we can see how coveting garments led to destruction. Achan coveted and stole a beautiful mantle, and it brought disaster and death on his family. James is pointing out, again, that these things are temporary. Even clothing doesn’t last, it can be eaten by moths, and on the day of judgement it will mean nothing.

Next, James warns that even their most prized, and what they think are indestructible goods, are doomed to decay. Gold and silver don’t actually rust so what James is saying is that the longing for these things will be like rust, eating away at their body and soul. Ezekiel 7:19b says, “Their silver and gold are not able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They cannot satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs with it. For it was the stumbling block of their iniquity.” We are being warned in the Bible to see that no matter how much wealth we attain, none of it is permanent and none of it matters on the day of Judgement, at the end of “the last days”. It is hard for people to have an abundance of earthly possessions and not become overly indulgent. We easily indulge the appetites of the body and the desires of our sinful hearts. We must learn to fight this temptation.

If we move onto verse 4, we can see another set of sins that James is warning the rich about. The rich were living overly luxurious lives while with holding the wages that their workers were owed. With-holding wages is a form of fraud and an injustice to the workers. James is rebuking those who become rich on other people's labor and don’t compensate their workers, leaving them in poverty, while they get richer. The laborers were often poor and depended on daily wages to feed their families. When the poor couldn’t pay their debts, they were often beaten, forced to sell their possessions and sometimes even their families. If they weren’t paid their wages, they had no way to pay their debts and could be thrown in jail. They often died of starvation and God considers this murder. James issues a sobering warning that God hears the cries of the oppressed. God will ultimately right every injustice and wrongdoing. A reckoning day will come. James speaks to those living in luxury and self-indulgence, blinded to the needs of the poor. They pampered themselves, over-indulged their senses, lived in gluttony, adultery and idolatry. He compares them to cows, getting fat, with no thought to the day of slaughter. Better to be a skinny cow on the day of slaughter and not be chosen, then to over-indulge and condemn yourself.

James accuses the self-satisfying wealthy people of condemning and murdering innocent men. If we look to 1 Kings 21, we can see an example of how covetousness condemned a man. Ahab coveted Naboth’s vineyard and because of this, Jezebel had Naboth killed. In the Old Testament God issued laws on how the fields should be harvested. They were not allowed to glean to the edges of the fields, nor were they allowed to go back over their fields a second time to pick up anything missed. This helped to make sure that the widows, the poor and the needy, all had a chance to attain food. James is speaking to the people who failed to do this. This would result in starvation for the poor. 

As Christians, we ought to think biblically, all our thoughts must be with a biblical perspective. Christianity should alter how we view things like time, beauty, security, poverty and wealth. We ought to use God’s standards for our lives, as opposed to the standards of the world. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.” How we treat others matters to God. Hoarding money and possessions, living self-centered and self-indulgent ways and exploiting others will not go unpunished. There is nothing wrong with careful planning for the future, but, as Christians, we ought to be different. We are called to protect the weak, powerless, poor and needy. It is a sin to sit idly by while we see others being oppressed. Regardless of monetary status, we should treat everyone with respect. Throughout the book of James, we can see a theme. James is interested in how we live a life of faith; it should shape how we respond to sin and to being sinned against. Wealth is given for a purpose and how we gain it and use it matters. God is our judge, and He will prevail. Money and possessions will not mean a thing on the day of Judgement when God will right all injustices. You cannot love both God and money. All we have is a gift from God, we must use these gifts to His glory and honor, for it is His kingdom we seek.

1. Look up the story of Lazarus. Why was the rich man’s treatment of Lazarus so wrong. What should he have done instead? Have you ever walked past someone in need with no thought to helping them? How can we change this way of life?

2. Look up the story of Achan. What did he do that was so wrong? What was the punishment for his actions? Why do you think his actions were so wrong?

3. Where else in the Bible can you find an example of how a garment was used to show a better position? What ultimately happened to that garment?

4. What things do you cling to and feel like you need in life that are ultimately temporary? What should your attitude towards possessions be?

5. Can you think of an example where money owed might be withheld or delayed? How might this impact life?

6. Look up the story of Naboth. How were Ahab’s actions wrong? Think of a time when you may have felt the same way as Ahab, what did you do about it? How could you have behaved differently?