 
XI. Money Problems: 5:1-6 A. What Their Riches Will Bring (5:1-4)  James 5:1 "Go [ age {ag'-eh} = come, come now ] to now, [ nun {noon} = now, henceforth, hereafter, the present time ] ye rich men, weep [ klausate {klah'-yo} = to weep, to sob, wail aloud (rather than crying silently), weeping as the sign of pain and grief for the thing signified ] and howl [ ololuzontes {ol-ol-ood'-zo} = to cry aloud in invocation, to howl, utter cries of distress, lament, bewail ] for your miseries [ talaiporiais {tal-ahee-po-ree'-ah} = hardship, trouble, calamity, misery ] that shall come upon you." These opening verses of James are addressed to either wealthy Jewish believers who have misused their money, or they were written to wealthy Jews (non-believers) who misused their money. But either way, the misuse of money is the issue here. One of the themes that run through this chapter is trouble, and here it is money trouble. William Barclay states that James has two purposes here: "First, he aims to show the ultimate worthlessness of all earthly riches; and second, he aims to show the detestable character of those who possess riches. By doing this his aim is to prevent his readers from placing all their hopes and aims and desires on earthly things." The Bible does not discourage the acquiring of wealth, but it does condemn acquiring it by improper means or using it improperly. James isn't condemning wealth here, but the people who have gained their riches by exploiting others. When James tells them to "weep" and "howl," he's not giving them a plea for reform, but a warning of their certain judgment (5:1-6). Literally, he is telling them to "burst into weeping," and "howl with grief," because God's judgement is at hand. The joy of their wealth was about to turn into "miseries," or "trouble." Some people have "money troubles," others have "God troubles." Which would you rather have?
James 5:2 "Your riches are corrupted, [ sesepen {say'-po} = to putrefy, rot, be corrupted, rotten ] and your garments are motheaten." James is giving us a picture of wealthy people who have piled up riches solely for their own selfish purposes. They have stored up far more than they can ever use themselves, while others have gone without. The perishable things have been allowed to spoil ("corrupted"), and their closets that are bulging with clothes have become ruined ("moth-eaten") without ever being used.
James 5:3 "Your gold and silver is cankered; [ katiotai {kat-ee-o'-o} = to cover with rust ] and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh [ sarkas {sarx} = flesh (as stripped of the skin), to torture one with eternal penal torments ] as it were fire. [ pur {poor} = fire, to purify ] Ye have heaped treasure together for the last [ eschatais {es'-khat-os} = of the time nearest the return of Christ from heaven and the consummation of the divine kingdom, of the last days from the time of Christ's birth to His return ] days." [ emerais {ay-mer'-ah} = of time of life or activity ] The wealthys' gold and silver became "cankered," and also has "rust." We know that gold and silver doesn't rust, but James is using a "hyperbole" (an exaggeration) here to express a truth. Gold darkens, and silver tarnishes as they corrode, and they lose their luster. Instead of being used for good, it was stored away and corroded. As the gold and silver lost its luster ("rust" is sometimes translated "poison," as in 3:8, and Rom.3:13) the poison of greed for more new gold and sliver sets in. The lost luster of their riches bore witness against their selfishness, and will testify against them again at the judgment. In the process of heaping up their treasures for the last days, they forgot that judgment would come also.
James 5:4 "Behold, the hire [ misthos {mis-thos'} = pay for service, hire, wages ] of the labourers [ ergaton {er-gat'-ace} = laborer, worker, one who works for hire ] who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, [ aphusteremenos {ap-os-ter-eh'-o} = to be unjustly withheld, defraud, destitute, kept back by fraud ] crieth: [ krazei {krad'-zo} = to cry for vengeance, to "croak" (as a raven) or scream, to call aloud (shriek, exclaim, entreat), cry out ] and the cries [ boai {bo-ay'} = outcry, exclamation, to cry out for help ] of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth." [ sabaoth {sab-ah-owth'} = heavenly hosts, armies, a military epithet of God ] In verse 4, we see that these wealthy people had hired laborers and promised to pay them a specific amount, but held back when it was time to pay. The term "kept back" in the Greek implies that the laborers will never get their salaries. The Parable of the Laborers in Matthew 20:1-16, gives us some idea of the hiring and paying practices during this time period. Also, God gave definite instructions concerning the laboring man to protect him from the oppressive employer (Deut.24:14-15; Lev.19:13; Jer.22:13). We see the wealthy employers in this verse didn't care about God's Word, but that will change. The term "Lord of Sabaoth" is giving us a picture of a wealthy person who is withholding the wages and then looks up to see the Lord's army coming against him because of his deeds (Isa.1:9; Rom.9:29)."The Lord hears the cries of the poor, and when He returns He will put things right."
James 5:5 "Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; [ espatalesate {spat-al-ah'-o} = live in pleasure, to live luxuriously, voluptuously, wantonly ] ye have nourished [ ethrepsate {tref'-o} = to gorge, pamper, to fatten ] your hearts, as in a day [ emera {ay-mer'-ah} = the day of God's final judgement ] of slaughter." [ sphages {sfag-ay'} = butchery, destruction, slaughter] The wealthy were living the life of luxury at the expense of the poor. They were feeding themselves on their riches and starving the poor to death. James pictures them as cattle that were being fattened for the slaughter. The rich were like a "fatted calf" (Mal.4:2). This calf was stall-fed and allowed to eat all they wanted, in fact they were even forced to eat more. Then the calf would be killed for a special occasion (I Sam.28:24; Luke 15:23). It was a custom to kill the animal, cook it, and eat it all in the same day. The rich had gorged themselves at the expense of the poor and were now awaiting the slaughter when the Lord would return to judge them.
James 5:6 "Ye have condemned [ katedikasate {kat-ad-ik-ad'-zo} = to give judgment against, condemn, pronounce guilty ] and killed the just; [ dikaion {dik'-ah-yos} = upright, righteous, virtuous, keeping the command of God ] and he doth not resist you." The wealthy had "condemned" and "killed" people who had done nothing wrong. The word "condemned" implies that they were using their power and influence to accomplish this. James tells us that it was so bad that the poor person couldn't even "resist," because they were overwhelmed and helpless.
XII. Patient Endurance 5:7-11 A. The Patience Of The Farmer (5:7-9) James 5:7 "Be patient [ makrothumesate {mak-roth-oo-meh'-o} = to have patience, endure patiently, wait with patient expectation ] therefore, brethren, unto the coming [ parousias {par-oo-see'-ah} = advent or return of Christ to judge the world at the end of the age; coming, arrival, advent ] of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman [ georgos {gheh-ore-gos'} = a husbandman, one who tills the earth, a land-worker, farmer ] waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, [ ges {ghay} = soil, ground, land ] and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early [ proimon {pro'-ee-mos} = dawning, early ] and latter rain."
In verses 7 and 8, James tells the poor Christian to be "patient" because the Lord was returning ("the coming of the Lord,"). The word "patient" (in verses 7 and 8) literally means "to be waiting steadfastly and expectantly". The language of these two verses is that of the Rapture event (1 Thess.4:16-18). Some could argue that James simply is writing in broad terms about the return of Christ, but the language used here implies the impending return of Christ (verse 8, "nigh," literally "is at hand," or "in the vicinity, or close by.").
Renald Showers in his book, "Maranatha, Our Lord, Come," quotes Douglas J. Moo:
The church was to live in expectancy of the Lord's return and their giving an account to Him for their behavior (John 14:2-3; Acts 1:11; 1 Cor.15:51-52; Phil.3:20; Col.3:4; 1 Thess.1:10; 1 Tim.6:14; 1 Pet.3:3-4). In this verse the mistreated Christians' hope of deliverance from their circumstances could happen at any time. They were to be patient like the farmer who waits for his crops to come up (there is the certainty that the crops would come at the right time). James 5:9 "Grudge [ stenazete {sten-ad'-zo} = to give vent to querulous or censorious feelings, grumble from impatience, ill-humor ] not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: [ krithete {kree'-no} = to judge, to pronounce sentence against, condemn, adjudge guilty, sentence, damn ] behold, the judge [ krites {kree-tace'} = a judge, he who decides ] standeth [ esteken {his'-tay-mee} = is standing now ] before the door." James tells his readers to live righteously until the coming of the Lord, and not to complain because they themselves would stand before the Lord to give account for their actions. Dr. Mal Couch translates verse 9, "Behold, the Judge, as it were, even now is approaching the door." Verse 9 also speaks of the Lord's sudden return (Rapture) to judge the believers (I Cor.3:15). "He's approaching the door now, are you ready to stand before Him?"
B. The Patience Of The Prophets (5:10) James 5:10 "Take, [ labete {lam-ban'-o} = to take one as an example of a thing, for imitation ] my brethren, [ adelphoi {ad-el-fos'} = from the same womb, a brother, one of the same nation or nature, one of equal rank and dignity, a member of the Christian community ], the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, [ kakopathias {kak-op-ath'-i-ah} = to suffer misfortune, hardship, suffering evil, bearing affliction ] and of patience." [ makrothumias {mak-roth-oo-mee'-ah} = to be long-suffering, forbearance, self-restraint before proceeding to action. The quality of a person who is able to avenge himself yet refrains from doing so, patience ] In the next few verses' James gave the afflicted Christians some examples of other faithful believers who suffered much, but patiently waited on God. Here in verse 10, we have the example of the prophets who suffered and yet were patient. The term "suffering afflictions," carries the idea that they not only had to endure the normal hardships of life, but they also endured evil at the hands of others. Yet through all this they were patient. "Patience" literally means "stood under alone." These men often stood alone and carried the burden by themselves, and were in God's will when they did it. The example of the prophets should encourage and remind us that God cares for us when we go through suffering for His sake.
C. The Patience Of Job (5:11) James 5:11 "Behold, we count them happy [ makarizomen {mak-ar-id'-zo} = pronounce or esteem fortunate, call blessed, count happy ] which endure. [ upomeinantas {hoop-om-en'-o} = under, to remain, to remain under, to persevere, endure, sustain, bear up under, suffer, as a load of miseries, adversities, persecutions or provocations with faith ] Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen [ eidete {i'-don} = to perceive with the eyes, to know, be aware, understand ] the end [ telos {tel'-os} = the final dealing, developed issue, the point aimed at as a limit, the conclusion of an act or state, result ] of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, [ polusplagchnos {pol-oo'-splankh-nos} = very (great) merciful, extremely (abounding) compassionate, very pitiful ] and of tender mercy." [ oiktirmon {oyk-tir'-mone} = compassionate, merciful, of tender mercy, to pity ] This last example that James gives to encourage the afflicted Christians is Job. Here was a righteous man who suffered and lost just about everything in a very short period of time. Yet Job never cursed God, or turned away from Him even through he didn't understand what God was doing. In the end the Lord was very "pitiful," and showed His "tender mercy" toward Job. James is saying that in the end God showed super-abounding compassion and tender mercy toward Job because his faithfulness through his trials. God gave Job twice as much as he had before (Job 42:10-15). "Likewise, while Christians may not understand what God's purpose is for their suffering, they can know that God has compassion and mercy for them also."
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