9 But let the brother of low degree glory in his high estate: 10 and the rich, in that he is made low (Compare Luke 1:51-52; and 1 Samuel 2:7-9.): because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. 11 For the sun arises with the scorching wind, and withers the grass; and the flower thereof falls (Compare 1 Peter 1:24.), and the grace of the fashion of it perishes: so also shall the rich man fade away in his business. (See Proverbs 22:2; and Psalm 49.)

13 Come now, you that say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade, and make a pro fit:" 14 whereas you do not know what shall be tomorrow. (See Proverbs 27:1.) What is your life? For you are a vapor that ap-pears for a little time, and then vanishes away. (See Psalm 102:3-4.) 15 Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this or that." (Compare Ecclesiastes 5:19, 6:1-2; and Deuteronomy 8:11-18.) 16 But now you glory in your boasts: all such glorying is evil. (Compare Hosea 12:8-9.) 17 To him, therefore, that knows to do good, and does not do it, to him it is sin. (See Luke 12:47; and Romans 1:32-2:1.)

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you. (Compare Luke 16:19-24.) 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver are rusted; and their rust shall be for a testimony against you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. (See Matthew 6:19-21.) You have laid up your treasure in the last days. 4 Look! The hire of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you have kept back by fraud, cries out (Compare Leviticus 19:13; and Jeremiah 22:13.): and the cries of them that reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Armies. (See Deuteronomy 24:14-15.) 5 You have lived delicately on the earth, and taken your pleasure; you have nourished your hearts in a day of slaughter. (See Luke 12:16-21.) 6 You have condemned; you have killed the righteous man; he does not resist you. (Compare 1 Kings 21:1-24.)

Christianity is a leveller, exalting the poor, and bringing the rich low. However, It is not designed to make incomes equal. The poor are compensated by the knowledge that God had provided them with spiritual riches (2:5; 2 Corinthians 6:10, 8:9), and the rich who are inclined to boast about their ability to accumulate money, or about the power which money gives them, need to be made "low." When Israel grew proud of their prosperity, God would remind them of His role in the proces of getting wealth (Deuteronomy 8:11-18). To avoid the rebuke of God, the rich need to anticipate His command, and surrender their riches through benevolent acts, as in a crisis of famine (Acts 4:32,34-35), or as a test of their attitude toward riches (Mark 10:17-22). But the poor may also be moved by the same Spirit to "abound to the riches of liberality" out of "deep poverty" (2 Corinthians 8:1-3). The "love of money is the root of all kinds of evil" (1 Timothy 6:6-10, and compare 2 Timothy 3:1-2). All Christians, rich and poor, are therefore commanded to free themselves from the love of money (Hebrews 13:5).
In vs. 1:11, James shows that the rich face the consequence of being unable to re-tain riches. As the flower "passes away," or "falls," or "perishes," and the grass "wi-thers," so shall the rich man "fade away." Many Bible passages in both the Old and New Testaments support this truth.
In vss. 4:13-17, James demonstrates the folly of making long range plans for "getting gain," while forgetting the reign of God. Again, the warning is based on the brevity and unpredictability of life. The "will of God" needs to be considered in many of our plans. When the disciples could not persuade Paul to avoid going to Jerusalem, they left the future to the will of God (Acts 21:10-14). When Paul made travel plans, he considered the effect of the will of God on them (Acts 18:19-21), and also when he made plans to stay at a place (1 Corinthians 16:7). Simple plans which are made by men without the acknowledgment of the will of God is human boast-ing, and we know what boasting caused God to do to the builders of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). But, James shows us that it is not enough to simply "know to do good." If we do not act on what we know, it becomes sin to us.
In vss. 5:1-6, we are treated to a lesson that seems purely Mosaic in character, but we must not forget that James is writing to Christians of Jewish lineage (1:1). The prophets warned against the abuse of the less fortunate, and announced that Israel must fall because of such abuses (Ezekiel 22:6-16; Zechariah 7:8-14). Then Jesus adds his warnings about the consequences of loving earthly treasure (Matthew 6:20-21). The gathering of wealth at the expense of the laborer was severely rebuked in the Law and the Prophets. Verse 6 seems to show that oppression is not opposed by the victim, but James is probably suggesting that resistance is often futile, as in the case of the illegal seizing of Naboth's vineyard by King Ahab and his wicked consort, Jezebel (see the reference above in the text). The poor man's only comfort comes from the support of the righteous, and the knowledge that God will execute the ultimate vengeance on those who harass them.

QUESTIONS: (next page)

1. What, in your opinion, is the "high estate" which the poor experience in Christ? _______________________________________________________
__________________How are the rich "made low?"________________
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2. To what does James compare the rich in vs. 1:11?____________In vs. 4:14? _____________ What happens to each?___________________
3. In the making of plans, what are we to do, in view of the fact that we do not know what shall be tomorrow?__________________________________
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4. What does James call plans made without God?__________________
5. When the rich consider the "miseries" coming on them, what should they do? ____________________________________________
6. What happens to earthly treasures, according to Jesus in Matt. 6:19-21? ______ _______________________________________________________
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7. What purpose will the "rust of gold and silver" serve, according to 5:3?______ __________________________________________________
8. What fraudulent action is charged against the rich by James?_____________
___________________________________________________What does the Law of Moses say about this (Deuteronomy 24:14-15)?_____________
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9. What five faults of the rich are stated in verses 5:5-6?___________________
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10.Did Naboth have much of a chance in the resistance of the rich and covetous King Ahab?_______________ What other kings were punished by the Lord for Ahab's crime (2 Kings 9:21-28)? _______________________________
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