Scenes From the Book of James Blended TogetherBible World
5:1James 5:1
Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.
The verse calls rich men to weep and howl because miseries are coming upon them, an anguished crying when earthly wealth fails and becomes worthless and a terrible woe pronounced upon them. It pictures the greed, fraud and oppression that will prevail just before Christ's second coming, a condition fulfilled today when men grasp all they can obtain, pay the lowest wages while exacting the highest prices, and lock up wealth where it benefits no one. They heap treasure for the last days by selfishly hoarding riches and living in pleasure and self-indulgence, gaining fortunes by extortion and robbery and by keeping back the wages of laborers, while their luxury is sustained by the suffering of the poor, the widow, the orphan and the just whom they condemn. Their corrupted riches, moth-eaten garments and corroded gold and silver will testify against them and consume them like fire, for the cries of the defrauded and oppressed enter the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth who will avenge, and no wealth, status or present ease can protect them in judgment when their hoarded treasures are swept away and ruined. The warning applies particularly to wealthy professed believers who cling to perishable substance instead of using it to advance God's cause and help the needy, who will too late bring their means to lay at the feet of God's servants only to have it refused, for riches are God's money entrusted to stewards to bless the world and relieve the poor, and what is hoarded or spent on self becomes a curse to the soul.
Meaning of the Warning
The verse is a direct call to rich men to weep and howl because miseries are coming upon them. It warns wealthy people who cling selfishly to earthly riches instead of using their means to advance God's cause and help others. It applies particularly to wealthy professed believers in present truth who retain their possessions through love of the world and ignore opportunities and appeals to give. Their love for the world is greater than their love for truth, for fellow men, and for God, so they shut their eyes to the wants of the cause and to perishing fellow beings, selfishly retain what they have, and give only a little now and then to ease conscience without sacrifice. Because the work is closing, their riches, large farms, cattle and other kept means will soon not be wanted, and the Lord will turn to them in anger and wrath to dismiss them for refusing to hear when He called, their love of the world having drowned His voice. It is an awful thing to be thus forsaken by the Lord while holding perishable substance instead of selling and giving alms to lay up treasure in heaven, and as truth goes forth in mighty power these rich men will bring their means and lay it at the feet of God's servants begging acceptance, but it will be refused because it was withheld when it could have done good, the needy suffered without blessing from it, and the opportunity to do good has passed.
Hoarded wealth is a curse that draws the heart away from heavenly treasure, and at God's judgment it testifies against its owner for unused abilities and neglected chances to help others. The spoiled riches and the cries of workers whose wages were withheld show that wealth kept or gained unjustly brings condemnation. The verse belongs to a picture of the greed and oppression that will prevail just before Christ's second coming, when people heap up wealth and pile up great fortunes through fraud, oppression and extortion and withholding workers' wages, while luxury is sustained by the suffering of the poor and the cries of starving people rise before God. The weeping it commands will be anguished crying when earthly wealth fails and becomes worthless and ruin comes upon those who make worldly riches their treasure. Feverish pursuit of worldly gain brings danger of losing all, because care and perplexity over earthly treasure leave no time or desire to value eternal riches, the glory of the world to come is eclipsed by corruptible things, and where treasure is the heart will be also, so thoughts, plans and motives take an earthly mold and the soul is defiled with covetousness and selfishness. Gaining the whole world profits nothing if the soul is lost, and the day is coming when idols of silver and gold will be thrown to the moles and bats, and then this misery upon rich men will arrive.
The warning is a withering denunciation that will fall on rich men who are in every sense stingy and unconverted in purse and all. It exposes liberality that has no depth of principle and no deep living desire to do good with means and advance God's cause, but comes only in spasms from selfish motive, from desire to be thought liberal, from impulse, or from feeling stirred for a time until the purse opens and then closes just as securely. Such givers are under horrible self-deception, thinking themselves very liberal and sacrificing when they do not know the first principles of liberality or self-sacrifice, and ministers who lavish praise on their gifts for the sake of gain help Satan deceive them until they at last awake from that deception to face coming miseries, with corrupted riches and moth-eaten garments. It is a terrible woe pronounced by Jesus upon rich men who tyrannize over the poor. The poor are taught not to rise up against those who are in power and not to resist their oppression, while God will judge the oppressors, enjoining the servant to be faithful to his master and to be contented for Christ's sake, but assuring the master that he also has a Master who will requite him full measure for his deeds.
Setting Before Christ's Return
The verse pictures the greed and oppression that will prevail just before Christ's second coming, and that condition is fulfilled in the world today. Men by every kind of oppression and extortion pile up colossal fortunes and heap treasure together for the last days, gaining wealth through fraud and withholding workers' wages while their luxury is sustained by the suffering of the poor. The cries of starving humanity and of defrauded laborers whose hire was kept back by fraud enter the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. Those called to weep and howl for coming miseries have lived in pleasure on the earth and been wanton, fattening their hearts as for a day of slaughter, and have condemned and killed the just who does not resist them. Their wealth and present ease cannot protect them from the judgment ahead.
The present condition it describes is one where men grasp all they can obtain, pay their laborers the lowest wages while exacting the highest prices for what they sell, cherish selfishness, avarice and covetousness, and lock up thousands of dollars where it is of use to no one. They could provide homes for the homeless and give the destitute food and clothing, but they shut their eyes to perishing fellow beings around them and use entrusted gifts for self-gratification and selfish increase of gain. Money so hoarded from fear of loss fails to bring increase to God, and those who so hold it live in continual worry lest they lose their treasure. Entrusted capital is to be put into circulation to benefit and bless others so that by blessing it steadily increases and multiplies. God has a controversy with those who love neither God nor man, and when judgment shall sit and the books are opened they will have a fearful account to settle, for by selfishness they have crucified afresh the Son of God and put Him to open shame, and He will avenge His death.
Luxurious living and extravagant dress are signs of the last days. With the end of all things at hand the men of the world are rushing on to their ruin, multiplying schemes and confederacies and continually bringing in new devices to make of no effect the counsel of God, while heaping up treasures of gold and silver to be consumed by the fires of the last days.
The warning also applies to religious oppression in the last days, when those who disregard God's law will oppose and pressure people who conscientiously keep His commandments. In that setting people hoard wealth for the last days, defraud laborers, live in pleasure, and condemn the just, while their corrupted riches and the cries of those they have wronged testify against them unto miseries and judgment to come.
Sins That Bring Misery
The miseries fall because the rich heap treasure together for the last days, hoarding wealth and clinging selfishly to riches while living in pleasure and wanton self-indulgence on the earth. They grasp at all they can obtain, cherish selfishness, avariciousness and covetousness, lock up thousands of dollars where it is of use to no one, and live in continual worry lest they lose their treasure. Those who have no love for God and the truth thus make hoarded wealth a curse, refusing to share abundance to help the poor and advance the proclamation of truth, and what is so held will soon be lost. Hoarded money fails to bring increase, for entrusted capital is to be put into circulation to benefit and bless others so that by blessing it steadily increases and multiplies.
Colossal fortunes are piled up by every kind of oppression and extortion, through fraud, robbery and theft. The chief form is defrauding laborers by keeping back their hire by fraud, paying the lowest wages while exacting the highest prices, so that luxury is sustained by the suffering of the poor and the cries of starving humanity and of defrauded workers enter the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. Riches so gained are unlawful gain recorded in heaven, and wealth, status, luxury and present ease cannot protect their owners from the judgment ahead but become evidence against them. They fatten their hearts as for a day of slaughter.
They condemn and kill the just who does not resist them. They tyrannize over the poor, oppress widows and orphans, neglect the needy, and by schemes to increase riches bring starvation. Religious oppression belongs to the same sin, when those who disregard God's law oppose and pressure people who conscientiously keep His commandments.
They spend lavishly on themselves in selfish indulgence while multitudes in the same cities are destitute of food, clothing and shelter fit for a human being, and while gospel workers endure privation. Their spending is on richly furnished houses, costly homes, furnishings and buildings, extravagant incomes, personal ornament, jewels and fine clothing, gratification of sensual appetites, tobacco, liquors and other things that destroy the power of the brain, unbalance the mind and debase the soul, and thousands of dollars to please and amuse themselves and gratify their fancies. They could provide homes for the homeless and give the destitute food and clothing, but shut their eyes to perishing fellow beings around them and use gifts for self-gratification, and the poor so left in need will condemn those who squandered means on pride and ambition. These luxuries will testify against people untouched by others' want.
Some enrich themselves by ensnaring souls to drink, laying a snare for the drunkard, building themselves up out of his property, and living in luxury while the poor brethren they have robbed live in poverty and degradation, and all so gained will be required at their hand for helping speed the drunkard on the way to ruin. Feverish pursuit of worldly gain draws the heart away from heavenly treasure, eclipses the glory of the world to come with corruptible things, and leaves no time or desire to value eternal riches. Where treasure is the heart will be also, so thoughts, plans and motives take an earthly mold and the soul is defiled with covetousness and selfishness, and gaining the whole world profits nothing if the soul is lost. The day is coming when idols of silver and gold will be thrown to the moles and bats, and then this misery upon rich men will arrive.
Even their giving can be stingy and unconverted in purse and all, with no depth of principle and no deep living desire to do good with means and advance the cause. It comes only in spasms from selfish motive, from desire to be thought liberal, from impulse, or from feeling stirred for a time until the purse opens and then closes just as securely. Such givers are under horrible self-deception, thinking themselves very liberal and sacrificing when they do not know the first principles of liberality or self-sacrifice. In this age rich men who acquire means become self-important and self-sufficient and practice oppression, crime and fraud to accomplish their ends, refusing to be practical Christians themselves and hindering those who would be.
Judgment Upon the Rich
Corrupted riches, moth-eaten garments, and corroded gold and silver will testify against their owners and consume them like fire. Hoarded wealth kept or gained unjustly becomes evidence in judgment of unused abilities, neglected chances to help others, and unlawful gain recorded in heaven, including riches gained by keeping back workers' wages. Wealth and luxury do not protect the rich, for ill-gotten riches stand as a witness against them when divine denunciation falls upon those entrusted with the Lord's goods who fail to render what is due to God.
The cries of defrauded laborers, starving humanity, and the oppressed enter the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. Men pile up colossal fortunes and heap treasure together for the last days by every kind of oppression, fraud, extortion, and exploitation, withholding workers' wages by fraud while living in pleasure and excess on the earth and condemning and killing the just who does not resist them. The Lord marks every act of oppression, suffers it only for a time, hears every cry of suffering, and will avenge with just retribution when wealth is gained through injustice, oppression of widows and orphans, hoarding, neglect of the needy, and defrauding of laborers.
Their wealth, status, luxury, and present ease cannot protect them from the judgment ahead nor make them great in God's sight. Riches are God's money entrusted to help the poor and advance His kingdom, and refusal to use it while others suffer hunger, cold, nakedness, and lack of life's necessities turns supposed greatness to condemnation when God gives each person according to his works. Treasures gained through robbery, theft, and fraud will testify against their owners in the last great day, for earthly wealth and idols cannot endure God's judgment, and in that day the worldly rich man will be the poorest and most to be pitied before the judgment throne.
Hoarded wealth will be swept away and ruined. Grand houses built for pride and made their boast will be laid in ruins by the Lord, which no human ingenuity can prevent, great buildings will collapse, ocean steamers will be destroyed, and treasures of gold and silver heaped up will be consumed by the fires of the last days. With the end of all things at hand, men of the world rush on to ruin while multiplying schemes and confederacies and bringing in new devices to make of no effect the counsel of God. Those who take pride in scheming to obtain money by which they may exalt self and gain worldly honor will reach the limit of God's mercy when He will no longer bear with them in their lordly presumption, for such men are a curse to humanity.
Every act is registered in heaven and in God's own time will receive retributive justice for the works done, when every case stands in review before God. Each person will receive according to works, and every dollar entrusted to be blessed to God's glory but appropriated to glorifying self will be required by the Master as His means squandered instead of put to good use. Means gained by fraud will be a swift witness against them in that day.
God has a controversy with those controlled by covetousness who love neither God nor man, who could provide homes for the homeless and give the destitute food and clothing but shut their eyes to perishing fellow beings and use God's gifts for self-gratification. By their selfishness they have crucified afresh the Son of God and put Him to open shame, and God will avenge His Son's death. He will not protect the property of those who break His law and trample on His Sabbath, and the calamities that destroy hoarded wealth sweep away riches accumulated by oppressing the poor. The poor will condemn those who squandered their means on pride and ambition while others suffered in need, whose lavish spending on jewels and fine clothing dishonors God and leaves the wealthy guilty.
Those who scheme to obtain more and more money by plans that bring starvation to the poor will in the last great day stand face to face with their deeds of oppression and injustice. When judgment shall sit and the books are opened they will have a fearful account to settle.
Warning to Professing Believers
James 5:1 applies particularly to wealthy professed believers in present truth who cling to earthly treasure and perishable substance instead of using their means to advance God's cause and help those in need. Their love for the world is greater than their love for truth, for fellow men, and for God. They shut their eyes to the wants of the cause and to perishing fellow beings, selfishly retain what they have, ignore opportunities and appeals to give, and give only a little now and then to ease conscience without sacrifice. Their liberality has no depth of principle and no deep living desire to do good with means, but comes only in spasms from selfish motive, from desire to be thought liberal, from impulse, or from feeling stirred for a time until the purse opens and then closes just as securely.
Because the work is closing, their riches, large farms, cattle and other kept means will soon not be wanted and will no longer be useful to it. Their love of the world has drowned God's voice and His call, for they refused to hear when He called. The Lord will turn to them in anger and wrath to dismiss them and turn from them, and will turn to others who freely give. It is an awful thing to be thus forsaken and let go by the Lord while holding perishable substance instead of selling and giving alms to lay up treasure in heaven.
As truth goes forth in mighty power these rich men will bring their means and lay it at the feet of God's servants begging acceptance. It will be refused with the same dismissal, because it was withheld when it could have done good, the needy suffered without blessing from it, God will not accept their riches now, and the opportunity to do good has passed. Such givers are in every sense stingy and unconverted in purse and all, yet are under horrible self-deception, thinking themselves very liberal and sacrificing when they do not know the first principles of liberality or self-sacrifice. Ministers who lavish praise on their gifts for the sake of gain help Satan deceive them, until they at last awake from that deception to face coming miseries, with corrupted riches and moth-eaten garments.
Stewardship and Right Response
Wealth is money belonging to God placed in human hands in trust to honor the Creator by blessing the world, relieving those who suffer hunger and cold and nakedness and sickness and hardship, and carrying forward His kingdom, and to turn it instead to selfish indulgence dishonors God, neglects His heritage, and robs both fellow human beings and God Himself. The trust is betrayed when riches gained and kept through injustice, oppression, extortion, and fraud are hoarded and clung to while others lack the necessities of life, when laborers are paid the lowest wages while the highest prices are exacted from them, and when thousands of dollars are locked up where they benefit no one. It is betrayed when men who have more than heart could wish live luxuriously in great cities while multitudes in the same cities are destitute of food and clothing and shelter fit for a human being, spending means on richly furnished houses, on personal ornament and jewels and fine clothing, and on gratification of sensual appetites, tobacco, liquors, costly amusements and other things that destroy the power of the brain, unbalance the mind and debase the soul. Such wealth and status do not make anyone great in God's sight, their cries of the suffering for relief come before God, the suffering caused by their dealings will testify against them when each is judged according to works, and all heaven looks down upon them as unfaithful stewards whom God and angels mark.
Entrusted capital is to be put into circulation to benefit and bless others, that by God's blessing it may steadily increase and multiply in serving His purpose. Money kept idle out of fear of loss, hoarded selfishly, or used for pleasure and self-indulgence on the earth fails to bring increase to God, becomes a curse to its holder, harms the steward's own soul, blocks truth from doing its work, leaves its owner in continual worry lest treasure be lost, and will soon be lost altogether. Those who selfishly hold fast to abundance and refuse to share it to help the poor and to advance the proclamation of the truth therefore face coming misery, for their hoarded treasure is heaped up for the last days while the cries of defrauded laborers enter the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. Wealth is instead to be used generously to meet the needs of others and to support the gospel, allowing blessing to flow through its use.
The poor are taught not to rise up against those in power and not to resist oppression, even under tyranny that brings coming misery and divine judgment upon the oppressors. The servant is enjoined to be faithful to his master and to be contented for Christ's sake. The master is at the same time assured that he also has a Master who will requite him full measure for his deeds.
The misery coming upon rich men who have acted wickedly is to be repeated to the people as a warning and appeal.
The verse calls rich men to weep and howl because miseries are coming upon them, an anguished crying when earthly wealth fails and becomes worthless and a terrible woe pronounced upon them.
It pictures the greed, fraud and oppression that will prevail just before Christ's second coming, a condition fulfilled today when men grasp all they can obtain, pay the lowest wages while exacting the highest prices, and lock up wealth where it benefits no one.
They heap treasure for the last days by selfishly hoarding riches and living in pleasure and self-indulgence, gaining fortunes by extortion and robbery and by keeping back the wages of laborers, while their luxury is sustained by the suffering of the poor, the widow, the orphan and the just whom they condemn.
Their corrupted riches, moth-eaten garments and corroded gold and silver will testify against them and consume them like fire, for the cries of the defrauded and oppressed enter the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth who will avenge, and no wealth, status or present ease can protect them in judgment when their hoarded treasures are swept away and ruined.
The warning applies particularly to wealthy professed believers who cling to perishable substance instead of using it to advance God's cause and help the needy, who will too late bring their means to lay at the feet of God's servants only to have it refused, for riches are God's money entrusted to stewards to bless the world and relieve the poor, and what is hoarded or spent on self becomes a curse to the soul.
Meaning of the Warning
The verse is a direct call to rich men to weep and howl because miseries are coming upon them. It warns wealthy people who cling selfishly to earthly riches instead of using their means to advance God's cause and help others. It applies particularly to wealthy professed believers in present truth who retain their possessions through love of the world and ignore opportunities and appeals to give. Their love for the world is greater than their love for truth, for fellow men, and for God, so they shut their eyes to the wants of the cause and to perishing fellow beings, selfishly retain what they have, and give only a little now and then to ease conscience without sacrifice. Because the work is closing, their riches, large farms, cattle and other kept means will soon not be wanted, and the Lord will turn to them in anger and wrath to dismiss them for refusing to hear when He called, their love of the world having drowned His voice. It is an awful thing to be thus forsaken by the Lord while holding perishable substance instead of selling and giving alms to lay up treasure in heaven, and as truth goes forth in mighty power these rich men will bring their means and lay it at the feet of God's servants begging acceptance, but it will be refused because it was withheld when it could have done good, the needy suffered without blessing from it, and the opportunity to do good has passed.
Hoarded wealth is a curse that draws the heart away from heavenly treasure, and at God's judgment it testifies against its owner for unused abilities and neglected chances to help others. The spoiled riches and the cries of workers whose wages were withheld show that wealth kept or gained unjustly brings condemnation. The verse belongs to a picture of the greed and oppression that will prevail just before Christ's second coming, when people heap up wealth and pile up great fortunes through fraud, oppression and extortion and withholding workers' wages, while luxury is sustained by the suffering of the poor and the cries of starving people rise before God. The weeping it commands will be anguished crying when earthly wealth fails and becomes worthless and ruin comes upon those who make worldly riches their treasure. Feverish pursuit of worldly gain brings danger of losing all, because care and perplexity over earthly treasure leave no time or desire to value eternal riches, the glory of the world to come is eclipsed by corruptible things, and where treasure is the heart will be also, so thoughts, plans and motives take an earthly mold and the soul is defiled with covetousness and selfishness. Gaining the whole world profits nothing if the soul is lost, and the day is coming when idols of silver and gold will be thrown to the moles and bats, and then this misery upon rich men will arrive.
The warning is a withering denunciation that will fall on rich men who are in every sense stingy and unconverted in purse and all. It exposes liberality that has no depth of principle and no deep living desire to do good with means and advance God's cause, but comes only in spasms from selfish motive, from desire to be thought liberal, from impulse, or from feeling stirred for a time until the purse opens and then closes just as securely. Such givers are under horrible self-deception, thinking themselves very liberal and sacrificing when they do not know the first principles of liberality or self-sacrifice, and ministers who lavish praise on their gifts for the sake of gain help Satan deceive them until they at last awake from that deception to face coming miseries, with corrupted riches and moth-eaten garments. It is a terrible woe pronounced by Jesus upon rich men who tyrannize over the poor. The poor are taught not to rise up against those who are in power and not to resist their oppression, while God will judge the oppressors, enjoining the servant to be faithful to his master and to be contented for Christ's sake, but assuring the master that he also has a Master who will requite him full measure for his deeds.
Setting Before Christ's Return
The verse pictures the greed and oppression that will prevail just before Christ's second coming, and that condition is fulfilled in the world today. Men by every kind of oppression and extortion pile up colossal fortunes and heap treasure together for the last days, gaining wealth through fraud and withholding workers' wages while their luxury is sustained by the suffering of the poor. The cries of starving humanity and of defrauded laborers whose hire was kept back by fraud enter the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. Those called to weep and howl for coming miseries have lived in pleasure on the earth and been wanton, fattening their hearts as for a day of slaughter, and have condemned and killed the just who does not resist them. Their wealth and present ease cannot protect them from the judgment ahead.
The present condition it describes is one where men grasp all they can obtain, pay their laborers the lowest wages while exacting the highest prices for what they sell, cherish selfishness, avarice and covetousness, and lock up thousands of dollars where it is of use to no one. They could provide homes for the homeless and give the destitute food and clothing, but they shut their eyes to perishing fellow beings around them and use entrusted gifts for self-gratification and selfish increase of gain. Money so hoarded from fear of loss fails to bring increase to God, and those who so hold it live in continual worry lest they lose their treasure. Entrusted capital is to be put into circulation to benefit and bless others so that by blessing it steadily increases and multiplies. God has a controversy with those who love neither God nor man, and when judgment shall sit and the books are opened they will have a fearful account to settle, for by selfishness they have crucified afresh the Son of God and put Him to open shame, and He will avenge His death.
Luxurious living and extravagant dress are signs of the last days. With the end of all things at hand the men of the world are rushing on to their ruin, multiplying schemes and confederacies and continually bringing in new devices to make of no effect the counsel of God, while heaping up treasures of gold and silver to be consumed by the fires of the last days.
The warning also applies to religious oppression in the last days, when those who disregard God's law will oppose and pressure people who conscientiously keep His commandments. In that setting people hoard wealth for the last days, defraud laborers, live in pleasure, and condemn the just, while their corrupted riches and the cries of those they have wronged testify against them unto miseries and judgment to come.
Sins That Bring Misery
The miseries fall because the rich heap treasure together for the last days, hoarding wealth and clinging selfishly to riches while living in pleasure and wanton self-indulgence on the earth. They grasp at all they can obtain, cherish selfishness, avariciousness and covetousness, lock up thousands of dollars where it is of use to no one, and live in continual worry lest they lose their treasure. Those who have no love for God and the truth thus make hoarded wealth a curse, refusing to share abundance to help the poor and advance the proclamation of truth, and what is so held will soon be lost. Hoarded money fails to bring increase, for entrusted capital is to be put into circulation to benefit and bless others so that by blessing it steadily increases and multiplies.
Colossal fortunes are piled up by every kind of oppression and extortion, through fraud, robbery and theft. The chief form is defrauding laborers by keeping back their hire by fraud, paying the lowest wages while exacting the highest prices, so that luxury is sustained by the suffering of the poor and the cries of starving humanity and of defrauded workers enter the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. Riches so gained are unlawful gain recorded in heaven, and wealth, status, luxury and present ease cannot protect their owners from the judgment ahead but become evidence against them. They fatten their hearts as for a day of slaughter.
They condemn and kill the just who does not resist them. They tyrannize over the poor, oppress widows and orphans, neglect the needy, and by schemes to increase riches bring starvation. Religious oppression belongs to the same sin, when those who disregard God's law oppose and pressure people who conscientiously keep His commandments.
They spend lavishly on themselves in selfish indulgence while multitudes in the same cities are destitute of food, clothing and shelter fit for a human being, and while gospel workers endure privation. Their spending is on richly furnished houses, costly homes, furnishings and buildings, extravagant incomes, personal ornament, jewels and fine clothing, gratification of sensual appetites, tobacco, liquors and other things that destroy the power of the brain, unbalance the mind and debase the soul, and thousands of dollars to please and amuse themselves and gratify their fancies. They could provide homes for the homeless and give the destitute food and clothing, but shut their eyes to perishing fellow beings around them and use gifts for self-gratification, and the poor so left in need will condemn those who squandered means on pride and ambition. These luxuries will testify against people untouched by others' want.
Some enrich themselves by ensnaring souls to drink, laying a snare for the drunkard, building themselves up out of his property, and living in luxury while the poor brethren they have robbed live in poverty and degradation, and all so gained will be required at their hand for helping speed the drunkard on the way to ruin. Feverish pursuit of worldly gain draws the heart away from heavenly treasure, eclipses the glory of the world to come with corruptible things, and leaves no time or desire to value eternal riches. Where treasure is the heart will be also, so thoughts, plans and motives take an earthly mold and the soul is defiled with covetousness and selfishness, and gaining the whole world profits nothing if the soul is lost. The day is coming when idols of silver and gold will be thrown to the moles and bats, and then this misery upon rich men will arrive.
Even their giving can be stingy and unconverted in purse and all, with no depth of principle and no deep living desire to do good with means and advance the cause. It comes only in spasms from selfish motive, from desire to be thought liberal, from impulse, or from feeling stirred for a time until the purse opens and then closes just as securely. Such givers are under horrible self-deception, thinking themselves very liberal and sacrificing when they do not know the first principles of liberality or self-sacrifice. In this age rich men who acquire means become self-important and self-sufficient and practice oppression, crime and fraud to accomplish their ends, refusing to be practical Christians themselves and hindering those who would be.
Judgment Upon the Rich
Corrupted riches, moth-eaten garments, and corroded gold and silver will testify against their owners and consume them like fire. Hoarded wealth kept or gained unjustly becomes evidence in judgment of unused abilities, neglected chances to help others, and unlawful gain recorded in heaven, including riches gained by keeping back workers' wages. Wealth and luxury do not protect the rich, for ill-gotten riches stand as a witness against them when divine denunciation falls upon those entrusted with the Lord's goods who fail to render what is due to God.
The cries of defrauded laborers, starving humanity, and the oppressed enter the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. Men pile up colossal fortunes and heap treasure together for the last days by every kind of oppression, fraud, extortion, and exploitation, withholding workers' wages by fraud while living in pleasure and excess on the earth and condemning and killing the just who does not resist them. The Lord marks every act of oppression, suffers it only for a time, hears every cry of suffering, and will avenge with just retribution when wealth is gained through injustice, oppression of widows and orphans, hoarding, neglect of the needy, and defrauding of laborers.
Their wealth, status, luxury, and present ease cannot protect them from the judgment ahead nor make them great in God's sight. Riches are God's money entrusted to help the poor and advance His kingdom, and refusal to use it while others suffer hunger, cold, nakedness, and lack of life's necessities turns supposed greatness to condemnation when God gives each person according to his works. Treasures gained through robbery, theft, and fraud will testify against their owners in the last great day, for earthly wealth and idols cannot endure God's judgment, and in that day the worldly rich man will be the poorest and most to be pitied before the judgment throne.
Hoarded wealth will be swept away and ruined. Grand houses built for pride and made their boast will be laid in ruins by the Lord, which no human ingenuity can prevent, great buildings will collapse, ocean steamers will be destroyed, and treasures of gold and silver heaped up will be consumed by the fires of the last days. With the end of all things at hand, men of the world rush on to ruin while multiplying schemes and confederacies and bringing in new devices to make of no effect the counsel of God. Those who take pride in scheming to obtain money by which they may exalt self and gain worldly honor will reach the limit of God's mercy when He will no longer bear with them in their lordly presumption, for such men are a curse to humanity.
Every act is registered in heaven and in God's own time will receive retributive justice for the works done, when every case stands in review before God. Each person will receive according to works, and every dollar entrusted to be blessed to God's glory but appropriated to glorifying self will be required by the Master as His means squandered instead of put to good use. Means gained by fraud will be a swift witness against them in that day.
God has a controversy with those controlled by covetousness who love neither God nor man, who could provide homes for the homeless and give the destitute food and clothing but shut their eyes to perishing fellow beings and use God's gifts for self-gratification. By their selfishness they have crucified afresh the Son of God and put Him to open shame, and God will avenge His Son's death. He will not protect the property of those who break His law and trample on His Sabbath, and the calamities that destroy hoarded wealth sweep away riches accumulated by oppressing the poor. The poor will condemn those who squandered their means on pride and ambition while others suffered in need, whose lavish spending on jewels and fine clothing dishonors God and leaves the wealthy guilty.
Those who scheme to obtain more and more money by plans that bring starvation to the poor will in the last great day stand face to face with their deeds of oppression and injustice. When judgment shall sit and the books are opened they will have a fearful account to settle.
Warning to Professing Believers
James 5:1 applies particularly to wealthy professed believers in present truth who cling to earthly treasure and perishable substance instead of using their means to advance God's cause and help those in need. Their love for the world is greater than their love for truth, for fellow men, and for God. They shut their eyes to the wants of the cause and to perishing fellow beings, selfishly retain what they have, ignore opportunities and appeals to give, and give only a little now and then to ease conscience without sacrifice. Their liberality has no depth of principle and no deep living desire to do good with means, but comes only in spasms from selfish motive, from desire to be thought liberal, from impulse, or from feeling stirred for a time until the purse opens and then closes just as securely.
Because the work is closing, their riches, large farms, cattle and other kept means will soon not be wanted and will no longer be useful to it. Their love of the world has drowned God's voice and His call, for they refused to hear when He called. The Lord will turn to them in anger and wrath to dismiss them and turn from them, and will turn to others who freely give. It is an awful thing to be thus forsaken and let go by the Lord while holding perishable substance instead of selling and giving alms to lay up treasure in heaven.
As truth goes forth in mighty power these rich men will bring their means and lay it at the feet of God's servants begging acceptance. It will be refused with the same dismissal, because it was withheld when it could have done good, the needy suffered without blessing from it, God will not accept their riches now, and the opportunity to do good has passed. Such givers are in every sense stingy and unconverted in purse and all, yet are under horrible self-deception, thinking themselves very liberal and sacrificing when they do not know the first principles of liberality or self-sacrifice. Ministers who lavish praise on their gifts for the sake of gain help Satan deceive them, until they at last awake from that deception to face coming miseries, with corrupted riches and moth-eaten garments.
Stewardship and Right Response
Wealth is money belonging to God placed in human hands in trust to honor the Creator by blessing the world, relieving those who suffer hunger and cold and nakedness and sickness and hardship, and carrying forward His kingdom, and to turn it instead to selfish indulgence dishonors God, neglects His heritage, and robs both fellow human beings and God Himself. The trust is betrayed when riches gained and kept through injustice, oppression, extortion, and fraud are hoarded and clung to while others lack the necessities of life, when laborers are paid the lowest wages while the highest prices are exacted from them, and when thousands of dollars are locked up where they benefit no one. It is betrayed when men who have more than heart could wish live luxuriously in great cities while multitudes in the same cities are destitute of food and clothing and shelter fit for a human being, spending means on richly furnished houses, on personal ornament and jewels and fine clothing, and on gratification of sensual appetites, tobacco, liquors, costly amusements and other things that destroy the power of the brain, unbalance the mind and debase the soul. Such wealth and status do not make anyone great in God's sight, their cries of the suffering for relief come before God, the suffering caused by their dealings will testify against them when each is judged according to works, and all heaven looks down upon them as unfaithful stewards whom God and angels mark.
Entrusted capital is to be put into circulation to benefit and bless others, that by God's blessing it may steadily increase and multiply in serving His purpose. Money kept idle out of fear of loss, hoarded selfishly, or used for pleasure and self-indulgence on the earth fails to bring increase to God, becomes a curse to its holder, harms the steward's own soul, blocks truth from doing its work, leaves its owner in continual worry lest treasure be lost, and will soon be lost altogether. Those who selfishly hold fast to abundance and refuse to share it to help the poor and to advance the proclamation of the truth therefore face coming misery, for their hoarded treasure is heaped up for the last days while the cries of defrauded laborers enter the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. Wealth is instead to be used generously to meet the needs of others and to support the gospel, allowing blessing to flow through its use.
The poor are taught not to rise up against those in power and not to resist oppression, even under tyranny that brings coming misery and divine judgment upon the oppressors. The servant is enjoined to be faithful to his master and to be contented for Christ's sake. The master is at the same time assured that he also has a Master who will requite him full measure for his deeds.
The misery coming upon rich men who have acted wickedly is to be repeated to the people as a warning and appeal.