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Rich and Poor (James 1:9-11, James 5:1-6)
Paul Davies, 18 February 2018
Part of the The Life of Faith series, Sunday Evening service
God, in James 5 makes four accusations against rich oppressors: they have accumulated wealth, they have not paid their workers, they have lived luxurious and self-indulgent lives and have thereby condemned the poor to death. What can we learn from these disturbing verses about God’s attitudes towards wealth and poverty?”
| Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
|---|---|---|
| « What does God want for my future? | Abraham & Isaac: Mine... or not? | Isaac & Jacob » |
James 1:9–11 (Listen)
9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
(ESV)
James 5:1–6 (Listen)
5:1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.
(ESV)