Skip to main content

James 5:4: Behold, The Wages Of The Laborers Who Mowed Your Fields, Which You Kept Back By Fraud


James 5:4
[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.

Our God is a God who hears. When you consider that the God of the universe, who created all things, takes the time to listen to the cries of the people whom he has created it is truly staggering. We are told to cast all our cares on him because he cares for us. We know that in Jesus Christ we see God coming to earth and dwelling with mankind. What an amazing mystery!

Here James reminds the ungodly rich that God hears. Who does God hear? God hears the cries of those who have been defrauded by these rich field owners. These laborers were not paid all of what they earned. This is an example of injustice. God is a just God. He will not allow sin to go unpunished.

We become very frustrated when we feel that we have been treated unjustly. Perhaps we have worked for someone who did not pay us what we were promised. Maybe we have had possessions stolen from us. It is possible that we have had a relationship that ended with people assuming evil of us, and it is without warrant. God sees the injustice. And when we cry out to him he hears.

In the last part of the verse James describes the "ears of the Lord of Hosts." This title given to God is found often in the Old Testament. It is a military description, meaning "captain of the armies." Needless to say, you would not want the Lord of Hosts coming against you. If you are defrauding others God is coming against you.

Be careful that you deal with others fairly. God hears the cries of those whom we defraud. If you have been treated with injustice cry out to the one who hears, and cares.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Romans 8:18: For I Consider That The Sufferings Of This Present Time Are Not Worth Comparing

Romans 8:18 [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV) Perspective. What an important word. Let's be honest. We do not like the idea of suffering. We will do almost anything to avoid any kind of suffering. Some churches have gone so far as to preach against the idea of suffering, declaring it to not be a part of the true believer's life. Paul is not shy about the topic. Paul uses the sufferings of this present time as a means to consider the greater glory that awaits us. Perspective. Paul is not in any way attempting to diminish our suffering. A view toward eternity puts our suffering in a proper understanding. Yes, our suffering is terrible. In the grand scheme of eternity it is not even worth comparison. Maybe you are thinking that Paul does not know what he is talking about when it comes to suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes countless beatings, often near death,

Romans 15:20-21: And Thus I Make It My Ambition To Preach The Gospel, Not Where Christ Has Already Been Named

Romans 15:20–21 [20] and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (ESV) We need to be reminded continually that the message of the Gospel is intended to move all across the world. Jesus said that his followers were to preach the Gospel, starting in Jerusalem, and continue preaching the Gospel to the whole world. Christians have not always been good at delivering the Gospel message as far and as often as they should. In the first century church it took intense persecution to motivate the disciples in Jerusalem to bring the Gospel to Judea and Samaria. Once the disciples fled to new regions they shared the Gospel wherever they went. Would the disciples have preached the Gospel without the persecution? We may never know. Some probably would have stayed in their co

James 2:18: I Will Show You My Faith By My Works

James 2:18 [18] But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (ESV) There are certain things in life that go together. Peanut butter and jelly. Double stuff Oreo cookies and milk. Faith and works. James raises the point that someone might argue that faith and works can be separated. "One will say, "You have faith and I have works." Is it ok for works to be separated from faith? James is making the argument that faith and works are not to be separated. James is saying to the one who has faith only, with no works, that he wants them to see his faith by his works. In other words, if you are going to claim to have faith, but have no works, you have no evidence of faith. If I am to believe that a person has genuine faith I can only see that by their works. Faith brings action. There are so many people to claim to have some kind of faith, yet when it comes down to it, their