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James 5:4
4 Behold [idou], the hire [misthos] of the labourers [ergates]
who [ho] have reaped down [amao] your [humon] fields [chora], which [ho] is of [apo] you [humon] kept back by
fraud [apostereo], crieth [krazo]: and [kai] the cries [boe] of them which have reaped [therizo] are entered [eiserchomai]
into [eis] the ears [ous] of the Lord [kurios] of
sabaoth [sabaoth].KJV-Interlinear
4 Behold, the pay of the laborers
who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against
you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the
Lord of Sabaoth.NASB
The system of
commerce and society are both condemned in this verse.
God created the earth
for believers.God created the universe
for believers.God will destroy the
entire world and universe eventually, and re-create a totally brand new one for
believers only.
The ultimate intended
heir is the mature believer.Of course
all believers, including the immature, will inherit in eternity, but the mature
believers will receive the vast majority of whatever the Lord has to offer.
During this life, we
live in a world of unbelievers and spiritually negative believers.Those negative types imitate the life style
and attitude of the unbelievers, and therefore are not much better in so far as
their social contribution.
Since the world was
intended for mature believers, then all that unbelievers and negative believers
do, is take things to which they are not entitled.
This verse contrasts the
master and the slave.The slave does more
than his share, and receives very little in return, even to the point of not
having enough to support himself and his family.
The master, is one
who would otherwise have to do the work, but instead takes and takes, and hoards
what he has, gets the slave to do the necessary work, and does not reimburse
the slave properly.
The work of the slave
in the spiritual sense, is to function as the mature believer does.The mature believer studies and prays, and in
return, God gives grace and support to the world primarily for the benefit of
the mature believer.
The unbeliever and
negative believer have no access to God, so their prayers are not heard. They
receive blessings from God as a result of their association with mature
believers.Their blessings are not
direct.But their spiritual work effort
is zero.
Example:Mature believers need air to breathe.God provides air.Consequently, unbelievers receive the blessing
of air, not because God gave it directly to them, but because God gave air to
mature believers and therefore there is air for unbelievers as well.Their blessing is by association.
Mature believers need
work and income.God creates an economy,
for all to work.All are blessed as a result
of that economy, regardless of their spiritual status, but the primary target
is the mature believer.
So, the mature
believer is doing all of the work, the spiritual work.And God responds to their call (cries to God).
Unbelievers and
negative believers, take more than their share, while they are not even
entitled to anything.In the spiritual
sense, the unbelievers do nothing, the negative believers do nothing.
The unbelievers and
negative believers see themselves as the authors of their own destiny, the
masters of their own lives.They hoard
up their worldly possessions (things or attitudes or beliefs) and wait for the
divine calling they expect to receive.That call never comes as they expect it.
God is the Lord of hosts. That is the meaning of sabaoth. God hears from all corners of the universe.God has infinite power, infinite abilities, and
infinite attentions directed to each and every living person.God can deal with all situations just as
easily as He can deal with one.
The unbeliever and negative
believer are concerned with only their own situation, and no one elses.
Now is the time to post a prayer.
End Of Lesson
Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth.
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