Patience Needed
James 5:7-12
This passage follows what was said about the wicked rich, and exhorts us, particularly the oppressed brethren, to be patient until the coming of the Lord. The second coming of Christ has been the hope of believers since earliest times, and all the way through Scripture we are taught that we should live in the light of His coming.
The coming of Christ will correct the wrongs of the world. This is said frequently in Scripture, not only through prophecy in the Old and New Testament, but by Christ Himself. His Sermon on the Mount gives us a glimpse of the rules of His kingdom (Matthew 6:19-24).
The farmer waiting for his crop to grow before it can be harvested is an example of the patience required from believers. The farmer doesn't expect to see the grain ready to be harvested until it has grown and ripened over the right time - which is out of his control.
Every age has ended in judgement, and that is like a harvest. Our present age will end with the judgement of the tribulation and the outpouring of the wrath of God on the Lord's Day, foreseen in a great number of prophecies in the Bible, and described in considerable detail in the book of Revelation.
Before that day the Lord Jesus will come to gather His church in the air, known as the Rapture, and take it to the place He prepared for it. In this way, believers will be saved from the wrath of God before it is poured on earth. Later, after the judgement of the great tribulation, Christ will come to judge and to rule with righteousness over the earth.
The Lord said that no-one knows when He will return, so it could be at any time, and the time is, of course, constantly drawing nearer.
To grumble against one another is to stand in judgement of one another. Under persecution, oppression and distress, it is human nature to be impatient and critical of others, even to turn against one another. We should fight against this tendency in us, remembering that the Judge is already at the door! It would be very embarrassing if the Lord should come while we were sitting in judgement of someone else! Soon after our rapture we will be standing before His judgement seat, and He will be judging us for our behaviour. We should not judge lest we be judged ourselves.
The prophets are an example to us. They suffered, and they were patient (restrained from retaliating): notice that they first suffered then were patient, for "tribulation produces perseverance" (Romans 5:3). They suffered because they delivered the word of the Lord faithfully, even though it exposed the sins of those receiving it, and they showed fortitude and steadfastness in spite of the consequent unmerciful persecution. They "endured as seeing Him who is invisible" (Hebrews 11:27, 32-40).
The first part of verse 11 is translated differently in the various versions, for example:
- Behold, we count them happy which endure. (KJV).
- Indeed we count them blessed who endure. (NKJV).
- Lo, we call happy those who are enduring (YLT).
- Behold, we call them blessed who have endured. (Darby's)
- As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered (NIV)
We may gather that the meaning here is that all who are patient through persecution, oppression, and stress are normally regarded as happy people: the Greek work translated "happy" and "blessed" is indeed "happy". Their happiness, however, is understood to come after they have endured, because of the reward they receive.
The prophets of the Old Testament, referred to in the previous verse, are held out as examples of patience, and indeed we look back on them having been honoured by God with the authority and responsibility of delivering His own messages to the people, and as blessedly happy because of a job well done in very difficult circumstances.
They are honoured and admired for their lives of dedication and zeal for the Lord, and we agree that they were right and all those around them were wrong. If we want to be happy and blessed, we should be prepared to patiently endure criticism and persecution like them, because we don't go along with most people in the wide way of the world which leads to destruction.
In our days we look on with disappointment and sadness on leaders of Christian churches who are so afraid of offending sinners and unbelievers that they do not preach the Gospel of salvation through faith in Christ alone - some are even afraid to mention sin, separation from God, eternal punishment, the righteousness of God which requires banishment of sinners from His presence.
Such people are not even prepared to stand for the apostolic doctrines of faith and they go hand in hand with apostates and heretics just because they also call themselves "Christians". The Bible clearly separates believers from unbelievers, but they talk of "churched" and "unchurched", as if going to church services is only what matters. But they will not be happy or blessed: if they are truly believers themselves, they will one day have to stand before Christ and endure His condemnation of their cowardice and unfaithfulness.
Job has been held up for millennia as the great example of patience and perseverance: he was not aware of the reason why the tremendous catastrophes had come upon his life, whereby he lost all his wealth and family, and then his health. Yet he would not curse God as Satan thought he would and his wife told him to do. He learned to be patient through his trial.
In the experience of Job we also see the end intended by the Lord: we know, through the revelation of the Holy Spirit to the writer of the book, the reason why Job had to go through those trials and came out victorious. God knew all the time that Job was faithful enough not to allow these disasters to bring about a separation from Him - contrary to what Satan thought.
The compassion and mercy of the Lord were held back until Job had proved himself, and then they were poured in abundance: he became twice as wealthy as he had been before, all his family and friends came to comfort him and console him, he had another seven sons and three daughters and lived to see his children and their children to the fourth generation. His memory has lived on for many thousands of years.
We might be tempted to envy the wicked who seem to have the best of this world, if we did not know the end intended by the Lord. Asaph wrote that he was concerned at the prosperity of the wicked until he went into the sanctuary of God and understood what they were doomed for (Psalm 73). David also saw the injustice on earth, but he describes the portion of the believer in the life to come, making it worthwhile to be steadfast (Psalm 17:15).
Verse 12 is considered by many as having no connection with the previous verses. Others ponder that under the pressure of suffering believers can be lead to swearing.
The word "swear" here does not imply bad language as it is mostly understood today, but to call upon heaven or earth or anything else as witness to the truth of what is being said.
It is stressed: "above all things". A believer should never reinforce what he says or promises to do by swearing in this way. It is done by liars whose word is of little value. A believer's character should be such that those around him will know that what he says is the truth. Falling into judgement may be a reference to the third commandment, or to judgement by others, as the meaning isn't clear.
R David Jones
7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.
8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!
10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience.
11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord - that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your "Yes," be "Yes," and your "No," "No," lest you fall into judgement.