Justice will prevail against rich oppressors

How do you eat an elephant?  The answer:  One bite at a time.  That is what we are going to do with Chapter 5.  We are going to take it one bite at a time.  So for this time around we will only cover the first six verses of chapter 5.

The disparity between rich and poor can be seen in any country you visit.  However, in some countries it just seems more visible.   Examples of this could be when you walk in a neighbourhood where the sewage runs right past the front door of living quarters, when a family of 7 all live and do life together in one small room,  where people queue up for drinking water at the nearest water spout as they don’t have access to it in their homes,  when having electricity is a luxury and the examples go on.

For some people it is difficult to reconcile those who have and those who don’t.  It just doesn’t seem fair somehow.  However, in this passage we see the other side of the story for those who are rich and oppress those who do not have.  Notice I didn’t just say rich J  Being rich is relative.  If I don’t have much money in the bank but I have running water and electricity then I am richer than someone else.  There will also be someone richer and there will also be someone poorer than ourselves.  However, the point is what do we do with our riches?  Where does our full dependence lie?  Is it in God or in our own natural resources?   Are we using our riches against those who do not have?

James warns those who are rich and have no regard for God and His ways.  He says that one day all that you have will be gone.  The clothes you valued so much and the money that you stored.  It will be destroyed.  It doesn’t last forever.  You have made wealth your god and it will destroy you.

The cries of those who have suffered under rich tyrants do not go unnoticed by God.  Notice in verse 4 that the cries have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.   At some point in time God will make it right.  For those who can’t find justice in this world are promised that God will put all wrongs to right.  He will make it right in His time.

Depending on the version of Bible you have it might say Lord Almighty or it might say Lord of Hosts.    This means armies.  The rich oppressors who have no regard for God in these days will be powerless when they come before the Lord Almighty.  He is seen as Commander in Chief, as one Pastor put it.   For those who are, in Christ, we serve a God who is in complete control.  Justice will be served at the appointed time.  Let us just make sure that we are on the right side.