In our last verse, James condemns the rich for hoarding their wealth. Here he accuses them of obtaining it by defrauding their help. He further adds that the cries of these defrauded rise up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.

"... kept back by fraud ..." The employers of Old Testament times were expected to pay the wages of those who worked for them every evening. "Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbor, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning" (Lev. 19:13). In the parable of the vineyard, the Lord Jesus pictures the owner of the vineyard saying to his steward as evening comes, "Call the labourers, and give them their hire" (Matt. 20:8). As we read our portion, we conclude that these Jewish rich had not observed this at all. These men, because of their selfish lust for riches, held back the wages of their help, and often for some petty reason, never paid part or all of it. As an excuse they would claim that the work was not done right, or accuse the workers of theft, or claim that they could not pay until the crop was sold. As Christians, we should always pay our bills, and on time if at all possible.

They could and should pay: The word "fields" in our verse suggests extensive lands. These rich were extensive land owners, and so could afford to pay their help. This made their withholding wages all the greater sin. The laborers richly deserved their hire, because mowing and reaping without any labor saving machinery is strenuous work, indeed. And they worked long hours, from sun rise to sun set. It is an especially serious sin to reduce to starvation those who by their labor supply us with food. Their pay perhaps was small enough at best, and then to defraud them of part or all of it made the sin all the more serious. They should have relieved the poor, rather than defraud them.

Covetousness: Covetousness is a terrible sin; one that each of us must guard against. Our hearts by nature crave the things of this world, and unless checked, will lead us into serious sin. The Lord Jesus says, "Beware of covetousness" (Luke 12:15). Paul in Colossians 3:5 calls it idolatry. In 2 Timothy 3:1, 2, we read that covetousness would be characteristic of the last days, and we certainly find much of it today.

Fraud today: Labor has, in some measure, gained an upper hand today. The way James denounces the rich we would almost think he was a modern labor leader. His denunciations inspired by the Holy Spirit are very strong, indeed. In spite of labor unions some employers still defraud their employees. Some still underpay their help; withhold their wages; and abuse them in other ways. At one time we had sweat shops in this country where young people worked hard for mere pittance and were almost forced to immoral living to eke out an existence. Obtain riches by fraud: Not all rich men have obtained their riches by fraud, but some no doubt have. There is some manipulation of stocks and bonds that may appear to be lawful, but is really fraudulent. Some have lost money through various stock schemes. A widow, left with any amount of money, must be on guard or a schemer will get it all.

Example of a fraud: The story is told of a man who professed to be a leader in the church, but really was a fraud. Over a period of years, he had held back thousands of dollars in commissions from his salesmen, on the promise that he would pay them when he got his money out of the deals; but he never did. His salesmen eventually quit, but one day one of them came in and demanded his pay. He shot and killed that salesman, but was never tried for lack of evidence.

The end of the fraud: He moved to another city, formed another business and again took thousands of dollars from salesmen, promising to build them new homes, but skipped out of town instead. He was finally located by the police and before they could arrest him, he took his own life.

"... crieth ..." The very wages that are held back by fraud cry out into the ears of the Lord. On top of this are the cries of the defrauded, which also reach into His ears. The Lord not only hears but He resents this fraud, and in His own way and time, will bring judgment on the guilty. God is not an uninterested spectator to oppression or evil. The voice of God spoke to Cain about the slaying of Abel, "The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground" (Gen. 4:10).

"... Lord of Sabaoth." The term "Lord of Sabaoth" is equivalent to the "Lord of Hosts" so often found in the Hebrew Bible. It literally means "Lord of Armies." The Lord of hosts is prevalent in many parts of the Hebrew Bible, especially in the book of Malachi, where we find it 23 times. Let those that think the defrauded have no helper, beware. They have not only the Lord, but also the armies of the Lord. He can and will send destruction on the guilty. The term "Lord of Sabaoth" is meant to encourage the oppressed, but put fear into the oppressor. If the guilty do not receive their punishment in this life, they surely will hereafter. Christians hiring help should keep this verse in their mind, "Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal" (Col. 4:1). If we do not heed this, we may come to know God's chastening hand.

Scripture Reading: James 5:5 (KJV)

In this verse James makes his third charge against these rich. In verse 3 he accuses them of hoarding riches, in verse 4, of obtaining those riches by defrauding their help, and now of using them wrongfully on themselves, to live in luxury and self-indulgence.

"Ye have lived in pleasure ..." "Luxury" would be a better translation than "pleasure". Living in luxury was their great pleasure, so the Authorized Version is not far from being right. They were careful to make sure that that their employees got as little as possible – relieving the needy was not important. But for themselves nothing was too good: their homes were the best, luxuriously furnished, their closets were filled with garments, and their tables were loaded down with food. They never did any work, but ate, drank and played all day. They were like the rich man who was "clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day" (Luke 16). "Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish" (Ps. 73:7).

Christian rich: To have things nice is not wrong, but to live in luxury is. To have happy times is not wrong either, but to live in pleasure is. Some wealthy Christians today live simply, thinking first of the needs of the Lord's work, always considering the needy. They also do not exploit their employees, but give them that which is just and equal.

Rich of today: For the most part the rich of today are like what we read in our verse. They live in ease, luxury, and pleasure. "In the last days ... men shall be ... lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God" (2 Tim. 3:1-4). People today seem pleasure mad, and many of the rich are especially fond of showing off their wealth. How they seem to love parties and banquets, and one family will try to surpass the other in the grandeur of their functions; the world is scoured to find fancier foods, while the needs of the suffering are forgotten.

Not on earth but treasures in Heaven: The story is told of a preacher who received a large salary. However, his home was not well kept – his furniture was worn and out of style – his rugs were the worse for wear. Some in the congregation did not like this and thought he was hoarding his money; too stingy to buy what they considered necessary things. Finally one of the church leaders asked: “How is it that you cannot afford better furniture and decent rugs on your floor? Don't we pay you enough?” He replied, “You give me more than enough, but how can I spend money for rugs and furniture when there are millions dying without ever hearing the Gospel?” Rather than spending money on what they called necessities, he was laying up treasures in heaven. He was soon asked to leave. Was he wise? He has long since gone on to meet the Lord.

"... and been wanton ..." The dictionary defines "wanton" as "roving in gaiety." Under it we could place every form of lewdness and immorality. We have a good picture of this at Herod's feast (Mark 6:21-28). On his birthday Herod made a great feast for the great men in his realm. No doubt they had plenty to eat and drink. Then they called in the daughter of Herodias to dance. The fact that all were so pleased with her dance indicates that it was a lewd affair. Perhaps this wicked damsel, with a more wicked mother, danced before them in the nude or at least nearly so. Then this king in his drunken folly offered her anything she wanted, even to half his kingdom. We know how this cost John the Baptizer his head. Do you think such drunken feasts are held today? If we knew what was happening in the ballrooms of some rich today, we would probably be astounded.

"... ye have nourished your hearts ..." This expression tells us their whole aim in life was to please self. They continually thought of ways and means to pamper self. They literally made their bellies and pleasure their gods. Little did they realize that there was something else far more satisfying, and that would reap reward for eternity.

"... in a day of slaughter." The little word "as" in our verse would be better left out. It is not "as in a day of slaughter", but "in a day of slaughter". He pictures these rich men as animals feeding heavily on the very day they are to be slaughtered. They were as sheep preparing themselves for the slaughter (Jer. 12:3). "But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed" (2 Pet. 2:12). Many of these rich were soon to be slaughtered at the destruction of Jerusalem. The poor and half starved were let go, but the rich were tortured in order to compel them to reveal the place in which their wealth was hidden, then afterwards they were killed. The fatter the animal the sooner the farmer leads him to the slaughter house.

Examples of slaughter: This has happened often in history. Just when men are living in luxury and lust, the hand of judgment falls. It happened in the day of Noah. They were eating and drinking; marrying and giving in marriage – when suddenly the flood came and took them all away (Matt. 24:37-39). It was so in connection with Sodom and Gomorrah. We see how they were living in lust and debauchery, when fire and brimstone came down from heaven and destroyed them and their cities (Gen. 19). It happened when Belshazzar was having that drunken feast, and was drinking out of vessels stolen out of the temple in Jerusalem. He never lived to see the morning light (Dan. 5). It happened to Nabal when he had his great feast, like the feast of a king. The next morning his heart died within him, and he became as stone (1 Sam. 25:36, 37). So it often happens today, and so it will happen on a larger scale when the Lord returns. "And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves unto the supper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men" (Rev. 19:17, 18).

Scripture Reading: James 5:3 (KJV)

This verse contains the fourth charge against these wicked rich men. They had not only hoarded riches, obtained them by fraud, and used them wrongfully, but they had ruthlessly slain the righteous; who had not in any way resisted them.

"Ye have condemned and killed the just ..." The Revised Version and others translate this, "Ye have condemned and killed the righteous one," so applying it to the Lord Jesus. He is often called the "Just One". Peter says in Acts 3:14, "But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you." He is also the "Just One" in Acts 7:52 and Acts 22:14. And truly, He was "The Just One," and they did condemn and kill Him, and He did not resist them. James may have had Him in mind, but the context would rather make us believe that he was thinking of the righteous followers of the Lord Jesus. Many of them suffered a fate similar to their Lord.

"... condemned ..." The fact that James first used the word "condemned" before he says "killed," gives evidence that, even as with Christ, they legally killed those they wanted out of the way. Perhaps the defrauded laborers would appeal to the judge for righteousness. The rich then would accuse them of stealing, or trump up some other charge, and being rich they could bribe the judge, and the poor man would find himself condemned and often put to death. We know how it was with Naboth. Wicked Ahab coveted his vineyard, but Naboth would not sell it to him and this grieved him. Then his most wicked wife Jezebel dragged Naboth before the judge, trumped up a charge, brought in false witnesses and had poor Naboth killed (1 Kin. 21). We see something similar in the case of Stephen. They brought in false witnesses too, before they stoned him to death. James says in 2:6, "Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?" "... and killed ..." Perhaps sometimes they did not even resort to law. They would have them waylaid and murdered in cold blood, like wicked Cain murdered righteous Abel. Many early Christians were ruthlessly killed by the Jews and also by the Romans. Paul, then still Saul, discovered that when he was persecuting Christians, he was also persecuting the Lord Jesus (Acts 9:4).

"... the just ..." The saints of the Lord are often, like the Lord Jesus, called "the just" or "righteous". In Amos 2:6 we read, "They sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes." Tradition calls James, "the righteous." It also says that James suffered martyrdom a few years after he wrote this epistle. They say he was thrown from the pinnacle of the temple, and clubbed to death. Also that he said, like the Lord Jesus, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do". They hated Christ because of His righteousness, they hated the apostles and the early Christians for the same reason and they still hate the righteous today.

"... he doth not resist you." The Lord Jesus did not resist His persecutors. "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before his shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth" (Is. 53:7). When Peter with the sword struck off the ear of the High Priest's servant, the Lord Jesus said, "Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matt. 26:52, 53) How they abused our blessed Lord. They spat on Him, they smote Him in the face, they plucked the hair from His cheeks, they lashed His back, they crowned Him with thorns; they drove nails through His hands and feet. He said nothing and did nothing. He could have resisted, but He would not.

Resist not evil: The Lord Jesus taught His disciples, "But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matt. 5:39). Evidently many of His followers did just what He taught. They suffered patiently and quietly, and we can safely do likewise. There will be some who hate us and mistreat us, but the Lord says "Vengeance is mine; I will repay" (Rom. 12:19). Those who hate, and condemn, and persecute the Lord's own will soon find themselves before the judgment bar of the Lord Jesus.

No revenge – illustration: The story is told of a Christian native of South Africa, who was lost one night and accidentally caught on the property of a rich farmer. The farmer accused him of being there to steal. All his remonstrations did no good. The farmer said, "I will teach you not to steal," and with the help of some of his men, he chopped off the right hand of this native, and let him go. One night this farmer too got lost in the woods. He saw a light, and came to a native hut. He was kindly treated, permitted to stay overnight, and given his breakfast in the morning. As he was about to leave the native showed him the stump of his right hand. The farmer trembled and said, "I suppose now you will kill me." "No," said the man, "I told you the night when you cut off my hand, that I was a Christian and would not steal. Now I tell you again, I am a Christian, and I will not take revenge." Could we do the same?

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