Day #63

Lord, I pray that you will wake us up spiritually as we study these lessons.

Yesterday we started studying on the rich and the poor.

NOTE:  Scripture does not put down personal wealth.  Evidence of this is throughout the Bible.  One proof is that the laws in Moses’ time had specific rules for getting and handling personal wealth.  So, wealth must have been okay.

However, the Bible does put down gaining wealth illegally and using it for illegal purposes.  The prophets Amos, Isaiah, and Jeremiah all thundered out messages of judgment on those that got their wealth by stealing from the poor.

Please read James 5:1-6.

If you were not able to study yesterday’s lesson, please do so by clicking this... Day #62. 

Yesterday, we learned that the wicked rich that James was speaking to obviously had no relationship with God because they were stealing from the poor by holding back their wages (v. 4).  To hold back wages meant they never intended to pay them at all. 

NOTE:  The law was very clear and well known at this time.  Please read Deuteronomy 24:14-15, Leviticus 9:13, and Jeremiah 22:13.

In all of this abuse, the poor were PRAYERFUL THROUGH THEIR TROUBLES.  Their cries were heard by the Lord. 

So far, we have learned that these oppressive rich of James’ day got their wealth from holding back the wages of the poor (BTW- this still happens today).  And if that was not bad enough, there was still another way that they got their wealth illegally… by CONTROLLING THE COURTS (v. 6a)(which, again, still happens today). 

It is often known that those with wealth also have political power and can get what they want.  What is the Golden Rule?  Some say “whoever has the gold makes the rules.”  Click this video from Aladdin.  This is where the verse from James 2:6 comes from.

         

“Do not the rich men oppress you and draw you before the judgment seats.”

NOTE:  As you read the following verses, please read a little before and after to understand the situation going on.

When God established Israel…

-         He gave the people a system of courts (read Deuteronomy 17:8-13)

-         He warned the judges not to be greedy (read Exodus 18:21)

-         The judges were not to be partial to the rich or the poor (read Leviticus 19:15)

-         No judge was to tolerate perjury (read Deuteronomy 19:16-21)

Perjury (definition) – the offense of willfully telling a lie in court after taking an oath that you would tell only the truth.

-         Bribery was condemned by the Lord (read Isaiah 33:15, Micah 3:11, Micah 7:3)

-         Judges who took bribes and fixed cases were condemned (read Amos 5:12, Amos 5:15)

Even though these rules were set in place, apparently the courts in James’ day were easy to control if you had enough money.  Expensive lawsuits were not affordable to the poor, so they were beaten down every time.  These hard working poor had honorable cause for being upset, but they were not given justice.  Instead they were abused, ruined, or even killed (James 4:2).  The poor never even fought back because they had no weapons to fight this evil with.  All they could do was call on the Lord for justice... and BTW, it came!

TARGET of the DAY
Please check out the praises, prayer requests, memory verse, and read the following...

God owns all the wealth (read Psalm 50:10).  All of you should have been able to get the book Kisses from Katie by now.  If not, they have a copy at the library.  Please start reading the forward and introduction today and over the weekend.  This is very short!!  Please meet me by the stage on Sunday at 8:00am so we can talk about it.