Weep and Howl Rich Men James 5:1

James, the “servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ”, shared with his readers concerning those who “know to do good” and “do it not”, and as we enter the fifth and final chapter of his letter, we see him addressing those who were “rich” as he exhorts them to “weep and howl for” their future “miseries” where we read:

Go to now, you rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

The verse begins, “Go to now, you rich men,...” James began with the words, “Go to” or “come or come on” “now” which means “at this present time and henceforth” “you rich men” which refers to “those who are wealthy and abounding in material resources”. James desired an audience of “rich” people to hear about the next area he desire to share.

The verse goes on to say, “...weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.” James continued, “weep” or “bewail, mourn and lament” “and howl” which means “wail, lament with a loud cry of grief” “for your miseries” which refers to “hardships, troubles and calamities” “that shall come upon you” which means “arrive, be at hand, overtake, occur, impend, attack, influence and supervene” those “rich” men to whom James is writing. James exhorted the “rich” people to “bewail and mourn” with a “loud cry of grief” concerning the “hardships and troubles” they were going to experience in their futures.

When we consider these words of James, we would be wise to consider our own “richness” in this world. Perhaps we feel we possess much or perhaps we feel we possess little, but most of us are considered “rich” in some people's eyes. James' idea was not to have faith or trust in “riches”, but in our relationship with Jesus Christ. God Almighty knows what we need, and when we put our faith and trust in Him, whether we are “rich” or “poor”, we shall have more than ample supply.

Next time James shares about the rich men's “riches” and “garments”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.