Go To Now
James 5: 1
The epistle begins with an encouragement to patiently endure the trial and ends stating the importance of converting a brother from error (James 5:19, 20). Draw a straight line from beginning to end and stay on this heading. The trials we are dealing with are those which come as the old man of own flesh wants to deal harshly with erring brethren. James declares a brother is turned from error the same way he is born of God the first hour, by the immutable will of God through the gospel, asking God in prayer (James 1:18). No matter how much of a trial it presents, continuing in the perfect law of liberty is submitting to God while patiently waiting with Abraham and Rahab, convinced that "God is able to raise up, even from the dead." Faith without these works is dead (James 3:13-18; 4:1, 7).
In James 4: 13, the phrase "go to now" was used when speaking of the self-willed man. Then in James 5: 1 the phrase "go to now" is used again when speaking of rich men. "Go to now" means "reflect on this." Both uses of this phrase indicate that these are illustrations which help us with the greater teaching of the epistle.
First, James declares the power is not in us to make our will come to pass in our daily lives. Reflect on this in our dealings with our erring brethren. How can we expect to effectually turn a brother by our will? All such boasting is evil. We ought to say, “Lord, if thou will.”
Secondly, James compares that masterly, unbridled spirit of religious men with the rich, wicked men of this earth. James oddly uses a rich man--Job--as an example of patience (James 5:11). But Job patiently endured what James has been speaking of: the condemning tongues of men who were rich in their own conceit. His friends did everything James has cautioned us not to do from the end of chapter 2 to chapter 5. Consider this text in that light.
(Be sure to come back tomorrow for the next article in this series)