The Bible Study Podcast, episode 73. This is the fifth and final episode in a study on the book of James.

Welcome to the Bible study podcast. I hope you've been enjoying this study of the book of James.

My intention next week is to start a very new series about what the Bible has to say about leadership.

Leadership in the home, leadership in the workplace, leadership in the church, leadership in general, and what the Bible talks about.

With that, let's jump into the book of James chapter 5.

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.

Your wealth has rotted and moths have eaten your clothes.

Your gold and silver are corroded.

Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire.

You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look, the wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed

your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the

Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourself in the day of slaughter.

You have condemned and murdered innocent men who were not opposing you.

Well, isn't that a cheery note to start this particular episode on?

James is obviously giving a warning to the rich people,

and rich people here are specifically people he calls out, not just people who are

wealthy, but people who have gotten their wealth on the backs of others. So people who have

gotten wealthy while the people who work for them have gotten poorer, the people who've been

abusing those who have worked for them, people who live in luxury and are self-indulgent, people who have condemned and murdered innocent men.

And basically, James is saying, and remember this is in a society that understands riches in general to be a blessing from God.

And it's countercultural here to say, listen to you rich people, weep and mourn the misery that's coming upon you.

So Old Testament understanding quite often was that if you're wealthy, you're wealthy

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