What are his commandments?

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400» Jas 4:13-16 . . Come now, you who say: Today or tomorrow, we shall
go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business
and make a profit.

. .Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a
vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you
ought to say: If The Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that. But as
it is, you boast in your self confidence; all such boasting is evil.

There are two benefits to my association with God that I value very highly.
One is the ransom that His son paid to rescue my soul from the death
depicted by Rev 20;11-15; viz: the destination spoken of by Isa 66:23-24,
Matt 10:28, Mark 9:43-48, and Luke 16:19-31.

The second benefit that I value very highly is providence; which is the thing
that James is getting at. His criticism is directed towards overly ambitious
Christians who deliberately neglect to take into consideration God's thoughts
about their schemes.

They also neglect to take into consideration the brevity of life. In other
words: if you're getting by alright in your present circumstances, don't seek
better circumstances. Instead, live out the remaining days of your fragile life
where you are now unless circumstances beyond your control force you to
relocate and make some changes.

● 1Tim 6:6-10 . . Piety, with contentment, is great gain. For we brought
nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have
food and clothing, we will be content with that.

. . People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many
foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For
the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for
money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with much
grief.

The love of money is quite a bit different than the necessity for money. The
love of money tends to be grasping, i.e. desiring material possessions
urgently and excessively and often to the point of ruthlessness. The love of
money says: more, more, more. Whereas the necessity for money says:
there's no need for more when adequate is enough.
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401» Jas 5:1-3 . . Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending
miseries. Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth
eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a
testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire. You have stored
up treasure for the last days.

Gold doesn't react with oxygen so it won't rust. However, gold isn't
indestructible. Under certain conditions gold will tarnish, e.g. long-term
storage in boxes, bins, and or environments containing organic sulfur
compounds. In other words; James condemns the rich for stockpiling their
gold and never putting any of it to a use beneficial to their fellow man.

The worst case scenario is the hoarding of gold that rightfully belonged to
laborers who worked to earn it.

● Jas 5:4 . . Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and
which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of
those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of The Lord of Sabaoth.

James' final comment actually accuses unfair labor practices of murder
because they deprive the working man of a living wage; and of course most
of the world's working men do not challenge unfair labor practices in court
because they simply cannot afford to; and in some countries, they would risk
severe political reprisals if they dared.

● Jas 5:6 . .You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he
does not resist you.

The "righteous man" in this context refers to people putting in an honest
day's work and not being fairly compensated for it and/or employers
contriving tricky ways to short change them by deducting trumped up
expenses from their pay. There's a lot of that goes on in the garment
industry.

It's still true even in our day that only the rich and powerful can afford
justice. However; there's a day coming when that imbalance will all come to
an end.

● Ps 72:4 . . He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the
children of the needy; he will crush the oppressor.

● Isa 11:4 . . But with righteousness He will judge the poor, and decide with
fairness for the afflicted of the earth;
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402» Jas 5:7-8 . . Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the
Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being
patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient;
strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Something like +/- 1,970 years have gone by since James wrote his epistle,
so for him "at hand" had a long ways to go yet.

Although James' encouragement no doubt applies to all believers, it
especially applies to his Jewish countrymen. They have been waiting, and
waiting, and waiting for God to fulfill the promises He made to Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob; and to restore David's kingdom per the words of the
prophets. I'm told that many have given up hope of the promises and the
predictions ever coming to pass.

But James urges them not to give up; God is reliable; and He and the
kingdom are both worth waiting for no matter how long it takes because
Moses' people will be so much better off then.

The delay, if we can call it that, is according to 2Pet 3:9 wherein is said the
Lord is reluctant to return; primarily because of the amount of suffering and
loss of life that will occur when He does.

Take for example Rev 16:18-19 where there's predicted a world-wide
earthquake preceding Christ's return so severe on the Richter scale that
cities all over the world will collapse at once.

Something like 2,829 lost their lives when the World Trade Center was
demolished by a terrorist attack in 2001. Well that was only a few acres of
New York City. Just imagine the body count when all of Manhattan comes
down at once. along with other major cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco,
Mexico City, Paris, Moscow, Beijing, Tokyo, et al. The carnage will be beyond
belief. Surely no rational person is anxious to see all of that start to happen.
(cf. Isa 2:1-4:6 and Jer 31:1-7)
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403» Jas 5:9 . . Do not complain against one another, brethren, that you
yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the
door.

If there’s a personality clash between you and a fellow believer; God forbid
you should drag other people into the middle of it! And keep in mind that
God is an eavesdropper. He hears and sees everything we do, think, or say.
Don't let Him catch you maliciously shredding a fellow believer's reputation,
assassinating their character and/or running them into the ground behind
their back. (cf. Matt 18:15)
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404» Jas 5:10 . . For an example of suffering and patience, brethren; take
the prophets who spoke in The Lord's name.

The days of Israel, wherein many of the prophets resided, were not ideal,
Much of the time, their country was largely dystopian.

There's an era looming on the horizon wherein the world will be governed by
a man of honor; and justice and stability will be the rule rather than the
exception. But for now, we here in America, and many folks abroad, are
stuck in a world where commerce and government are in the hands of men
and women gone mad with evil. The year 2020 was especially discouraging
in America when a man was elevated the office of President by illegal means
and unscrupulous methods.

In times like these, it's helpful to keep in mind that God has not been
overthrown, nor has He abdicated. The Lord is still on God's throne; and His
plan, purpose, and program for us has neither been altered nor thwarted. It
will go forward even when all 'round us are fear, anxiety, pessimism,
despair, and insecurity.
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405» Jas 5:12 . . Above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or
by earth or with any other oath; but let your yes be yes, and your no be no;
so that you may not fall under judgment.

Christ took an oath. (Matt 26:62-64, Mark 14:61-62)

God takes oaths. (Gen 22:15-18, Heb 6:13-18, Heb 7:20-21)

Angels swear (Rev 10:5-6)

Paul swore. (Rom 1:9)

Israel's covenanted law, which Christ came to defend (Matt 5:17-19)
requires oaths on special occasions. (e.g. Ex 22:10-11, Lev 5:1, Num 5:19,
Deut 29:10-15)

So then, not all oaths are wrong.

The problem is, people are too careless with their oaths. They’re wont to say
"I swear to God" and/or "Hand to God" for just about everything. And they
make promises sealed with the same words.

Those promises are a snare because like Jesus said "you cannot make one
hair white or black". Sure enough, when you seal a promise by God's name,
the forces of heaven and hell, the stars in their courses, dumb luck, brute
force, circumstances beyond your control, and the neighbor's dog are going
to make it impossible for you to keep that promise.

Will God grant you an excuse? Probably not because in order to grant you an
excuse, He would have to compromise not only His integrity; but also the
dignity of the name by which you swore; and that He will never do.

So, it's okay to give your word on a matter, but if at all possible; avoid
attaching God's name to it.

● Ex 20:7 . .You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the
Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name.
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406» Jas 5:13a . . Is anyone among you undergoing hardship? Let him pray.

Though Jesus' followers weren't experiencing difficulty while he was getting
ready for his destiny on the cross (Luke 22:39-46) he no doubt knew that
they were soon to undergo a stress test that would cause them to do
something really stupid if they failed to seek God's providence in what lay
ahead. (e.g. Mark 14:50-52 & 66-72)

Most any kind of "hardship" can cause us to become irrational, lose our
composure, and do something contrary to our better judgment, e.g. layoff,
illness, death in the family, old age, betrayal, divorce, legal problems,
student loans, traffic incidents, crime, political events; etc.

FAQ: Why pray about our difficulties? In hopes that God will make them go
away?

REPLY: Well; if God is any kind of a parent at all; He's wanting to be a
part of your life rather than an audience or a bystander. Just having
someone you can talk to, or a shoulder to cry on, is very helpful at times.
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407» Jas 5:13b . . Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praises.

The Greek word translated "sing praises" basically corresponds to the
Hebrew word zamar (e.g. Ps 18:49) Both mean pretty much the same thing,
to wit: vocals accompanied by instrumental music for the purpose of
celebration.

Unfortunately quite a few traditional Christian hymns are dreary: suitable for
a funeral rather than throwing a party. Compare the 150th Psalm wherein
song and dance are accompanied by high-voltage music.

* The apostles sang a hymn during Jesus' last Passover dinner; with him, I
expect, serving as choir director. (Matt 26:30) Their song was likely familiar
to the Jews, and probably even utilized in the synagogues. We today study
many of the Jews' ancient songs as scripture, without realizing their words
were lyrics set to music: some of the prophets too, e.g. Hab 3:19.

Anyway; "praise" can be roughly defined as saying things about someone
that commends them in some way; such as admiring their artwork,
applauding their musical talent, a favorable evaluation of their personal
conduct and/or their physical beauty, giving them high marks for courage,
intelligence, endurance, loyalty, etc, etc.

I've always been impressed by our creator's imagination. I mean; the
seemingly endless variety of living things in the worlds of flora and fauna is
pretty astounding. And then if it wasn't awe-inspiring enough to set billions
of stars in their places, He constructed the universe as an expanding globe
rather than a static structure. Every hour that goes by results in a bigger void
than before and nobody yet has figured out what makes it do that.
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408» Jas 5:14 . . Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of
the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name
of The Lord

Religious fanatics here and there are allowing their underage children to
suffer and even die from treatable medical conditions on the basis of Jas
5:14. Christ addressed this issue indirectly by means of his teachings at Matt
12:11-12 which say:

"What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall
into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How
much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do good
on the sabbath days."

In other words: the sanctity of human life trumps the sanctity of the
Sabbath. So then, hospitals, doctors, nurses, firemen, law enforcement,
soup kitchens, rescue missions, Red Cross, disaster emergency workers, etc.
who are busy on the Sabbath do not sin. Do they break the Sabbath? Yes;
but the sanctity of the seventh day is secondary to the sanctity of human
life. (cf. Luke 13:15 & Luke 14:5)

So then, I would have to say, in principle with Matt 12:11-12, that people
who deny their children adequate medical care in the name of religion regard
the value of their own flesh and blood as something less than that of a
beast.

It's okay to have elders pray for a child, and it's okay to anoint them with oil
if perchance somebody wants to. But after that, parents really should take
their children to a doctor because medicine today is far and away superior to
the practices available to Christians back in James' day when oil, prayer, and
wine were just about the best there was.

There used to be an old saying going around in Christian circles that went
something like this: When a farmer prays for a crop, he should say amen
with a hoe. In other words, Christian parents shouldn't sit back and wait for
a miracle when it's in their power to take some action; and if they don't,
then in my opinion, they deserve to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of
the law when a child in their care dies from a treatable condition.

● 1Tim 5:8 . . If any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his
own house, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
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409» Jas 5:16a . . Confess your sins to one another

Words for "your sins" aren't in the Greek manuscript; viz: they're editorial
insertions. Some even pencil in the word "faults" which is no less arbitrary.

So we can safely omit "your sins" and clean up that verse to read "Confess
to one another".

The Greek word translated "confess" means things like consent, assent,
acknowledge, agree, and/or concur. It can also mean to "own-up" (a.k.a.
man-up) for example:

When folks are deathly ill-- for instance dying from terminal cancer --then is
a good time to make amends with those whom we've hurt or done wrong in
some way or another. We sure don't want to leave this life while at the same
time leaving a bad taste in people's mouth. And besides, folks need to know
of our regretting the way we treated them.
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410» Jas 5:19-20 . . My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth,
and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the
error of his way will save his soul from death, and will cover a multitude of
sins.

Not all sins are worthy of death (1John 5:16-17). And a sin that's fatal for
one believer may not be lethal for another. I mean, look at David; he
committed the awful sins of premeditated murder and adultery, yet God
allowed him to live (2Sam 11:1-2Sam 12:14). But when Ananias and his
wife Sapphira lied about the proceeds from the sale of their property, they
were summarily executed. (Acts 5:1-10). And in Corinth, the health of only
some was struck after desecrating The Lord's supper; while others were
executed for the same reason. (1Cor 11:17-30)

Some kids are easily corrected simply by a cross glare and a stern scolding;
while other kids require a stronger hand.

I once heard a cute story of a man who would whack his mule upside the
head with a wooden stake prior to getting up on the seat of his buckboard.
Someone asked him why he hit the animal. The man replied: That was to
get his attention, otherwise he won't budge when I snap the reins and yell
giddy-up.

● Ps 32:8-9 . . I wish to instruct you, and teach you in the way you should
go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Don't be like the horse or the
mule, which have no discernment, but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not obey you.

For some believers, a whack up alongside the head is all it takes to motivate
them to straighten up and fly right. Others are so incorrigible that only a
brush with death finally convinces them that God is serious.
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411» 1Pet 1:13-18 . . Gird up your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix
your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of
Jesus Christ.

The Greek word translated "hope" basically means anticipation; which is
quite a bit different than crossing one's fingers; viz; Peter's hope doesn't
mean praying for the best while in the back of one's mind dreading the
worst.

The grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ is of course
a forever young, immortal body. That's good to know for those of us
undergoing the damage being done to our appearance, and the loss of our
vitality, due to the aging process. I can only imagine the despair that
unbelievers must feel facing death and knowing that they will never be
young again. Once the youth they have now fades away; that's it.
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412» 1Pet 1:14-16. . As obedient children, do not be conformed to the
former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who
called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is
written: You shall be holy, for I am holy.

"conformed" is speaking of habits. Take for example alcoholism. The popular
diagnosis these days is that it's a disease. Well; it if is, then it's the only
disease I know of contracted by fools.

● Prov 20:1 . . Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is
deceived thereby is not wise.

"You shall be holy, for I am holy" sort of echos the old proverb: Birds of a
feather, flock together; meaning of course that if people wish to cultivate
a rapport with God; they have to work on becoming heavenly rather than
earthly because He tends to avoid mingling with invasive species; so to
speak. (cf. 1John 1:6)
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413» 1Pet 1:17-18 . . And if you address as "Father" the one who impartially
judges according to each man's work, conduct yourselves in reverential fear
during the time of your stay upon earth

People in Heaven no doubt give priority to always conducting themselves
with their Father in mind; that is: they respect both Him and His expectations.
Down here, people make a habit of indifference.

● Mal 1:6 . . A son honors his father; if I am a father, where is the honor due
me? (cf. John 8:29)
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414» 1Pet 1:22b . . See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently

A pure heart is one that's honest and sincere rather than pretentious,
deceitful, and/or dissembling.

One another in this instance is likely relative to the fraternity of folks unified
with Christ, i.e. one's fellow believers.
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415» 1Pet 2:1 . . Lay aside all malice

The Greek word for "malice" basically refers to badness, i.e. depravity,
malignity, and trouble.

Malignity commonly describes aggressive cancers, which tend to spread and
produce death or deterioration, viz: malignant people are passionately and
relentlessly malevolent; defined by Webster's as having, showing, or arising
from intense often vicious ill will, spite, or hatred.

Seeing as how malice is controllable; then I think it safe to conclude that
there are some people whose mean-spirited behavior is by choice, i.e.
deliberate.
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416» 1Pet 2:1 . . . . Lay aside all deceit

The Greek word translated "deceit" basically refers to decoys; defined by
Webster's as someone or something used to lure or lead another into a trap.

Decoys can also be used as diversions, e.g. red herrings.

It also refers to trickery; defined by Webster's as the practice of crafty
underhanded ingenuity to deceive or cheat, for example Gen 3:1.

A very common form of deceit is something called dissembling; which
basically means to conceal one's true feelings with pretense. I think it's
pretty safe to say that everybody at one time or another practices
dissembling; it's pretty much a natural propensity.

Peter's instructions don't say to avoid deceit, they say to lay it aside; viz:
cease.
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417» 1Pet 2:1 . . Lay aside all hypocrisy

The Greek word for "hypocrisy" basically refers to acting under a feigned
part.

Not all hypocrisy is bad; quite a few people earn an honest living by
accepting parts in movies and plays. That we can live with.

But hypocrisy in religion is insufferable; for example Mark 12:13-15, which
reads like this:

"Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him
in his words. They came to him and said: Teacher, we know you are a man
of integrity. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who
they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it
right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn't we? But
Jesus knew their hypocrisy."

Their inquiry was reasonable; but it was based upon a hidden agenda. They
didn't care one whit about the taxes; they were only looking for a legitimate
excuse to have Jesus arrested and put away where he could no longer
influence public opinion.

Hypocrisy is also exemplified in double standards, for example Luke 6:41-42
and Matt 23:2-4

"And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not
notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother:
Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye, when you yourself do
not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out
of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in
your brother's eye."

"The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of
Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do
according to their deeds; for they say things, and do not do them. And they
tie up heavy loads, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves
are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger."

To put this in a modern context: A prominent member of the US Congress
recently quoted a passage from the Bible to justify sending aid to Ukraine.
Some time later, the Catholic archbishop in that person's district announced
his intention to deny them Communion because of their pro abortion stance.
In other words: that member of congress attempted to politicize their
religion without taking it serious enough to live it.
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418» 1Pet 2:1 . . Lay aside all envy

Webster's defines envy as painful or resentful awareness of an advantage
enjoyed by another, coupled with a desire to possess the same advantage.

There are musicians that I greatly admire for their talent and their creativity.
But I don't hate them for it; no, I truly love their work, i.e. I'm a fan rather
than a rival. For example: famed sessions musician Carol Kaye laid down
smooth jazz lines with an electric bass using nothing more than a flat guitar
pick. I wish I could do what Carol does; at the same time wish her all the
best and would sincerely like for her to continue playing and teaching
forever.

But when admiration is mixed with pain and resentment, it can become ugly
and extremely dangerous.

For example, it was the ugly kind of envy that motivated Cain to murder his
kid brother, and it was the ugly kind of envy that motivated Joseph's
brothers to sell him into slavery, and it was the ugly kind of envy that
motivated Jesus' opponents to have him arrested and put to death.

People prone to the ugly kind of envy share a very common denominator:
they simply must be either equal to, or better than, others. It's that simple.
And if they cannot be equal to, or better than others, then nothing would
make them happier than to see those others failed, maimed, silenced,
disfigured, dishonored, disgraced, humiliated, handicapped for life and/or
deceased.
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419» 1Pet 2:1 . . Lay aside all evil speaking

The Greek word for "evil speaking" basically pertains to defamation; defined
by Webster's as the act of deliberately communicating false statements
about a person that injures their reputation.

For example there was a case in the courts not that long ago wherein a
notable politician initiated a Russian collusion hoax with the intent to destroy
the public's trust in a former US President's integrity.
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