Be Patient: Part 1 - James 5:7-8

Be Patient: Part 1 - James 5:7-8
Written by LaRosa Johnson
Wednesday, October 29, 2008

After spending six verses condemning the rich, James turns his focus to those who were being persecuted by their rich oppressors. His purpose here is to give them encouragement and provide a means of comfort so that they can continue to walk in a Christlike manner even in the midst of their affliction. This passage spans multiple verses, from verses 7 to 12, but today we're only going to focus in on the first two, verses 7 & 8, where he specifically speaks on the issue of being patient. So, if hearts and minds are ready for the study of Scripture, let's open our Bibles to James 5.

Quote :

James 5:7-8 (NASB) - 7Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. 8You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.

In speaking to those who were being oppressed by the rich, James begins with an imperative, telling them to be patient. Given what was spoken in verse 6 about them not resisting the rich, it is quite obvious that these believers were already being patient, but James is encouraging them to continue in their perseverance. To this end, James is letting these believers know that they need to continue in the manner that they were currently walking in without losing hope or becoming impatient, wondering if and when they'll be vindicated. Before we go much further, let's deal with this word "patient" for a minute because the Greek sheds some interesting light on the term. In the Greek, "patient" is from a compound of "long" and "temper," which literally means to be long tempered or not losing heart. This is also where we get the idea or King James verbiage of long suffering, which is indeed what's in mind here in this passage. Now getting back to the text, the one good thing about this petition to be patient is that these believers are told how long they need to wait, which is until the coming of the Lord. In saying this, James is stating a few things: 1) he is making it clear that they do not have to be patient for an indefinite amount of time because there is a marked moment when their waiting will end, 2) their waiting will end when Jesus Christ returns at His Second Advent (or even the rapture before then because they will be removed from the oppression of this world), and 3) when the Lord comes He will vindicate them for all the wrong they suffered.

From there, James then moves into an analogy that they can relate to in terms of their need to remain patient. He speaks to them of how the farmer has to be patient in waiting for his crops. A farmer cannot plant his seed and then immediately expect a harvest; as this verse states, he has to be "patient about it, until it gets the early and [the] late rains." In other words, for any given crop, there is a time for planting, and then you have to wait then entire season for the crop to fully mature before you can begin to harvest it. Living where I live, I constantly see farmers growing corn and cotton, and neither of those crops is picked until it is just the right time because the farmer knows that he won't have the best product until it is perfectly ripe for harvest. The same holds true for perseverance in the midst of oppression. We have to be patient and wait for the Lord's return because we know that it will come at the perfect time, and not a moment sooner or later. Therefore, in the meantime, it is necessary to hold up passages like Galatians 6:9 where we're told, "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary." In having patience and not resisting, we are doing good, and at the right time we'll reap what we've sown.

One point that is worthy of pointing out, is James continued use of the word "brethren." He uses it yet again in this passage and it carries with it the same connotation that it had in its previous uses. As a reminder, James primarily uses it as a means of bringing his readers' attentions to certain key points, and also as a means of comfort in the midst of his seemingly harsh words towards them. In this instance in verse 7, it definitely carries with it the weight of comfort and reassurance, probably more so than in any of its other uses in this epistle. James knows that these believers are being oppressed and he genuinely wants for them to have divine perspective and be encouraged, even while they're being wronged. This is further compounded when you notice that he uses this word a total of four times in this span of six verses from 7 to 12.

Moving on, James tells these believers that they need to be patient just like the farmer is patient who is waiting for his crops. That is what he is saying to them when he says, "you too be patient;" he wants for them to be just like the farmer. Not only are they to be like the farmer, but they are to also strengthen their hearts. This isn't James telling his readers that they need to get in shape and stop eating fatty foods, but he is speaking in spiritual terms. He is urging them to strengthen and cement themselves in the faith and the fact that Jesus is soon to return. That means that they need to remain patient and not get to a point where they are ready to take matters into their own hands, but remaining in a posture that is anticipating the Lord's return. Scripture attests to this need for remaining patient as we can see in passages such as Psalm 37:7 and Hebrews 10:35-37. In Psalm 37:7 we are told to rest and be patient in the Lord, all while not fretting because of how others are prospering around us because of their wicked ways. Follow that with Hebrews 10:35-37 where we are encouraged to not throw away our confidence and remain steadfast, knowing that He is soon to return and won't delay. Also keep in mind the words from Lamentations 3:25, 26 which reads, "The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. 26It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the Lord."

The most important thing about all that James had said concerning being patient is his final remark in verse 8, which says that "the coming of the Lord is near." The suffering and oppression isn't going to last much longer, it is only for a short while, especially when compared to eternity. As 2 Corinthians 4:17 states, these are only momentary light afflictions that are here to produce eternal weights of glory. That is the reason why we can and should persevere in patience, which is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22), because we know that we won't have to do it forever, and not even much longer. The Lord is soon to come and when He does, all those who have been oppressing others will not only receive the condemnation from verses 1-6, but also face the Lord of Sabaoth (v. 4) who will vindicate those who have cried out. When we know that the Lord is soon to return and knowing what He will do when He returns, we can allow that to strengthen our hearts as we stand firm in and walk in the fruit of the Spirit, which includes patience.

James doesn't just stop at telling these believers to be patient, although that is the first thing they need to do. He also speaks on how they need to conduct themselves until the Lord returns, which is what he begins to deal with next as we take a look at verses 9 and following. The main point that we want to take away from these verses though is that no matter what we're facing, we need to be patient and allow our hearts to be strengthened, knowing that the Lord is soon to return and will set things right. So, until next time, walk in patience and stand strong in the faith.

devotion courtesy of Trailblazin Ministries
http://www.trailblazinministries.com/devotions/james080.php