What Was Not Planted

James 5:7-11

Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

"The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" according to Romans 6:23. James is speaking about the gift of God and what has been sown. Verses one through six of this chapter discuss riches and what happens to them. Then, this discussion is immediately followed up with the example of Job. You know, some topics are so touchy these days that the only way to explain them is by telling another story. Well, it was the same in that day too. We take, for example, Job and his suffering. Do we not all face to some degree suffering similar to which Job was familiar? God gives us the same answer that he gave to Job: the answer of Behemoth and Leviathan. For the sake of time, we will only focus on the story of Job today as we seek to understand the text. We see in these first verses, a pouring out of lament similar to what Job uttered. There are earthly riches and there is Heavenly gain. Then there are Heavenly riches not of this earth; even so, there are weapons of the flesh and weapons of the spiritual world equal to the forces faced by the believer as in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.

Earthly riches and their faults are pointed out in the first part. Despite all the testing, trials, gains, and losses of this life, we are to be patient as we wait for the Lord's coming. Most of us "have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about." Even if we have not yet, we soon will. Have you ever seen Leviathan or Behemoth who lives near him? What the Lord finally brought about for Job was of a man who was rich and had lost a bet between God and the devil. This man had been yielded to Satan for a time for testing, but when God was through, he was twice as rich as before. God will do this thing. Even God will bless himself in the end for all he has suffered. How much more will he not give good gifts to his children as in Matthew 7:11. He is not the daddy who gave rocks and a scorpion and told the children to drink deadly poison. Man did that. Satan does that. He is the eternal Father who gave the bread and the eternal life of John 6:51. He gave a life so full that if we fell away, it would be impossible to get it back again. Then, we would be counted as fallen as the angels of God who rebelled against him in Hebrews 6:6.

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.

This is why we are patient in the face of earthly trials. There is Heavenly gain ahead on this earth just as the farmer waits for the rains to come and water the crops. See, the farmer also watches for the seasons to change to get a harvest. You might be in a famine now or were in a famine then waiting for stuff to grow. Yet are you still in a famine now? When God brought about the harvest did you not feast. Job did not seem like he waited long for his harvest. Certainly, not as long as God has waited for his. So then, if we are buried in the likeness of his death and raised in the likeness of his resurrection, why would we not also reign with him as in Romans 6:4-5? Consider this for we also suffered with him. When he is ready, he will bring it to pass. God decides the seasons. Man decides the harvest. What you planted that you will also reap according to Galatians 6:9. I cannot tap my corn and get corn syrup in the middle of fall. I cannot plow my fields and get a crop of marshmallows beside the road. You have seen the verse which says what the Lord finally brought about. He brought a new season as in Daniel 2:21. If you sowed to the flesh, you will one day get the rewards of the flesh as in Galatians 6:8. The Spirit brings life and the benefits of Heaven. Notice the gift of God and the coming of his Son. While you harvest, remember, he is still waiting for his final reaping of the earth and receiving of all the kingdoms of this world.

Don't grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

The judge is at the door. Look, he is right outside. He is not in his own chambers but outside yours. Anytime now you could have a good result or a bad one depending on how you sowed. Grumbling will not help your case. The judge of all the earth is here. The king is just outside. The great one who controls your destiny is here. What are you going to do to respond to him? See, man gets it twisted. This is why near the end at Revelation 14:6, God had an angel fly through the Heavens to preach the gospel. This will be seen by all the earth to preach the Holy Gospel not because there are not Scriptures and Christian books written but because it is necessary to hear from God himself. He will have the gospel preached so there is no confusion about what he means to say. See, there is a certain story about how God would punish a monster named Leviathan in Revelation with his sword and would slay the monster of the sea in Isaiah 27:1. Certain ones of scholarly persuasion have said this should be translated dragon.

The original King James Version created a great confusion in meanings. Man gets it twisted. This is how modern theologians came up with a dinosaur and a water buffalo as the whole meaning to Job's suffering. Theologians are not the judge of every matter, as some would like to believe. God says not to grumble against each other for "the Judge is standing at the door." We see that the Judge of the earth, in Genesis 18:25, will do what is right. Note, first these people are marked, branded, and finally exalted. You might not have been rich before. You might have been poor by the world's standards but now the Judge is at the door. You were marked by him. You were branded. You who were not are now counted as those who are. How else did this Judge know to whose door to come? Now, the judgement is here along with the harvest; the ones which were not the people of God are now his. Those who were not the children of God are now the children and the people who rejected him must meet him as their Judge.