Believers Who Are Poor Are Blessed With Spiritual Riches. The Rich Are Spiritually Poor, Humiliated, And In a Lowly State
Believers who are poor or in lowly circumstances should glory that God has made them spiritually rich, exalting them to a high position. God has honored them.
9 ·Believers [Brothers or sisters] who are ·poor [in lowly/humble circumstances] should ·take pride [boast] ·that God has made them spiritually rich [in being raised up; in their exaltation; in their high position]. 10 [L But] Those who are ·rich [wealthy] should ·take pride [boast] ·that God has shown them that they are spiritually poor [in their humiliation; in their lowly state; Jer. 9:23–24]. [L Because] The rich will ·die [pass away; wither] like a ·wild flower in the grass [or flower in the field]. 11 [L For] The sun rises with ·burning [scorching] heat and ·dries up [withers] the ·plants [or grass]. The flower falls off, and its beauty is ·gone [destroyed]. In the same way the rich will ·die [L wither away] ·while they are still taking care of business [in the midst of their pursuits; L in his journeys; Ps. 49:16–17; 103:15–16; Is. 40:6–8] (James 1:9-11 EXB).
The Poor Are Chosen To Be Rich With Faith And Inherit The Kingdom Of God
5 Listen, my ·dear [L beloved] brothers and sisters [C fellow believers]! ·God chose [L Did not God choose…?] the poor in the world [1 Cor. 1:26–29] to be rich with faith and to ·receive [L be heirs of] the kingdom God promised to those who love him [Luke 6:20] (James 2:5 EXB).
Many forget that Christ and the Apostles Suffered in Poverty
It’s time for you to recognize that Christ (Mt 8:20) & the Apostles were poor, beaten, and were brutally treated and eventually murdered. If you flaunt your wealth in pride or believe in the false health & wealth prosperity Gospel, you are lost or being taken advantage of. This happens from a lack of understanding about biblical teaching, God does not look at things the way the world does (Isa 55:8-9; 1 Sam 16:7; James 4:4).
Christ Jesus Suffered in Poverty, Was Brutally Beaten, and Crucified
And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20 ESV).
3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not (Isaiah 53:3 ESV)
The Apostles Suffered in Poverty, Were Brutally Beaten, and Eventually Killed
Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 26 I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm (2Cor. 11:24-27 NLT).
John the Baptist Lived off of Locusts In The Desert and Was Beheaded For Telling People to Turn From Their Sins
Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey (Matt. 3:4).
The Poor Will Be Vindicated by God Himself!
What they do to you, they do to Christ!
And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (Matt. 25:40).
For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted (Psalm 9:12).
Your vindication is coming.
JAMES—NOTE ON 1:9–11 The Place of Rich and Poor before God. Both poverty and riches bring enormous pressure on a person to focus on the world rather than on Christ. Thus James exhorts the poor to boast (or glory) in their high status in Christ. The lowly brother will be exalted or vindicated by God. In contrast, James exhorts the rich to boast in their humiliation, (1) by realizing that their wealth is temporary and that it brings them no advantage before God, and (2) by identifying with the poor in their affliction. The church is to be a “countercultural” community, which reverses the values of the world (cf. 2:2–4). Given the context, James seems to be saying that the challenges of poverty and wealth may be one of the greatest “trials” for Christians, as would be suggested by his immediate emphasis (see 1:12) on the “blessed” status of those who remain “steadfast under trial.” James also echoes Jesus’ warning that “You cannot serve God and money” (Matt. 6:24).
— The ESV Study Bible has over 200+ biblical scholars (100+ ESV; 95 Study); 9 countries, 20 denominations, 50 seminaries, colleges, and universities, including Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, London, Japan, California, MIT, Duke, Westminister, Dallas, etc. 20,000 study notes, 80,000 cross-references, 200+ charts, 50+ articles, 240 full-color maps and illustrations. Textual Basis: Masoretic Text BHS ‘83, DSS, LXX, SP, S, Vg; UBS5, NA28. Note on James 1:9-11.
Christ Does Not Want the Poor to Worry About Anything
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are (Matt. 6:25-29 NLT).
The Bible shows however, that they are already rich! They are Kings and priests unto the Lord.
and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen (Revelation 1:6 NKJV).
Do not fear for you are of more value than many sparrows.
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows (Matt. 10:29-31 ESV)
Listen To The Story Of The Poor Wise Man
When people are puffed up in foolish pride over the poor, they display their ignorance and sign their fate. This happens from a lack of understanding about biblical teaching, God does not look at things the way the world does (Isa 55:8-9; 1 Sam 16:7; James 4:4). It is the poor that are wise!
13 This is what I also observed about wisdom on earth, and it is a great burden to me: 14 There was once a small city with a few men in it, and a mighty king attacked it, besieging it and building strong siege works against it. 15 However, a poor but wise man lived in the city, and he could have delivered the city by his wisdom, but no one listened to that poor man. 16 So I concluded that wisdom is better than might, but a poor man’s wisdom is despised; no one ever listens to his advice (Ecclesiastes 9:13-16 NET).
g. Ecclesiastes 9:15 tn Or “he delivered.” The verb וּמִלַּט (umillat, from מָלַט, malat, “to deliver”) is functioning either in an indicative sense (past definite action: “he delivered”) or in a modal sense (past potential: “he could have delivered”). The literal meaning of זָכַר (zakhar, “to remember”) in the following line harmonizes with the indicative: “but no one remembered that poor man [afterward].” However, the modal is supported by v. 16: “A poor man’s wisdom is despised; no one ever listens to his advice.” This approach must nuance זָכַר (“to remember”) as “[no one] listened to [that poor man].” Most translations favor the indicative approach: “he delivered” or “he saved” (KJV, RSV, NRSV, NAB, ASV, NASB, MLB, NIV); however, some adopt the modal nuance: “he might have saved” (NEB, NJPS, NASB margin).
Personally, I enjoy the story with the modal nuance. Without the modal nuance the story would say that he saved the city but that no one remembered him, whereas with the modal nuance it says, that he could have saved the city but they were destroyed for not listening. It seems like there is more consequence for ignoring wisdom with this approach, but either way, the wisdom of the poor is despised by the world. What do you think will happen if you keep disregarding his message (Proverbs 29:1 NET)?
Final Words
Society pressures, degrades, and humiliates the poor out of ignorance and satanic influence. Do not pay attention to the oppression, marginalization and persecution of the ignorant, spiritually poor, unwise, and hellbound. These material things are absolutely meaningless and temporary!
Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death (Proverbs 11:4).
Together in action, united in spirit, aligned in purpose.