Verse 9
Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door.
James exhorts his readers not to grumble against one another. The phrase “one another” is a reference to other Christians. And so James is saying do not be grumbling amongst yourselves within the body of Christ, within the church family. When James chooses the word grumble, he is choosing a specific type of complaining. This is not just general complaining.
But this grumbling is the type of complaining that is typically directed at another person in a very personal way. It is the type of complaining in which one is expressing their deep irritation toward another person. this grumbling often appears in the form of personal attacks on people’s character, motives and actions.
In the Old Testament, the word grumble is used 12 times and all 12 times come from the same group of people in the same circumstances. Does this verse sound familiar: “And the people grumbled against Moses?”
The people of course were the Israelites wandering in the desert heading to the promised land and things were not going as they hoped and Scripture said they started to grumble against the one who was leading them. And these were not just little complaints but personal attacks on Moses. “You led us out here to die. Why are you the one making the decisions? Who put you in charge?”
Grumbling is often an attitude of resentment.
In the New Testament, there was another group that Scripture said that grumbled. It was the Pharisees or the religious leaders. And they grumbled about Jesus. “Why do you eat with sinners? Why don’t your disciples ceremonially wash their hands before they eat? What gives you the right to say the things you are saying?”
Grumbling is often a complaining in which we are personally attacking the character of people.
So then why does James tell us not to grumble? Why does James tell us not to personally attack and become resentful toward one another?
In this chapter (chapter 5), James has been talking about Christians being oppressed by the wicked and the ungodly. So why is James now warning us against attacking each other when we go through trials?
Because James understands that when people are persecuted and thrown into the fire, that intense trial can cause us to attack or blame even those who are in the fire with us. James understands that in our sinful nature we can begin to turn on one another as we go into personal protection mode. In our pain, we can start to blame anyone and everyone for the pain we are feeling.
We see this sometimes in marriages or families where an external trial brings pain into their lives and instead of that trial drawing them together as they guard and comfort one another other, the trial can actual create internal conflict between a husband and spouse, we can see this between siblings, between parents and children and extended family.
Christians were given a real-life example of this during the 2020 pandemic. As the church family experienced an external trial, many churches also experienced internal strife. People within churches began to grumble with each other. Some of the deepest wounds that Christians experienced during the pandemic were not from trials outside of the church but from conflict and division within the church.
And so James warns us them that in the midst of these trials, do not turn on one another, do not attack one another, do not grumble against one another. And the reason he gives us this instruction in verse 9 is so that you may not be judged. He says, “the judge is standing at the door.”
This phrase takes us back to verse 8, where James says the return of the Lord is near. Who is the judge? The Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ.
In verse 8, the reference to the Lord coming back was used as an encouragement. I know you are suffering for a little while right now but be encouraged that Christ is coming back, the judge is coming and he will judge the actions of humanity.
But the reference here in verse 9 of the coming of the Lord is a warning. Be careful how you treated one another because the Lord is coming back to judge not only the wicked but also the righteous. And when Christ comes back, may He not find you grumbling against one another, but may he find you loving one another, serving one another, extending grace to one another, forgiving one another as you continue to faithfully persevere with one another.
James acknowledges that we are going to experience trials in this world. But be patient. And one of the ways we are patient is we are patient with each other as we experience the pain of this fallen world.
Verse 10
As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
By directing his audience to the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord, he is reminding them that they are not the first people to experience suffering because of obedience to God. And he is also reminding them of how these prophets handled suffering–they remained steadfast.
And because of their steadfastness, perseverance and faithfulness, how do we view their lives? Do we pity them? Look down upon them because they suffered? Do we think they did something wrong because they experienced suffering. No, we look at their steadfastness with amazement.
The New Living Translation says, “We give great honor to those who endure under suffering.”
When we look back at their lives our focus isn’t on the unfairness of the suffering but rather our focus is on their faithfulness, obedience and perseverance. And we look at their lives and find ourselves saying, “that is how I want to live.”
We don’t envy their suffering or want their suffering. But we can’t help to desire to have their faithfulness and their obedience. And these prophets had the ability to continue to proclaim the truth of God in the midst of trials and persecution. Their lives now become an example for our lives.
And so James points his attention to people who suffered and he is saying, “learn from them.” Paul encourages us to do the same thing.
Romans 15:4 says, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”
When we see others persevere, it gives us hope.
Hebrews 6:12 says be “imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
When we read the Old Testament, we are often introduced to minor characters who are mentioned briefly. They display an example of faith or perseverance and then they are never mentioned again. And yet their brief mention becomes an testimony or example. They didn’t have to be a David or a Moses or an Abraham. They were ordinary, everyday people faithfully pursuing God.
If you are in a place right now where you have been out of the habit of regularly, daily reading the Bible and you are wondering how to get started again then let me give you idea in how to jump back in. Start in the Old Testament and look for examples of persevering faith, examples of patience in the midst of trials. And when you come to their story write down what their life shows you about having a persevering faith. And let their lives spur you on. And then Ask God that you would have opportunities to have the same kind of perseverance and patience.
I love reading Christian biographies. Particularly missionary biographies because their lives become an example to me. Their faithful lives spur me on. Sometimes we look at our own lives and think that there is no one who has gone through what we are going through and there is no way that I can joyfully persevere through this. And we can even begin to think that there is way that God is going to use any of this mess for good.
And then you read stories of men and women of all ages going through really hard and different things and you read about their faithfulness and the joy of the faithfulness and the fruit of the faithfulness and it is inspiring and encouraging. And these are people you will never meet this side of heaven and yet their lives have spurred on your life.
As Christians, We need examples to look at. Examples from the Bible. Examples from church history. Examples from our present day. One of the ways God encourages us through hard times is through the examples of other people.
In fact, you may be going through something that is going to allow you to be an example to someone in the future who needs to hear and see how to faithfully persevere.
Verse 11
Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
In verse 11, James gives a specific example of someone who persevered in the midst of summer.
In the book of Job, we are given the biblical account of God allowing Satan to afflict suffering on a man named Job in order to test him. Would he continue to remain faithful to God even in the midst of suffering?
James uses the account of Job as an example of Job’s perseverance and steadfastness in the midst of suffering and also as an example of God’s compassion and mercy to Job in the midst of suffering.
His pain was so intense that Job’s own wife said, “why don’t you just curse God and die.” That tells you how extreme the suffering was. And yet James said, he remained steadfast. He didn’t abandon God. He didn’t curse God.
In fact, Job 1:21-22 gives us Job’s respond to this suffering. He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.”
This is an incredible testimony of faithfulness in the midst of extreme suffering. God gave to me, God has taken away and that his right because he is God and I will praise him. I don’t know if there are many who would be able to say those words in the midst of suffering. Job is an example for us of one who says: I will not abandon my faith in God.
And then James goes on to say, ‘and God didn’t abandon him’
James 5 verse 11 says, “you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” Other translations say, “you have seen the outcome from the Lord.” That even in the midst of Job’s suffering, God was compassionate and merciful to Job.
Too often we can assume that suffering is the absence of God. But the reality is, Scripture tells us that God does not abandon us in our suffering but rather he draws near to the broken hearted, he is a refuge for those experiencing trouble, He is the shepherd who leads us and is with us as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
And so the example of Job is not just about a man who was faithful but about a God who was compassionate and merciful.