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| Friendship and Hostility (James 4:4-10) | |||||
 Printer Friendly Version - opens in separate window The opening words of this section are shocking. The KJV translates, "You adulterers and adulteresses", while the NIV translates, "You adulterous people" and the RSV translates, "unfaithful creatures". However, while these carry the correct thought of marital unfaithfulness, the NASB has the most correct translation, giving us, "You adulteresses!" This is important and the thought shocking because these words are addressed to the people of God and reflect a very familiar Bible theme.In the Old Testament Israel was often portrayed as the bride of God: "For your Maker is your husband - the Lord Almighty is his name - the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer" (Is.54:5) "I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not sown..." (Jer.2:2) James has just written about two wisdoms, the wisdom of the world, and the wisdom of God (3:13-18) and is saying that those who choose the wisdom of the world are literally adulteresses, unfaithful to the One who made them, bought them at a price and cleansed them from sin. "'Like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you have been unfaithful to me, O house of Israel, declares the Lord'" (Jer.3:20) In Hosea this picture is made starkly clear when God declares, "I will have no compassion on her (Israel's) children...For their mother has played the harlot; she who conceived them has acted shamefully. For she said, 'I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink'" (Hosea 2:4/5 NASB) Sometimes the world's wisdom seems so satisfying and attractive, sating our appetite for reputation, revenge, revelry, and pleasure. But James reminds us that, "Friendship with the world is hatred towards God. Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." God's feelings towards us never alter, and James carries on the idea of a cuckolded husband by writing about God's jealousy. As we flirt with the world, James tells us, "He jealously desires the Spirit which he has made to dwell in you" (v.5 NASB). God has betrothed himself to us, and we to him, and he demands unwavering allegiance, total and unreserved, as would any husband. The miracle is that, no matter how difficult it may seem God gives more than enough grace to help us keep our relationship with him pure (v.6). Augustine said, "God gives what he demands", and he does, indeed, supply all that we need to meet his demands. In Proverbs we read: "He mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble" (Prov.3:34) Bringing in this thought about God giving grace to the humble James, in a series of commands, tells us that we should. "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you Draw near to God and He will draw near to you" This is the choice facing us, i.e. God or the devil, God's wisdom or the wisdom of the world. How are we to draw near to God? James tells us: "Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, (repent) you double-minded (choose whom you will serve) Be miserable and mourn and weep (for your sins); Let your (scornful) laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to gloom (c.f. Lk.6:25; Mt.5:4) Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and he will exalt you" As witnesses for him, people growing in the knowledge of the Lord, it is important that we conduct ourselves and make our decisions based on the fact that we are repentant people who know and serve our God unswervingly, mourn for our sins, and humble ourselves before his infinitely superior wisdom. Then the wisdom of heaven will be evident in our lives and our witness and the wisdom of the world, with all its jealousies, pettiness, false pride and empty ambitions will hold no attraction for us. Then we will be a bride indeed. |
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