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The pain of fire is compared to the pain of losing all of the foundations of life. The only foundation
of life that will always stand is the rock of the Word of God (Matthew 7:24‐25). The final
indictment of verse 3 says they have horded up treasures against the last day. These men have
set aside treasures for the end of their lives as a guarantee and safeguard against unforeseen
trouble (Matthew 6:19‐21). When a person puts all of his trust in money for the assurance of his
life, he will be disappointed. There are many things in life that cannot be predicted and the only
safeguard we have is the promises of God.

C. Charges of the Judgment

Jas 5:4 Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you
kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears
of the Lord of sabaoth.

This is one of the strongest attacks in the New Testament on the treatment of the poor and
working‐class. Since Palestine was dominated by an agricultural economy, most of the work done
was in the harvest fields. The rich owned the fields, and the people of the city reaped in them.
The rich, at the time of this writing, were oppressing and keeping the laborers in poverty by
underpaying them. The Word has never stood for workers rebelling or uniting together as a union
for better working conditions (Matthew 20:1‐7), but God has always instructed bosses to treat
the workers fairly.

Those in Jerusalem at this time should have known better because they had the law, which
instructed them in the proper treatment of workers (Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 24: 14‐15).
The prophets also spoke out against this in their writings (Jeremiah 22:13; Malachi 3:5).

James is saying that the injustice against these workers is crying out and he was a voice united
with them against the bosses of the day. Many in James’s congregation are being affected by this
treatment because they are laborers in the field. The cries were being heard by the Lord of
Sabaoth, also known as the Lord of Hosts (Romans 9:29).

The Lord of Hosts is an Old Testament Jewish title for the Lord as captain of His armies of angels.
The revenge factor is being emphasized; God watches over His own and hears the cries of
injustice by His people. The title “Lord of Hosts” appears twenty‐three times alone in the book of
Malachi in reference to the coming deliverance of the Jews at Armageddon.

Whether or not the bosses of that day listened to the cries of the people, The Lord of Hosts did.
When a person is being mistreated and underpaid on their job, they can cry out to the Lord of
Hosts and He will hear their cry and will rescue them with angelic armies.
Jas 5:5 Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts,
as in a day of slaughter.