9 Whoever is in a low place, let him be proud of his high position. 10 As for the rich, be proud of your lowly position, for he will pass away like a flower. 11 The sun rises with scorching heat, causing the grass to wither, and the flowers to fall, and beauty to fade. Rich people will also wither in the midst of such calculations. (James 1:9-11 – Bomb)
Background: James wrote in 45 in the midst of two major events: the beheading of the apostle James in 44 and the great famine that was going on in Egypt and would arrive in Judea in 46. The object of the letter was Christians scattered throughout the Roman Empire, especially Christians in Jerusalem and the surrounding areas of Judea and Samaria.
DT believers in the Jer. are poor because.... Therefore, before the famine occurred, the HTs in remote areas donated to help. So people in inferior places (poverty, lowly) are really poor people who are facing a lot of difficulties.
Verse 2: My brethren, consider the hundred-dimensional trial that befalls you as a perfect joy. One of the biggest challenges is hunger and poverty.
Verse 7: Such a person should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8for he is a distracted person, unstable in all his ways. Distraction: 2 hearts. Rich people are easily tempted to become 2 hearts (not that poor people don't have one!) because they put material things, wealth is 1 heart next to the heart for the Communists!
The contrast is contradictory: inferior has a high position; wealth becomes inferior.
Inferior – poor, lowly status. The letter was written in 45. The Great Famine in 46
Wealth is also temporary, no one can hold it forever. Disasters, incidents, theft, and illness will take away like hay, flowers fall, and beauty fades.
"Mankind is like grass, all its beauty is like the flowers of the countryside. 7 The grass is dry, and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows through. Indeed, man is only grass: 8 The grass is hay, and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever!" – Isaiah 40:6-8
To understand clearly, we need to know what KT teaches about poverty and wealth.
WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT POVERTY
Because he is a DTU person, the letter is full of teachings that directly relate to KTCU. KTCU teaches 4 main things about poverty and wealth:
The Communist Party pays special attention to 3 groups of people: the poor + orphans + widows. God always protects and protects the poor, orphans, widows, and foreigners
God is in His holy place, the Father of the orphan and the Judge of the widow. - Psalm 68:5
Defend the afflicted and the fatherless; to judge the needy and the needy. 4 Rescue the weak and the needy, deliver them from the hand of the wicked." - Psalm 82:3-4
The judge of justice for the poor and needy, should flourish. Jehovah said: 'Is that not knowing me? Jeremiah 22:16
The one who bullied her aunt humiliated her Creator. Whoever has mercy on the poor honors Him. Proverbs 14:31
Whoever shows mercy to the poor lends to Jehovah, and he will repay him with good deeds.
Proverbs 19:17
22 Do not abuse any widow or orphan. 23 If you persecute them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry. 24 My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword; Your wives will be widowed and your children will be orphaned. - Exodus 22:22-24
Because the Pope pays special attention to the poor, orphans, and widows, God's people must also care, worry, and help them. It will be explained in more detail through the Mosaic law later.
Special KTCU in TT the image of the poor symbolizing the righteous
You are miserable and needy; But God always remembers me. God is the one who helps and delivers me. My God, please don't delay! (Psalm 40:17)
How does the Communist Party care for the poor, orphans and widows? Specifically, through the Mosaic law: 1) Do not charge interest to the poor when they borrow; 2) The Law of Gathering (Ruth); 3) Tithing (1/10) for the poor; 4) Justice and legal protection; 5) The Law of Debt Forgiveness and the Year of Joy (20 times in Leviticus & DSK)
No interest for the poor
5 If your brother is in poverty and is unable to support himself, you must help him, whether a foreigner or a temporary resident, so that he can still live with you. Leviticus 25:5
If you lend money to any of My people, the poor people in your midst, do not treat them as creditors, nor make them obey. 26 If thou shalt keep thy neighbor's robe as collateral, thou shalt pay it to them before the sun sets; 27 For it is their only covering, a cloak over their bodies; What did he take to sleep? If he cries out to Me, I will listen, for I am merciful. Exodus 22:25-27
Laws of Gathering
9 When you reap the grain of your own land, do not reap it to the end of the field, nor pluck the remainder of the grain. 10 Do not pluck the vineyard or pick up the fruit that has fallen to the ground; Leave it to the poor and the exile. I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 19:9-10
When you harvest in the field and forget a bundle of rice out there, don't come back to get it. The bundle of rice was for foreigners, orphans and widows. In this way, Jehovah God will bless you in all the work you do. Deuteronomy 24:19
Tithing for the Poor
28 At the end of every three years you are to take out a tenth part of the produce of that year, and store it in your city. 29 Now the Levites, who have neither part nor share in your inheritance, may come and eat and drink to your heart's content. In that way, Jehovah your God will bless all the work of your hands."
Deuteronomy 14:28-29
Justice and legal protection
Do not treat foreigners or orphans unfairly, and do not keep widows' clothes as collateral. Remember that you were once a slave in Egypt, and Jehovah your God redeemed you from there. Therefore I command you to do this. Deuteronomy 24:17
Do not bully any widow or orphan. 23 If you persecute them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry. 24 My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword; Your wives will be widowed and your children will be orphans - Exodus 22:22-24
Debt relief and jubilee
At the end of each seven years you must forgive your debts. 2 This is how debt can be forgiven: Each creditor will forgive a debt that he has lent to his neighbor, not compelling his neighbor or brother to do so, for Jehovah's forgiveness of debts has been announced. - Deuteronomy 15:1-2
You must make the fiftieth year holy and proclaim freedom to all the people of the land. It is a year of joy for you; Each received his inheritance back, and each returned to his family. - Leviticus 25:10
KTTU TEACHES ABOUT THE POOR
The Gospel Comes to the Poor (Spiritually and Materially)
Blessed are the spiritually poor, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them! - Matthew 5:3
Jesus looked up at his disciples and said, "Blessed are you poor people, for the kingdom of God is yours." – Luke 6:20
Someone handed Him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, and He opened it, and found where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord dwelleth upon me, because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. - Luke 4:18
Churches and believers have a responsibility to help the poor, especially brothers and sisters in the Lord
But now, I go to Jerusalem to serve the saints; 26 for the Macedonians and Achaians were willing to donate to help the needy among the saints in Jerusalem. - Romans 15:25-26
They only reminded us of one thing, which is to remember the poor, which I have actively done.
Galatians 2:10
17 If a man who has the riches of this world sees his brother in need and is not moved by compassion, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Little children, love not with words and with tongue, but with deeds and truth. - 1 John 3:17-18
WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT THE RICH
Rich people symbolize evil. KTCU strongly condemns those who get rich on the blood and bones of the poor:
Whoever oppresses the poor to get rich and bribes the rich will both become poor. (CN 22:16)
6Is it not the fasting that I have chosen: to loosen the chains of wickedness, to loosen the bonds of the yoke, to set the oppressed free, and to break all yokes? 7Isn't it not to share food with the hungry, to bring the poor and homeless to their homes, and to clothe them when they see the naked, and not to turn a blind eye to their brothers and sisters?" (Isaiah 58:6-7)
James 5:1-6 – severely condemns the rich who persecute the poor: 1Now, you rich men! Weep and cry for the misery that will fall upon you. 2Your possessions have decayed, and your clothes have been eaten by termites. 3Your gold and silver have rusted, and that rust will be a proof against you and will eat you like fire. You have taken care of hoarding for the last days! 4Behold, the wages of the harvesters in your field, whom you have cheated, are crying out, and the cry of those reapers has reached the ears of the Almighty Lord. 5You have lived luxuriously and joyfully on this earth, and you have fed your hearts in the day of slaughter; 6You have condemned and killed the righteous man, but he did not resist you. (James 5:1-5)
All wealth and material things come from God
Be careful, then, not to say to yourself, 'It is the power and strength of my hands that have made me this thing.' 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gave you the strength to make this structure, to fulfill the covenant which he swore to your fathers, as he is doing today. -Admire
Ecclesiastes 8:17-18
12 Both riches and glory come from the Lord. God rules over all things, power, and power in His hands. The hand of God gives respect and strength to everyone. - 1 Chronicles 29:12
Temptation and the danger of arrogance
Thus saith the Lord, A wise man shall not boast of his wisdom; Do not show off your strength; The rich do not show off their riches. - Jeremiah 9:23
"That rich man's field is very well-harvested. 17 He thought to himself, 'What should I do, because there is not enough room for the harvest.' 18 He said, 'This is what I will do: I will break down these storehouses and build larger ones, and then I will gather my grain and my wealth into them. 19 I will say unto my soul, 'Soul, thou hast had many riches for many years. Rest, eat, and have fun. - Luke 12:16-19
Becoming greedy to the point of blindness
9 But those who desire riches fall into temptation, fall into snares, fall into foolish and harmful desires, which engulf man in destruction and perdition. 10 Because the greed of money is the root of all evil, some people abandon the faith because of the pursuit of it, and indulge themselves in many pains. - 1 Timothy 6:9-10
Exploiting and oppressing people to get rich
He who oppresses his aunt humiliates his Creator, Whoever has mercy on the poor reveres Him. – Sun 14:31
He who oppresses the poor to enrich himself, as well as those who give to the rich, leads to poverty. - Proverbs 22:16
Didn't the rich man bully you, dragging you before the court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the noble name to which you have cried? - James 2:6-7
Difficulty entering the heavenly country
Therefore, since you are warm, neither hot nor cold, I will release you from My mouth.' He said, 'I'm rich, I'm already prosperous, I don't need anything else.' But I don't know that I'm suffering, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. - Revelation 3:17
23 Jesus said to his disciples, "Truly, I tell you, it is difficult for a rich person to enter heaven. 24 Again I say to you, It is easier for a camel to pass through a pinhole than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. - Matthew 19:23-24