Gospel Demonstrated | Faith and Patience in Suffering

Faith and Patience in Suffering

WARM-UP

Have you ever joined a competition? How did you prepare for it?

What is a product or event you looked forward to for a long time? What did you do while waiting?

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Share about a time you suffered through something in the past. What happened?

WORD

Patience in Suffering

7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the valuable crop of the land, waiting patiently for it until it gets the early and late rains. 8 You too, be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you will not be judged. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!

10 Brothers, as an example of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 We count those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job and have seen the outcome intended by the Lord, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear—either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” so that you will not fall under judgment.

The Prayer of Faith

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective, powerful prayer of a righteous person can accomplish much.

17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. JAS 5:7-18

James starts his letter to the Jewish Christians with the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. He concludes his letter with We count those blessed who remained steadfast. We develop steadfastness by our reactions to trials and suffering. In turn, as we remain steadfast in the faith, we show others the hope we have in the gospel. James describes the three responses we should have to suffering.

1 Be patient.

7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the valuable crop of the land, waiting patiently for it until it gets the early and late rains. 8 You too, be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. JAS 5:7-8

For farmers, rain is money. They can only eat and sell if the rains come and their crops grow. James tells us to be patient and stay strong, for the coming of the Lord is near. The farmers

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wait for something uncertain; we can be patient because we are waiting for something certain. Is there something God is asking you to be patient for even through suffering? Tell us about it.

For your deliverance, I look, O Lord [an allusion to Samson’s “O Lord God, remember me now, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, etc.” (Jdg 16:28) before dying]. GEN 49:18

Rashi’s Commentary

For your deliverance, I look, O Lord—He prophesied that the Philistines would put out his (Samson’s) eyes, and that he would have to say (Jdg 16:28) “O Lord God, remember me now, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, etc.”

Then Samson prayed to the Lord, saying, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.” JDG 16:28

. . . then I will give you the rain of your land [you, doing what is yours, I shall do what is mine] in its season [at night, so as not to incommode you], the early rain [the rain which falls after sowing, which “saturates” (מְרַוֶּה) the ground] and the latter rain [the “latter” rain, which falls before the harvest to ripen the grain], that you [and not your foes] may gather in your grain, and your new wine and your oil. DEU 11:14

Rashi’s Commentary

I will give you the rain of your land—You will then have done what devolved upon you, I, too, shall do what devolves upon me (Sifrei Devarim 41:29; cf. Rashi on Deu 26:15).

In its season—i.e. at night time, so that it may not cause you any trouble.—Another explanation of in its season is: on Sabbath (Friday) nights when everyone is usually at home (cf. Sifrei Devarim 42:2; Taanit 23a; see Rashi on Lev 26:4).

The early rain—This is the rain that falls after the sowing-time, which thoroughly drenches (מְרַוֶּה) the soil and the seed (Sifrei Devarim 42:4; Taanit 6a).

Hope for the Lord;

be strong and let your heart take courage

and [if your prayer is not answered, then, again,] hope for the Lord. PSA 27:14

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Rashi’s Commentary

Hope for the Lord—And if your prayer is not accepted, reinforce your hope.

They do not say in their heart,

“Let us fear the Lord our God,

who gives rain, the autumn rain and the spring rain in its season,

who keeps for us the weeks of the laws of harvest.” JER 5:24

Rashi’s Commentary

Who keeps for us—That the harvest should be in its season.

Then shall we know,

if we press on to know the Lord.

like the dawn whose going forth is sure,

he will come to us like the rain, like the latter

and former rain to the earth. HOS 6:3

Rashi’s Commentary

To know the Lord—Truly and wholeheartedly, as sure as the dawn, whose going forth is sure.

He will come to us like the rain—Like the rain which comes to be life for the world, for then he will come to teach life that will come to us.

2 Look to God.

We count those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job and have seen the outcome intended by the Lord, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. JAS 5:11

We remain steadfast during suffering when we look to God. James talks about Job, who went through many kinds of suffering but continued to hold fast to God. More important than Job's steadfastness, though, is who God is. God is full of compassion and is merciful, and he has a plan and purpose for our lives. How does Job respond to God in Job 42:2-6?

And the Lord passed before him and he called, “The Lord, the Lord [the attribute of mercy: one (Lord) before the sin; one, after sinning and repentance], the God [אֵל, likewise the attribute of mercy], who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger [withholding his anger in anticipation of repentance], and abounding in love [to those who are in need of it, being deficient in merit] and faithfulness [paying a good reward to the doers of his will] . . . EXO 34:6

2 I [always] knew that you can do all things;

and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

Rashi’s Commentary

I knew that you can do all things—That you can do anything that pleases you.

And that no purpose of yours can be thwarted—He repeats his words, that no purpose or plan of yours can be thwarted or withheld, that you can complete and fulfill your plans, for strength and might are in your hand, and you have the power to do all that pleases you. This verse is similar to (Gen 11:6), “Now nothing that they plan to do will be withheld (יבצר) from them.”

And the Lord said, "Lo! [all of this good is theirs:] they are one people, and all of them have one language, and this is what they have commenced to do; now nothing that they plan to do will be withheld from them. GEN 11:6

3 “Who is this that obscures counsel without knowledge” [and the working of wonders to the Lord]?

Therefore, I spoke [what was known to me] but I did not understand,

[certain things] are hidden from me, which I do not know.

Rashi’s Commentary

Who is this—That concealed and covered the counsel and the wonders of the Holy One, blessed be he, without knowledge? I knew that everything is in your hand to do, and so I related some of your mighty deeds as were in my heart; as I knew them.

But I did not understand—But I did not understand so much, as you informed me, for many wonders are hidden and concealed from me, which I do not know.

4 Listen now, and I will speak;

You said, “I will question you,

and you shall answer me.”

5 [Before], I heard of you with my ears

but now my eyes have seen you.

Rashi’s Commentary

I heard of you with my ears—Many many times I heard of you.

6 Therefore I despise myself

and repent in dust and ashes. JOB 42:2-6

Rashi’s Commentary

I despise—I despise myself.

In dust and ashes—If I were resting in the grave, to return to dust and ashes whence I was taken.

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The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

a broken and a contrite heart,

O God, you will not despise. PSA 51:19

In order that you remember and be ashamed and never open your mouth anymore because of your humiliation, when I atone for you for all that you have done, declares the Lord God. EZE 16:63

Rashi’s Commentary

In order that you remember—Your way when I do good for you.

And be ashamed—To raise your face to me.

When I atone for you—Lit. in my atoning to you. When I atone for you for what you have done, you will be ashamed, and you will know that I did not benefit you because of the good that you bestowed upon me.

3 Pray in faith.

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective, powerful prayer of a righteous person can accomplish much.

17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. JAS 5:13-18

We can be patient because we know the day of the Lord is coming. We can look to God because we know he is full of compassion and is merciful, and that he has a plan and a purpose for us. Even so, we are not supposed to stop there. James reminds us that the effective, powerful prayer of a righteous person can accomplish much. Even the Prophet Elijah was only a man, but his prayer stopped the rains for over three years. What does Heb 11:7-8 say about praying and living by faith?

7 By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark for the salvation of his family. By this he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is according to faith.

8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he would receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. HEB 11:7-8

APPLICATION

Do you believe God has a plan and a purpose for your life? How can you go deeper in your understanding of this starting today?

Is there an area in your life that God is asking you to pray about in faith? How can you make praying for it a habit this week?

Do you have a family member or friend who is going through suffering? How can you invite them to patiently wait upon God and step out in faith this week?

PRAYER

Thank God for the plan and purpose he has for your life. Pray that he will continue to reveal it more and more to you as you trust and obey him.

Ask God for the grace to step out in faith in the area he is pointing out to you. Pray that you will be able to confidently pray and believe for breakthrough in that area.

Pray for opportunities to speak to family members or friends who are currently going through suffering. Pray and invite them to place their trust in God and act in faith this week.

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