James 5:4-6: Self-indulgence

What does it mean to be self-indulgent and take part in self-indulgence? To take part in self-indulgence is to allow yourself to have or do anything you want. It is especially abhorrent when that self-indulgence is at another person’s expense!

James has something to say about this in the New Testament book bearing his name. James 5:4-6; (4) Behold the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts. (5) You have lived on the earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. (6) You have condemned; you have murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.” (ESV)

The day laborer worked for the farmer. He worked for a day at a time and was paid daily for the day he worked. If he did not work for a day or did not get paid for a day, usually that meant he went without a way to feed his family for a day! It did happen that a man would give a day’s work and not get paid for it, that would be taking his wage by fraud!

This word from God through the writer James is clear, this fraud and the pain it causes the worker cries out against the farmer and the Lord of Hosts hears the cry of the harvester.

When the employer defrauds the worker of his wage it is an evil thing that God hears when the worker so defrauded cries out to Him.

If the employer lives in luxury and self-indulgence off what he has gained by the fraud of not paying his worker James says that he has fattened his heart in a day of slaughter! This is like saying that he has fattened up his hog just to be slaughtered, but he is the hog. In other words, if you cheat the people who served you to produce your wealth it will come back on you and you will pay a severe price.

The employer is the guy with the power and can use that power to condemn, even murder the righteous person who works for him and does not even resist him!

People have used their power over others to gain wealth and power to live in luxury and self-indulgence throughout history! People in a position of power will cheat the worker, condemn him, even kill him, even when he does not resist all so they can live in luxury and self-indulgence. At some point that all comes back on them and they have fattened their hearts for a day of slaughter.

Nicolae Ceausescu was the Communist leader of Romania. He was General Secretary of the Communist Party in Romania from 1965 until 1989. He and his wife lived in luxury and selfindulgence while the people who lived in Romania were poor and destitute. He used his power to abuse, even murder others so that he gained control over them and used that to his luxury and advantage.

The forces of freedom rebelled and eventually the army turned on Ceausescu, and in December 1989 he and his wife were captured, tried and convicted of crimes to included genocide. They were executed by firing squad on Christmas day 1989.

They, like all other communist leaders lived in luxury and self-indulgence at the expense of other innocent people. They just fattened their hearts for the day of slaughter!

If you are fortunate enough to be the employer, you should look at how you treat the people who work for you. Are you fair regarding their wages? The big question is, “Do you take advantage of them in pay so that you can live luxuriously?” The only person with an answer to that question is you and God!

My first job was bussing dishes in a café on Highway 66 in Flagstaff, Arizona. I was 15 years old and was paid 87 ½ cents an hour in 1964. I received 10% of the tips the waitresses received. I made more in tips that on my pay! It does not seem fair now, but I am required to leave all that up to the Lord of Hosts. I would just note that the man who owned the café has been out of business for almost 50 years!

From 2005 until July of 2018 I sold Fords for Sanderson Ford in Glendale, Arizona. We were paid by commission receiving a portion of the profit on the deals we put together. Auto salesmen were in line to get a job with Sanderson Ford because of the pay plan, which was very generous! The owner believed he should take care of his people, and that they would take care of him!

Sanderson Ford is the largest Ford dealership on earth and sells more Fords than anyone on earth!

It all reminds me of Galatians 6:7; “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” (ESV)

What goes around comes around!