Henry Krabbendam - James - World Evangelical Alliance

is not only amazing, but also “supernatural.” Only God can, and did, institute
such a perfect code of ethics in this area of life, and, frankly, only grace can
actualize it. This is to say, only Christians in prayerful dependence upon Jesus
(Phil 4:13) and the Spirit (Eph. 5:18) are capable of such conduct.
Further, only teaching and preaching, the exposition and the application
of God’s Word, can remedy a situation where things have gone awry. That is
precisely why James writes his letter. If his “preaching” is not successful,
God himself will judge, either here on earth, or in the Day of Judgment, or
both (Stulac, 170, 172)!
The summons to patience and endurance is bolstered by a vivid illustration,
which holds out the prospect of a rich payoff. James wishes his readers
to meditate upon the example of the farmer, who in the midst of “hard work”
is used to “long waiting” (Zodhiates, III, 84). This, incidentally, should be
taken as an illustration of the every day life of the believer (PHDavids, 183-
184; Adamson, 191; Martin, 191), rather than an image plucked from tradition
(Laws, 212).
First, as the farmer anticipates his precious crop, he has to go through the
phases of the early rain (roughly from mid-October and onward) as preparation
for sowing, and of the later rain (roughly from mid-December and onward)
as preparation for the final ripening of his crop (Martin, 190; see also
Keddie, 165, with reference to Deut. 11:14; Jer. 5:24; Hos. 6:3; Joel 2: 23).
This takes time! Both calm expectancy and steady resilience, therefore, is
clearly the name of the game. There is no such thing as instant maturation.
Besides, the final outcome is not in his hands! So, uncontrolled motions, such
as anger, resentment, and bitterness do not, and would not, make a stitch of
difference (Zodhiates, III, 87). 354 Similarly, God’s children who are anticipating
the Lord’s return will have to go through the various trial phases of
God’s providential dealings with them (Hos. 6:3).
Second, just as the farmer toils and labors, as the prerequisite for the rich
harvest, so God’s children pray and “take time to be holy” before they receive
the crown of glory (Ps. 126:6).
Third, unlike the farmer who may never see his crop materialize, God’s
children are certain that ultimately they will see the beauty, and experience
the fellowship of their God!
354 Note also that the agriculture enterprise in James’ days was not precisely a scientific affair.
Farmers did not even know how the process of growth took place, or whether it would take
place one more time so that their much-needed crop would become a reality.
779