Shalom everyone. Please open your Bibles again this Shabbat meeting and we are turning, of course, as you very well know, we are studying from the book of Yaakov, the book of James. And today we want to begin in the study of James, chapter 2. And we are going to read together the first 13 verses of the second chapter. James writing to his brethren who were scattered abroad from among the 12 tribes of our people of all the people of Israel. And he continued, and this time I want you to notice how he longed to have them practicing what they have learned from the Word of God. And so he says, listen, in verse 1 of James, chapter 2: "My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in a vile raiment, and ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place, and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool. Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren, has not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor.

Do not the rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Ye do not well, but if ye have respect of persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment. I'm going to stop here in verse 13, and this break, and we're going to just speak a little bit about those 13 verses in this chapter. Again, to remind you that we just finished chapter 1. Chapter 1 was filled with information concerning, on the one hand, testing for the believer, on the other hand, temptation. On the one hand, James said to these early brethren, he says, Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into diverse temptation or testing, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patient.

First of all, he has emphasized the fact that every test that they have done, these brethren, in their life, they taught them to be more patient, to pray to God, and ask him to help them, and ultimately there is a reward for the believer, for the overcomer, in the presence of the Lord. But then he said to them, if you remember from verse 13 to the end of our chapter, of chapter 1, he said to them, brethren, let no one say when he's tempted, I'm tempted of God, because God does not tempt with sin, with evil. And so every time when we have been tempted, and do something wrong, and dishonor the Lord, it is because it comes out of our hearts.

We talked about it before, we are drawn because of the lust that comes out of our hearts, and we are ultimately falling into sin, and sin brings spiritual deadness in the life of the believer. Therefore he's saying, listen, God will test you, but God will never tempt you. Temptation comes from the evil one, comes from the human nature, but never, never from God. And so he told them, in the last verses of chapter 1, he says, brethren, listen, be ye swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to be angry, slow to rest. And finally he said to them, be ye doers of the word, and not hearers of the word only.

And so if you would have received this letter, like those Hebrew believers have received the letter, chapter 2 did not have a break from chapter 1, it was a continuance in that letter without a break. And we have a break here, but we ought not to have this break, because there is a continuation here, in the second chapter, where James Jacob is speaking to the brethren. And you remember what he said to them at the end of chapter 1, pure religion, and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. True and pure religion, we might say, true and pure relationship with our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, is very practical.

To visit the fatherless, to visit the widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. And so he is moving on now into the second chapter for us, the first 13 verses, James, who is the half-brother of Yeshua the Messiah, telling to these brethren, he says, "Listen brethren, don't be partial in the way that you're dealing with each other. Don't have respect of persons." You know very well how you and I, by nature, we so quickly have what you call respect of persons. Those that soothe us, we are nice with. Those that don't soothe us, we are not so nice with. Those that are perhaps in a more higher position, we give them additional glory.

Those that doesn't seem to be so high in their position, in their place, in their wealth, and they are somehow on a lower standard, we do not relate to them in the same way like we relate to those that are in a higher position and are far more important here in this world. So, in those 13 verses of chapter 2, Yaakov, James, telling the brethren, "Do not be partial with your dealing with each other." And he began, you notice, with the appeal in verse 1. The appeal comes immediately after he concluded the first chapter. What is true and pure religion is very real, very practical, and therefore Yaakov is appealing to them.

And I want you to notice what he is saying to them in verse 1. He called them brethren again, "Achim" in Hebrew, "My brethren." And he says, "Listen, "Hold not the faith of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons." He says, "Here you are, brothers and sisters. You became believers in Yeshua the Messiah. You have embraced Him as your Lord and as your Savior, and as your Mashiach, your Messiah. And now you became part of the family of God." Now again, Yaakov is speaking. He was a younger brother of Yeshua the Messiah, half-brother. And he knew very well who was this Jesus of whom he was speaking.

Because he grew up with him in his own home. They grew up together. And in the beginning he didn't believe who he was, that he was the Messiah. But by now, by the time we get to the letter that he is writing, he have accepted Him. He understood that he was the Messiah. And I want you to notice he is saying here, "Have not the faith of notestead." Notice that our Lord, number one. Number two, Jesus is His name, Yeshua. The Messiah is His title. And he added to it, "The Lord of glory." Yaakov is saying, "Listen, brothers and sisters. I'm telling you about this person because I know him.

I lived with him. And now I recognize that he is more than just another man. He is none else but God the Son. He is divine. He is the Lord of glory." In Hebrew we call it, "Adon Hakavod." He is the Lord of glory. But notice he says, "He is Lord. He is our Lord. His name is Yeshua. He is the Messiah. And He is the Lord of glory." And he says, "If you have embraced Him and have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior." He says, "Listen, what's the point of having the faith of our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, the Lord of glory with respect of persons?" You are honoring the one and you are diminishing from the other.

You are uplifting the one and you are putting down the other. You are somehow dependent. You look around from among yourself and you are kind of not treating each other in a right way. You are somehow exalting the one and diminishing from the other. You are not recognizing that all of you, my brethren. That's what he is really saying to them, are on a common ground. Perhaps those Hebrew brethren have been living in various cities and towns in Esjamaino. And really, as he says here, they were scattered abroad in chapter 1 and verse 1. And they were spread around the world. And perhaps there was even among themselves, some Jewish people who are more well-to-do.

Some Jewish people who are not so well-to-do. And then because they were part of Jews and Gentile united together, so perhaps there was black and white, rich and poor, Jew and Gentile, male and female, and so on. And instead of looking at everyone and having the faith of our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, without respect of person, apparently they had respect of persons in their midst of them, in their local assemblies. And Yaakov saying to them, brothers and sisters, that's not right. We are all on a common ground. Whoever we are, wherever we came from, we are part of the body of Mashiach, the body of Messiah.

And therefore, do not have the faith of our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, who is the Lord of glory. Do not have this faith with respect of persons. And that expression in respect of persons that we find in the book of Leviticus and in the book of Deuteronomy, Nasa Panim. That means that your face is lifted up for the one, but is going down for the others. Lift up the one because he or she are very important. But you look at the other and you say, you know, they are not so important and your face is down. You don't recognize them. You don't realize that they are part and parcel of the company that belong to the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah.

And James was really grieved when he heard that these things happen in the midst of the congregation. And that's why he is writing to them these exhortations. Do not have the faith of our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, with respect of persons. Because we are all on a common ground. We all have entered into the body of Messiah in the same way. We are all part to receive the Holy Spirit of God in the same manner. All have seen and come short of the glory of God. We are here part of the redeemed company on the common ground. No one is greater. No one is lesser.

No one is lesser. Even though in this world, in society, we might have different status. Because some are rich. Some are poor. Some are well to do. Some are able to do much more than others. But nevertheless, we ought not to have the faith of our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, with respect of persons. So, the principle is found here in verse 1. The appeal was given to the brethren. And now in verses 2, 3, and 4, he pointing out to the wrong behavior that happened in their midst. We know this, brothers and sisters, in a very practical way. We know that. You would go to many local churches, local assemblies.

You'll find it. We know that even in our own midst. If we are not careful to know how to handle each other, we exalt the one and put down the other. And we end up being respect of persons. And not evenly seeking to look at each other and to evaluate each other in the same way. And so, here is the wrong behavior that actually happened in the assembly in wherever they were. Many local assemblies because they were scattered abroad in many places in the world. And he pointing out to the wrong behavior in the local assemblies there in Asia Minor. And he says, look, and he gives them an example.

And he says, if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring in a goodly appeal, and there come in also a poor man in a vile raiment, and ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and said to him, sit thou here in a good place, and then say to the poor, you stand there, or sit here under my footstool, are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become the judges of evil thoughts? You see, he is now giving them an example. Or perhaps he is pointing out to an event that occurred in perhaps one of the assemblies. Now I want you first of all to notice where it says, if there come unto your assembly.

That word for assembly here is not the normal Greek word that we use for an assembly, for a church, the called out one, the ecclesia. But the word here in the Greek is Senegag. Senegagos in the Greek. In other words, what we learn immediately from this text, that the early Hebrew believers in Yeshua, the Messiah, when they became believers, they continued to go to their own Senegag, to the Jewish Senegagues, which were all over the world, the then known world, including in the land of Israel. Now, why they have done so? Because, remember, the early Hebrew believers in Yeshua, the Messiah, were the first fruits as we have seen them in the previous verses.

And they just were not quite sure, they were in a transition period. They were not sure exactly what's going on here. How is this so-called ecclesia church is working? Well, we are Jewish. We became believers in Yeshua, the Messiah. So the natural thing to do was to go to the Senegag. But what happened? As they were spending time in the Senegagues, later on, their brethren, Jewish brethren, who did not accept Yeshua, the Messiah, rejected Yeshua, Jesus. And they end up sending them away from the Senegagues in order for them to meet on their own. And then later on, obviously, they met elsewhere on their own, not with their Jewish brethren, because they didn't accept them.

They rejected them. Let me give you an example. If you go back to Acts chapter 9 with me for a second. In Acts chapter 9, you remember Shaul, Paul, who witnessed the killing of Stephen. And he was so angry with these Jewish believers, including Stephen, who just died. He, in chapter 9 and verse 1, Shaul was breathing out, threatening and slaughtered against the disciples of the Lord. And he went unto the high priest. And he desired of him letters. Now, I want you to notice that. He desired letters from the high priest to go to Damascus, to the Senegagues. Why to the Senegagues? That if he found any of this way, this is the Jewish believers, whether they were men or women, that he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

You see, Shaul, Paul understood, where he's going to find those Jewish believers, Meshichim, Messianic Jewish people, believers in Yeshua the Messiah. Well, he found them in a Senegag. Now, by the way, the word Senegagos in the Greek, Senegag, simply means, as we have this in the Greek, a bringing together. In Hebrew, we call it Beit Knesset. Beit Knesset. Beit Knesset means, Beit comes from the Hebrew word, Beit, house. Knesset, you know, today in Israel, we have the Knesset, the parliament, the Israeli parliament. The Knesset means, where we gather, where we come together, for a time of worship, and a time of prayer, and praise to the God of Israel.

Well, the Senegagos, began, beloved brothers and sisters, after the dispersion, of our people Israel, specifically to Babel, to Babylon. When Nebuchadnezzar, took our Jewish people into Babel, and then the temple had been destroyed, and burnt. And our Jewish people were there in Babylon, singing this song, or I should say, crying this cry, saying, "How shall we sing the Lord's song, in a strange land, when they were by the rivers of Babylon?" At that time already, the Jewish community wondered, "How are we going to meet together? We cannot go any place. We cannot be returning to the temple in Jerusalem. How are we going to worship our God, even if we are far away from the land?" Well, the institution of the Senegag, began at that period of time.

And in many localities, in the then known world, the Jewish communities form, what is known for us today, Beit Knesset, Batei Knesset, Senagogues in plural. And you have a Senagogue here, and a Senagogue there. In this case, you had a Senagogue in Damascus, in Syria. Yeshua spoke in a Senagogue in Natseret. The Apostle Paul spoke in other Senagogues, in Asia Minor. There were many Senagogues, where the Jewish people were gathering together, for the worship of the God of Israel. But in those Senagogues, there were Jewish believers. And they were in a spirit of transition, didn't yet know how to quite handle their faith in Yeshua, the Messiah.

And as time went on, they met with other believers, Jew and Gentiles, just like you and I meeting today, gathering around the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, separated from all sort of man-made systems, and they began to grow and develop. And here now, the Apostle Yaakov, is appealing to those Jewish believers, who were still in the Senegades. And they were told by him, "Listen brothers and sisters, if a couple of people coming into your midst, one of them is rich, and one of them is poor, how is it you treating them? Which way are you dealing with the rich and the poor? Do you have respect of persons?

Do you lift up the one and put down the other? Do you look high at the one and low at the other?" Yaakov is saying to them, "That is a wrong way to practice your faith in Yeshua, the Messiah." And so he's saying to them, in verse 2, "They were guilty of uplifting the rich and putting down the poor." And we are looking at them, we know this very well in ourselves. We often look up to those who are well-to-do, they have means in their lives, and they seem to be able to be successful, and we look up to them. And then on the other hand, we look at someone who has no means, and he's not able to produce like the other, and he doesn't dress so well, and we look at them and we say, "Well, you know, I'm not going to give him my time, I'm not going to be dealing with him in the same way that I'm dealing with a wealthy man." Well, Yaakov James saying to them, "You were guilty, brethren, in lifting up the rich and putting down the poor." That's not right.

That's not the faith of our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, the Lord of glory. You remember the reason that he came down to this world. He came to bring up all of us up. He was the one that was rich, and he made himself poor in order that we who were poor will become rich. 2 Corinthians chapter 8 and verse 9. Remember Paul said, "Behold the grace of our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, who though he was rich, he made himself poor that through his poverty we who were poor will become rich." Rich spiritually. Rich eternally. Rich in a relationship with God in a world that is headed up to a judgment day.

And so he says, "How do you practice this in your own life, in your own assemblies, in your own congregation, in your own synagogue at that time in which these brethren, Jewish brethren, find themselves?" And so he's saying, you are guilty in putting down the poor and lifting up the rich. And I'm rereading this verse. "For if there come unto your synagogues a man with a gold ring and a goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in a vile raiment, and ye have respect to him that wears the gay clothing, and say unto him, sit down here in a good place, and say unto the poor, stand down there, or sit here under my footstool, are ye not partial in yourselves, and are become judges with evil thoughts?" You see, he was pointing, apparently it may have been a problem there, and I don't believe that it is at all different today.

We know very well how we are by nature. We exalt the one and we put down the other. We lift up the one and we reject the other. That's the way we are. When we are not right in our attitude, and checking ourselves, and guarding the way we conduct ourselves, that's the way we are able to be. That's the way we are. Now let me just show you a couple of verses in connection with this. Turn to 1 Corinthians 1 for a moment. Verse 26. Shaul Paul wrote to the Corinthians, and he said to them, "We see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many nobles are called.

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. And God has chosen the weak things of this world to confound the things which are mighty. The base things of the world and the things which are despised has God chosen, yet the things which are not, to bring to naught the things which are, that no flesh should glory in his presence." You see what he's really saying. You know what I really loved many years ago when I heard the stories about the believers in England, it was many years ago. You read those stories in some books and we are told many stories about the brethren who met together in Europe and when they used to meet together and they used to gather in a meeting hall, they used to gather together and there were some of them were well-to-do.

Some of them were farmers and not so well-to-do. Some of them were able and capable individuals. Others were poor and needy. And they were coming together and they were meeting together and all of them were on their face, on their knees before their Lord, Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah. And they were on a common ground. There was not one elevated and the other. In society one was wealthy and the other one was not. But among themselves in their local assemblies, in the local churches, in the local congregation, they recognize that we are one body, we are united together and we belong to the same Lord of glory, Adon Hakavod.

Adon Hakavod. And we are to really, we are to treat each other as brothers and sisters in the local assembly, in the local church. That's the way it is. And it's so precious to see that because we are coming on a common ground. And you notice it had been said that one of the queens of England said many years ago, I think it was Queen Victoria. And every time I hear this story, I'm impressed. She said, I am so thankful that it says in 1 Corinthians 1:26, For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise, men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many are nobles, not many, and so on.

That word many, he says, I'm so thankful it says not many, and that he doesn't say not any. You know why? Because God saved rich and poor. He saved Yehudi, Jewish, and Goy, Gentile. He saved a male and a female. He saved us by grace when Yeshua died for us on a tree, placed us on a common ground. And so she said, this Queen Victoria, I am so thankful that it says not many, and it does not say not any noble, not any wise, not any mighty, because God does save the nobles, the mighty, the wise, just as much as he saved the poor, and the ones that are not noble, and maybe not as wise as others.

It's beautiful to see that. And when we are going to be in heaven, beloved brothers and sisters, I can assure you, on a basis of the word of God, that we are on a common ground around Yeshua the Messiah, falling at his feet, worshipping him in glory. There is no one superior than the other. And it is here and now that he's sick, that we will learn that, and learn to treat each other in such a way. And so, he was pointing to the problem in their local congregation, local assembly, local synagogue, when he's saying to them, you are really guilty in putting down the poor, and elevating the rich.

And he said to them in verse 4, aren't you partial? Notice that? In verse 4 of James chapter 2, he says, are ye not then partial in yourselves? Don't you see that you are partial? And he said in the end of verse 4, and you become judges with evil thoughts. You know, why do we really elevate the wealthy and the powerful, and put down the poor and the needy? Why is it? You see what he's saying to them in verse 4? He says, you become judges, not only of evil thoughts, but with evil thoughts. You know, our thoughts, our hearts, is so deceitful, that we have thoughts that are not right.

And often times, we are judging people, so quickly. You know, if somebody is going to come, just like me, dressed with a suit and a tie, and looking well, we look at them and say, uh-huh. If somebody is going to come with their blue jeans, and a t-shirt, we are going to say, uh-huh. In other words, we are going to say, whoa, he or she, looking very well, look at the way they dress. The other one, hmm, I am not quite sure about you. And you know how we are, you know, many times, by the way, many times, sometimes people don't go to church meetings today.

You know why? Because they don't live up to the standard, of what some have lifted the standard so high, that they say, well, I don't have those means. I don't have those capabilities. And why is it that I cannot attend a local church meeting, because I feel as someone who is not belonging. I know a brother who said, I'd rather have hundreds of people, who are coming from the street, with needs, maybe not dress well, maybe not capable, maybe not wealthy, than to have 10, or 20, or even 100 people, who are so elevating themselves, looking so well, and capable, and yet never can enjoy the things of God.

that's what he really was saying. And really, brothers and sisters, this is exactly what we learned from here. Now, it doesn't mean that we're supposed to come to our meeting careless, not dress proper, because we're coming to the presence of the Lord. We do need as much as within, that the Lord has provided for us, to look decent, to be respectful, because we are coming to the presence of the Lord, and we are to appear in His presence fine. But, to evaluate the one more than the other, that is being partial, as it says here, and having respect of person, ye are partial in yourself, and you become judges with evil thoughts.

And James is very practical. He doesn't go around, he's telling to the brethren, he loved them, he told them this straightforward, brothers and sisters, we need to learn how to deal with each other, and how to treat each other in a right way. So, verse one, he appealed to them, verse two, he showed them the wrong, in their local synagogue, local assemblies, where they were meeting there together, they were guilty, he told them, you are being partial, and now, he's telling them in verses five, six and seven, the need to know, how things are really in this world. You know, the world, is a very, very sad place, in many ways, because in reality, the world is unjust, and unfair, in the world in which we live in.

We are privileged to live in this country, we are being treated well, we have a good life here in this country, but in many other places in this world, things are not as good as it is in this country. And so, he's leading them in verses five, six and seven, and he's really telling them, look how things are really here in this world. In verse five, he's telling them, look, in reality, God has chosen the poor people, and the poor people are really rich in faith, in Yeshua the Messiah, and the poor people actually will inherit the kingdom of God, and the poor are ultimately the ones who love the Lord.

Now, he doesn't say that the rich are not, but he's showing to them the reality in this world, and he's saying this in those verses. Look, in verse five, "How can my beloved brethren, has not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to them that love him?" You see, he's telling them, look, this is the reality, you know, the poor of this world are the ones who have more need. And they are the ones that seem to cry to God, and come to him because they do have, in general, a greater need. You know, I've seen it in reality years ago, I used to hand out tracts in New York City, many years ago.

And you remember the two towers were there, those two high towers, there was the financial market there in New York City. We used to go there and hand out tracts on the streets. And it is amazing, I'm handing out tracts, and everybody passing by, they're passing by with a big suitcase, you know, with a suit and tie, and they were passing me by, handing out tracts, and nobody wanted to take. But we went to another area to hand out tracts, where the people were, you know, street people, and people were with many needs, no suits, no ties, no suitcase, no briefcases, nothing. They were not part of this glamorous and great place.

But almost everyone took a tract from our hands. We could talk to them about Yeshua, about Jesus. But in this great place, where the financial market have been, nobody seems to have any interest in that. The vast majority just didn't seem to have an interest in the things of the Lord. This is the reality of this world. In this world, really, God is graciously saving souls, but really, as James Yaakov says, listen brethren, he said, has not God really chosen the pool of this world, to become rich in what? Rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which he had promised to them that love him.

Those points we have here in verse five. Number one, God had chosen the pool. And what I'm saying by this, brothers and sisters, that a man must recognize that he have a spiritual poverty. That we need God in our life. We need forgiveness of our sins. It doesn't matter what status I find myself in this world, but I am a needy individual. I need salvation through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. That's what he's really saying. The poor, those who recognize themselves, that they are poor and needy before God. They are the ones that God had brought to himself. Secondly, in verse five, he says, he made them.

Notice that, those who really become rich in faith, in our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. They are the ones that are growing. They are the ones that take their time, and spend their energy to learn from the Lord, and to follow the Lord, and to serve the people of God. That's what he's really saying. Thirdly, they are the ones that will inherit the kingdom that is coming. I didn't say it, even James is saying, verse five, they are the ones that will be heirs of the kingdom which he has promised. God has promised a kingdom, and a messianic kingdom that will come in the coming days.

Those poor individuals who have been rejected by this world, yet accepted by Yeshua the Messiah, they will be the ones that will enter into the messianic kingdom. This is amazing to see how God is working. Not that we don't have rich and poor together, but in general, life is like that. Those that have need, seems to turn to God, more than those that do not have a need. And God have, according to verse five, have chosen the poor of this world to become rich in faith. He lifted them up. He elevated them while the world have rejected the poor and the needy. Turn to first Samuel chapter two.

And I want you to see what Hannah, the mother of Shmuel, have said in her prayer, when she was praising and praying to God, when she saw graciously and thankfully, thanked him for providing for her a son later on. She was praying, wanting so much to have a child, and she did not have it until God had provided this Shmuel, this Samuel for her. Look what she said, Hannah, in chapter two of first Samuel, and verses seven and eight. She said, The Lord maketh poor, and he maketh rich. He bringeth low, and he lifting up. He raises up the poor out of the dust, and he lifted up the beggar from the downhill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory.

For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he set the world upon them. Here's Hannah. Hannah who wanted so much to have a child, and she couldn't. And finally, God had provided for her a child by the name of Shmuel, Samuel. She turned to him in praises, and she said, Lord, you are the one who makes the poor. You are the one who makes the rich. You are the one who, bringing low and lifting up. You are the one that raises up the poor out of the dust, and you are the one that's lifting the beggar from the downhill. You are the one.

Everything is from God. And this is amazing to realize, because Paul elsewhere is saying, listen, those that are well-to-do, you, Timothy, charge them that are rich to recognize that everything had been provided for them from the Lord himself, and not to trust in their riches, but to trust in the living God. Paul said to Timothy in 1 Timothy chapter 6 to minister this to those to whom he was serving there. And so, here we have, in verse 5, God has chosen the poor. God has chosen for the poor to be rich in faith. And God will bring those poor individual believers, and he will bring them into his kingdom, the messianic kingdom.

And they are the one that in response to him, will respond to him in love. In verse 5 he says, unto them that love him. And so they have responded to the work that the Lord had done in their lives. And so now verses 6 and 7. As Yaakov is telling them, here is the need to know how things really are in this life. You recognize that the poor were chosen, the poor will become rich, the poor will inherit the kingdom of God. And then verses 6 and 7, James charging the one that are partial. He is really charging them. And he perhaps charging you and I as well in those verses 6 and 7.

And look what he is telling them. He is telling them, first of all in verse 6a, you ought not to despise those that are poor. He says to them, notice he is very clear and straightforward. He says in verse 6a, he says, but you, brethren, you have despised the poor. He is pointing to them, really brothers and sisters. He is saying to those brethren, he says, you actually have done so. You shouldn't have done so. You have really done so. You have to change. You cannot behave like this. He says, you have done so. And then he is reminding them in verses 6 and 7, what the world and its wealth and the richest people in this world, how they have treated the poor.

Notice three things he is saying to them about the way the rich treat the things that they are doing to those that are poor. Number one in verse 6b. He says, do not rich men oppress you. Well, apparently, those early believers, they have been oppressed by the wealthy, unbelievers. Oppressed them and treated them in a wrong way. Secondly, he is saying to them in verse 6b. Do they not draw you before the judgment seats? They take you to court. They put you in the judgment seat, and they condemn you, and they rebuke you, and they judge you. Don't you remember that? That's the way that you have experienced this as believers.

From others, from without. They oppressed you. They took you to various courts, and there they have treated you wrongfully. In verse 6, they judge you. They put you in the judgment seats. And then thirdly in verse 7, they blaspheme the name of Yeshua the Messiah. It says in verse 7, Do not they blaspheme the worthy name by which ye are called? Do you see? He is saying to them, those wealthy people who rejected you, took you to court, and put you down, they really blaspheme the name of Yeshua the Messiah. or the Messiah, obviously he doesn't speak about believers, he's speaking about unbelievers. And he's saying, look at the unbelieving world.

Look at the way they have treated you, and they ultimately blasphemed the worthy name by which you are called. They were called by the name of Yeshua, by the name of Jesus. And those without, who are perhaps well to do, treated them wrongfully. They were blaspheming the name of Jesus, of Yeshua. And therefore he is telling them, brethren, look, you are guilty in this. You are treating each other with respect of person. You are not right, and remember how you were treated by those without, who actually despised you, took you to court, and ultimately blasphemed the name, this beautiful name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

You know today, how many blasphemed the name of Yeshua, use his name as a curse word, use his name to put people down, use his name in a blaspheming way, and yet God said, that the name of Yeshua, every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess one day, that the name of Yeshua, that he is Lord, that he is Lord of glory. But the brothers and sisters need to be reminded, that they ought to deal with each other in a right way, and not to have respect of persons. And you and I need to know that as well. We need to be reminded brothers and sisters, even in our midst, some of us are better than others.

Some of us are more able and more capable. Others are not the same. What do we do? We need to seek, with the Lord's help, to have an even treatment, and not to be partial in our dealing with each other. Not to say to the one, you come sit in the front, and then to push the other, and have you go sit in the last row, because you are not the same, as the one who is well to do. That is having respect of persons. There are many verses that I can connect with it, but I want now to move on to the next verses, from verse 8, 9, 10, and 11.

There is now a need to live practically the royal law, the life of the believer. To live it practically. What is pure religion? Chapter 1, verse 26 and 27. To visit the fatherless and the widows in the affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. That is what he is saying. If you really belong to me, belong to Yeshua, here is now the change that ought to occur in your life. So verses 8, 9, 10, and 11. Here he challenged them with the need to live practically the royal law, the law of the Messiah. And so he says in verse 8, what is the royal law? The royal law, it is really, and he is mentioning this in verse 8, that if you fulfill the royal law, according to the scriptures.

Remember, those were Hebrew believers, and therefore they knew the Hebrew scriptures. So Yaakov, going back to the Tanakh, and he is bringing out of the Hebrew scripture, the Tanakh, the Old Testament, a verse, Viticus chapter 19. Look at what it says. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. This is the royal law. He is saying in verse 8, If ye fulfill the royal law, according to the scriptures, you shall love thy neighbor as thyself. Now, this is so high. It's so unique. I mean, this is, what do you mean, to love my neighbor as myself? Who can do so? But that's what the Tanakh, the Old Testament taught.

Leviticus 19, God is expected from the people of Israel to love their neighbor as themselves. In other words, to treat others in the right way. That does not mean that we agree with everyone on everything. That does not mean that we have the same view on everything in our life, or the same practices that the others have. But nevertheless, we are to love our brethren, to love our neighbors as ourselves. That's what we are exhorted here in verse 8. And, of course, immediately we can look at the Gospel. Do you remember when Yeshua was here on earth, and this lawyer came to him in Luke chapter 10. And he said to Yeshua, you know, he says, "What must I do that I will inherit the kingdom of God?" And you remember what Yeshua had to tell him.

In Luke chapter 10, it says in verse 25, "And behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and he tempted him, and he said, "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And he said unto him, "What is it written in the law?" "How do you read the law?" Yeshua challenged him. And he said, "Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself." And he said unto him, "You have answered right, this do, and you shall live." So he wanted to justify himself in verse 29. And he asked him, "Who is my neighbor?" And you remember, this is how Yeshua went to the story of the Good Samaritan.

A certain man came down from Jerusalem, went down to Jericho, to Jericho, and he was caught among thieves, and I'm not reading the text now. And then what happened when he was caught among thieves? They left him half dead, he was destitute, he had a need. And the Levites came, and couldn't help him. And the priests came, and he didn't help him. Then came the Good Samaritan, the Shomroni, which is a picture of our Lord, Yeshua the Messiah. And what did he do? He covered his wounds. He gave him to drink whatever he needed. He lifted him up, and put him on his animal, on his beast, and he took him all the way to the inn.

And he gave two pens, and to the owner of the inn, and he said to him, you take care of him. And when I come back, if I owe you anything, I will pay you. This is the royal law. This is the neighbor. Take care of the brothers and sisters. And you know, this is high standard. Beyond us. Many times we can say, we all fail in this. Drastically. Drastically fail in it. But this is the royal law. You should love your neighbor as yourself. It's not only a New Testament teaching. This is the Tanakh teaching from the Hebrew Scripture, the Old Testament. The standard is high.

Do you know the only one, who loved his neighbor, more than himself you might say, is our Lord Yeshua. Who came from heaven. Who died for sinners. Who didn't want him to come anyways. Who rejected him and despised him, when we heard of him at first, and yet he came all the way down. As we read it in Philippians. And as Isaiah the Hebrew prophet said, that he was despised and rejected of men. A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. That's the one that we can learn from. This is the one that had said to our forefathers, the Hebrews, the Israelis, our Jewish people of all.

He says, you should love your neighbor as yourself. Leviticus chapter 19 and verse 18. And so this is the royal law. So, Yaakov, James, is saying to them. Here it is in verse 8. He says, if you are going to fulfill the royal law. He says, according to the scripture, you ought to love one another. And to bring the highest standard. Love your neighbor as yourself. Now, brothers and sisters, it's easy to say it and to read the text. But who of us can say that we love someone to that extent? That we love him or her just as we love ourselves. You know, the natural man loves himself so much, not the neighbor.

Remember what Paul said in Ephesians chapter 5. He says, no man hates his own flesh, but loves his, cherishes and nourishes. We're taking care of ourselves. But at least this partiality in our dealing with our brothers and sisters somehow needed to be removed if we are to enjoy this fellowship together with each other. And so, the royal law is, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Taking from Leviticus 19 and verse 18. And Yeshua said in John 13 verse 34, By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one towards another. You know, when we don't have love among the brethren, who want to be at a meeting?

A meeting is such a meeting, such a fellowship, such a church, such a congregation. Where the brethren despise each other and have friction with each other. That is the scattering of the sheep, the scattering of the flock. But if there is a love among the brethren, it is a testimony to the world. By this shall all men know that you belong to me, if you have love one towards another. And love is not necessarily always hugging, though I enjoy to hug. But hugging is not love. Love is forgiveness. Bearing with each other. Gracious in our speech. Patient with each other. Dealing fairly with one another.

It has nothing to do with emotion. It has to do with practical, Christ-like, Messiah-like attitude. That is what is the royal law that is found here in verse 8. Well, and you see, a respect of persons is a violation of the royal law. He says in verse 9. Because immediately he says after this, but if you have respect of persons, ye commit sin and are convicted of the law as transgressors. You see what happened, really? We don't see it, perhaps, but the Lord sees it. When we have respect of persons dealing with one this way and with the other this way, it becomes, as it says here in verse 9, sin.

And sin is convicting, or we have become convicted by the law. And the law condemned us. That's what really happened here. And that's why he's saying, listen, you seek to practice the royal law in loving the brethren, loving one another, because if you don't, and you have respect of persons, actually you are going to be condemned by the law. Not condemned to eternal separation, because he's speaking to believers. But condemned, because the law is condemning us, saying, listen, that is not right. That's what the law is pointing to us, if we are being partial, or having respect of persons, and not dealing with each other in a fair and even way.

And so in verse 10, he gives them a principle. A principle. Keeping all the law, and offending in one of the laws, make one guilty of everything. This is a very good verse, when someone says, you know, I've kept the law. Well, and then you challenge him on her, and you say, really? Have you kept the law? Have you kept all God's commandments? Every one of them, without a iota of changes? No. If somebody is honest, he says, listen, I've coveted. I've lusted. I've disobeyed my parents. I have lied. And I've done this, and I've done that. All of us are guilty. And so, look what he's saying here in this verse 10.

He's saying, for whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he's guilty of all. You know, God's standard is perfection. God's standard is 100%. And therefore, if someone says, listen, I've kept all the laws, and yet I have offended in one, God is really saying to us, you are guilty. And that's why we needed the sacrifice of Yeshua, the Messiah, so we can receive forgiveness. And thank God for this. If someone claimed that he had kept the whole law, that he had been so perfect in his life, he says, listen, by keeping the whole law and offending only in one, you are guilty in all.

You are really condemned by the Lord. A verse in Deuteronomy chapter 27 that I want you to read with me, please. Verse 26. Cursed is he that confirms not all the words of this law, to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen. God said this to Israel. Cursed be he that confirms not all the words of this law, to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen. In other words, God said, if you will not do all what I am telling you, what I have commended, you are going to be cursed, you are judged. You are going to be judged. And that's why he provided the sacrificial system, on the basis of which Israel could receive forgiveness.

And so, keeping all the law and offending in one, makes one guilty. That's why verse 10, whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. He is guilty of all the commandments that God had given in his word. And then verse 11. Why? What is the reason? The reason that one becomes guilty is because God is not partial. James gives us an illustration here in verse 11, where we read, For he that said, do not commit adultery, said also, do not murder, do not kill. Now, if you commit no adultery, and yet you have killed, you become a transgressor of the law.

So, he gave us here an illustration in two of the ten commandments that God had given the people of Israel in Exodus chapter 20. Come from Exodus chapter 20. So, now James, after he said there is a need to live practically this life, and this is really something that we all need to be exhorted to seek not to be partial, not to elevate the one and put the other down. We are to look at each other and to seek to treat each other evenly, fairly, and not to neglect debt. Then he concludes here, in this verses 12 and 13, he says, One day, brothers and sisters, we are all going to be judged.

One day we are going to be standing before the Lord, and all of us are going to be evaluated by the Lord. How did we live our life here on earth? And so he is saying to them in verse 12, The royal law is that law of liberty. And so he is saying to them in verse 12, he says, So speak, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. He says to them, listen, brethren, if you say something, act upon it. Don't only say it, and don't act upon it. You know, we are so good in saying things, but when it comes to action, we fail.

And so he is saying, listen, so you say things, so you speak ye, he says also so do. What our words are, are to somehow beck it by action. And the reason is simply, because that one day, and it is coming for all of us, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. We, you and I, going to be judged one day, we are not going to be judged for our eternal salvation. That had been done by the Lord. But the Bible does say, that one day we are going to appear before the Lord. And he is going to evaluate, how did we live the life from the day that we became believers, until the day that God had taken us to heaven.

He is going to evaluate our life. And he is going to check us out. And he is going to say, listen, brother Gideon, listen, brother so-and-so, sister so-and-so. Look at this. You said this, but you did this. You have said one thing, but you did another, which we often do. And we, one day, are going to stand before the Lord, and he is going to show us the actions which we had, which we failed so much in. And he says, look, you said one thing, but you didn't do it. You made promises, but you didn't fulfill it. You have said something, and you didn't come about in acting upon what you have promised, and what you have said.

You didn't treat individuals in a fair and decent way. We are going to be judged. One day we are going to be judged. Second Corinthians 5 tells us, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of the Messiah. 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 10, it says, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, of the Messiah, that everyone may receive the things done in his body. According to that he has done, whether it be good or whether it be bad. In other words, God is going to reward us for that which we have done right. But he is not going to give us rewards for that which we have done bad and not right.

So he is telling them, he is motivating these brethren who were scattered abroad from among the people of Israel, the 12 tribes. And he is motivating actually us too. And he is saying to each and every one of us, he says, listen, one day we are going to stand before the judge. And we want to come to stand before the judge. We don't want to come with arrogance. We want to come with humility and to somehow that he will tell us, well done, good and faithful servant. That how you treated the brethren, in this case is the treatment of one another, not being partial in our dealing with each other.

And he says to them, listen, one day we are all going to stand. You speak, you actually back it up with action. So one day realize that you are going to be judged by the very same law of liberty, which he already mentioned in chapter one and verse 25. That the perfect law of liberty is the law that liberates. It is the same law, the royal law to love one another, to love the brothers and the sisters as oneself. This is the standard in which James is pointing to these brothers and sisters. The royal law is the law of the Messiah, Galatians 6 and verse 2. He appealed to them and he says, so speak, so do, because one day you are going to stand before the Lord and he will judge your action.

How did you live your life here as a believer? And finally, brothers and sisters, if you are going to be dealt in a right way, well, you better show mercy. You know, it's so difficult for us to show mercy. Remember, brothers and sisters, that when we came to the Lord, he showed us mercy when he saved us. The grace of our Lord, Yeshua the Messiah, the mercies of God in which he made a way for us to be brought to be part of the family of God. So we are to deal with each other in mercy. And so he says, notice, and this is the last verse, the law of the Messiah will render mercy to one another.

We need to extend mercy to each other in dealing with each other. And he says here two things in verse 13. The law of the Messiah will render mercy. Verse 13, for he shall have justice without mercy that has showed no mercy. You see what he's saying in the first part of verse 13? In other words, if you did not show mercy, do you expect God to show mercy to you? That's what he's really saying. In other words, only God will judge right and extend mercy because we have extended mercy to our brothers and sisters. We need mercy from each other. When we sin and have gone wrong and have fallen short in our behavior and our lives, we need mercy to be restored to the things of the Lord.

We need forgiveness. We need to realize that restoration is through mercy and forgiveness. So one who repent and confess can be restored to the Lord. And if we will show mercy, God will also show mercy to us. And then he concludes here this section. He says, mercy rejoices against justice, against judgment. Because when mercy is evident in the life of God's people, it says it's rejoice. Mercy rejoices against judgment. Why? Because when a day of judgment comes and God extends mercy to us who repented and confessed. There's joy, mercy rejoicing, knowing that God in a day of judgment will forgive us because we have confessed our sins.

We have repented and we have received an extension of mercy by the Lord. And that's the way we are to treat one another. He says, show justice because mercy is glorying in justice. When we do the right thing, then the mercy of God is being extended to us. And there is joy. Mercy is glowing when there is true justice. And justice is being extended to us when mercy is being provided in our life when we behave to one another in the right way. So what is the lesson in those first 13 verses of chapter 2? We are to recognize and to realize that we are not to be partial in dealing with each other and not to have respect of persons.

James is straightforward. He's speaking directly to these brethren. And that's speaking directly to you and I. We ought not to be partial in dealing with each other, not to elevate the one and put down the other, or to put down the one and elevate the other. We are to be not partial and not having respect of persons. May the Lord help us with this.