RICH MEN

WITH

MOTH EATEN

GARMENTS

By William T. Barrett

 2001

RICH MEN WITH MOTH EATEN GARMENTS

JAMES

5 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl, for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 3 Your gold and silver is cankered ; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

QUESTIONS :

- 1 -

JAMES 5 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl, for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 3 Your gold and silver is cankered ; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

QUESTIONS :

1 What makes these rich men rich ?

2 What is the matter with their riches ?

3 What is the matter with their garments ?

4 What are the Real Ojects ?

5 What do the Real Objects represent Spiritually ?

6 When is the time period of this text ?

7 What is the treasure of the rich men ?

8 Who do the rich men represent ?

9 Why must this text be Spiritually understood ?

10 What “witnesses” against the rich men ?

11 What does the text mean when it says that their “flesh will be eaten as it were by fire ?

- 2 -

QUESTIONS : (Think ! About the Physical)

1 What makes these rich men rich ?

(Their gold and silver)

2 What is the matter with their riches ?

(Their gold and silver is “cankered” or rusted)

3 What is the matter with their garments ?

(Their garments are “motheaten” or have holes in them)

4 What are the Real Ojects ?

(Gold, silver, motheaten garments)

5 What do the Real Objects represent Spiritually ?

(See Bible Word Pictures on following pages)

6 When is the time period of this text ?

(The Last Days or at the End of TIME)

7 What is the treasure of the rich men ?

(Their gold and silver)

8 Who do the rich men represent ?

(See texts on following pages)

9 Why must this text be Spiritually understood ?

(Real gold or silver does not rust)

(Rich men do not wear motheaten garments)

10 What “witnesses” against the rich men ?

(The “rust” on their gold and silver)

What does the text mean when it says that their

“flesh will be eaten as it were by fire ?

(It means that their bodies will be burned up by fire)

- 3 -

(Think ! About the Spiritual)

5 What do the Real Objects represent Spiritually ?

What does gold represent ?

“GOLD” represents “FAITH” and “LOVE” and GOD’S LAW”

What does silver represent ?

“SILVER” represents “KNOWLEDGE” and “UNDERSTANDING” of the Bible and God’s Law

- 4 -

What does a garment represent ?

A “GARMENT” represents a person’s “CHARACTER” or “LIFE”

What does a New Garment represent ?

A “NEW GARMENT” represents a “RIGHTEOUS LIFE”

What does an Old or Motheaten garment represent ?

“AN OLD” or “MOTHEATEN GARMENT”

represents a “SINFUL LIFE”

1 What makes these rich men rich ?

(Physical) Their Physical Gold.

(Spiritual) Their Spiritual “Gold”.

(Their Faith and Love and Obedience to

God’s Law)

(Physical) Their Physical Silver.

(Spiritual) Their Spiritual “Silver”.

(Their Knowledge and understanding of the

Bible and God’s Law)

- 5 -

What is the matter with their riches ?

(Physical) Their Physical Gold and Physical Silver is rusted.

(Note : Real Gold and Silver do not rust)

(Spiritual) Their Spiritual “Gold” and Spiritual “Silver” is

spiritually “rusted”.

Rusted “Gold” (Their Faith and Love and Obedience to

God’s Law is not being practised !

Rusted “Silver” (Their Knowledge and Understanding of the Bible

and God’s Law is not being used.)

3 What is the matter with their garments ?

(Physical) Their Physical garments have Physical holes in

them.

(Note : Real rich men do not wear garments with

holes in them)

(Spiritual) Their Spiritual “Garments” have Spiritual “holes” in them.

(Their Character is defective and they are living

Sinful lives)

6 When is the time period ?

(At the END of Time or the Last Days).

7 What is the treasure of the rich men ?

(Physical) Their Physical Gold and Physical Silver.

(Their Money and possessions).

Matthew 6 : 19-21“Laynotup for yourselvestreasures upon earth, wheremothandrustdoth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal : Butlay upfor yourselvestreasures in heaven, where neithermothnorrustdoth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal : For where yourtreasureis, there will yourheartbe also”.

Comment : To “give up your treasure” upon earth and to “lay up your treasure” in heaven, means to “turn your heart” from the things of the world and to “give your heart” to Jesus and the things of heaven.

Proverbs 2 : 3-5 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding ; if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasure ; then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

Comment : The only place that we can “search” for the “hid treasure” of the knowledge of God is in God’s Word.

(Spiritual) Their Spiritual “Gold” and Spiritual “Silver” should be the “treasure” of Spiritually “rich” men.

(Their “Knowledge and Understanding of the Bible” and their Faith and Love should be the “treasure” of Spiritually “rich” men.

- 6 -

8 Who do the rich men represent ?

The “rich men” who have rusty “gold” and “silver”, represent Christians who consider the “things of the world” to be of more value than the “things of God”.

9 Why must this text be Spiritually understood ?

(Real gold and silver does not rust and real rich men do not wear motheaten garments).

10 What is the “witness” against the rich men ?

(The “rust” on their silver and gold).

(The lack of use of the Knowledge and Understanding they have of the Bible and their lack of faith and love.

11 What does the text mean when it says that their “flesh will be eaten as it were by fire ?

(It means that they will be burned up by fire and their bodies reduced to ashes.

Malachi 4 :1,3

“…All that do wickedly shall be stubble and the day the cometh shall burn them up… shall leave them neither root nor branch… they shall be ashes.

SPIRITUAL MEANINGS

REAL OBJECTS

gold Faith, Love, and God’s Law

silver Knowledge and Understanding of the

Bible and God’s Law

garment Character or Life

motheaten garment Defective Character

or or

garment with holes Sinful life

rich men “Christians” (in this case in name only)

rust lack of use

treasure where your heart is (either on things of

the world or the things of God

- 7 -

JAMES 5 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 3 Your gold and silver is cankered ; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

(so called “Christians”)

Go to now, ye rich men, weep

and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.

(Faith and Love) is defective

2 Your riches are corrupted,

(Characters) are sinful

and your garments are motheaten.

(Faith and Love and Bible Knowledge) is not being used

3 Your gold and silver is cankered ;

(lack of use)

and the rust of them shall be a witness against you,

and shall eat your flesh as it were fire.

(put your heart into the wrong things)

Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

Paraphrase :

Go on now, you “Christians” (rich men) who have a knowledge of the Bible (silver) and have been given an opportunity to have your faith and love (gold) increase.

Howl and cry because of the miseries that will come upon you. You neglected to use (rust) your knowledge of God’s Word (silver) or to exercise Faith and Love (gold) to help others and as a result your character (garment) is defective and sinful (motheaten)

In the Last Days you “treasured” your money and possessions (gold and silver) more than you “treasured” the things of God and because of this, you will be burned up by fire along with other wicked people.

- 8 -

- 9 -