Sometimes you come across something in the Bible that makes you wonder whether you should understand it differently than it is normally read and explained. That happened recently when reading James 4.
As background, it is helpful to know that the letter was sent to the Jews in the dispersion. Its purpose is to make clear to those who have become Christians that their lives are (or should be) different in essential ways from those who still adhere to the Jewish religion. This also explains many of the things the letter addresses and warns us against. It is an interesting view that can clarify much in the letter. For more on this see, for example here.
“Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up..” (James 4:1-10).
What I stumbled upon was the phrase "you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures" (verse 3). Apparently, as Christians, we can desire and even pray for wrong things. Sin is still in us, so a sinful desire can certainly be there. I still understand that. But it becomes more difficult when you consider that you would pray for it. I can hardly imagine that of someone who knows the Lord Jesus. But does that mean that we are therefore an enemy of God? Or is this only about Christians living in adultery, as verse 4 says. People who are called sinners a little further on in verse 8? Overall, I think it's quite a tricky part.
Then at some point I realized that there is a certain way of praying that gives physical pleasure. That is what takes place in contemplation: the bodily experience of something supernatural (cf here).
The Lord Jesus also warns against this when he says, “When you pray, do not ramble about like the Gentiles” (Matthew 6:7). Because repeating words or short sentences are mantras that put you in a state of higher consciousness.
What James here calls 'praying wrongly' is possibly the same as the pagan dealing with the invisible world, which we also find in contemplation. That this is very likely, we will describe below.
Idolatry in First Century Israel and the Diaspora
Idolatry among the Jews was also great in the time of our Lord Jesus Christ. Think of the many people who were possessed (Matthew 4:24; 8:16), but also of the leaders of the people whom the Lord calls children of the devil (John 8:44 and read about that too here). James also knew about the mystical practices of his compatriots and warned against them.
Moreover, there is no reason at all to assume that the Jews who lived in the diaspora in a pagan world did not also have their own form of mysticism.
In that respect we can compare the letter to Corinth with the letter of James. Paul's letter is addressed to the Christian congregation in a pagan world. She warns against the influence of pagan teachings and practices on the Christians and, as a result, discord and immoral practices. The letter of James is addressed to the Jewish community and warns against Jewish mysticism, which is really nothing but paganism. We see there the same consequences as in Corinth, such as factions and mutual strife, but also immorality and self-centeredness.
Below we continue to mention some of the points pertaining to Jewish mysticism in our section of the Epistle of James.
About the wisdom
Shortly before the fourth chapter of James, James writes about two kinds of wisdom. The wisdom that is from above and the wisdom that is earthly. The first is the wisdom we may ask of God when we lack wisdom (see James 1:5). The second kind is of a different nature: it is earthly, natural, and devilish (James 3:15).
- earthly, that is, it does not come from heaven, the place where God lives
- Naturally. The word is derived from soul (psyche) and can be translated animate, sensual (so translated in the New King James).
- diabolical, or actually demonic.
Here's what happens: they are demons who imprint their views deep and in your soul. It is so convincing because of the sensual feeling in the soul that man thinks it is (of) God. It is what Paul calls the work of "deceiving spirits and teachings of demons" (1 Timothy 4:1).
A person who practices these things will display behaviors appropriate to them. Named are bitter envy, self-interest, self-exaltation, lying to the truth, disorder, and all kinds of evil practices (3:14,16).
But the one who draws near to God in faith and asks Him for wisdom is meek, pure, peaceable, benevolent, understanding, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere (3:1,17).
In the book of Proverbs we find the same distinction between two kinds of wisdom. In Proverbs 9 it is described as the cry of two women (see also here). The one, the highest Wisdom calls the foolish to leave that behind and enter the way of understanding (Proverbs 9:6). The other, called Lady Folly, is described as a whore who invites the unwise to commit adultery (Proverbs 9:13-18).
James asks the same question in 3:13; "who is wise and understanding among you?" and he calls them to show that in the practice of life. Whether wisdom is from above can be seen from the characteristics listed by James.
The context
When we talk about the context in which "wrong prayer" is mentioned, we have looked at the section of chapter 3. The question here is where our knowledge comes from: from above or from the demons. That is precisely the question that is crucial in idolatry.
After the wrong praying is mentioned, it is remarkable that expressions pass by that all have to do with the question of what kind of relationship the reader of the letter has with the invisible world. We list here what is said of and to those who pray wrongly:
- they are called adulterers and enemies of God (verse 4). These are terms that the Old Testament also uses in connection with the idolatry of Israel. For example in 1 Chronicles 5:25 and Jeremiah 3:8 where idolatry is called adultery and in Exodus 20:5 where idolatry is called crime and hatred against God.
- Wrong prayer arouses the envy of the Spirit of God (verse 5). This is also the case in the Old Testament where the word jealous is used, as for example in Exodus 20:5 and Deuteronomy 5:9.
- The jealousy of God provokes His wrath; see for example Deuteronomy 32:16. But He also gives grace to those who humbly approach Him (verse 6). "The meek he will give grace" (Proverbs 3:34b; also 1 Peter 5:5).
- The one who prays wrongly must submit to God and approach Him in the way God has indicated: in faith. The devil will not let that happen just like that, but you have to resist it (verses 7 and 8).
- When someone who prays wrongly distances himself from it and removes it from his heart and life practice, he will be able to draw near to God and God will draw close to him. Fellowship as God intended (verse 8).
- But then you must come acknowledging your terrible condition before God and humbly confess those things to Him (verse 9). Then the Lord God will exalt you. That's His promise.
Thus we see that the context contains several references to the idolatry that was also practiced by Israel in the Old Testament. But fortunately there is also the call of the Lord to repent of that and to make it right with Him. Just like He always did in the Old Testament.
Praying wrong
Now we have to talk about the 'mispraying' itself.
- Pray: This word can also be translated as ask and that is how it is done in chapter 1:5-6. As a matter of fact, the word also has meanings such as to beg, desire or crave. That we are especially allowed to think of these latter meanings, will become clear from the meaning of the word passions.
- Passions: This word translated passions indicates sensual pleasure, lust. In Greek it says hedone. Hedone was a goddess from Greek mythology. She was the daughter of Eros and Psyche and was the goddess of pleasure and pleasure.
Hedonē (ἡδονή) is one Ancient Greek word meaning 'pleasure'. The word hedonism is derived from this. - Paul wrote to Timothy that "difficult times shall come in the last days" when people would be "lovers of sensual pleasures more than lovers of God" (2 Timothy 3:1,4). It is noteworthy that the word translated here as sensual pleasure is the same word translated as pleasures in James 4. So also the Greek word hedone.
Sources: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedone, https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedonisme, https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genot
When we look at this, one can hardly help but conclude that someone who 'prays wrongly' has the desire to experience the oneness with God physically. At least, people think that God gives that pleasure and are ignorant that it is caused by demons. This is precisely the core of the inner experience that belongs to idolatry.
It is therefore not surprising that God immediately calls them 'adulterers' in James 4:4.
God's promise and faithfulness
The people of Israel have always served idols from Egypt (cf here). That is why the next generation was only allowed to enter the promised land. It didn't get much better there; just read the histories of Israel. Ultimately, it was because of idolatry that both the 10 tribes and later Judah were exiled and ended up in the diaspora.
Part of the people were later allowed to return to the country from exile; read the accounts of Nehemiah and Ezra.
At the time that the Lord Jesus walked around in the land, many were also under the influence of demons. Certainly most religious leaders (cf here).
That the Jews who lived in the dispersion also committed idolatry in the first century AD may be seen from the letter of James, as we have seen above.
Even today, mysticism for the Jews is still the same old problem of idolatry (see my report from Jerusalem here).
If you think about it this way, you must conclude that God has been dealing with the people of Israel for 4000 years and they are constantly falling into idolatry. He has called Abraham from among the idolaters and made Israel His own people. Despite their continued apostasy from the Lord God, He is still faithful to His promise to Abraham:
“And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice.”
Genesis 18:18; 22:18; 26:4
What a miracle that God will soon fulfill his promise and continue with Israel. Then the Lord Jesus Christ will reign as King for 1000 years and all the nations of the earth will be blessed. How faithful is God to what He has promised!!
Endure until the coming of the Lord
But it is the same in the Christian heritage. When you have turned to God and accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you have the same problems as the converted Jews of the dispersion. Because also with us mysticism and spirituality has penetrated almost everywhere. We live in a dying Christendom just as the Jews of the Epistle of James lived in a dying Judaism. We will have to endure until the coming of the Lord.
“Be patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. (…) You also must be patient and strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. (…) Behold, we call them blessed who endure. (…) the Lord IS compassionate and merciful.” (James 5:7-11)
To those who love the Lord and persevere He gives two promises that He will surely keep: the crown of life (1:12) and an inheritance in the coming Kingdom (2:5).
As a result of the previous article and the discovery of the meaning of wrong praying in James 4, we will have to take a closer look next DV at the hedonism as it is currently promoted as biblical in Protestant circles.
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