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About James, or rather Jacob
James 1:1 “James, a bondservant of YHWH and of Yeshua Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad”
The Greek name for James is Ikabos G2385 – iakōbos, where the same part of this name Ikob G2384 – iakōb is actually the greek similar name for the Hebrew name Yaqob H3290 – yaʿăqōḇ. The same name Yaqob in Hebrew translated to Hebrew-to-English Jacob, but in Hebrew-to-Greek-to-English is known as James. In other words, if you are now confused.. James’ name is actually Jacob – Yaqob in Hebrew.
We saw this same thing happen with Yeshua’s name and Joshua who was with Moses! Click here to see several posts on this topic, especially the post from Numbers 13. Joshua’s Hebrew name is Yehoshua! But somehow translators decided to use Joshua (Hebrew-to-English) in the old testament, and Jesus in the Hebrew-to-Greek-to-English new testament – but both going back to Hebrew is one Name : Yehoshua, or Yeshua for short.
What is amazing though is the parallels between these people who do have the same names! Joshua took over from Moses as leader, and Yeshua also came to fulfill the Laws of Moses. Jacob’s had a brother Esau, and see our post from Acts 2 about how Jacob is related to Pentecost/Shavuot. James, who is actually “Jacob”, was Yeshua’s brother. James (actually “Jacob”) didn’t believe in his own brother Yeshua as the Messiah, but only came to Faith after Yeshua’s resurrection and then became a key leader among the followers of Yeshua.
Scattered
James 1:1 “To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad”
Perhaps you have heard of the greek word for scattered, which is Diaspora G1290 – diaspora, meaning scattering or dispersed. Click here to see our post about the Scattered Remnant prophesied in Ezekiel 11:17, “I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered”. The Hebrew word is H6327 – pûṣ, and we actually see this word early in Genesis 11, where the people build the Tower of Babel, the beginning of Babylon, in rebellion against YHWH so that they do not have to be scattered, but stand as one against YHWH, “let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth”, “Therefore its name is called Babel, because there YHWH confused the language of all the earth; and from there YHWH scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth”.
Because of the persecutions of Israel since Babylon, and especially the persecutions after Yeshua’s followers – we see this word “scattered” appear a few times in the new testament:
- John 7:35 “Then the Jews said among themselves, “Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?” (The Jews were wondering where Yeshua was going to..)
- 1 Peter 1:1 “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion”
- Acts 8:1 “ At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria”
- Acts 8:4 “Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word”
- Acts 11:19 “Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled..”
Today, the followers of Yeshua are even more scattered – from the North to the farthest South, East to West. For those of us who are scattered, are holding on to the prophecy of Ezekiel, that YHWH will gather us under His Wings. Yeshua said in Matthew 23:37 over Jerusalem and Israel, “How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me”.
Psalm 91:4 “He will cover you with his feathers; under his wings you will find refuge”
Laws
James 1:23-25 “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
James is giving a very simple explanation – if we don’t do what we believe in, then we forget what we believe in. Our actions are prove.. but if there are no actions, no laws to obey, then there is no believe. We can say we believe in eating healthy or doing exercise, but not doing it, is actually the proof we are displaying of our beliefs.
James repeats the importance of the Laws all throughout his letter. Chapter 2:10, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.”. If there is one law that is causing you to rebel, that you say “that one law I won’t do”, then at the end of the day, all the laws will become a problem. He says the Laws of YHWH is Laws of Liberty – that is really which set us free. It is not “freedom from laws” that set free.
James 4:11 “.. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.” We read also about a Law that James is referring to, which would be unknown to anyone who have not read and tried to remember the Laws of YHWH. James is saying in chapter 5:4, “Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of YHWH of Sabaoth”. James 5:4 is a direct reference to the Law in Leviticus 19:13 and Deuteronomy 24:15, which both command that laborers be paid their wages promptly, and should never be delayed. The verse condemns the act of withholding or defrauding wages, stating that the cries of the defrauded workers are heard by YHWH Himself! Here in James 4, he is reminding the people about this law to pay the workers – proof that the Law was and is still important.
Click here for several posts in both the old and new testament, about the Laws of YHWH.
Orphans and Widows
James 1:27 “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble“
Taking care of orphans and widows is not just a suggestion, but an actual Law in Torah (Commandments), Exodus 22:22-24 says that we are not allowed to mistreat them, or else YHWHs’ anger will burn against such a person. Scripture is full of this commandment being repeated, and people reminded to take care of orphans and widows. But what we learned along the way in the old testament, is that the reference to an orphan isn’t just a child without parents, and a widow isn’t just a wife whose husband passed away. Click here to see previous posts on Orphans and Widows and the beauty of their meaning, and how much they mean to YHWH! For example, an orphan is also someone who is lonely, and a widow is also someone who has been forsaken.
Sickness and Sins
James 5:15-16 “And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and YHWH will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses/sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
Something that is absolute taboo today, in other words, frowned upon, is the thought that spiritual acts and sins could be the cause for physical illnesses. We even see in churches today, people ask for prayers for healing – but never will their first be an opportunity to reflect on the sins and first confess and ask forgiveness. All throughout scriptures though, we see that sins and sickness are directly related – but not 100% all the time. And perhaps it is because of this one example, which is completely valid, in John 9:1-2, where the disciples ask Yeshua, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Yeshua says “neither, but that the work of YHWH can be revealed in him”. Because, never in the history have anyone been healed that was born with a defect.
But the disciples question was completely valid, because all throughout Scriptures (old and new testament), people sicknesses are mostly a result because of their sins. This is where one have to study the Blessings and Curses from Deuteronomy 28 (click here to learn more, topic “Cursed”). In Deuteronomy 11, (click here for that post), YHWH already places this choice in people’s hand – if they obey Torah, they will be blessed. In Deuteronomy 28 we see a list of curses/sicknesses include: skin diseases, stomach diseases, fevers, inflammation, infections, tumors, chronic diseases, eye problems, mental illnesses, anxiety, heart diseases and more.. Yeshua even proves this, by always saying to the person that he healed, “go and do the cleanse ritual” (which includes confessions of sins), “go and sin no more”, “your sins have been forgiven”, etc..
Here James, one of the closest Apostles of Yeshua, gives us clear advice how the sick can be healed by prayer – they need to confess their sins. And what are sins? – it is not obeying the laws (Torah). In Isaiah 35 we posted about “What is sin?”, and referenced the verse of Yeshua in Matthew 7, where He says He will reject anyone He doesn’t know, even if they call Him “Lord”, that those people are “workers of iniquity”, the greek word is Anomia G458 – anomia, meaning ignoring the laws, lawlessness, violaters of the law (click here for more on that post).
