CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2

Verses 9-11. Faith learns that, after all, the terror of God has fallen on the enemies. It should not be so with us: “In nothing terrified by your adversaries; which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.” If one finds the mighty power of Satan coming against us, why be in the least frightened? Is not the Lord stronger than he? If God is with me, who against?

Rahab is a believer in the midst of all this people; she shews us the character of faith. So James points to her faith no less than Abraham’s. She was identifying herself with the people of God because she was sure that He was with them, as Abraham had given up everything to God. James takes both as proofs and samples of faith: the one counting on God; the other seeing what His people are to Him. For His sake one was willing to kill his son, the other to betray her country. They were the two strongest possible instances of practical faith — bad works, if they had not been of faith, which made them most excellent. So the motive that governed Moses was his identifying Jehovah’s glory with His people; not that He is glorious merely. “The Egyptians will hear of it.” The same principle that makes him execute judgment in killing the idolaters below, makes him plead their cause with Jehovah above.