But he who having looked closely into the perfect law of liberty and having continued looking closely, not having become a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
Truth to Learn
God will look favorably on the performance of those who practice what He teaches.
Behind the Words
The word translated “having looked closely” is the verb parakuptō, which is made up of para, meaning “beside” or “alongside” and kupto, meaning “to stoop down.” Hence, this word is a picture of someone bending down to take a close look at something. This verb is expressed as an aorist participle. Thus it means “having looked closely.”
“Having continued” is translated from the Greek word paramenō, which is another compound word made up of para, which we just saw means “beside” or “alongside” and meno, meaning “to remain.” Hence, the picture that James is painting for us here is of someone who bends down beside something to carefully observe it and remains there, taking a good long look at it.
The word translated “doer” is one that we looked at a few verses back. This refers to someone who is a performer, like a musician, who practices constantly to bring his or her life in conformance with what God instructs in the Bible.
Finally, the words “what he does” are translated from poiēsis, which literally means “his performance.”
Meaning Explained
James concludes this little treatise on putting faith into action by telling us:
The person who has bent down to look intently into the Word that gives freedom, and has stayed there observing it, having not become a forgetful hearer but a practicer of the work, this person will be blessed in his performance.
Some people have a natural aptitude for music, like Mozart who began composing at the age of five. Others, like my own father, can only do one thing with music, listen. When it comes to the Word of God, however, just listening is not good enough.
James tells us that we have to put into practice what we read and hear from the Word of God. He tells us that we have to stop and bend down. In order to bend down to carefully observe something we have to stop, not just slow down. When we read a passage in the Bible that we don’t understand, we need to stop and take the time to find out what it really means. When we hear a sermon that touches our heartstrings, or one that feels like our toes just got stomped on, we need to pray about what we heard and ask God to give us the strength and determination to do what He is telling us.
The result, according to James, is that God will bless us in a way that only He can do. And, I can assure you that there is nothing on this earth that can compare to His blessing!
Application
In the Book of Psalms we often encounter the word “selah” which means “pause,” which is written in the fixed imperative form, indicating more than just a suggestion. It is most likely a musical term indicating a pause in the singing or reciting of the words, but it also implies that the reason for the pause is for reflection regarding what was just sung or recited.
The next time the Word of God really speaks to you, stop and pause. Consider intently what God is saying, and then pray that God will help you put it into practice. It will prove to be a double blessing, it will bless God and it will bless your own heart.
Copyright © 2015 Will Krause. All rights reserved
