Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you. Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
~James 5:1-8 ESV
Notice anything strange about this passage? I just did and I was surprised that it took me so long to notice given the large number of chemistry classes that I’ve taken. James talks about gold and silver corroding on the rich, yet scientists classify gold and silver as part of the coinage metals which known for not rusting. So does James have his science off or does he know something about gold and silver which goes beyond what our science textbooks can teach us? Are gold and silver really as eternal and safe as we think them or are they just temporary enough that James can in good faith warn us about them corroding on us? In which case are we greatly overvaluing money and letting the American Dream instead of God’s Word define what is most important to us? As if money really is the most important thing to seek after, then why does James use such harsh language against those who trampled upon others in their efforts to get ahead and live in luxury at the expense of others. True wealth that really lasts is to the Christians God and not gold or silver, which comes in His timetable and not our own. Therefore I think with the eternal perspective in mind, even though gold and silver may not physically corrode, it makes no difference given that in the long term they are a really stupid thing to invest one’s life upon.