<p>1:9<i> Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation</i>-The riches which exalt the poor brother are the spiritual riches contained in the word (Ps. 119:14; Prov. 3:16 etc.). A poor brother being exalted recalls the parable about taking the lowest seat in the ecclesia so we may rise up higher at the judgement. Yet James uses the present tense- &quot;he<i> is </i>exalted&quot;. This is one of many examples of believers being spoken of as if in prospect they are already in the Kingdom, in the same way as Israel were constituted the Kingdom of God at Sinai after their Red Sea baptism, but were not fully manifested as such politically until their entry into Canaan. Thus &quot;The rich... <i>is</i> (present tense) made low (i.e. told to take the lower seat, as he will at judgement)... he <i>shall </i>(future) pass away&quot; (v.10). However, this may have had a primary reference to the rich Jews of the first century being stripped of their wealth in some parts of the empire. Note that Heb.10:34 was also written to the scattered, persecuted Christian Jews whom James was addressing: &quot;Ye... took joyfully the spoiling of your goods&quot;. If James is alluding to the parable of the wedding feast, then the reference to the poor brethren being given an honoured seating place in God's sight in this life, would have telling reference to the practice of the rich Christian Jews having their own honoured seats in the ecclesias to whom James was writing (2:3). This command to &quot;rejoice&quot; is in the context of v.2 speaking about rejoicing in spiritual trial. For the low brother who was to be exalted, the very thought of such greatness in the Kingdom could be a temptation to pride- and he should rejoice in the chance to fight this. '<i>Let</i> him rejoice' shows that the kind of joy James is thinking of would not come naturally, as it would if the brother was just thinking of his exaltation in this life.</p>