To illustrate his point about the relationship between faith and works, James calls to mind two characters from the Old Testament: Abraham and Rahab.
Two tests of faith
A generous king
David and his men had everything stolen from them, including their families. God told David to go rescue them. But God didn’t say which direction to go nor how it will be achieved.
Exhausted
David has lived with tension and stress, which was then heightened by a call to war against his own people! The whole situation was exhausting…
Trapped in lies
David is living amongst his enemies and it’s tough. He’s had to convince them of his rejection of Israel and loyalty to them.