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
The missing cross
Although he doesn’t mention it directly, what happened on the cross to the Lord Jesus feeds into the ideas which James presents in his letter.
Bad news
Due to his disobedience of God, Saul comes to a tragic end, taking his family and his kingdom down with him.