WHO DID JAMES WRITE TO?
James addresses his letter to "the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad."
Some people think this means the Jews, but the Jews were only a small portion of three tribes: Judah, Benjamin and some Levites.
In the Old Testanment, in the time of king Solomon, Israel was one kingdom made of 12 tribes.
After Solomon, the kingdom split into two kingdoms. The northern tribes were called the kingdom or "house" of Israel, and the southern kingdom was called the "house" of Judah. From the house of Judah a small portion separated and became known as the Jews.
So we have two kingdoms and a small nation.
Jesus came to the Jews, but He also wanted to reach the other people of Israel. He said: "Don't go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans . . . go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." - Mat.10:6 and to a woman He said: "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." - Mat.15:24.
oth Israel and Judah went into captivity, and then became scattered into other countries, just like wandering sheep. Some of these people became Christians.
Jesus told a parable of the kingdom, which means it was a national parable, about a "treasure", hidden in a field. The treasure is a picture of Israel, all 12 tribes. The "field" is a picture of the world.
A "man" finds this treasure, and in order to gain the "treasure" he sold everything he had to buy the whole field. In the same way Jesus gave His life for the whole world in order to redeem Israel. James writes to the Christians, who are mixed in amongst these 1 2 tribes "which are scattered abroad."
