The Presence of Oppression
Eccl 4:1-3
“Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed-- and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors-- and they have no comforter.
And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive. But better than both is he who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun.”
This is a pretty sad commentary by King Solomon. Even though he was a rich ruler, poverty abounded. His personal prosperity didn’t remove the misery of the poor. His wealth only showed more of their poverty.
Oppressors are those that take advantage of those who cannot protect or advance themselves- the poor, the slaves, the prisoners, the prejudiced, and the hungry.
We see the oppression currently with exorbitant life styles of CEOs, Wall Street executives, and banking officials, political leaders, while those they are supposed to serve experience massive discrepancies.
Although some minimum wage jobs have increased in wages, inflation exceeds what people make. Rent and housing increase at considerable rates. Many landlords become wealthy at the expense of those who can least afford housing. Families find it is not enough for the bread winner to feed and house his loved ones yet, many employers and companies will use next to slave labor to live quite well and make sizable profits
Many companies take their business South of the border, to India or to China, not because they can't make a profit with American laborers, but because their profits are increased by so much more and they don't have to share it with the common people in paying salaries and benefits. I do not see how that honors God. The rich get richer and the poor suffer by their cruelty.
How can we withstand the oppression? By first seeking to be free from it ourselves. From refraining from attitudes and actions against others due to prejudice and pride. Too often the abuser thinks he or she is better than the others. Seek the spirit of Jesus who reached out to the poor. There is a time when the united voices of God’s children need to rise up and call for justice. God calls us to stand against oppression and to minister to the needy. We have social and moral responsibility.
After witnessing some of the abuse of oppression against others from a human point of view, the author concluded, it would have been better if the oppressed hadn’t been born. The hard life seems futile, but the Bible reveals, the time to make things right is coming when the eternal fate of the oppressors is revealed.
The present time is the time of grace for people to be warned that judgment is coming. Those of us who have been redeemed can’t just wish it were better, but need to seek to help the ones we can. We cannot close our eyes to oppression.
As much as it depends on you, be fair, treat others with dignity, and help those in need. Be generous in programs for outreach. Love one another. Ask God to open your eyes to needs of the world and neighborhood around you. Treat others the way you want to be treated.
