Day #7: Injustice

 

I saw something else on earth: In the place of justice, there was wickedness, and in the place of fairness, there was wickedness. I thought to myself, “God will judge both the righteous and the wicked; for there is an appropriate time for every activity, and there is a time of judgment for every deed. (Ec 3:16-17, NET Bible)

 

Solomon reigned over Israel from 970-931 BC, which means he sat as ultimate judge of the nation for almost 40 years.  This would certainly give him a unique vantage point on oppression.  The way the strong oppress the weak was one of the most striking illustrations for man's wickedness.  In this section Solomon laments man's inhumanity to his fellow man and the suffering this wickedness causes.  He gives several responses.  God will judge all men, the righteous and the wicked.  Although true justice cannot be found in this life, ultimately God brings final justice.

 

For the fate of humans and the fate of animals are the same: As one dies, so dies the other; both have the same breath. There is no advantage for humans over animals, for both are fleeting. Both go to the same place, both come from the dust, and to dust both return. (Ec 3:19-29)

 

The second answer to injustice is the reminder that death awaits us all.  He compares us to the animals and sees little difference.  Theoretically this should cause man to pursue righteousness and shun wickedness, but unfortunately it fails.  He gives a further explanation for this.

 

Who really knows if the human spirit ascends upward, and the animal’s spirit descends into the earth? (Ec 3:21)

 

From the perspective of "life under the sun", there is no tangible, we would say scientific, proof that there is life after death. Because of this, wickedness, and oppression flourishes.   This seems at first glance to be a strange statement to find in our Bible.  I suppose the key phrase here is, "who really knows?"  He is not categorically declaring there is no afterlife, only that it is not empirically evident, apart from divine revelation.   Of course, the reality of the resurrection sheds light on this question for those of us on this side of the BC/AD divide.

 

So I again considered all the oppression that continually occurs on earth. This is what I saw: The oppressed were in tears, but no one was comforting them; no one delivers them from the power of their oppressors. So I considered those who are dead and gone more fortunate than those who are still alive. But better than both is the one who has not been born and has not seen the evil things that are done on earth. (Ec 4:1-3)

 

Solomon is focused on the severity of the oppression he sees.  He makes several comments about it. It is continual. There is no comfort for the oppressed.  And there is no deliverance from the power of the oppressors.  Because of the wickedness of man, which causes this injustice, he sees little hope for the oppressed.  He questions whether they would have been better if they never had been born.

 

When you consider the strong feelings he had on this issue, Solomon must have cared deeply for those who suffer.  He also must have felt impotent in providing a solution.  Possibly this was because he saw how widespread was the wickedness of man.  Even with all his wealth and power, he could not rectify the problems caused by human nature in its fallen state.  Only God can solve these problems. Anyone who has theorized that man is basically good should consider the obvious history of man’s inhumanity to man.

 

Solomon's father, David, expressed it well in Psalm 14:1-7:

 

Fools say to themselves, “There is no God.” They sin and commit evil deeds; none of them does what is right. The LORD looks down from heaven at the human race, to see if there is anyone who is wise and seeks God. Everyone rejects God; they are all morally corrupt. None of them does what is right, not even one! All those who behave wickedly do not understand— those who devour my people as if they were eating bread, and do not call out to the LORD. They are absolutely terrified, for God defends the godly. You want to humiliate the oppressed, even though the LORD is their shelter. I wish the deliverance of Israel would come from Zion! When the LORD restores the well-being of his people, may Jacob rejoice, may Israel be happy!

 

Questions to consider:

 

  1. Since the Lord has called us to be salt and light in this world (Mt 5:13-15), what obligations do we have in addressing the issues of oppression and injustice?
  2. What practical opportunities has God given you to take action against injustice?
  3. Are there others that share your convictions on these issues?  How can you work with them?

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