Oppressed or Comforted

DEVOTION

ECCLESIASTES

OPPRESSED OR COMFORTED

Eccl 4:1-4

4:1 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. 2 And I declared that the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living, who are still alive. 3 But better than both is he who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun. 4 And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

NIV

Certainly Solomon is aware of the awesome power of God, he is the son of King David. He grew up hearing his Father sing his psalms and he prayed to God for a discerning heart. God answered him telling him yes, he would get that discerning heart, in fact he would be the wisest man to every live and he would be the wealthiest as well. So when he speaks like this, it is not from his personal perspective or knowledge of God, but from the view of an ordinary sinner, who has yet to meet God, or knows of God but refuses to acknowledge him. This is the kind of man who is filled with tears because he is oppressed and has no comforter. They could always come to God and he would comfort them, but no they choose to live under the power of the oppressors. In this case that would be Satan and his demons. They oppress, they cause the tears, maybe not actual tears in the eyes, but rather tears in the heart. They may think they are happy, but Solomon declares the dead are happier then those who live as the oppressed. Yet Solomon says that the unborn are happier than both the dead and the living because they have not seen the evil that is in the world. This idea is that those who are yet to be born still have the opportunity to live under the power of God, in fact they may still be in the presence of God. That is a strange thought, but if God knit us together in our mother’s womb and he is always in the present tense, then he knew us before we were born.

Jer 1:4-5

4 The word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

NIV

So, did we exist before we were formed in our mother’s womb, or has God always known who we were going to be? If, once we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and become an eternal being, were we one before we were born into this mortal being? Interesting to ponder, but the point it looks like Solomon is making is that living under the power of the oppressor is the worst of all ways to live. He certainly does not, but understands because of his wisdom, what it would be like to be the oppressed. However, even living as the oppressed, does not mean living in poverty or ignorance. In fact, man achieves many things which would be considered great. But Solomon says that all man’s achievements stem from his envy of his neighbor. We are forever trying to keep up with the Jones, so to speak. Even in our conversations we try to outdo what the other said they did or felt, or understood. This “one upmenship” seems to be a driving force that is influenced by the oppressor. For the man or woman of God puts others ahead of themselves. We lift each other up, we build each other up. We do not think more of ourselves as we should. The Scripture is full of examples of how we are to live under the power of God. We are to serve rather than to be served. There is no envy, no jealously nor greed in the life of a believer, as least there should not be. So we tell this oppressor, “get thee behind me” and we live for Christ and are comforted.