Sunday: Songs of Hope for the Oppressed
As we have already noted, God sees and hears people who are in distress and trouble. Most often in the Psalms we hear those cries from people who have trusted in God but are not seeing justice done. The affirmations of the goodness, justice, and power of God can seem overwhelmed by the injustice and oppression that the voices in these songs experience or observe.
Image © Kevin Carden from GoodSalt.com
Yet, these are the songs of those who are still singing. Neither their life nor their faith has been quenched. There is still hope; and the urgency is for God to act before it is too late, before evil triumphs, before the oppressed are destroyed by the weight of the evil brought against them. In this way, the writers of the Psalms try to bridge the gap between the affirmations of their faith and the trials and tragedies of life.
Read Psalm 9:7-9, Ps. 9:13-20. Can you imagine the circumstances David—the writer of the Psalm—was in? Can you feel the tension between his faith in God’s goodness and his present experience? How have you dealt with the struggle of faith in God amid times of severe trial?
Throughout the Psalms, the repeated answer to this tension is the hope and promise of God’s good and just judgment. Evil and injustice may seem triumphant for now, but God will judge the evildoers and the unjust. They will be punished while those they have hurt and oppressed will be restored and renewed.
In Reflections on the Psalms, C. S. Lewis describes his initial surprise at the excitement and longing for God’s judgment as expressed repeatedly in the Psalms. Observing that many Bible readers today consider judgment something to be feared, he considers the original Jewish perspective and writes, “thousands of people who have been stripped of all they possess and who have the right entirely on their side will at last be heard. Of course they are not afraid of judgment. They know their case is unanswerable—if only it could be heard. When God comes to judge, at last it will”. – C. S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms (New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1958), p. 11.
In the Psalms, we see hope for the oppressed, even now, even amid their present sufferings and disappointments.
| What reasons do we have to view the idea of judgment as positive, and not something to be feared? |
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In March this year I wrote this comment on judgement, and I think that in the context of today’s lesson it is again appropriate.
Briefly, Lewis contrasts the Jewish view of judgment with the modern view. The Christian views judgment as a criminal court with us as the accused, while the Jew views it as a civil court where he sees himself as the plaintiff. The Christian is hoping for pardon or acquittal while the jew is seeking damages. Lewis does not say that one view is better than the other, but rather, both give us a better understanding of how God works. It is useful to understand however the Jewish perspective as we read the Bible as they were the first intended readership.
Lewis cites a number of examples in the Psalms that express joy in judgment.
O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Ps 67:4
Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth. Ps 96:12,13
Lewis discusses the judgment view in the New Testament pointing out that while the parable of the sheep and goats portray the criminal court approach, it is also worth noting the parable of the unjust judge. A poor widow knows she has a case but has difficulty getting her case heard. The widow is typical of the many who seek civil justice but who simply cannot afford to be heard. The promise in the Psalms and in many other passages of the Bible is that God comes to the judgment, their case will be heard.
But the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. Ps 9: 7,8
The psalmist continues:
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. Ps 9:9,10
This pattern is repeated many times in the Psalms where the oppressed will have their concerns addressed in the judgment by God.
It is informative to read the minor prophets and see the passages that remonstrate with the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah for their misbehavior. Apart from idolatry and turning away from God, the biggest issue they are judged for is the oppression and persecution of the poor and needy. Babylon, the Beast, and its image and all the other symbolic evil powers in Revelation face the same judgment; oppression and persecution of the vulnerable.
And if we go back to the parable of the sheep and the goats, which in Lewis's commentary is a representation of a criminal court, the accusation one again is about lack of compassion and care for the needy.
When God created us, he gave us free choice. The principle of evil has been to take that free choice away from us by persecution, oppression, and nowadays, social and media pressure. At the same time, the deception of evil is that God has not given us free choice and that free choice only comes when we turn our backs on God.
The final judgment is about righting that wrong and giving back the oppressed their God-given power of choice.
Oppression exists where those with little or no social, economic or political power are actively treated as lesser members of a population. Laws are passed, policies are enacted and discriminatory social practices are employed to prevent the oppressed from being recognized and treated as equal to the other members of their society.
Wherever oppression is identified, there must always be someone exercising authority and power to cause the oppression. Wherever oppression resides an oppressor must also exist.
When Modi came to power in India, Christians in India knew that Christianity will suffer under his regime.
Since the current ruling party took power in 2014, attacks have increased, and Hindu radicals believe they can attack Christians with no consequences. As a result, Christians have been targeted by Hindu nationalist extremists more and more each year. The view of the nationalists is that to be Indian is to be Hindu, so any other faith—including Christianity—is considered non-Indian.
Friends of Daniel saw beyond a burning furnace to the will of God to be purposed in their life.
The disciples died as a martyrs because the hope they had was not on this world but was in the world to come.
Terrance Stanley "Terry" Fox in 1980, he began the Marathon of Hope, a cross-country run to raise money for cancer research. He hoped to raise one dollar from each of Canada's 24 million people. He began with little fanfare from St. John's, Newfoundland, in April and ran the equivalent of a full marathon every day. Fox had become a national star by the time he reached Ontario; he made numerous public appearances with businessmen, athletes, and politicians in his efforts to raise money. He was forced to end his run outside Thunder Bay when the cancer spread to his lungs. His hopes of overcoming the disease and completing his marathon ended when he died nine months later.
As I write, the hope I can give to those who are suffering, God is in control, He will surely answer. He will wipe the tears of all.
When I survey the history of the Bible, it’s obvious that God has always been active in the work of deliverance, liberation, and empowerment to those who are oppressed. The prophets all spoke of God’s judgment against those who sought to abuse His children. What gives me courage is that God has never ceased this work.
For those who are able God's commission for us:
As long as there is poverty, injustice, and oppression, the Lord still has a work for us to do. He challenges us still today, saying that whatever we do for “the least of these” (Matt. 25:40, KJV) it’s as though we did it to Him directly.
What excites me about David is the ability to sing even in times of trouble. Most of us are usually overtaken by fear and anxiety in such circumstances that we loose our ability to trust God. If you are oppressed, praise God, who is your help in times of trouble! If others are being oppressed, do something to un-burden them and still praise God. It may not be easy but it is possible!