The Problem of Oppression [Family Worship lesson in Ecclesiastes 4:1–3]

What do the powerful do? Ecclesiastes 4:1–3 looks forward to the call to worship in public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these three verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that, under the sun, the powerful oppress. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) The devotional grapples with the painful reality of oppression and injustice observed under the sun, acknowledging the seemingly unanswered suffering of the oppressed and the power wielded by their oppressors. Drawing from Ecclesiastes 4 and Psalm 73, it emphasizes that true comfort and resolution to this difficulty are found not in earthly circumstances, but in a relationship with God through worship. The speaker ultimately offers hope, asserting that while oppression is a grievous evil, it is not the final word because God is a comforter and redeemer, offering a solution that transcends the limitations of this world and urging listeners to hate oppression without despairing, knowing that God reigns and will ultimately destroy wickedness.