Question 1

What does God think of oppression?

Accepted Answer

Exodus 22:21“You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.”Zechariah 7:10Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor.God hates oppression and expressly forbids oppression in any form.

Question 2

How does God care for people who are oppressed?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 72:12He [the godly king] will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them.Godly leaders must have a special place in their hearts for those who are defenseless and oppressed. If we are in a position of influence, we are expected to reach out to defend and care for the defenseless.Zephaniah 3:19“And I [the Lord] will deal severely with all who have oppressed you. I will save the weak and helpless ones; I will bring together those who were chased away. I will give glory and fame to my former exiles, wherever they have been mocked and shamed.”God promises justice for the oppressed by judging and punishing oppressors.Luke 4:18-19“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”Jesus promised to free the oppressed. This was an important component of his earthly ministry.Luke 1:52“He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble.”When Christ returns, he will end oppression forever.

Question 3

What does God expect me to do about oppression?

Accepted Answer

Amos 5:23-24“Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I [the Lord] will not listen to the music of your harps. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.”God wants us to recognize that justice is essential for godly living. Wonderful worship and pious prayer are exposed as hypocrisy if they are not accompanied by actions that oppose oppression and help the oppressed.Ezekiel 45:9“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Enough, you princes of Israel! Stop your violence and oppression and do what is just and right. Quit robbing and cheating my people out of their land. Stop expelling them from their homes, says the Sovereign Lord.”God expects us to refuse to participate in any form of oppression. We should be willing, in whatever way we can, to call those in power to account, speaking truth to power.Psalm 72:1, 4Give your love of justice to the king, O God, and righteousness to the king’s son. . . . Help him to defend the poor, to rescue the children of the needy, and to crush their oppressors.God wants us to pray that our leaders will protect the weak and punish any who oppress them. And we should pray for the leaders of other countries to be fair and just and to refuse to oppress any of their people.Deuteronomy 24:19-22“When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don’t go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all you do. When you beat the olives from your olive trees, don’t go over the boughs twice. Leave the remaining olives for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. When you gather the grapes in your vineyard, don’t glean the vines after they are picked. Leave the remaining grapes for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. That is why I am giving you this command.”2 Corinthians 8:14-15Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need. Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it. In this way, things will be equal. As the Scriptures say, “Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough.”Throughout the Old Testament, God commands his people to treat the poor with compassion and justice. The powerless and poverty stricken are often looked upon as incompetent and lazy when, in reality, many are victims of oppression and hard circumstances. God’s people were instructed to leave some of their harvest in the fields so that the poor could have enough to eat. While we may not harvest fields every year, we have God-given responsibilities to share from our abundance to minister to the needs of the poor, outcast, and oppressed.

Question 4

In what ways are people oppressed?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 14:31Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but helping the poor honors him.Isaiah 10:1-2What sorrow awaits the unjust judges and those who issue unfair laws. They deprive the poor of justice and deny the rights of the needy among my people. They prey on widows and take advantage of orphans.Zechariah 7:10Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other.Malachi 3:5“At that time I will put you on trial. I am eager to witness against all sorcerers and adulterers and liars. I will speak against those who cheat employees of their wages, who oppress widows and orphans, or who deprive the foreigners living among you of justice, for these people do not fear me,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.James 2:6But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court?The poor, powerless, and disenfranchised are often oppressed by the rich and powerful.Luke 11:46“Yes,” said Jesus, “what sorrow also awaits you experts in religious law! For you crush people with impossible religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease the burden.It is not uncommon for religious leaders to become proud and begin to oppress their followers.Matthew 13:39“The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.”Ephesians 6:10-18A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.1 John 2:16The world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.People are spiritually oppressed by Satan and his demons. Spiritual oppression is designed to wear down believers until they are led into sin and then to control them and keep them from seeking God’s help. When Satan has someone under his control, that person is spiritually oppressed. To defeat them, he focuses on their weak spots, those areas they refuse to give over to God. These weakness are like chinks in the spiritual armor, the areas in which convictions are compromised. To fight Satan, we must use the armor God has given us. Not only does God give us what we need for our fight, but he also is always ready to fight on our behalf, always ready to come to our defense.Luke 4:18-19“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”Jesus came to deliver people who were oppressed by the world or the powers of evil. We see this in the Gospels as he delivered people from spiritual oppression by casting out demons. He delivered them from physical oppression by healing their diseases. He delivered them from intellectual oppression by exposing lies and teaching the truth that sets us free. And he spoke boldly against the injustice of abusive leadership, especially against religious leaders. This is why salvation is also called deliverance. Jesus can deliver us not only from the consequences of our sins but from those forces that oppress us in this world.

Oppression