APR 30

Ecclesiastes 4:1-3
Memorise Proverbs 28:3
“the tears of such as were oppressed…”

And so, upon contemplating the sins of man and the coming judgment, Solomon in Ecclesiastes 4 now shifts his attention to man’s interaction with each other and sees much sin. One thing that we will realise that is common to all these sins of men is that they are the result of man’s self- seeking nature, where man desires to exalt self, and know nothing at all about the glory of God. They are those whom Paul describes as ‘lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God’ (2 Timothy 3:4).

The first thing Solomon observed about the ways of man was their oppression of one another (Ecclesiastes 4:1-3). He looked at the wicked state of men in power of the world and saw the way in which they had abused their power and authority, and oppressed the powerless, poor and weak. The oppression was so bad that tears were in the eyes of the oppressed, and there was no one to comfort them. The oppressed could only cry in their misery and lament at the sad state of life which they were in. In fact, so bad was the oppression that Solomon said that it was better to be dead than alive; and better still, to not have been born at all! Those who had not yet been born would not have experienced the evils of the world. In contrast, those who were given the opportunity to experience life would also have to experience the sinfulness and evils of man. This really shows the extreme wickedness of man, and how this evil has pervaded the whole world. No one is safe from such oppressions. The only escape is death! Once we are brought into this world, we have to face the sin and wickedness that surround us.

As Christians, we do not propagate such wickedness. Realise that we do have much power and influence over the people around us. If we are mean-spirited, malicious bullies, we can make the lives of people so miserable that they would rather die than to live through such torment. How many times have we heard of youths who take their own lives because of relationship or interpersonal problems? Sometimes, even in our jest, we might unknowingly hurt the feelings of those around us. An unkind, mean or even teasing word spoken out of turn can really cause great misery and grief. As Christians, we must always be conscious and aware of those around us, and ensure that our words and actions never cause hurt or harm to others.

Thought: Am I a bully who has caused the tears of others?
Prayer: Lord, may You guide my thoughts, words and actions.