4:1 Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them. 2 And I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. 3 But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun.
- What do you consider oppression to be?
- When have you been truly oppressed?
- How do you feel when you see news accounts of oppression of various forms? - What are some of the acts of oppression that Solomon probably saw?
- How different are things today?
- How do government programs impact oppression in this country? - What was the troubling thing about the oppressed people that Solomon saw?
- What comfort do you have that those people did not? See 2 Co 1
- Where do most people today seek their comfort from oppression? - Would you agree with v. 3 today? Why or why not?
- Why is life under the sun so oppressive?
- How does your life under the sun help you long for life above the sun?
I get upset when I see, hear, or read about the atrocities that occur in other countries. This passage expresses my feelings. I think I feel safe to be upset with that oppression because I really cannot do anything about it. I'm less sensitive to the oppression around me. Even when I hear of something locally, I am comfortable that the authorities will deal with it. Thanks to my wife, I am more involved with things that happen outside my family (church and physical). Perhaps we should all see the oppression around us and merely help. Perhaps we will truly be a light to the world.
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