RiverTigress
Moderator
Ecclesiastes 4:1 (KJV)
"So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and then had no comforter; and on the side of the oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter."
This would be a sad enough passage just on its own merits, but sadder still considering the author was no less than the king of Israel at the time, the very guy whose job it was to ensure justice and equity throughout the land, and here we see him being depressed about the problem rather than determining to do something about it.
There are appropriate times for lamentations to be sure, both to show we recognize a problem and to voice our feelings about it to the Lord so that He may comfort and help us, and there are also times (many times!) when we should be turning the other cheek as Jesus asked of us, but then there are also times when we need to stand up and face what is wrong in defence of others or righteousness in general when it is within the Lord's will and part of the responsibilities He has expressly given us.
"So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and then had no comforter; and on the side of the oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter."
This would be a sad enough passage just on its own merits, but sadder still considering the author was no less than the king of Israel at the time, the very guy whose job it was to ensure justice and equity throughout the land, and here we see him being depressed about the problem rather than determining to do something about it.
There are appropriate times for lamentations to be sure, both to show we recognize a problem and to voice our feelings about it to the Lord so that He may comfort and help us, and there are also times (many times!) when we should be turning the other cheek as Jesus asked of us, but then there are also times when we need to stand up and face what is wrong in defence of others or righteousness in general when it is within the Lord's will and part of the responsibilities He has expressly given us.