Topical Bible: The Jews: Denunciations Against Those Who: Oppressed

◄ The Jews: Denunciations Against Those Who: Oppressed ►

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Throughout the Scriptures, God consistently expresses His disapproval and condemnation of those who oppress others, particularly the poor, the widow, the orphan, and the foreigner. The Jewish people, as God's chosen nation, were given specific laws and commandments to ensure justice and righteousness in their society. However, when they failed to uphold these standards, the prophets were sent to deliver stern warnings and denunciations.

Oppression Condemned in the Law

The Mosaic Law explicitly forbade oppression and exploitation. In Exodus 22:21-24 , God commands, "You must not exploit or oppress a foreign resident, for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt. You must not mistreat any widow or orphan. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to Me in distress, I will surely hear their cry. My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword; then your wives will become widows and your children fatherless."

This passage highlights the seriousness with which God views the mistreatment of vulnerable individuals. The Israelites were reminded of their own history as oppressed people in Egypt, and thus were called to a higher standard of compassion and justice.

Prophetic Denunciations

The prophets of Israel were vocal in their denunciations of oppression. Isaiah, for instance, rebuked the leaders and people of Judah for their injustices. In Isaiah 1:17 , he exhorts, "Learn to do right; seek justice and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow." The prophet makes it clear that true worship of God is inseparable from social justice and righteousness.

Jeremiah also speaks against oppression, particularly by those in positions of power. In Jeremiah 22:3 , the Lord commands, "This is what the LORD says: Administer justice and righteousness. Rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor. Do not exploit or brutalize the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow. Do not shed innocent blood in this place."

Consequences of Oppression

The consequences of failing to heed these warnings were severe. The prophets warned that continued oppression would lead to divine judgment and national calamity. In Micah 2:1-3 , the prophet declares, "Woe to those who devise iniquity and plot evil on their beds! At morning light they accomplish it because it is in their power to do so. They covet fields and seize them; they take houses and deprive others of them. They oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance. Therefore, this is what the LORD says: I am planning against this family a disaster from which you cannot save yourselves."

The message is clear: God will not tolerate injustice and oppression, and those who engage in such practices will face His righteous judgment.

New Testament Affirmation

The New Testament continues this theme, affirming God's concern for justice and His opposition to oppression. James 5:1-6 warns the rich oppressors, "Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days. Look, the wages you withheld from the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts."

This passage underscores the continuity of God's message against oppression from the Old Testament to the New, emphasizing that the cries of the oppressed reach the ears of the Lord, who will act in justice.

Conclusion

The denunciations against those who oppress are a consistent theme throughout the Bible, reflecting God's unchanging nature and His desire for justice and righteousness among His people. The Jewish nation, as recipients of God's law, were called to embody these principles, and the prophets served as God's messengers to call them back to faithfulness when they strayed.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 49:26
And I will feed them that oppress you with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am your Savior and your Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 51:21-23
Therefore hear now this, you afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Restoration of the Jews.
... it contained a repetition of the same denunciations and warnings ... in ordering the
return of the Jews, his design ... be obliged to defend himself against their foes ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/abbott/cyrus the great/chapter ix the restoration of.htm

Woes on the Pharisees
... The Saviour continued His denunciations of the scribes and ... that the impenitence of
the Jews and their ... mercy, will feel a righteous indignation against sin; but ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 67 woes on the.htm

The Law Given, not to Retain a People for Itself, but to Keep ...
... having been made familiarly known to the Jews, they were ... Law is, by means of its
fearful denunciations and the ... of the law, preserves in fear, against the time ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 7 the law given.htm

The Sermon on the Mount
... The Jews cultivated a spirit of retaliation. ... Romans they gave utterance to hard
denunciations, and pleased ... they could in heart rise up against their oppressors ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 31 the sermon on.htm

Introduction to Oration ii.
... of the Gentiles, [2698] a patron of the Jews. ... 2739] and, Mine anger is kindled against
the shepherds ... he cannot easily free himself from denunciations, and I am ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/introduction to oration ii.htm

The Temple Cleansed Again
... vision the apostasy of the Jews, addressed them ... His warnings and denunciations did
not lead them to ... They "rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being ...
/.../white/the desire of ages/chapter 65 the temple cleansed.htm

How Much is the Bible Worth?
... of these books, with vehement denunciations of all ... inner principle of development
struggles against the outward ... spiritual development of the Jews had reached a ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter xiii how much is.htm

The Greater Prophets.
... could foresee the restoration of the Jews from the ... With these are interspersed
denunciations of the false ... with a series of prophecies against seven foreign ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxii the greater prophets.htm

The Hebrew Prophecies.
... nation were the objects of their severest denunciations; it is ... of Jonah as a rebuke
to the Jews who had ... would have shut their minds at once against that moral ...
/.../gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter v the hebrew prophecies.htm

Of Antichrist, and his Ruin: and of the Slaying the Witnesses.
... youths, and the martyrs, brought down denunciations upon them ... we read of, proselyted
to the Jews religion ... before, guilty of the blood of those against whom this ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/of antichrist and his ruin .htm