Topical Studies
What the Bible says about
Social Injustice
(From Forerunner Commentary)
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Ecclesiastes 5:8-12
Matthew 19:21-24 adds an important truth to help us understand these verses: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” First, the rich young man was so preoccupied by his material wealth that he really did not hear that Christ was offering him eternal life. Second, anything of this earth that we truly treasure can potentially influence us to so increase our fear of losing it as to cause us to choose not to hear Christ. The treasure does not have to be money. Third, no matter how great the distractive power of what we consider valuable, God stands ready to save us from it. Jesus did not say it was impossible. No doubt, Solomon wants to help us with this spiritual struggle. He uses money as his main illustration because everybody easily relates to it. However, he does not introduce the subject of money until Ecclesiastes 5:10. Instead, he writes of social injustice within the worldly system we live and function in. Why? Because the system itself is a constant source of distraction through its constant barrage of news reports in which we hear of social injustice. Most often, the poor are its targets. He cautions us not to be astonished by the vanity of all this injustice, but at the same time, he wants us to be aware of it. He does this in verse 8 by mentioning “a high official watches over a high official, and higher officials are over them.” He seems to be saying that from bottom to top, the entire system is corrupt; every stratum of the culture struggles to make its way by taking advantage of others. Nevertheless, none of this injustice is an excuse for us to involve ourselves in the “everybody's doing it” routine and sin too. A key to understanding what Solomon is driving at is the word translated “watches.” In Hebrew, the term can be used either positively or negatively. Positively, a person watches to protect or help, and negatively, he may have circumstances under surveillance to gain personal advantage from them. The present context is definitely negative. Solomon is still describing the self-centered attitudes of those “working” the system. Like their political leaders, ordinary citizens also greedily watch to gain the best and most for themselves. Their approach is not to serve and share. Verse 9 confirms that this self-centered attitude goes all the way to the top—to the king. He, too, is served by the corrupt system. God has deemed it our responsibility to prepare for His Kingdom by overcoming, growing, and being loyal to Him and His way within such a circumstance as Solomon describes in these last few verses. Our hope is promised in Isaiah 9:6-7: For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. The solution to this present evil world is on the horizon, but it will not come until Jesus Christ is here with us on earth. Thus, God has willed that we must deal with the corrupt and unjust system that now is, looking forward in hope to the relief of Christ's return.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Ecclesiastes and Christian Living (Part Six): Listening
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Hosea 4:11-12
A crucial key to understanding the application to us, in both Hosea and Amos, is that they prophesied in Israel (the ten northern tribes) during a time similar to today—that is, in the last generation before a major national calamity fell on them, a "time of the end." Hosea and Amos were among the last prophets God sent to Israel so that the nation could never say (including after their resurrection) that God did not care enough to give them a chance. No, He gave them an overwhelming number of chances to repent. In their case, the time was just before Israel fell to the invading Assyrian armies, who removed from their homeland and scattered them to the four winds, never to return to the land of Israel. Historical records and archeological findings show that Israel was quite prosperous during the time of Amos and Hosea. It was a major power in the world. But at the same time, the nation was rotten to the core morally, and social injustice was the order of the day throughout the land. These people had a problem with getting literally drunk, since Amos reports of them drinking wine by the bowls—not cups, but bowls. Hosea directly calls Ephraim, "the drunkards of Ephraim." Besides this, they practiced their ritual harlotry within the pagan religion they had adopted. But the lesson for us is spiritual. God is saying that at the end-time, it is as though a demoniacal power seizes the nation and destroys loyalty to God. Drugs destroy a person's capacity to think clearly and break down resistance to evil. They cloud the mind so that one becomes morally stupid and incapable of thinking straight. In like manner, so does the spiritual drunkenness that results from over-imbibing in Babylon. Please understand the parallel. In Revelation 17:2, the world's people are reported as being "drunk on the wine of her fornication"—a spiritual drunkenness, not a physical one. Hosea is talking about both. This drunkenness is an escape into the fantasies of this world's attitudes and conduct. It deprives people of their understanding. It undermines the heart and removes inhibitions. Why? Because people want to join the excitement that everybody else is having. This drunkenness fills a person with false confidence. Such people say, "Oh, things are going to be all right." "Everything is going to work out." "You don't have to worry about AIDS or any of those other sexual diseases." This is false confidence, even bravado—"I am the man!" It plays havoc with modesty and restraint. Women's hems rise and necklines fall. They are imbibing in Babylon. Worse, it destroys loyalty within relationships, both with humans and with God.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Laodiceanism and Being There Next Year
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Amos 2:4
God judges the other nations guilty of gross and vicious cruelties in warfare. Israel's sins, though, largely involve national and personal deceit, disobedience to God's commandments, and creating social injustice by being faithless toward fellow man to get for the self. It is not that other nations do not have these characteristics, but Israel has less excuse to be this way because God gave the Israelites His Word. They should know better! Amos 3:2 drives this home: "You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities." God has given no other people the privilege of being faithfully responsible to Him to keep His commands.
John W. Ritenbaugh
The Seventh Commandment (1997)
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Amos 5:12-13
Again, Amos describes injustice in the legal system. The rich and powerful hired false witnesses, just as was done against Jesus (Matthew 26:59-60) and Stephen (Acts 6:11). The poor, without the financial ability to hire high-powered lawyers to handle their cases, were helpless before them. What was the effect of this? "Therefore the prudent keep silent at that time, for it is an evil time" (verse 13). The poor could only wait quietly for the judgment of God, since they were powerless to appeal to the judgment of men through the civil authorities. Today, many people are afraid to help the police because they fear that, if they go to court and testify, the accused felon or his friends will take some kind of retribution against them or their families. For just this reason, we have rampant problems with inner-city gangs and organized crime. Our criminal justice system is so lax and unjust that the odds are good that an accused criminal will be acquitted through a technicality or receive a very short sentence. In our nation today, crime does pay! No wonder witnesses are afraid! We find in America a very large but timid group that the media call "the silent majority." Though predominantly conservative and moral, these people allow themselves to be led by a vocal minority that espouses radically liberal views. Though they privately denounce high taxes, homosexuality, rising crime, illegal aliens, gangs, corrupt government, and so on, "the silent majority" publicly "keep silent."
John W. Ritenbaugh
Prepare to Meet Your God! (The Book of Amos) (Part One)
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Amos 5:12
Amos says that the people went to Bethel bearing abundant rebellions on their consciences, but they returned with them still there. Outwardly, they sinned because inwardly was a heart of rebellion. There was not any real concern about the rebellion in them. If they had really sought God, they would begin to do something about these sins, their rebellions. A person who is really seeking God is so concerned about having God's approval that he will pay any price, make any sacrifice necessary to stop sinning and thus have His approval. These people did not care. They went right on sinning. He shows them returning from Bethel unconcerned with what people were in their character (whether they were just or upright), but they were concerned about what they had and what they were prepared to pay as a bribe. This is the gist of, "You afflict the just and you take bribes." The poor person who was telling the truth had no chance in court unless he was willing to pay a bribe to those who were judging him. These people were not concerned with morals or ethics but how much money, influence, and status they and others had so that they could use one another to get ahead.
John W. Ritenbaugh
Prayer and Seeking God
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