Psalm 146:7

Psalm 146:7

The hungry and oppressed

There are three statements here that we have encountered many times before, concerning the compassionate and merciful character of our God: -

1.     He upholds the cause of the oppressed

2.     He gives food to the hungry

3.     He sets prisoners free.

We could easily find examples of how Jesus Himself fulfilled all these qualities, indeed that is what made Him popular with the masses. And here is the first point, that in His time in Israel, it was the poor and the hungry and the oppressed, in other words the needy, who flocked to Him. The rich, well-educated and powerful in the land had no time for Him at all, nor He for them! Those who are self-sufficient and proud of their achievements and positions are highly unlikely to seek help and protection from the Lord. Listen to these words of the Lord as He spelled out His mission in Luke 4:18-19; “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”

Here are some statements from other Psalms that follow similar lines: - “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble,” Psalm 9:9. “The Lord defends the fatherless and the oppressed,” Psalm 10:18. “The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing,” Psalm 34:10. “For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things,” Psalm 107:9. “God sets the lonely in families, He leads out the prisoners with singing;” Psalm 68:6. “May the groans of the prisoners come before You; with Your strong arm preserve those condemned to die,” Psalm 79:11.

This may cause us to think about those with whom we share the Gospel! Do we deliberately seek out those most in need, on the basis that the Lord has particular compassion for such people? Are our church congregations too middle class? That’s food for thought!

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