“Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed—and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors—and they have no comforter.”(Ecclesiastes 4:1,NIV)
God desired to be known as “the God of the orphan, the widow, and the foreigner,” revealing Himself as the One who protects and cares for those who are weak and powerless.
In a world where morality and ethics have collapsed and crime abounds, abuse has become widespread in families, schools, and society at large. Abuse refers to mistreating or treating another person cruelly. Naturally, the victims of abuse are often children, the elderly, and women. Abuse may take many forms, including physical, mental, and emotional violence, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, and acts of cruelty. Victims of abuse often suffer from psychological trauma and anxiety, and may develop chronic depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other serious conditions.
The United Nations (UN), the World Health Organization (WHO), and UNICEF have warned in reports that half of all children worldwide are at risk of physical, sexual, or psychological abuse. According to the reports, in 2017 alone, as many as 40,000 children died as a result of abuse.
In Korea, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Annual Report on Child Abuse, the number of confirmed child abuse cases in 2020 was 30,905, a figure that has continued to rise (24,604 cases in 2018 and 30,045 cases in 2019). Of these, 82.1 percent were cases of parental abuse. Lee Yang-hee, Director of the International Center for Children’s Rights, remarked, “In Korea, 80 percent of child abuse occurs at home. This is extremely shocking and unusual, since in other countries the percentage is much higher in institutions and workplaces, not in the home.”
Furthermore, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Report on the Status of Elder Abuse, the number of reported elder abuse cases in 2020 was 16,973. Between 2011 and 2020, elder abuse reports increased at an annual average of 8.6 percent, while confirmed cases of abuse rose by an annual average of 7.6 percent.
According to the 2020 National Report on the Status of Abuse Against Persons with Disabilities by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the National Advocacy Agency for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, there were 4,208 reports of abuse against persons with disabilities in 2019. These included physical abuse, economic exploitation, emotional and sexual abuse, and neglect. Of these, 1,008 cases were confirmed as abuse, representing a 6.7 percent increase compared to 2019 from 945 confirmed cases.
》Prayer Point
1. Our Father God knows all the oppression that takes place under the sun and desires to deliver those who suffer from abuse. Let us pray that He would protect vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, women, and persons with disabilities, rescue them from their circumstances, and restore both body and soul in wholeness.
》Scripture Prayer
Matthew 18:1-14 (NIV)
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. 3 And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. 6 If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. 10 See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven. 11 [Some manuscripts include here the words of verse 11: “For the Son of Man came to save the lost.”] 12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.”
》Pray that the Word may become the Conclusion.
1. God has said that whoever humbles himself like a little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Let us first acknowledge our own sinful pride that keeps us from respecting and loving the least of these. Let us repent and pray for forgiveness for being sinners who exploit and abuse the weak and the poor for our own gain and desires.
2. When God revealed Himself as “the God of the orphan, the widow, and the foreigner,” it was not only about outward circumstances but also an expression of His compassion toward sinners who live as spiritual orphans and widows because they have not encountered Him. Let us pray that those who are enslaved to sin—unaware of their own spiritual suffering, and even despising or causing the weak to stumble—would recognize the judgment awaiting them, turn from abuse, repent, and believe the gospel.
3. God is the Shepherd who seeks the one lost sheep until He finds it. Let us pray that He would pour His unfailing love into His Church, so that through our lives this love may be revealed. Let us pray that we would serve those who suffer from abuse, and that through this love they may be restored and become recipients of salvation.
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