This Proverb says, “Open your mouth for the dumb, for the rights of the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.” There are people in this world who are unable to defend themselves against injustice that may be inflicted upon them. They may be weak or destitute or lack the mental capacity to speak and act for themselves. This Proverb indicates that we should be ready, willing, and able to speak and act for these people when we become aware of their need.
Christians or believers in Jesus Christ are not called to live a in isolation from other people. Rather, we are to called to help others when we become aware of the need for help. The Bible tells us to ‘love others as ourselves.’ Obeying or fulfilling this command will at times require us to inconvenience ourselves.
So then, how do we go about defending the rights of the helpless? Obviously, we cannot defend the rights of all of the needy or helpless people in the world. However, having an awareness of God’s desire for us to defend the rights of the helpless will enable us to be more aware of these people.
God will then bring such people into our sphere of living and influence. When that happens we must act. We must speak out and not be silent. Rather, we must use the abilities God has given us to identify the injustice that may have may be imposed on the defenseless people. Then, we need to have the courage to speak out for the defenseless people of which we become aware. This will demonstrate or our Faith in Jesus Christ, who is the living word of God. More importantly, it will keep us on the pathway to Heaven.
