STAND UP FOR JUSTICE. Sermon outline by Lieut-Colonel Joyce Theu (Malawi Territory)
Day of Prayer for Victims of Human Trafficking Bible reading: 1 Kings chapter 21
1. Stand up for justice to protect and rescue victims of human trafficking (vv 1-16) a. Victims of human trafficking often receive unfair or unjust treatment i. Naboth had a right to his piece of property, but King Ahab and his evil wife, Jezebel, violated this right. It was an honour and a sacred stewardship to inherit the land from ancestors and pass it on to the next generation. ii. Victims of human trafficking are brutalised, exposed to forced labour, prostitution and many other devastating experiences. We need to be proactive in rescuing these victims. b. Human traffickers have no respect for human dignity i. It would have been very unfortunate if Naboth had had to sell the precious land entrusted to him by his ancestors, except in a time of emergency. Even then it would have been leased and never sold completely. ii. It was just for his pleasure that Ahab took the piece of land near his house, but to Naboth and his family it meant valuable life. iii. Human traffickers find it easy to disregard those they traffic – someone who is a daughter, son, father, mother, aunt, uncle or friend – it devastates the world of those who care for the victims. c.
Human traffickers work in networks From those who first take the person, to transporters, to owners of facilities where the victims are sold, traffickers collaborate in this evil practice, as do those who make use of the resultant services or goods. ii. Many must have collaborated in the injustice done to Naboth – his wife, lying witnesses, deceived judges – not just Ahab. i.
d. Human traffickers are, and use, corrupt and dangerous people i. Jezebel lined up Naboth’s accusers – ‘sons of Belial’ (which means ‘worthless, wicked or destructive’ men). ii. By these wicked men a noble, innocent man was dragged out of the city to be stoned to death.