I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
The writer mourns the fall of Jerusalem. He writes of how far Jerusalem has fallen because of the sins of her people. He points out that her enemies take credit for her fall, but that it is the result of God’s judgment. Jerusalem’s enemies did not defeat her because of their righteousness or greatness. Rather Jerusalem fell because of her sins.
This is an important point to remember. Jerusalem did not fall because of the strength of her enemies. She fell because of the sins of her people. This is always the case. Nations fall because of the failure of their people to follow the laws by which God created mankind to live. Those nations which are currently victorious will soon fall as well if they also break the laws which God has laid down. Civilization breaks down when people choose to live by their own desires rather than according to God’s law.
This is a difficult passage for me to write about because there is so much back story we need to read between the lines. Onesimus was a run away slave who found the Lord after running away. He came to realize that he should return to his master, perhaps because Paul encouraged him to do so, although we do not know that. However, Onesimus is afraid of what Philemon, his owner, will do to him. Paul knows Philemon, having preached the Gospel to him. Paul writes to Philemon telling him to accept Onesimus back and to treat him well. Paul promises that he will repay Philemon for any loss which Onesimus may have caused him in the past.
This psalm calls us to live a blameless life and tells us how to accomplish that. The psalmist tells us to reject perverse ideas and to stay away from every evil. Then he tells us the most important step, seek out faithful people as companions. The way to live a godly life is to hang out with godly people.
The way to stop quarrels is to stop the gossip. Gossip provides the fuel which keeps a quarrel going in the same way which wood provides fuel for a fire.