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NOVEMBER 5
DAY 4:What is the background for the Book of Philemon?
Philemon had been saved under Paul’s ministry, probably at Ephesus (v. 19), several years ear-
lier. Wealthy enough to have a large house (v. 2), Philemon also owned at least one slave, a man
named Onesimus (literally,“useful”;a common name for slaves).Onesimus was not a believer at the
time he stole some money (v. 18) from Philemon and ran away. Like countless thousands of other
runaway slaves, Onesimus fled to Rome, seeking to lose himself in the imperial capital’s teeming
and nondescript slave population.Through circumstances not recorded in Scripture,Onesimus met
Paul in Rome and became a Christian.
The apostle quickly grew to love the runaway slave (vv. 12,16) and longed to keep Onesimus
in Rome (v. 13), where he was providing valuable service to Paul in his imprisonment (v. 11). But by
stealing and running away from Philemon, Onesimus had both broken Roman law and defrauded
his master. Paul knew those issues had to be dealt with and decided to send Onesimus back to
Colosse.It was too hazardous for him to make the trip alone (because of the danger of slave-catch-
ers), so Paul sent him back with Tychicus, who was returning to Colosse with the Epistle to the
Colossians (Col.4:7–9).Along with Onesimus, Paul sent Philemon this beautiful personal letter, urg-
ing him to forgive Onesimus and welcome him back to service as a brother in Christ (vv. 15–17).

November 5 They sparkled like the color of burnished
bronze. The hands of a man were under their
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wings on their four sides; and each of the four
had faces and wings. Their wings touched one
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Ezekiel 1:1–2:10
another. The creatures did not turn when they
Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in went, but each one went straight forward.
1 the fourth month, on the fifth day of the 10 As for the likeness of their faces, each had
month, as I was among the captives by the the face of a man; each of the four had the face
River Chebar, that the heavens were opened of a lion on the right side, each of the four had
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and I saw visions of God. On the fifth day of the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the
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the month, which was in the fifth year of King four had the face of an eagle. Thus were their
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Jehoiachin’s captivity, the word of the LORD faces. Their wings stretched upward; two wings
came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of each one touched one another, and two cov-
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of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the ered their bodies. And each one went straight
River Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was forward; they went wherever the spirit wanted
upon him there. to go, and they did not turn when they went.
4 Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was 13 As for the likeness of the living creatures,
coming out of the north, a great cloud with their appearance was like burning coals of fire,
raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was like the appearance of torches going back and
all around it and radiating out of its midst like forth among the living creatures. The fire was
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the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. bright, and out of the fire went lightning. And
5 Also from within it came the likeness of four the living creatures ran back and forth, in
living creatures. And this was their appear- appearance like a flash of lightning.
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ance: they had the likeness of a man. Each 15 Now as I looked at the living creatures,
one had four faces, and each one had four behold, a wheel was on the earth beside each
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wings. Their legs were straight, and the soles living creature with its four faces. The
of their feet were like the soles of calves’ feet. appearance of the wheels and their workings
1:4 whirlwind…fire. Judgment on Judah in a 1:16 wheel in the middle of a wheel. This
further and totally devastating phase (beyond depicted the gigantic (v. 15,“on the earth”and
the 597 B.C. deportation) is to come out of the “so high,”v.18) energy of the complicated rev-
north, and did come from Babylon in 588–586 olutions of God’s massive judgment machin-
(as Jer. 39; 40). Its terror is depicted by a fiery ery bringing about His purposes with unerring
whirlwind emblematic of God’s judgments and certainty.
the golden brightness signifying dazzling glory.

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