Depart from evil

Commentary

Depart from evil - From all evil; from vice and crime in every form. ~Barnes Notes

Depart from evil -This denotes that evil is near to men; it keeps close to them, and should be declined and shunned: and it regards all sorts of evil; evil men, and their evil company; evil things, evil words and works, and all appearance of evil; and the fear of the Lord shows itself in an hatred of it, and a departure from it, Proverbs 8:13.

Quoted verse:
Proverbs 8:13
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Sins of thought included in those of speech (Luke 6:45), avoiding evil and doing good in our relations to men are based on a right relation to God.

Quoted verse
Luke 6:45
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Verses:

Psalm 37:27
Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.

Job 28:28
And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

Proverbs 3:7
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Proverbs 8:13-14
13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.

Proverbs 16:16-17
16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!
17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.

Isaiah 1:16-17*
16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

Romans 12:9
Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

2 Timothy 2:19 [see Lesson]
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

1 Peter 3:11
Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

Dictionary:
Eschew
to abstain or keep away from; shun; avoid:

Bible dictionary  Word G1578

From G1537 and G2827; to deviate, that is, (absolutely) to shun (literally or figuratively), or (relatively) to decline (from piety): - avoid, eschew, go out of the way.

Dictionary:
Ensue
to follow in order; come afterward, especially in immediate succession:

Bible Dictionary  Word G1377

Ensue
A prolonged (and causative) form of a primary verb δίω diō (to flee; compare the base of G1169 and G1249); to pursue (literally or figuratively); by implication to persecute: - ensue, follow (after), given to, (suffer) persecute (-ion), press toward.

On the word, "persecute" as in "to pursue (literally or figuratively); by implication to persecute:  We almost exclusively use this word in a negative light.  Look at the desk dictionary meaning:

Persecute: to pursue with harassing or oppressive treatment, especially because of religious or political beliefs,

Do Good

Psalm 37:27 -repeated from above
Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.

Galatians 6:10
As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Titus 2:14* [see Lesson]
Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Hebrews 13:16
But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

3 John 1:11*
Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

The first part of the verse is straight forward; avoid evil and do good.  However, what is the second part of the verse about? "He that doeth good is of God."  How does me doing good make me of God?  Notice the commentary:

He that doeth good is of God - He shows that he resembles God, for God continually does good. ~Barnes Notes

Note: if God "continually does good" as this commentary says, God must be a zealous God and thus what we read in Titus 2:14, "a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

Notice 1 John 3:7
Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

1 John 3:2
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 

Now, the rest of 3 John 1:11, "but he that doeth evil hath not seen God."  The People's New Testament explains it this way:

"Whosoever sinneth," that is, sins habitually, thereby shows that he hath not experimental (hands-on experience) insight and knowledge of Christ. There is no fellowship with the Sinless One. ~People's New Testament

Do we have a personal example of someone doing good?  If God is giving us all these admonitions to do good, surely He gave us a prime example we could follow.

Acts 10:38
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost [Spirit] and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Seek Peace

If there is one Hebrew word you have heard all your life, it is this word H7965 “shâlôm.”

Romans 14:19
Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

Notice the commentary:

Peace and edification are closely joined. Practical divinity tends equally to peace and to edification. ~John Wesley

We see this relationship in the next phrase of verse 19: "and things wherewith one may edify another."  One of the "things" is clearly edification or building others up.  This brings peace.

Ephesians 6:23
Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 1:79
To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Romans 5:1-2
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Romans 12:18
If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.               

Notice the commentary:

If it be possible - To live in a state of peace with one’s neighbors, friends, and even family, is often very difficult. But the man who loves God must labor after this, for it is indispensably necessary even for his own sake. A man cannot have broils and misunderstandings with others, without having his own peace very materially disturbed: he must, to be happy, be at peace with all men, whether they will be at peace with him or not. The apostle knew that it would be difficult to get into and maintain such a state of peace, and this his own words amply prove: And if it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably. Though it be but barely possible, labor after it. ~Adam Clarke

Deuteronomy 16:13-15
13 Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine:
14 And thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within thy gates.
15 Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose: because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice.

Pursue Peace

As in, “Seek Peace, and pursue it (peace).”  This word is H7291.  The word is used 29 times in 27 verses all in the Old Testament with all but 1 verse in a negative sense, such as a person or enemy being pursued or negative thing pursuing me, such as curses.

Word H7291 has the meaning, “to run after, usually with hostile intent” and is rendered “chase”, “put to flight” and “persecute” as well as “pursue.”

If we put evil to flight and persecute it as trash in our mind, we will be freed from it and the result will be peace.  Think about this in the physical sense and imagine that empty lot or parking lot marked by all that litter.  Don’t you feel good when you are done picking it up and looking back at it?  Whole books and articles have been written on how litter and clutter creates unrest in the mind and how cleanliness puts it at peace.  This principle works on all levels—physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

In my office dictionary, for the word, “pursue” there are a number of definitions, including some for the context of this verse (Psalm 34:14).

1] to strive to gain; seek to attain or accomplish (an end, object or purpose).
2] to proceed in accordance with a method or plan.

Do you see the contrast in the verse?  One phrase says to. “seek peace” while the other  says to, “pursue it.”  The first one is talking about a pathway God wants you to take; to seek that peace while the other admonishes us to, as the 3^rd definition states, “to continue.”  That is, God wants more than just seeking peace.  He wants us engaged in a specific, lifelong procedure of having it and embracing it.  Part of that procedure was stated in the definition of H7291…to persecute the negative so that the positive can flow freely within you.

In the movie, “Patton”, General Patton is giving a speech to the gathered Army soldiers as he prepares them for going up against the German enemy.  He says, “I do not want to get any messages that we are holding on to our position.  We are not holding on to anything.  We are advancing constantly and not interested into holding on to anything (but the procedure).

Now some will say of us that the Kingdom is our destination.  It is not.  It is the beginning of an eternal process.  Everything with God, to include the Law, Salvation and Righteousness is a journey and not a destination.

The word, “destination” is not to be found in the entire Bible.  The word, “journey” is found no less than 60 times.  Interestingly in Ezra 6:3 we find the Temple is 60 cubits wide and 60 cubits high.  Just a coincidence I am sure.

The point is that God wants us to seek and find peace and then actively embrace it constantly in our lives.

Quotes:
“Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.”

“Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, and quietly building new structures.” ~John F. Kennedy

“It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt