Today’s Old Testament chronological reading is in Genesis 39 and 40.
The Psalms/ Proverbs reading is in Psalm 41.
The New Testament reading is in Mark 1.
The time of trouble.
Blessed is he who considers the poor: YHVH will deliver him in time of trouble. Psa 41:1
Most commentaries associate the Scriptural time of trouble to the Great Tribulation, and the Day of YHVH, for example as this one does. Let’s let Scripture interpret Scripture and see what it has to say about the time of trouble.
The phrase in translation occurs 22 times in the Hebrew Scripture, most often a translation of two Hebrew phrases:
yowm rah, Strong’s H3117 + Strong’s H7451, “the day of evil;” and
eth tsarah, Strong’s H6256 + Strong’s H6869, “the time of trouble.”
day Strong’s H3117, yowm: work to bring order to chaos is done during the daylight hours.
evil Strong’s H7451, rah, an absolute state plural intensive noun, meaning “wickedness,” but intensified, then multiplied or magnified. Its primitive root is Strong’s H7489, ra’ah: a man who is dark and twisted does dark and twisted things.
time Strong’s H6256, eth, a concrete noun meaning, “time or season;” from Strong’s H5703, ad, a concrete noun meaning, “in perpetuity.” Its primitive root is Strong’s H5710, adah: watching at the door of worship.
trouble Strong’s H6869, tsarah, a concrete noun meaning, “trouble, distress;” from Strong’s H6862, tsar, an adjective meaning, “narrow.” Its primitive root is Strong’s H6887, tsarar: Lying in wait for a man to encroach upon him.
Download The Time of Trouble pdf, which includes all its occurrences and Hebrew root words.
By studying all the instances of “the time of trouble” in Scripture, we learn that
- YHVH delivers His people in the time of trouble;
- He saves them out of their time of trouble;
- He is their hiding place, refuge, and strength in the time of trouble.
Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies, who oppressed them; and in the time of their trouble,when they cried to You, You heard from heaven; and according to Your abundant mercies You gave them deliverers who saved them from the hand of their enemies. Neh 9:27
But when His people have turned from Him, and do wickedly, when they turn to Him again from wickedness, and repent of it, He raises up deliverers for them to save them from their enemies.
David asks the rhetorical question:
Why do You stand afar off, O YHVH? Why do You hide in times of trouble? Psa 10:1
And answers it:
You will cause Your ear to hear, to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may oppress no more. Psa 10:17b-18
In other words, trouble is temporary for all who trust in Him or look to Him, but permanent for the wicked who refuse to repent, to bring destruction on them out of which there is no rescue.
Links to previous studies.
Gen 39:1-23, Prosperity and favor
Gen 39:1-23 Chiastic structure
Gen 40:1-23, Offense, anger, vexation
Gen 40:1-23 Chiastic structure
Gen 39 and 40, Judah and Joseph departed from their brothers
Gen 37:1-40:23 Chiastic structure
Psalm 41:1-13 Chiastic structure
Finding Messiah in Psalm 41
Mark 1, Prayer in a solitary place
Mark 1, Yeshua, the Son of God
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