january 13 bible reading

Today’s Old Testament chronological reading is in Job 13 and 14.

The Psalms/ Proverbs reading is in Psalm 13.

The New Testament reading is in Matthew 9.

Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him. Job 13:15a

This is the cry of every heart circumcised in Him!

Now Job and David expressed a similar complaint in today’s reading.

How long, O YHVH? Will You forget me for ever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart day by day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Psa 13:1-2

The enemy, in Job’s case, was the Adversary, satan, but he did not know it or him. He rightly expressed, If God is not doing this, then who could be?

In fact the (complex and elegant) reverse parallelism of Job’s discourse from Job 12:1-14:22 can be boiled down to this:

1A) 12:1-13:2 The hand of YHVH has caused my calamity, for NONE CAN STAND BEFORE HIM;

1B) 13:3-21 GOD WILL VINDICATE ME;

2B) 13:22-14:17 MESSIANIC PROPHECY: Let me be hidden in the grave, then rise again when God’s wrath has passed;

2A) 14:18-22 YHVH PREVAILS FOR EVER AGAINST MAN.

He prophesied the death, burial, and resurrection of Messiah, which will bring an end to the wrath of God for sin. Yes, God Himself, in Messiah, will vindicate or justify man!

And when Messiah appeared, He showed that God was not man’s enemy, nor was He against him, but He healed every calamity, even death (Mat 9), and even as He was ridiculed,