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JANUARY 30
Psalm 17:8–15 23 He shall die for lack of instruction,
And in the greatness of his folly he
8
Keep me as the apple of Your eye; shall go astray.
Hide me under the shadow of Your
wings, Matthew 20:1–16
9 From the wicked who oppress me,
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a
From my deadly enemies who 20 landowner who went out early in the
surround me.
morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
10 They have closed up their fat hearts; 2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers
With their mouths they speak for a denarius a day, he sent them into his
proudly. vineyard. And he went out about the third
3
11
They have now surrounded us hour and saw others standing idle in the
in our steps; marketplace, and said to them, ‘You also go
4
They have set their eyes, crouching into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will
5
down to the earth, give you.’ So they went. Again he went out
12 As a lion is eager to tear his prey, about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did
And like a young lion lurking likewise. And about the eleventh hour he
6
in secret places. went out and found others standing idle, and
said to them, ‘Why have you been standing
13 Arise, O LORD, here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because
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Confront him, cast him down; no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also
Deliver my life from the wicked with go into the vineyard, and whatever is right
Your sword,
14 With Your hand from men, you will receive.’
8
O LORD, “So when evening had come, the owner of
From men of the world who have the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the
laborers and give them their wages, beginning
their portion in this life, 9
And whose belly You fill with with the last to the first.’ And when those
Your hidden treasure. came who were hired about the eleventh hour,
10
They are satisfied with children, they each received a denarius. But when the
And leave the rest of their possession first came, they supposed that they would
receive more; and they likewise received each
for their babes.
a denarius. And when they had received it,
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As for me, I will see Your face they complained against the landowner, say-
15 12
in righteousness; ing, ‘These last men have worked only one
I shall be satisfied when I awake hour, and you made them equal to us who
in Your likeness. have borne the burden and the heat of the
day.’ But he answered one of them and said,
13
Proverbs 5:21–23
‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not
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21 For the ways of man are before the agree with me for a denarius? Take what is
eyes of the LORD, yours and go your way. I wish to give to this
And He ponders all his paths. last man the same as to you. Is it not lawful for
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His own iniquities entrap the wicked
22 me to do what I wish with my own things? Or
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man, is your eye evil because I am good?’ So the
And he is caught in the cords last will be first, and the first last. For many
of his sin. are called, but few chosen.”
5:21,22 ponders…caught. The Lord sees all 20:16 the last will be first, and the first last.
that man does and in mercy withholds imme- In other words, everyone finishes in a dead
diate judgment, allowing the sinner time to heat. No matter how long each of the workers
repent or to be caught in his own sin (see worked, they each received a full day’s wage.
Num. 32:23; Pss. 7:15,16; 57:6; Prov. 1:17; Gal. Similarly, the thief on the cross will enjoy the
6:7,8). Note the example of Haman (Esth. full blessings of heaven alongside those who
5:9–14; 7:1–10). have labored their whole lives for Christ. Such
is the grace of God.
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