John Mark Hicks

The first three chapters of Hosea functions as a prophetic sign-act where God’s relationship with Israel is given a concrete model in the relationship of Hosea and his family. They alternate between judgment and hope, between marriage-divorce-remarriage. God entered into covenant with Israel, and Israel broke faith with Yahweh, but Yahweh promises to renew covenant […]

The Psalm confesses an allegiance to God. The Psalmist chooses Yahweh and recognizes every good thing is from the Lord. From this comes an intimacy with God that guides and forms the Psalmist. Therefore, the Psalmist is confident God will choose life for the Psalmist–God will not abandoned us to death. Peter (Acts 2) and […]

This PDF provides a history of Lent, a theology of Lent, and some theological suggestions for preaching the lectionary texts of 2026.

Who may sojourn in God’s tent and live on God’s holy hill? Those who love their neighbor with integrity! Bobby Valentine and John Mark Hicks discuss the significance of Psalm 15 as an entrance instruction. Like in Matthew 25 with its judgment scene, those who enter are those who have loved their neighbors–feeding the hungry, […]

This is how God loves Israel: Go, love one who has other lovers. God calls Hosea to imitate Yahweh who loves Israel despite their covenant-breaking, despite their betrayals. This is the unrelenting love of God who pursues us. This is the God who loved us even while we were yet enemies. Nothing can separate us […]

The fool lives as if God is uninvolved or disinterested in life on earth, and so they seek their own way by devouring the poor as easily as they eat bread and fail to call upon the Lord. But the Lord is present among the generation of the righteous and a refuge for the poor […]

Despite Israel’s adulteries and idolatries, Yahweh makes a surprising announcement. “Behold,” Yahweh says, I will renew my relationship with Israel as in the day when I brought her out of Egypt, loved her in the wilderness, and gave her prosperity in the land. A day is coming when Yahweh covenant with Israel in justice and […]

Humanity, according to Psalm 12, is filled with people who live with a “double heart,” flatter others for power, and boast of their exploits while asking, “Who is Adonai to us?” They are predators who seek their own prestige and power. “Help” is the only imperative in the Psalm, and it is the first word. […]

Israel’s spiritual adulteries and lack of faithfulness to Yahweh as their God has led to their destruction. Through an abundance of metaphors (stripped and humiliated before the nations, killed by thirst in the wilderness, devoured by wild beasts, etc.), Israel’s future is shaped by their disloyalty to Yahweh and their religious syncretism. They loved the […]

How does one ask, “Why, O Lord, do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” and also confess, “The Lord is King . . . and you will hear the desire of the afflicted”? This is Psalm 10 Bobby Valentine and John Mark Hicks discuss the significance of this Psalm as the voice of the […]