John Mark Hicks

Quotable Quote “Slavery contradicts God; it is a denial of God’s will” (James Cone, The Spirituals and the Blues). “God has spoken; twice I have this:that power belongs to God,and that steadfast love [hesed] belongs to you, O Lord.”(Psalm 62.11-12) I. Texts to Know– Psalm 68, Note the interesting parallels with Exodus 15 including Yahweh […]

Exodus “Event” Texts to Know– Deuteronomy 5.12-15, Shabbat rehearses the Hesed story– Psalm 66– Psalm 68– Psalm 114, part of the Egyptian Hallel– Psalm 136.10-26,– Isaiah 63.7-14– 1 Corinthians 10.1-5 Exodus Comes before Sinai,Calvary Comes before Pentecost,Grace Comes before Faith,It always has, it always will. Deliverance, Rescue, Salvation by Hesed “According to the abundance of […]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzSb7HnLTMQ I. Who You Going to Serve: Pharoah or Yahweh?         – 3.12, “you shall worship God on this mountain”         – 4.23, “Let my SON go that he may worship/serve me”         – 5.17 [oppressors] “You say, let us go so we may sacrifice”         – 7.16, “so that they may worship/serve me”         – 8.1, “so that they […]

START AT 3:00 MINUTE MARK Exodus 3: The NuminousWoodmont Hills ChurchSeptember 9, 2026 “Numinous, arousing spiritual or religious emotion; mysterious or awe-inspiring” I. Exodus 1-2, the Crises of Refugees & Aliens (The Egypt First Policy) – Irrational fear (1.12)– Shiphrah & Puah (1.15) break the law but “feared God” (v.21)– State Sponsored terror (1.21) II. […]

Since the beginning of Hosea 4, the prophet’s oracles have alerted and warned the northern kingdom of Israel of their approaching devastation and exile. The Assyrian empire is predatorial and expansionistic. They will occupy and annex the territory of Israel, and God will permit this due to Israel’s sin. While Hosea 4-10 has identified the […]

The Feast of Tabernacles (Booths)—in Hebrew, Sukkoth—was one of great and festive celebrations of God’s grace. Israel lived in tents (booths) for seven days to reenact and remember God’s grace in the wilderness for forty years. They also celebrated the ingathering of grapes and olives as they planted grain in anticipation of the Spring harvest […]

Hosea is redundant as he returns to the themes of idolatry and political alliances. This is more than literary style; it speaks to the stopped ears of his audience, their stubbornness, and the need to hear again—as a kind of last measure appeal—the deep corruption in their society. Apparently, the message is not penetrating their […]

Yahweh yearns to restore the fortunes of Israel, but Israel would not. Their evil, corruption, pride, rebellion, and political alliances hardened their hearts so that they did not seek God’s face. None called on Yahweh. Consequently, their self-destructive cycle, stoked like a hot oven by their greed and pride, played itself out on the world […]

Psalm 105–part of the “mini-Bible” (Psalms 103-107)–sings God’s praise for how God’s steadfast love revealed itself in God’s history with Abraham, Joseph, Moses & Aaron, and their journey to Sinai. God is a covenant keeper; and God entered into an everlasting covenant with Abraham that would identify Israel as God’s own possession (chosen ones), multiply […]