John Mark Hicks

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 […]

“If you test me, you will find no wickedness in me.” (Psalm 17:3) That is a rather disturbing statement for many. Can I pray that prayer? That is the invitation of Psalm 17. It calls us into a way of integrity and faithfulness as we seek refuge in the Lord, and we seek the Lord […]

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. […]

Don’t trust in rulers; they are but dust. Trust in the God of Jacob who is our help and hope. Follower the way of the Lord which seeks justice, heals the sick, liberates the oppressed, cares for the stranger, widow, and orphan, and feeds the hungry. The way of the wicked does not pay attention […]

The Hebrew Bible’s word for the theological idea of “grace” in the New Testament is hesed (steadfast love). Psalm 136 celebrates God’s initiative and commitment, God’s grace, by reciting the line “because his steadfast love endures forever” 26 times. Israel, gathered in assembly in Psalm 135 and Psalm 136 to bless, praise, and give thanks […]

Psalm 135, along with Psalm 136, is the Great Hallel, the praise and blessing the pilgrim offers in the temple courts (where God dwells). Those who have ascended the holy mountain and now stand at the top of the steps in the court with the priests and Levites declare God’s goodness, beauty, and election of […]

Dr. Phillip Camp, Professor of Old Testament at Lipscomb University, joins Bobby Valentine and John Mark Hicks to discuss the meaning and significance of Psalm 113, the first of the Egyptian Hallel Psalms sung at the pilgrimage festivals (including the Passover). We discuss the identity and activity of Israel’s God as well as the meaning […]

Bobby Valentine and John Mark Hicks walk through the meaning and significance of Psalm 114. This is a playful song with a serious and dramatic meaning. God liberated Israel from Egypt and chose to dwell with them, mocked the gods of the waters and mountains, and, in the end, invited the earth to dance in […]

Dr. Tiffany Mangan Dahlman joins Bobby Valentine and John Mark Hicks to discuss Psalm 77. This powerful and disturbing lament calls us to remember the ways of God in the midst of our grief and troubled times. What is the significance of this lament for our present moment?

Texts: Genesis 12:1-3, 7a; Exodus 6:2-8; Exodus 19:3-6. Days 14-16 in Around the Bible in Eighty Days. Who is Israel, and what is her purpose? It is a new humanity in a new Eden to continue and further the mission of God in the world. Following the collapse of the world into violent imperialism and […]