John Mark Hicks

Psalm 21 is a royal Psalm that locates the king’s strength in Yahweh’s steadfast love. Yahweh saves and blesses the king of Israel because the king trusts in the steadfast love of the Lord. Yahweh delivers the king from the enemies of Yahweh and gives him the glory of the Lord’s presence. The Psalm idealizes […]

Psalm 144 prays for God’s rescue and salvation. The prayer depends on God’s steadfast love and past redemptive acts (Sinai and Exodus) for the victory of God’s king over the nations ruled by lies and evil. This is a prayer warrior Psalm that asks God to defeat the enemies of God’s kingdom. The Davidic king […]

Bobby Valentine and John Mark Hicks discuss what they call the “theological anchor” of the Songs of Ascents. The pilgrimage to Mt. Zion to assemble with the people of God is grounded in the Lord’s oath to David and his descendants in response to David’s oath to the Lord. As the people ascend the mountain […]

Bobby Valentine and John Mark Hicks reflect on the majesty praise hymn of Psalm 8 in this video. The transcendent God has set a bulwark within the creation to silence his enemies, and humanity is a partner with God to subdue the chaos within the creation. Crowned with glory and honor, we are God’s representatives […]

Nebuchadnezzar’s Second Dream (4:1-18) Royal Epistle/Pride (4:1-3) “His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And his sovereignty is from generation to generation.” The Dream (4:4-18) Nebuchadnezzar Disturbed (4:4-5) “I saw a dream that frightened me; my fantasies in bed and the visions of my head terrified me.” Seeking an Interpreter (4:6-9) “O Belteshazzar, chief of the […]

Abby Kaplan joins Bobby Valentine and John Mark Hicks to talk about Psalm 45. This royal wedding song has both an original significance in Israel and a messianic meaning. The Psalm, sung by Israel, desires a king of justice, humility, and truth, and celebrates the inclusion of a woman from outside of Israel. Ultimately, the […]

This is the newest installment of “Derek: Meditating on the Way” with Bobby Valentine and John Mark Hicks. In this episode we discuss the meaning and significance of Psalm 110 in both its context in the Psalter and its relevance to messianic hopes, particularly as revealed in Jesus the Messiah.

The Order (or Manner) of Melchizedek This “King Melchizedek of Salem, priest of the Most High God, met Abraham as he was returning from defeating the kings and blessed him”; and to him Abraham apportioned “one-tenth of everything.” His name, in the first place, means “king of righteousness”; next he is also king of Salem, […]

Awakened from lethargy or deep reflection by the angel who had previously spoken to him (Zechariah 2:3) as if he had been woken from a sleep, the angel directs Zechariah’s attention to a new vision. “What do you see?” asked the angel. This is Zechariah’s fifth vision. Paired with the fourth vision, these two are the […]

[This is a brief small group/Bible class series that parallels the sermons of Dean Barham at Woodmont Hills Family of God in Nashville, TN, for the month of July 2009. You may listen to Dean’s lessons here.] THE DIVINE SHEPHERD Psalm 23 “God Who Has Been My Shepherd All My Life” Genesis 48:15 The “Shepherd” […]