John Mark Hicks

Psalm 22 is the lament and confession of a righteous sufferer in the expectation of God’s righteous deliverance. The Psalmist identifies with the story of Israel, and Jesus himself appropriates this Psalm for his own lament and confession in the hope of his own vindication. This is not a Psalm about divine wrath or punishment […]

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 […]

Bobby Valentine and John Mark Hicks walk through the meaning of Psalm 9, which both remembers God’s mighty deeds for Israel in the past with gratitude and cries out to God to renew those mighty deeds in the present. It is a Psalm of both thanksgiving and lament. The Psalm remembers God’s justice for the […]

The Center for Christian Studies just released a new video series on Psalms, written and presented by John Mark Hicks. Check out the trailer and read about the series here. https://www.christian-studies.org/post/jesus-favorite-book And then, of course, subscribe to get the entire series! Do you know what Jesus’ favorite book was?  A good case can be made […]

What do you say to God when you are in a cave? Psalm 142 is a classic lament that pours out a believer’s complaint to the Lord, petitions God for deliverance, and affirms a fundamental trust in the God of Israel. Bobby Valentine and John Mark Hicks discuss the meaning and significance of this Psalm […]

An English version is available here. Defender a Dios no es mi trabajo. Menos mal, porque sería pésimo en eso. Sin embargo, mi fe busca comprensión; busca respuestas incluso cuando no las puedo encontrar. Explorar los misterios de la providencia divina y el sufrimiento humano es un viaje a los rincones de la mente divina […]

[An English version is available here.] El fin de semana anterior (18-19/9/2010) tuve el honor de reunirme con el Echo Lake Church of Christ en Westfield, Nueva Jersey y discutir “Anchors for the Soul: Trusting God in the Storms of Life.” Brian Nicklaus Es el ministro allí y fue un placer pasar un tiempo con él. Aparecieron varios […]

Psalm 13 is a typical lament that moves from complaint to petition and then to praise. It beautifully illustrates this typical structure. Consequently, I will use this Psalm as the framework for the following discussion. The psalmist prayed:                         How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?                                     How long will you hide your […]

(English Version Here) Israel había experimentado recientemente una derrota. Aunque quizás sea un contexto exílico, probablemente refleja una derrota militar en el período preexílico (por ejemplo, la invasión de Zera el cusita durante el reinado del justo Asa en 2 Crón. 14:9-10, la invasión de los moabitas durante el reinado del justo Josafat en 2 […]

(English Version Here) El Salmo 13 es un lamento típico que pasa de la queja a la petición y luego a la alabanza. Ilustra maravillosamente esta estructura típica. En consecuencia, usaré este Salmo como marco para la siguiente discusión. El salmista oró:                         ¿Hasta cuándo, oh Señor? ¿Me olvidarás para siempre?                                     ¿Hasta cuándo esconderás […]