John Mark Hicks

In Psalm 29 the earthly assembly of Israel commands the the heavenly “sons of God” around the throne of God in the heavenly temple to give Yahweh the glory due to the Creator of heaven and earth. Everyone in the temple–both on earth and in heaven–say, “Glory!” When the people of God assemble, sounds and […]

“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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

Psalm 134 concludes the Songs of Ascents (begun in Psalm 120) with a call to bless Yahweh standing in the courts with lifted hands. Standing in holy space, worshippers encounter God, and prayers are lifted that call upon God to bless each worshipper (“you” is singular in 134:3). The final Psalm of Ascents ends with […]

Pilgrims enter Jerusalem excited to experience authentic community, thanksgiving, and justice. They come to the house of the Lord to experience shalom (peace) and ask God to give peace the place where the Lord dwells. What does it mean to pray for Jerusalem? How might we pray for Jerusalem today? Psalm 122 guides in the […]

This is the “key and high point of the whole epistle” (Barth, Ephesians, 1:275). Though the gentiles were once foreigners and aliens from the commonwealth and strangers to the covenants of promise, through the cross the Messiah has made peace and killed the hostility between Jew and gentile by abolishing the law of commandments in […]

After the ascension of Jesus to the right hand of the Father, one hundred and twenty disciples, including the mother of Jesus, were gathered together in one place (ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ). They were all devoted (προσκαρτεροῦντες) to praying and waiting for the promised Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14-15). On the day of Pentecost, they were all […]

Bobby Valentine and John Mark Hicks discuss the meaning and application of Psalm 93. It declares “Yahweh is king!” What does that mean when we also see chaos and evil in the world? Do we say that because God is king that therefore everything is the way it is supposed to be, or that the […]

Hebrews 9:11-28 But when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own […]