When God Is Against You [Family Worship lesson in Nahum 2:3–13]

What endures? Nahum 2:3–13 prepares us for the morning sermon in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these eleven verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that your relationship with God is the one thing that endures. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The passage from Nahum 2 presents a vivid depiction of God’s sovereign judgment on Nineveh, anticipating the ultimate failure of all earthly power, wealth, and security. Every creature will crumble when God declares, "I am against you." All human achievements, including family, military strength, and material riches, are fleeting and cannot endure apart from reconciliation with God. The only lasting security lies in being reconciled to God through faith in Christ, so that the final declaration between soul and Creator is not "I am against you," but "I am for you."

2026.04.11 Hopewell @Home ▫ Nahum 2:3–13

Read Nahum 2:3–13

Questions from the Scripture text: What, belonging to whom, are made what color (Nahum 2:3a)? Who are dressed in what color (verse 3b)? With what are the chariots “dressed” (verse 3c)? In what day (verse 3d)? What are shaken (verse 3e)? What do the chariots do, where (Nahum 2:4a)? What do they do to each other (verse 4b)? What do they seem like (verse 4c)? How do they run (verse 4d)? Whom does he remember (Nahum 2:5a)? What interrupts their walking (verse 5b)? Where are they going, at what speed (verse 5c)? What is being prepared (verse 5d)? What are opened (Nahum 2:6a)? What is dissolved/melted (verse 6b)? How does Nahum 2:7a indicate that this has been established? What will happen to Nineveh (verse 7b)? Who will lead her (verse 7c–d)? With what mournful sounds (verse 7e)? And actions (verse 7f)? How does Nahum 2:8a describe her former peace and security? But what do her citizens do now (verse 8b)? What are others shouting after them (verse 8c)? But how is the haste of their fleeing demonstrated (verse 8d)? What do her invaders do (Nahum 2:9)? How much? What (and who) is left (Nahum 2:10a)? What does this cause in her citizens (verse 10b)? What do they feel (verse 10c)? From where? How does verse 10d describe the extent to which they are horrified and devastated? What rhetorical question does Nahum 2:11a ask? And verse 11b? And Nahum 2:11-12d? What does this imply about how Nineveh used to be? What do the rhetorical questions this imply about what has happened to Nineveh? How does Nahum 2:13 introduce itself? Who is speaking in it? What is His relation to Nineveh? What is He going to do to her chariots? And to her young lions (cf. Nahum 2:11-12)? What will He do to their ability to prey upon others? Who will no longer report her victories? 

What endures? Nahum 2:3–13 prepares us for the morning sermon in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these eleven verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that your relationship with God is the one thing that endures.  

The Lord’s restoration of His people (Nahum 2:2) goes hand-in-hand with His vengeance upon those who have oppressed them (Nahum 2:3-13). What do we learn from His own description and explanation of that vengeance? We learn the nature of His vengeance, the nature of this life, and the nature of relationship with God.

The nature of His vengeance. The description in Nahum 2:3-4 uses the colors and appearance of the weapons, men, and vehicles to describe the invasion of the suburbs, outside the wall, like a wildfire (cf. Nahum 1:10), bearing down on the city. The king of Assyria remembers his mightiest men (Nahum 2:5a), but they stumble themselves into position (verse 5b–d). Then, in a moment, not only do all the defenses melt (Nahum 2:6), but also the hearts of the people (Nahum 2:7). No warrior stands (Nahum 2:8), no treasure remains (Nahum 2:9), the city and their joy are emptied (Nahum 2:10), and nothing is left of the pride of their pride (i.e., Assyria as a community of lions, Nahum 2:11-12). God’s vengeance is fiery, inevitable, just, and complete. We must remember this, when we are tempted to take our own, weak vengeance instead; or, when we are discouraged by what the wicked are doing; or, when we are tempted to think that we can sin with no repercussions.

The nature of this life. Nineveh, as the capital of Assyria, is the perfect example of the people who have everything in this life. Safety, security, wealth, impressiveness, confidence, even family. But how easily those things come to nothing in a moment. The Tigris on her west wall becomes the method by which her fortifications melt (Nahum 2:6). How quickly their rejoicing turns to the deepest mourning (Nahum 2:7, Nahum 2:10b–d). They go from calm and peaceful as a pool of water, to unable to get their warriors even to look back as they flee (Nahum 2:8). Their limitless treasure (Nahum 2:9) is entirely emptied (Nahum 2:10a). And their fierceness toward others (Nahum 2:11), and fierce loyalty toward one another (Nahum 2:12a–b), suddenly vanish. How many live for these things: safety, security, wealth, influence, pleasure, belonging. But Scripture teaches us to hold onto these things with a light grip; the form of this world is passing away (cf. 1 Corinthians 7:29–31). If we receive every good thing as a gift and assignment from the Lord, then very well. But if we treat them as the substance of our lives, then let us remember Nahum 2:3–13, and how even Nineveh lost them all in one fell swoop. Even Christian families must hold onto Christ together, if we hope that our family bond will be something that endures.

The nature of relationship with God. What is Nineveh’s great problem? That YHWH Himself is against her. He demands attention: “Behold Me! I am against you!” (Nahum 2:13a, more literally translated). He says it, not in the third person through the prophet, but His own voice (“an utterance of YHWH,” verse 13a, more literally translated). Finally, YHWH emphasizes His own action: though the sword is what will devour Nineveh’s young lions, YHWH Himself “will burn your chariots in smoke,” and YHWH Himself “will cut off your prey from the earth.” Give the Lord Himself all your attention, dear reader. Either He is for you, in which case all the creation avails nothing against you (cf. Romans 8:31). Or, He is against you (Nahum 2:13a), in which case all the creation avails nothing for you. The world is full of messengers and messages about earthly victory, security, prosperity, pleasure, and community. At last, all of these messengers fall silent (end of verse 13). Only one messenger’s words last. The one who preaches the gospel (cf. Nahum 1:15) as an ambassador who offers for God to be “for you” through the sacrifice of Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:20–21). This is the great consideration of your existence: YHWH is either against you in yourself, or for you in Christ. Be His in Christ! 

In light of what is going on in the world, and your life, how is God’s vengeance comforting you? How is it warning you? What parts of earthly life most threaten to consume your thoughts, feelings, desires, plans, and efforts? How are you making use of His means to have the Lord Himself being the primary substance of all of these things in your life? How do you know whether God is for you or against you? What does this mean for your life right now?

Sample prayer:  Lord, in You we live and move and have our being. Forgive us for how we have lived forgetfully of You, as if the things of this world had any significance apart from You. Grant that, by Your Spirit, we might live by faith in Christ, knowing that You are for us, in Him. Through Him we ask it, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP46 “God Is Our Refuge and Our Strength” or TPH515 “More Than Conquerors” 

Missional Duty of the Mature [Family Worship lesson in Song of Songs 8:8–12]

In what does a healthy church desire to participate? Song of Songs 8:8–12 prepares us for the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that a healthy church desires to participate in the planting and making healthy of other churches, and in producing the fruit of mature believers, whom the Lord Jesus so highly values. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The passage presents the church as fulfilling her responsibility to nurture and fortify other churches and to actively engage in church planting, revitalization, and missions as co-laborers with Christ. The imagery of the vineyard underscores the immense value God places on every believer, honoring both Christ and Christ-given ministers by bringing forth the fruit that they so highly value.

2026.04.10 Hopewell @Home ▫ Song of Songs 8:8–12

Read Song of Songs 8:8–12

Questions from the Scripture text: What do the bride and bridegroom have (Song of Songs 8:8a)? What does she lack, in her spiritual immaturity (verse 8b; cf. Song of Songs 4:5, Song of Songs 7:3)? What does Song of Songs 8:8c ask about? With respect to what day (Song of Songs 8:8d)? What might she come to be (Song of Songs 8:9a)? And what would need to be done then (verse 9b–c)? What else might she come to be (verse 9d)? And what would need to be done then (verse 9e–f)? Who is already in the condition of verse 9a (Song of Songs 8:10a)? And already has the improvement of Song of Songs 8:9b–c (Song of Songs 8:10b)? What is the Bridegroom’s view of her, in this condition of maturity (verse 10c–d)? What is the earthly comparison for the Bridegroom and His bride (Song of Songs 8:11a)? How does He design to obtain her cultivated fruit (verse 11b)? How valuable is this fruit to Him (verse 11c–d)? Who else cares about her fruitfulness (Song of Songs 8:12a)? For what value to Him (verse 12b)? And what other value to whom else (verse 12c)? 

In what does a healthy church desire to participate? Song of Songs 8:8–12 prepares us for the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that a healthy church desires to participate in the planting and making healthy of other churches, and in producing the fruit of mature believers, whom the Lord Jesus so highly values. 

The Church and Her Mission (Song of Songs 8:8-9). From Song of Songs 7:11–8:4, we heard about the bride’s desire for revival of the saints, and for the church to be enabled to give more love to Christ. There is another desire that mature and faithful churches have: the recovery of backslidden churches, and the planting and growing of new churches. 

Already by the time of Solomon, there was some fracturing between the north and south in Israel (cf. 2 Samuel 20:1, 1 Kings 12:16). So, there is an obvious candidate, at the time of writing, for the “little sister.” Later, the apostles are charged by the Lord Jesus, with the subsequent building of a sequence of “little sisters”: Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth (cf. Acts 1:8). Now, we are in a season, where Israel and the remaining fullness of the Gentiles are in the place of the “little sister” (cf. Romans 11:25–26). 

Ultimately, it is Christ, Who builds His church, but He uses means. The “we” in Song of Songs 8:8-9 has nothing to do with brothers, like the editors of the NKJ have interpolated. Christ uses His present church for forming new congregations, for bringing the gospel to new nations, and indeed for bringing all the elect to saving faith in Him. It is difficult to tell whether the speaker in Song of Songs 8:8-9 is the bride, or the Bridegroom, or the two together. As the church matures, His desire is her desire, and His work is her work.

In this case, the sister is still so immature that she is unable to nourish offspring (Song of Songs 8:8b). She doesn’t yet have the capacity to disciple the offspring unto the pleasure of the Bridegroom (cf. Song of Songs 4:5, Song of Songs 7:3). 

Christ produces this maturity by His grace, but Song of Songs 8:8c asks “what shall WE do?” (emphasis mine). 

He has given His church the privilege of duty and responsibility in His mission work. If she is to come to be betrothed to Christ (Song of Songs 8:8d), something must be done. 

Christ Himself is the foundation, and He establishes her with the structural strength of a wall by building her upon Himself (Song of Songs 8:9a). Upon this foundation, the church must build a tower, a royal fortification, but only using the right materials (verse 9b). The apostle alludes to this text in 1 Corinthians 3:10–15. 

Christ Himself is the door (cf. John 10:9, John 14:6). But it is especially in and through the church that He brings the elect to Himself (cf. Ephesians 2:12–13). When a church has become a doorway of the gospel to Christ (Song of Songs 8:9d, cf. Song of Songs 5:4), she reinforces and buttresses that truth (cf. 1 Timothy 3:15), as the Bridegroom and bride do here with the boards of cedar (Song of Songs 8:9e–f).

The Church He Uses (Song of Songs 8:10). To be His instrument and partner in His work, the bride must first be mature herself, and this is what she professes in Song of Songs 8:10. She is already that wall of Song of Songs 8:9a (Song of Songs 8:10a). She already has those towers (verse 10b), that battlement of Song of Songs 8:9c. In this case, the towers are the same by which the offspring are nourished. It is the truth of the gospel by which the saints are nourished in the church. And it is the truth of the gospel that is raised as a battlement by which the church is protected. 

It is this church that the Lord Jesus sees (Song of Songs 8:10c) as her who has found peace (verse 10d). And the church that is mature in the gospel, and fortified in the gospel, is the church that should be multiplying this maturity in “little sisters” via church planting and missions. And in those daughters of Jerusalem who are as little sisters within her assemblies.

The Ministers He Uses (Song of Songs 8:11). Now, the song again uses its writer as something of a living metaphor for Christ. We saw this back on the wedding day in Song of Songs 3:6–11. Now, we see it again with reference to His kingly employment of servants to bring forth exquisite fruit. 

The Lord Jesus interprets Song of Songs 8:11 in the way that we have learned from Scripture to read the song (cf. Matthew 21:33, Mark 12:1, Luke 20:9). The great difference is between the Pharisees and the true bride—the “others” of Matthew 21:41, Mark 12:9, Luke 20:16. The true bride longs to produce for the Lord the fruit that He values at 1000 (!) silver coins. This, of course, is the opposite of an exaggeration, because the “fruit” here are redeemed, godly saints. The friends and beloved ones of the Bridegroom. 

They aren’t worth a “mere” thousand silver coins to Him. They are worth His incarnation and humiliation. They are worth His suffering and death—and that, on the cross. And it is for them that He has instituted the ministry of the gospel. It is for them that He has saved, graced, gifted, called, and ordained the particular men whom He charges with this ministry. 

Let ministers remember this. The vineyard is the Lord’s vineyard. It is the vineyard of “Baal Hamon” (master of the multitude). The fruit is the Lord’s fruit. Ministers are the Lord’s servants, appointed for bringing forth the fruit believers whose faith has matured.

And let church members remember this. The Lord has sent them their faithful ministers. So, while they give regard to their ministers out of reverence for Christ, it is ultimately Christ Who uses those ministers to produce the fruit. And it is Christ to Whom the fruit belongs. Let them make use of the ministry that the Lord has supplied to them. Let them bear fruit for Him.

The Church and Her Ministers (Song of Songs 8:12). Finally, the bride refers to her own vineyard. Even though she is mature and strong, as a wall with towers, she still needs to keep her vineyard. Near the very beginning of the song, she had admitted that she had not kept her vineyard (cf. Song of Songs 1:6e). But that is not the case now. She professes, “My own vineyard is before me” (Song of Songs 8:12a).

She knows Christ’s valuing of her fruit, and she longs to give Him that thousand.

But she knows that, though a minister cannot value the fruit as the King does, yet the minister’s cherishing of the saints comes from Christ’s own. And the bride loves for the vineyard keepers to have their share in the joy of the fruit that is produced. The laborer is worthy of his hire (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:7, 1 Corinthians 9:9–14). But what a congregation should much more desire to give him is the joy of seeing them advancing in grace and the fruit of the Spirit (cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:19, 1 Corinthians 9:2).

What part do spiritually weak churches, church plants, and missionary work have in your prayers? What part does the reformation, revival, and strengthening of your own church have in your priorities? What use are you making of the ordained ministry that the Lord Jesus uses in your own congregation, to bring forth fruit? How are you making use of His valuing the fruit as a motivation for bearing it? 

Sample prayer:  Lord, thank You for loving Your church, Your temple, Your vineyard. Grant that she would worship You, now, as a strong wall, built solidly upon the only foundation, her Lord Jesus Christ. Grant that, for her battlements, she would have the towers that nourish her by the pure milk of the Word, and guard her by the truth as it is in Jesus. We thank You for giving vineyard keepers, whom You Yourself use to make us fruitful. And, we marvel that You have so desired our mature faith, as Your fruit, that You have paid, not one thousand silver coins, but Your own blood, to redeem us. Now, grant that by Your Spirit, we would worship You by the grace that we have from Your own resurrection life, we ask in Your Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP87 “The LORD’s Foundation” or TPH405 “I Love Thy Kingdom Lord”

Christ Is the Church's Glory [2026.04.05 Evening Sermon in Song of Songs 8:5–7]

Jesus Himself is the glory of His church.

(click here to DOWNLOAD video/mp3/pdf files of this sermon)

The Chief End of Affliction [2026.04.05 Morning Sermon in Nahum 1:12–2:2]

The Lord delivers the godly out of trials and reserves the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.

(click here to DOWNLOAD video/mp3/pdf files of this sermon)

Marking and Motivating the Church [2026.04.05 Sabbath School lesson in WCF 27.1.4–5—Hopewell 101]

Baptism and the Lord's Supper mark the church off from the world, and motivate the church to live unto the Lord. They say, "you belong to Me" and "live like those who belong to Me." (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The lesson establishes that sacraments—baptism and the Lord's Supper—are divine signs and seals of the covenant of grace, instituted by God to visibly distinguish His church from the world, and call them to live in the world as His own. The sacraments are not magical rituals but means through which God strengthens faith, reminds believers of their union with Christ, and challenges them to live in accordance with their identity in Him. Ultimately, they serve both to identify the church and to engage its members in faithful obedience to Christ according to His Word.

How God Came to Obey and Suffer [Children's Catechism 47—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Children's Catechism question 47—especially explaining how the only One good enough to obey, and big enough to suffer Hell, became capable of obedience and of suffering.

Q47. How could the Son of God suffer? Christ, the Son of God, became man that He might obey and suffer in our nature. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The lesson explains that the Son of God could suffer only by becoming truly human. Drawing on Philippians 2 and Galatians 4, it emphasizes that Christ, though eternally God, took on human nature to live a life of perfect obedience and endure hell on the cross. Thus, Christ’s incarnation was essential not only for obedience but for substitutionary atonement, for the redemption of sinners.

Jesus Is Everything to Us [Family Worship lesson in Mark 2:13–22]

Whom does the Lord save and use? Mark 2:13–22 prepares us for the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these ten verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the Lord saves and uses those who need Him and delight in Him. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: Jesus reveals Himself as the essential qualification for service, salvation, and joy. By calling Levi, a despised tax collector, He demonstrates that true spiritual qualification comes not from moral performance but from union with Him, who transforms lives through His grace. His fellowship with sinners underscored that salvation is for sinners. The disciples’ lack of fasting is not negligence but a proper response to the presence of the Bridegroom—Jesus Himself—whose nearness calls for joy, not fasting.

2026.04.09 Hopewell @Home ▫ Mark 2:13-22

Read Mark 2:13-22

Questions from the Scripture text: Where does Jesus go in Mark 2:13? Who comes to Him? What does He do with them? Where does Jesus see Levi? What does He tell Him to do? When Jesus goes to Levi’s house who else has followed Him? How many of them? Who are surprised that Jesus would eat with tax collectors and sinners? Whom does Jesus say He came to call to repentance? Who are surprised at Jesus’ disciples in Mark 2:18? What does Jesus call Himself in Mark 2:19? How would the friends of the bridegroom feel and act at a wedding? When would those friends fast, according to Jesus? What happens to a tear if you put the wrong kind of patch on it?

Whom does the Lord save and use? Mark 2:13–22 prepares us for the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these ten verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the Lord saves and uses those who need Him and delight in Him. 

In the gospel reading this week, the Lord Jesus keeps surprising us.

He surprises us by choosing as one of His disciples a tax collector (Mark 2:14), one of the most hated people among the Jews. He surprises us by welcoming the situation of being surrounded by many tax collectors and sinners (Mark 2:15-17). He surprises us by His response about fasting (Mark 2:18-22). What is He teaching us by all of these surprises?

The first thing that He teaches us is that our usefulness to Him does not depend upon our past before we knew Him. Remember, that so far in Mark, “follow Me,” means “become a trainee in man-fishing” (cf. Mark 1:17). Who is a really good candidate to be used by Christ? Anyone who follows Him. A fisherman who follows Him. A tax collector who follows Him. A sinner who follows Him. Even a scribe or a Pharisee who follows Him. 

Why doesn’t it depend upon what we were before we followed Him? Because it cannot depend upon us. When Jesus says “I did not come to call the righteous” (Mark 2:17). He’s talking about a figment of our self-deceived imaginations. His point is that the reason that He had to come in the first place is that there are no righteous. If we think that we are righteous without Him, we have sadly and terribly misunderstood both ourselves and Him. 

Another, and glorious, thing that Jesus is teaching us is that He has come to be our joy. Those who have misunderstood Sabbath-keeping consider it a burden, a drag, a way that we show God how serious we are about Him by denying ourselves of pleasure (cf. Isaiah 58:1-5). But those who understand it well consider it a most generous gift of most glorious joy, and they imitate Him by becoming generous and joy-giving to others (cf. Isaiah 58:6-14). 

Such an attitude can extend to how we respond to Jesus. We should be rejoicing over Him like a groom’s friends at his wedding (Mark 2:19). Jesus identifies Himself as the Bridegroom of the Song of Songs, and His disciples as the friends of the Bridegroom (cf. Song of Songs 5:1e). There, He had welcomed His friends and beloved ones to eat, and to drink deeply. Rejoicing with Him, over the spiritual fruit that He produces in His church, should be the longing of every believer. We should treasure moments with Him as if we’d been waiting all our lives to share that joy with Him! Of course, His disciples weren’t fasting! And neither should have been John’s or the Pharisees’. 

Do you know when you should fast? When earthly pleasures seem big and Christ seems small, then fast, as you seek His presence, and for Him to be your Pleasure. When, for any reason, He seems distant, then fast after Him. When you are feeling the weightiness of sin and the corruption and decay of this world, and You are longing for His return and the great resurrection, then fast after Him. 

We mustn’t only fast at the right time, but in the right way. We mustn’t think of fasting as a way to make ourselves miserable as a proof of our spirituality. In fact, if we fast in that way, we are telling God that turning aside from earthly things is miserable.

Whom are you more likely to consider incorrectly “not good Christian material”: yourself or others? What are you going to do about that? What kind of day should the Lord’s Day be, and how and why? When have you felt like Christ was distant (perhaps now)? How will you specifically use fasting to turn to Him and long for Him?

Sample prayer:  Lord, thank You for calling and using a tax collector as one of Your apostles. Forgive us, for when we think that usefulness to You depends upon us. And thank You for giving us to have Yourself as our joy. Forgive us for not longing for You more. Grant that we would long for You and fast for You, by Your Spirit, we ask in Christ’s Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP2 “Why Do Gentile Nations Rage” or TPH151 “Lord of the Sabbath, Hear Us Pray”

A Prophet Like Moses [Family Worship lesson in Deuteronomy 34]

How does Deuteronomy end? Deuteronomy 34 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these twelve verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Deuteronomy ends, looking forward to Christ. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The devotional presents a meditation on divine purpose, faithful service, and the ultimate hope found in Christ. It centers on Moses’s final moments—granted a vision of the Promised Land he cannot enter, an example of the partial yet meaningful participation of believers in God’s eternal plan, even when full fulfillment lies beyond their lifetime. The transition to Joshua, empowered by the Spirit through divinely appointed ordination, affirms the biblical doctrine of ordination as a sacred, Spirit-empowered calling rooted in God’s Word, not human preference. Yet the passage culminates in a transcendent expectation: no prophet has arisen like Moses, but the true fulfillment of all prophecy is found in Jesus Christ, Who alone knows God face to face, performs divine signs, and accomplishes redemption through His atoning sacrifice and resurrection. Thus, the entire narrative points beyond all human instruments to Christ as the sole source of hope, the author and finisher of God’s redemptive work, and the ultimate object of faith.

2026.04.08 Hopewell @Home ▫ Deuteronomy 34

Read Deuteronomy 34

Questions from the Scripture text: Who went up, from where, to where, to the top of where, across from where (Deuteronomy 34:1)? Who showed him what (Deuteronomy 34:1-3)? Who spoke to him (Deuteronomy 34:4)? How did He describe it? What has He caused Moses to do? What will Moses not do? What does Deuteronomy 34:5 call Moses? What did he do? Where? According to what? What did God then do to him (Deuteronomy 34:6)? Where? What doesn’t anyone know? How old was he (Deuteronomy 34:7)? But what had not happened? How did the children of Israel respond (Deuteronomy 34:8)? For how long? Who was full of what (Deuteronomy 34:9)? How had this happened? What did Israel do with him? In accordance with what? What has not happened since then (Deuteronomy 34:10, cf. Deuteronomy 18:15–18)? What was unique about Moses? How had YHWH testified to this uniqueness (Deuteronomy 34:11-12)? 

How does Deuteronomy end? Deuteronomy 34 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these twelve verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Deuteronomy ends, looking forward to Christ.  

The book ends with amazement at the effectiveness and honor that the Lord had given to Moses. 

Though, he is not permitted to enter the land (Deuteronomy 34:4b), he has been given the privilege of being the one through whom all this land (Deuteronomy 34:1-3) is given in fulfillment of God’s covenant promise (Deuteronomy 34:4a). 

Moses gets to see the land, then he dies—not of old age or diminished power (Deuteronomy 34:7b), but according to the decree of God. God Himself buries him (Deuteronomy 34:6—can there be a stronger commendation of Christian burial?). YHWH was (is!) his face-to-face friend (Deuteronomy 34:10b). 

But the main thrust of the passage is looking forward. This is true in a small sense with Joshua. He has been ordained to succeed Moses (Deuteronomy 34:9, cf. Numbers 27:18–23; Deuteronomy 31:1–8, Deuteronomy 31:14, Deuteronomy 31:23), and indeed the Lord uses him to lead Israel into the land, take possession of it, and allot it to the tribes. 

Yet,  the big sense in which the passage looks forward is that it is still looking forward to the “prophet like Moses” (Deuteronomy 34:10a, cf. Deuteronomy 18:15–18). 

YHWH knew Moses face to face (v10b), but Jesus is the One Who faces God from all eternity (cf. John 1:2, more literally translated), and Who is the face of God to us (cf. John 14:8–9, 2 Corinthians 4:5–6). 

YHWH used Moses to redeem by great signs and wonders (Deuteronomy 34:11), but Jesus came working many mightier signs (cf. John 7:31), and is Himself the great sign, as the resurrected One (cf. Matthew 12:39–40; Luke 11:30). 

YHWH used Moses to impress upon Israel the awe of God (Deuteronomy 34:12).  But it is through Jesus Himself that men are brought by grace into the fear of the Lord, and fully know Him (cf. John 1:17–18). 

Deuteronomy concludes, straining forward to Christ, teaching us to rejoice in Him in Whom we know the Lord Himself, in Him Who has redeemed us by signs and wonders, in Him Who brings us into true fear of the Lord. We should come away from Deuteronomy longing for Him. This is how we should come away from all of Scripture.

How has the Lord given you to know Him? To serve Him? To fear Him? Who is the Leader of your church? How does He lead it?

Sample prayer: Lord, thank You for giving Moses to Your people of old, and then Joshua after him. But thank You, far more, for giving to us Christ to be our Prophet, Priest, and King. Forgive us for taking for granted how great is our privilege to be in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. And, forgive us for not being more amazed at Him Himself. Forgive us, for His sake, we ask. And, give us to know You in Him, we ask in His Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP98 “O Sing a New Song” or TPH266 “Thou Art the Way”  

Gloriously Loved by Christ [Family Worship lesson in Song of Songs 8:5–7]

Who is the bride? Song of Songs 8:5–7 prepares us for the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these three verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that she is the glorious origin, display, and beloved of the Bridegroom. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The devotional meditates upon the inseparable union between Christ and His church. Song of Songs 8:5–7 portrays the church as both the source from which Christ was born in the flesh and the eternal object of His unyielding, divine love. Central to this message is the theological truth that God’s love is stronger than death, more enduring than the grave, and utterly unconquerable by any force—neither can floods of wrath overcome it or the wealth of the whole world compare to its value. The church’s glory lies in being both the nurturing womb of Christ’s incarnation and the cherished recipient of His passionate, jealous, and fiery love, which produces in believers a reciprocal love of the same kind for Him.

2026.04.07 Hopewell @Home ▫ Song of Songs 8:5–7

Read Song of Songs 8:5–7

Questions from the Scripture text: From where is the bride coming (Song of Songs 8:5a)? What is she doing (verse 5b)? What had the bride done to the Bridegroom (verse 5c)? Where? What had His mother done there (verse 5d–e)? What does she need/want Him to do with her (Song of Songs 8:6a–b)? To remind her of what about love (verse 6c)? And of what, about zeal (verse 6d–f)? What cannot quench love (Song of Songs 8:7a)? What cannot drown it (verse 7b)? What might a man offer to give for love (verse 7c–d)? What would the response to that be (verse 7e)? 

Who is the bride? Song of Songs 8:5–7 prepares us for the opening portion of public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these three verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that she is the glorious origin, display, and beloved of the Bridegroom. 

After being charged concerning the bride and Bridegroom (Song of Songs 8:4, cf. Song of Songs 6:8), the daughters of Jerusalem are curious to ask about the one concerning whom they were charged (Song of Songs 8:5a–b, cf. Song of Songs 6:9). They see her coming up from the wilderness (Song of Songs 8:5a); they see her being redeemed out of the fruitless, waterless, nutritional place. 

They see her Beloved (Song of Songs 8:5b), the One bringing her out of it all. 

They see her fellowship and intimacy with Him, upon Whom she leans. This is a blessed condition—depending upon Christ through faith!

The question “who is this?” is answered by eavesdropping on their conversation, even as she leans upon Him.

Who is this? The one who has the glory of bringing forth the Bridegroom into the world (Song of Songs 8:5c–e, cf. Revelation 12:2–5). We must value the church as her, through whom the Lord brought Christ into the world, according to His flesh (cf. Song of Songs 8:5), and through whom God ordinarily brings His Son into the lives of His elect.

Who is this (Song of Songs 8:5a)? The one who has the glory of being the display of Christ’s royalty and status to the world. The seal upon the heart (Song of Songs 8:6a) and upon the arm (verse 6b) refers to a jewel, set in a golden pendant from the neck or bracelet upon the arm, would be the public display of His royalty and status. Just as she has wished that she could express her love to Him openly (Song of Songs 8:1), now she requests that He openly would display her as the emblem of His glory. God has exalted Him and made Him head over all things for the church (cf. Ephesians 1:19–23; Colossians 1:15–18). 

Who is this (Song of Songs 8:5a)? The one who has the glory of being the object of Christ’s love, and reciprocator of Christ’s love. 

Love that is stronger than death, and produces in her a love that is also stronger than death. (Song of Songs 8:6c). 

Zeal/jealousy that is more unyielding than the grave, and that produces in her a love that is more unyielding than the grave (verse 6d). 

Love that burns from that which is in YHWH (verse 6e–f). Love that is not diminished by circumstances (Song of Songs 8:7a). 

Love that refuses to be eliminated by wrath (verse 7b). Love so valuable, in and from the Creator, that all creaturely wealth together cannot equal its worth (verse 7c–e). 

Such is the glory of the church. Such is who she is. How greatly we should value her—and her communion with Him!

What impresses you about the church? What impresses you about her intimacy with the Lord Jesus? What things threaten to impress you more? What does this tell you about the extent to which you value Christ’s glory and love?

Sample prayer:  Lord, we praise You for Your glory, and for Your glorious love to the church. Help us love her and value her, and make us to love You with the love that is from You, and for You, in our own hearts, we ask in Your Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP87 “The Lord’s Foundation” or TPH87A “Zion, Founded on the Mountains” 

How Prayer Heals Despair [Family Worship lesson in Psalm 13]

How can Christians come from despair to delight? Psalm 13 looks forward to the midweek devotional. In these six verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that we can come from despair to delight by laying hold of the Lord’s laying hold of us, in prayer. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The devotional unfolds Psalm 13, a portrait of the believer’s spiritual struggle—marked by feelings of divine abandonment, inner turmoil, public humiliation, and the threat of unbelief. Pastor emphasizes that such experiences, though painful, are not necessarily signs of unbelief but may occur in a living relationship with God, where the believer’s deepest anguish arises not from circumstances alone, but from losing the sense of God’s favor and presence. In prayer, the believer lays hold of God’s character, His covenant faithfulness, and the certainty of His ultimate provision. Through prayer, the soul is renewed, not because circumstances change immediately, but by God Himself laying hold of the believer, and giving the believer to lay hold of Him.

2026.04.06 Hopewell @Home ▫ Psalm 13

Read Psalm 13

Questions from the Scripture text: To whom is this Psalm addressed (superscript)? When/where, then, is the Psalm to be used? Whose Psalm was it? What question do Psalm 13:1–2 ask? How many times? What had his recent experience been like (Psalm 13:1)? What has he been doing, in this condition (Psalm 13:2a–b)? What has his enemy been doing (verse 2c)? What two things does he ask YHWH to do with his prayer (Psalm 13:3a)? What does he call YHWH? What does he ask YHWH to do to him himself (verse 3b)? To prevent what, with reference to himself (verse 3c)? And to prevent what, with reference to his enemies—what might they say (Psalm 13:4a–b), and how might they respond (verse 4c)? Of what disposition is this prayer an action (Psalm 13:5a)? What is he certain will occur, and how will he then respond (verse 5b)? How will he act upon this joy (Psalm 13:6a)? Unto Whom? Why (verse 6b)? 

How can Christians come from despair to delight? Psalm 13 looks forward to the midweek devotional. In these six verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that we can come from despair to delight by laying hold of the Lord’s laying hold of us, in prayer.

From Despair (Psalm 13:1-2). There are four things deeply troubling David here, and he begins with the most difficult for him: the idea that YHWH might not be thinking of him as He acts (Psalm 13:1a). For someone like David, the fact that the Lord is always acting in his behalf, and always turning His face upon him in grace, is an infinite source of strength and gladness. Some who profess Christianity have little thought of the Lord; it would not distress them to think that the Lord as unmindful of them. But such cannot enjoy the comfort that this Psalm has to offer. The one who is not distressed to lack the sense of God’s smile (Psalm 13:1b) will not find much help from the reality of His love in Christ.

David’s second problem is his own internal turmoil (Psalm 13:2a–b). Faith is more troubled by its own internal weakness and sin than it is about the fact that it is sinned against. The word translated “counsel” actually has the primary sense of turmoil or revolt. He is crying out to God on account of how his own soul keeps responding to the circumstance. Weak faith ought to cry out to God for more faith.

His third and fourth problems are both found in the line, “how long will my enemy be exalted over me?” Yes, there is the problem of personal humiliation. But the greater problem for the king (or for us as a royal priesthood) is that the Lord Himself is being despised in whatever is done to His anointed. To David, God’s honor in the kingdom was more important than himself. And for us also, the honor of Christ in the treatment of Christians should be more important than personal offense against ourselves. If it is, this will help us be mindful of how we treat other believers too.

Through Prayer (Psalm 13:3-4). Whatever their circumstances, believers always have the Lord. David clings to this, saying “my God” in Psalm 13:3a. He asks not for a change of circumstances but for the light to come into his eyes (verse 3b), which is the same as to request a change of heart (cf. Psalm 13:2a–b). Having the ear of heaven (Psalm 13:3a) and the compassion of God concerning our death (verse 3c) is something that we grab onto, when we pray. Even if we seem to be on the verge of death, and the enemy seem to be on the verge of victory (Psalm 13:4), what is that to someone who has the ear and heart of heaven? 

“If God is for us, who can be against us?” (cf. Romans 8:31). “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Romans 8:35). “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37–39). This is what David clings to by praying. How many believers, by neglect of prayer, do not enjoy His reassurance that they always have His ear and love.

To Delight (Psalm 13:5-6). Circumstances have not changed in the few seconds between Psalm 13:1 and Psalm 13:5. But David’s heart has. He has trusted in God’s steadfast/covenant love (verse 5a). His heart, which was full of turmoil (Psalm 13:2a) and sorrow (verse 2b) is now rejoicing in YHWH’s salvation. So, as frequently happens for the believer, prayer turns into praise (Psalm 13:6a). YHWH has dwelt bountifully with David in past events. YHWH has dwelt bountifully with him in the present, giving him to lay hold of His ear and love by prayer. And YHWH has dwelt bountifully with him in the future, of which David is now sure, even though it hasn’t happened yet. This is true for you, dear suffering believer. And even for you, dear distressed and mistrusting believer. Come to Him in prayer; lay hold of His hearing you and loving you. And remember, on your knees, and in your songs, that He did not spare Christ, but gave Him up for you—together with all things (cf. Romans 8:32).

What distressing circumstances are you in? What distress do you find in your heart? What are your prayer habits like? How are your prayers laying hold of God’s hearing you and loving you? 

Sample prayer:  Lord, we often lose the sense of Your caring for us and smiling upon us. And, we often have turmoil and sorrow in our hearts. Thank You for giving prayer to us, by which we may lay hold of Your hearing us and loving us. Please meet us, in our prayers, by Your Spirit. Assure us of Your love. Remind us of Your giving Christ for us, so that we may remember that You surely give us all things together with Him. And make us to sing Your praise, for You have dealt bountifully with us, we ask through Christ, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP13 “How Long Will You Forget Me, Lord” or TPH164 “God Himself Is with Us” 

2026.04.05 Lord's Day Livestreams (live at 10:10a, 11:10a, and 3p)

To tune in for the Lord's Day streams, we recommend that you visit the livestream page.

The End of Affliction [Family Worship lesson in Nahum 1:12–2:2]

What determines the course of history? Nahum 1:12–2:2 prepares us for the morning sermon in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these six verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the course of history is determined by God’s decree to save unto His glory. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The devotional unfolds a divine dual message through Nahum’s prophecy: to Judah, a promise of deliverance and restoration (affirming that God’s decree ends both foreign oppression and personal affliction), while to Nineveh, a pronouncement of complete and irreversible judgment, erasing its name and idols as a testament to the supremacy of YHWH. The ultimate aim of God’s redemptive plan is the glory of His Israel. The passage culminates in a vision of God’s eternal purpose: to gather a people who, having been emptied, are filled with His glory and live in faithful obedience and worship. This is the end of enemies and the end of affliction.

2026.04.04 Hopewell @Home ▫ Nahum 1:12–2:2

Read Nahum 1:12–2:2

Questions from the Scripture text: Who is speaking in Nahum 1:12a? What is the condition of Nineveh (verse 12b)? What will happen to them (verse 12c)? When (verse 12d)? What has YHWH done to Judah (verse 12e)? What will He do (verse 12f)? What will YHWH do (Nahum 1:13)? When? What has YHWH done, concerning Nineveh (Nahum 1:14a)? What is this command (verse 14b)? Where will He judge them (verse 14c)? By doing what to whom (verse 14d)? What will He do to them (verse 14e)? Why (verse 14f)? What command does Nahum 1:15a give? What are they to behold (verse 15b)? Whose feet? What does He proclaim in these good tidings (verse 15c)? Whom does verse 15d address? What two things does He say to do (verse 15d–e)? What will no longer hinder this (verse 15f)? Why not (verse 15g)? But what is the current circumstance (Nahum 2:1a)? What four things do verse 1b–e say to do? What truth will strengthen them thus—what will YHWH do (Nahum 2:2a–b)?  Why do they need to be restored (verse 2c–d)? 

What determines the course of history? Nahum 1:12–2:2 prepares us for the morning sermon in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these six verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the course of history is determined by God’s decree to save unto His glory.  

2 Peter 2:9 says that “the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.” Nahum has said as much, already, in Nahum 1:3 and Nahum 1:7-8. Now, the pace and switching of the passage before us brings out how the Lord does both of these things at once. Nahum 1:12-13 address Judah, Nahum 1:14 addresses Nineveh, Nahum 1:15 address Judah, Nahum 2:1 addresses Nineveh, and Nahum 2:2 talks about Judah. The Lord simultaneously warns Nineveh and comforts Judah.

There is an end to enemies, and an end to chastening (Nahum 1:12-13). The Lord doesn’t need Assyria to decline; He is great in power (cf. Nahum 1:2). Everything occurs by His decree (Nahum 1:12a, Nahum 1:14a), so Assyria being in its complete and numerous condition (Nahum 1:12b) is no challenge. The enemy will shave them clean/mow them down (Nahum 1:12c), when he passes through (verse 12d). The verb for “cut down” implies completely cleaning him out. Enemies will only remain so long as they serve a purpose. That purpose was discipline/chastening. The Lord was afflicting them (verse 12e), but there was a set amount of that affliction determined, and when it was completed, it would be completely ended (verse 12f). The complete destruction of Assyria is for the purpose of liberating Judah from his oppression (Nahum 1:13). Whatever enmity God’s people might face, and whatever affliction God’s people might be under, it is for their ultimate good.

God’s sovereign providence does not excuse or diminish sin (Nahum 1:14, Nahum 2:1). Again, YHWH emphasizes the certainty and determination that comes from His decree (Nahum 1:14a). Nineveh’s name will be extinguished (verse 14b). YHWH will bury it (verse 14e). This actually occurred in history; within a hundred years of its destruction, Nineveh was heard from no more. It was literally buried until archaeologists began to dig it up in the nineteenth century. Though Assyria was horrifically brutal, it is not their brutality that the Lord targets here. It is their idolatry. He will cut the idols out of Nineveh’s idol temples. This would have been quite the operation, since the Assyrians raided the idol temples of those whom they defeated, and filled their own temples with the paraphernalia. Assyria thought they (and their gods) were so great, but God opposes the proud and brings them low. His final word in Nahum 1:14 is humiliating: worthless. Assyria is light.

Though YHWH had used them to afflict His people (Nahum 1:12), Assyria is not excused by that. They don’t get any sort of pass. The Lord is going to humiliate them with their lack of significance by burying them. When the Lord sends them the scatterer (Nahum 2:1a), all of the efforts of Nineveh at its full strength (Nahum 2:1b–e) will be useless.

A cause for worship (Nahum 1:15). What Isaiah had already prophesied about God’s returning Judah from Babylon (Nahum 1:15, cf. Isaiah 52:7), Nahum also says now about deliverance from the oppression of Assyria (which, historically, will come first). It is cause for worship that we are saved. But it is all the more cause for worship that the Lord sends messengers to us with the announcement of that salvation! What He had done previously through Isaiah, and through Nahum, the Lord would ultimately do by His Son (cf. Hebrews 1:1–2), Who Himself addresses His elect through preachers whom He sends (cf. Romans 10:13–17). 

When Judah hears this proclamation of peace (Nahum 1:15c), they are to be ready to respond with public worship: the keeping of the feasts that the Lord has prescribed for their worship (verse 15d), and the making (and keeping) of vows to Him in that worship (verse 15e), to do all that He has commanded them.

Even though Judah have continued to act like a heel-grabber (Jacob, Nahum 2:2a), the Lord has given them a new identity that depends upon His almighty power: “God wrestles” (“Israel,” verse 2b). YHWH’s decree, YHWH’s Word, YHWH’s election will be satisfied: He will bring them into the excellence of Israel. Since Judah have been  ravaged (as exemplified most by their destroyed vines), YHWH will display His glory by restoring them. And they (and we!) will worship Him. Forever.

What enemies do you have? How long will they last? What afflictions do you have? How long will they last? How has God used you for good? What sin have you committed along the way? What must be done to/about it? How has the Lord delivered you? How has the Lord restored you? How have you responded with God’s appointed worship? 

Sample prayer:  Lord, we praise You, Who work all things according to the counsel of Your will. Thank You for the faithfulness in which You have afflicted us—even by the hands of enemies. Forgive us, for how we have continued to be like Jacob, and restore us to the excellence of Israel. Send to us those who proclaim Your peace, and make us to respond with Your appointed worship, we ask through Christ, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP119I “According to Your Word, O LORD” or TPH231 “Whate’er My God Ordains Is Right”

Safe-keeping the Heart [2026.04.01 Midweek Sermon in Proverbs 23:12–24:2]

The Lord has appointed His Word as His means, parents as servants, in salvation.

(click here to DOWNLOAD video/mp3/pdf files of this sermon)

Gloriously Loved by Christ [Family Worship lesson in Song of Songs 8:5–7]

Who is the bride? Song of Songs 8:5–7 prepares us for the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these three verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that she is the glorious origin, display, and beloved of the Bridegroom. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The devotional meditates upon the inseparable union between Christ and His church. Song of Songs 8:5–7 portrays the church as both the source from which Christ was born in the flesh and the eternal object of His unyielding, divine love. Central to this message is the theological truth that God’s love is stronger than death, more enduring than the grave, and utterly unconquerable by any force—neither can floods of wrath overcome it or the wealth of the whole world compare to its value. The church’s glory lies in being both the nurturing womb of Christ’s incarnation and the cherished recipient of His passionate, jealous, and fiery love, which produces in believers a reciprocal love of the same kind for Him.

2026.04.03 Hopewell @Home ▫ Song of Songs 8:5–7

Read Song of Songs 8:5–7

Questions from the Scripture text: From where is the bride coming (Song of Songs 8:5a)? What is she doing (verse 5b)? What had the bride done to the Bridegroom (verse 5c)? Where? What had His mother done there (verse 5d–e)? What does she need/want Him to do with her (Song of Songs 8:6a–b)? To remind her of what about love (verse 6c)? And of what, about zeal (verse 6d–f)? What cannot quench love (Song of Songs 8:7a)? What cannot drown it (verse 7b)? What might a man offer to give for love (verse 7c–d)? What would the response to that be (verse 7e)?

Who is the bride? Song of Songs 8:5–7 prepares us for the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these three verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that she is the glorious origin, display, and beloved of the Bridegroom. 

After being charged concerning the bride and Bridegroom (Song of Songs 8:4, cf. Song of Songs 6:8), the daughters of Jerusalem are curious to ask about the one concerning whom they were charged (Song of Songs 8:5a–b, cf. Song of Songs 6:9). They see her coming up from the wilderness; they see her being redeemed out of the fruitless, waterless, nutritional place. They see her Beloved, the One bringing her out of it all. They see her fellowship and intimacy with Him, upon Whom she leans. The question, “who is this?,” is answered by eavesdropping on their conversation, even as she leans upon Him.

Who is this? The one who has the glory of bringing forth the Bridegroom into the world (Song of Songs 8:5c–e, cf. Revelation 12:2–5). We must value the church as her, through whom the Lord brought Christ into the world, according to His flesh (cf. Song of Songs 8:5), and through whom God ordinarily brings His Son into the lives of His elect.

Who is this? The one who has the glory of being the display of Christ’s royalty and status to the world. The seal upon the heart (Song of Songs 8:6a) and upon the arm (verse 6b) refers to a jewel, set in a golden pendant from the neck or bracelet upon the arm, would be the public display of His royalty and status. Just as she has wished that she could express her love to Him openly (Song of Songs 8:1), now she requests that He openly would display her as the emblem of His glory. God has exalted Him and made Him head over all things for the church (cf. Ephesians 1:19–23; Colossians 1:15–18). 

Who is this? The one who has the glory of being the object of Christ’s love, and reciprocator of Christ’s love. Love that is stronger than death, and produces in her a love that is also stronger than death. (Song of Songs 8:6c). Zeal/jealousy that is more unyielding than the grave, and that produces in her a love that is more unyielding than the grave (verse 6d). Love that burns from that which is in YHWH (verse 6e–f). Love that is not diminished by circumstances (Song of Songs 8:7a). Love that refuses to be eliminated by wrath (verse 7b). Love so valuable, in and from the Creator, that all creaturely wealth together cannot equal its worth (verse 7c–e). 

Such is the glory of the church. Such is who she is. How greatly we should value her—and her communion with Him!

What impresses you about the church? What impresses you about her intimacy with the Lord Jesus? What things threaten to impress you more? What does this tell you about the extent to which you value Christ’s glory and love?

Sample prayer:  Lord, we praise You for Your glory, and for Your glorious love to the church. Help us love her and value her, and make us to love You with the love that is from You, and for You, in our own hearts, we ask in Your Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP87 “The LORD’s Foundation” or TPH405 “I Love Thy Kingdom Lord”

The Love and Power of Jesus [Family Worship lesson in Mark 1:40–2:12]

What does the text emphasize about Jesus, in healing the leper and the paralytic? Mark 1:40–2:12 prepares us for the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these eighteen verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the gospel emphasizes Jesus’s compassion and power. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: This passage reveals Jesus Christ as both deeply compassionate and supremely powerful, embodying divine love through His willingness to touch the unclean and His authority to forgive sins. His compassion is evident in His emotional response to the leper and His tender address of the paralytic as 'son,' while His power is demonstrated not only in physical healing but in the greater miracle of spiritual forgiveness—affirming His divine identity as the Son of Man with authority on earth to forgive sins. The response of faith from the leper and the friends of the paralytic, who break through the roof to reach Him, illustrates the urgency to come to Christ. The crowd’s glorification of God reflects the proper human response to such divine power and grace, calling believers to marvel at Christ’s love, embrace His forgiveness, and persevere in seeking Him with faith and devotion.

2026.04.02 Hopewell @Home ▫ Mark 1:40-2:12

Read Mark 1:40-2:12

Questions from the Scripture text: What does the leper believe about Jesus (Mark 1:40)? What does Jesus feel, when the leper bows before Him (Mark 1:41)? What does Jesus do to heal the leper? What does Jesus tell the leper not to do (Mark 1:43-44)? What does the leper do anyway (Mark 1:45)? Why can’t Jesus enter the city for several days? When Jesus does enter a house in the city (Mark 2:1), what happens (Mark 2:2)? How does the paralytic get to Jesus (Mark 2:3-4)? What does Mark 2:5 say that Jesus sees? What does Jesus first say to the paralytic? What do the scribes reason in their hearts (Mark 2:6-7)? What does Jesus call Himself in Mark 2:10? What does He claim to have power to do? What does Jesus then say to the paralytic (Mark 2:11)? How do people respond to the paralytic’s healing (Mark 2:12)?

What does the text emphasize about Jesus, in healing the leper and the paralytic? Mark 1:40–2:12 prepares us for the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these eighteen verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the gospel emphasizes Jesus’s compassion and power. 

In next week’s reading, the Lord Jesus twice displays His compassion and His power.

First, with the Leper, we read that Jesus is “moved with compassion” (Mark 1:41). What glory! Our Savior’s heart is moved by compassion. Compassion for the weak. Compassion for the sinful. Compassion for people like we are. But here we also see His power. All Jesus has to do is be willing (verse 41). His will is powerful to save. His Word is powerful to save. 

Shouldn’t we respond like the crowds who came from every direction (Mark 1:45, Mark 2:2)? They heard about His love and power, and they all started coming to Him with everything. How small must our faith be, for us do not do the same? Let us come to Him with everything! He is no longer humbled and limited in the cities and hills of Galilee. Now, He is sitting on the throne of glory and will not be wearied. We may all come to Him at once!

Next, with the paralytic, look at Jesus’ compassion: He calls the man “son” in Mark 2:5, just before He refers to Himself, for the first time in the book, as the “Son of Man.” Not only does He raise the paralytic up, but He also lowers Himself down to the same level: a son. This is exactly what our Lord Jesus has done for us! These are not just facts of how our redemption came about. This is what the personality of our Savior is like: He is unashamed to call us His brethren (cf. Hebrews 2:11)!

But what’s really wonderful is the power that He demonstrates with the paralytic. No, I don’t mean the power to heal paralysis. That was the more difficult thing to say (Hebrews 2:9), but not at all the more difficult thing to do (Hebrews 2:5). The real power that He demonstrates is the power to forgive sins. The scribes were right. No one can forgive sins but God alone (Hebrews 2:7)! The One who reduced Himself to our level is God Himself!

The crowd only saw the power to heal a paralytic, and they still were amazed and glorified God. How much more should we be amazed and glorify God, when we see the real power—the power to forgive sins!

What situation have you felt alone or neglected in? Where does this passage direct you for compassion and care? What situation have you felt powerless in? Where does this passage direct you for help? What has your prayer life been like recently? When will you have your regular time of daily prayer? How will you remind yourself to take all troubles immediately to Christ? Whenever you come to Christ for forgiveness, will you do so with confidence? And, knowing that you are in fact forgiven, won’t you respond with amazement and praise? How will you express that amazement and praise? What place will being forgiven have in your personal, family, and congregational worship?

Sample prayer:  Lord, thank You for Your compassion upon us. Forgive us for when we do not feel our need for Your compassion. Forgive us for when we do not perceive Your compassion to us. And forgive us for when we are not like You, in compassion to others. And thank You for demonstrating Your great power by forgiving us. We confess that we often see other forms of healing as the great displays of Your power. But Your humbling Yourself to add humanity to Yourself, and Your making atonement for the forgiveness of our sins, and Your giving us life and faith to believe into You—this is the great display of Your power. So, forgive us, and help us to see You rightly, we ask through Christ, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP2 “Why Do Gentile Nations Rage” or TPH151 “Lord of the Sabbath, Hear Us Pray” 

2026.04.01 Midweek Meeting Livestream (live at 6:30p)

To tune in for the Prayer Meeting, we recommend that you visit the livestream page.

More Love to Thee, O Christ [2025.03.29 Evening Sermon in Song of Songs 8:1–4]

What the bride most desires is to please the Bridegroom more.

(click here to DOWNLOAD video/mp3/pdf files of this sermon)

The Flood and Fire of His Wrath [2026.03.29 Morning Sermon in Nahum 1:8–11]

The Lord will remove all place and power from the wicked, pursuing them with darkness, and consuming them with fire.

(click here to DOWNLOAD video/mp3/pdf files of this sermon)

Baptism Represents Christ to Us [2026.03.29 Sabbath School lesson in WCF 27.1.3—Hopewell 101]

Like the Lord's Supper, Baptism, as a sacrament, represents to us Christ and His benefits.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Israel's Blessing [Family Worship lesson in Deuteronomy 32:48–33:29]

What is the blessedness of God’s people? Deuteronomy 32:48–33:29 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these thirty-four verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God Himself is the greatest blessing of His people. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: Moses, at the end of his life, delivers a final blessing to the tribes of Israel, culminating in a profound declaration of God’s covenantal love and sovereignty. The passage reveals God as the ultimate source of blessing—riding the heavens, sustaining His people with everlasting arms, and defeating enemies on their behalf. The blessings to each tribe are not merely material promises but covenantal affirmations, with special emphasis on Levi’s role in spiritual leadership and the enduring significance of divine election. The climax of the blessing is the declaration that Israel’s true happiness lies not in land or wealth, but YHWH Himself, in and through Christ.

2026.04.01 Hopewell @Home ▫ Deuteronomy 32:48–33:29

Read Deuteronomy 32:48–33:29

Questions from the Scripture text: Who spoke to whom, when (Deuteronomy 32:48)? Where does He tell Moses to go (verse 49)? To do what? What two other things will he do there (Deuteronomy 32:50)? Why must he die there (Deuteronomy 32:51)? What will he see (Deuteronomy 32:52)? What won’t he do? What does Deuteronomy 33:1 call the following verses? Who came from where (Deuteronomy 33:2a-d)? Who came with Him (verse 2e, cf. Acts 7:53, Galatians 3:19; Hebrews 2:2)? What did He give (Deuteronomy 33:2f–g)? With what affection (Deuteronomy 33:3a)? Who are in His hand (verse 3b)? What do they do (verse 3c–d)? By whom did He command it (Deuteronomy 33:4a)? As what (verse 4b)? What does Deuteronomy 33:5a call Israel? Who was God to them? When (verse 5b–c)? What two blessings does he now pronounce on Reuben (Deuteronomy 33:6a)? Tempered by what limitation (verse 6b)? Whom does he bless next (Deuteronomy 33:7a)? Who will hear him (verse 7b)? And bring him where (verse 7c)? And enable him to do what (verse 7d–e)? Whom does he bless next (Deuteronomy 33:8a)? What will YHWH do for him (verse 8b)? What had YHWH done to him (verse 8c–d)? Whom did they resist, in order to be faithful to YHWH (Deuteronomy 33:9)? What will they do unto Israel (Deuteronomy 33:10a–b)? What will they do unto YHWH (verse 10c–d)? What will YHWH do for him (Deuteronomy 33:11a–b)? And how protect him (verse 11c–d)? Whom does he bless next (Deuteronomy 33:12a)? What will YHWH do for him (verse 12b–d)? Whom does he bless next (Deuteronomy 33:13a)? What will YHWH bless for him (verse 13b)? With what (verse 13c–d)? And with what else (Deuteronomy 33:14-16a)? But ultimately with what (Deuteronomy 33:16b)? Upon what will blessing come (verse 16c–d)? What will Joseph be like (Deuteronomy 33:17a–b)? What will he do (verse 17c–e)? In what numbers (verse 17f–g)? Whom does he bless next (Deuteronomy 33:18a)? With whom (verse 18c)? What will they do (verse 18b)? Whom will they lead (Deuteronomy 33:19a) in what (verse 19b)? What will they have a share in (verse 19c–d)? Whom does he bless next (Deuteronomy 33:20a)? By blessing whom else (verse 20b)? What does he do (verse 20c–d)? In what role (Deuteronomy 33:21)? Whom does he bless next (Deuteronomy 33:22a)? By describing him as what (verse 22b)? And doing what (verse 22c)? Whom does he bless next (Deuteronomy 33:23a)? With what will he be satisfied (verse 23b) and full (verse 23c)? What will he possess (verse 23d)? Whom does he bless last (Deuteronomy 33:24a)? By calling him what (verse 24b)? Who else will favor him (verse 24c)? With what richness (verse 24d)? And what strength (Deuteronomy 33:25a)? In accordance with what (verse 25b)? Whose uniqueness does Deuteronomy 33:26a declare? How does He show it (verse 26b–c)? Who is He (Deuteronomy 33:27a)? What is He to them? How are they upheld (verse 27b)? How are they protected (verse 27c–d)? What will be their security (Deuteronomy 33:28a)? How is their life described (verse 28b)? And their richness (verse 28c)? And their freshness (verse 28d)? What, therefore, is their condition (Deuteronomy 33:29a)? What makes them so happy (verse 29b)? What two things is He to them (verse 29c–d)? What will they do to their enemies (verse 29e–f)?

What is the blessedness of God’s people? Deuteronomy 32:48–33:29 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these thirty-four verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God Himself is the greatest blessing of His people.  

Moses has preached his last sermon now, which takes up the bulk of the book of Deuteronomy. And in order that the written copy of the book might be a witness, and heaven and earth might be a witness against all Israel in the generations to come, the Lord had him conclude the book with the song that summarized the rest of the book. And he has written the song, and he speaks it all to Israel, and he finishes that and tells them what to do with it in verse forty-five and forty-six.

Now, the Lord says, it is time to die. This sentence was pronounced on Moses for failing to hallow the Lord at Meribah (Deuteronomy 32:51), when he struck the rock instead of speaking to it. Before he dies, Moses will see the land (Deuteronomy 32:52). As something of a father to Israel, he blesses them before dying, like Jacob had done in Genesis 49. Many blessings overlap between the two. Genesis 49:7 has already begun coming true for Simeon, who is missing from Deuteronomy 33. The curse on Reuben (cf. Genesis 49:4) is affirmed in the fewness of their number (Deuteronomy 32:46b, NKJ’s “nor” is incorrect), though Moses’s blessing preserves their existence (Deuteronomy 32:6a). Zebulun’s blessing in Genesis 49:13 is confirmed here in Deuteronomy 33:19d–e, and they continue to be connected with Issachar (Deuteronomy 33:18, cf. Genesis 49:13–14). 

Israel’s earthly blessings are rounded out by Benjamin’s security between two ranges of hills (Deuteronomy 33:12), Joseph’s many earthly blessings (Deuteronomy 33:13-17), Gad’s enjoyment of the territories of Sihon and Og (Deuteronomy 33:20-21), Dan’s lion-like nature (Deuteronomy 33:22), Naphtali’s blessings around the sea of Galilee (Deuteronomy 33:23), and Asher’s riches (Deuteronomy 33:24-25).

Other nations may possess material wealth or geographical advantages, but for Israel, for God’s people, and for you who are in Christ, the good things you receive in this world come to you through the love that gave you Christ. They are manifestations of God’s special, covenantal, electing, and adopting love toward His people. Therefore, you give thanks to God for them as covenant blessings. 

This is where the emphasis ultimately lies. Enclosing these tribal blessings, Moses introduces (Deuteronomy 33:2-6) and concludes (Deuteronomy 33:26-29) with general blessings and the general blessedness, focusing upon their greatest blessing: the Lord Himself. YHWH shined forth as pillar of fire and cloud of glory (Deuteronomy 33:2). Israel are made holy ones (Deuteronomy 33:3), being consecrated to Him like the thousands of angels who had been at Sinai (Deuteronomy 33:2, cf. Hebrews 2:2). In this, we see the love of God, even for sinners, redeeming  them to be His holy ones. His law comes in that love, as their heritage (Deuteronomy 33:4). And in His love, He was king to them (Deuteronomy 33:5). He is their help (Deuteronomy 33:26), their refuge (Deuteronomy 33:27a), their support (verse 27b), their avenger (verse 27c–d), their security (Deuteronomy 33:28a), their life (verse 28b–d), their joy (Deuteronomy 33:29a), their salvation (verse 29b), their defense (verse 29c), their gory (verse 29d–f). YHWH is everything to them.

This is why Levi’s blessing is the most important (Deuteronomy 33:8-11). On several occasions, they have been faithful to YHWH, over-against the rest of Israel (Deuteronomy 33:9). Now, they are blessed to minister spiritually to man (Deuteronomy 33:10a–b) and God (verse 10c–d). 

All the blessedness that the Lord gives, and especially the blessedness of the Lord Himself being ours, belongs ultimately to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One who pronounces blessing upon us, and especially the blessing of God Himself being our happiness. Happy are you, O Israel, who is like you, a people saved by YHWH, the shield of your help and the sword of your majesty. This belongs to us in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

What material blessings have you received? How are you taking and enjoying the Lord Himself as your greater blessing?

Sample prayer: Lord, You have given us many material blessings. Forgive us for when our hearts make more of them than of You. Grant that we would receive all blessings as from the love that gave us Jesus, the love that made us Your own people. Most of all, we pray that You would enable us to receive Yourself as our great blessing and blessedness, in the Lord Jesus, and by Your Spirit. For we ask this in Jesus’s Name. Amen.

Suggested songs: ARP98 “O Sing a New Song” or TPH174 “The Ten Commandments”