190515FW Judges 1:27-2:6 - Incomplete Obedience or Repentance Is None At All

An example of a family worship teaching time in Judges 1:27-2:6

2019.05.15 Hopewell @Home ▫ Judges 1:27-2:6

Read Judges 1:27-2:6

Questions for Littles: What did Manasseh not do in Judges 1:27? With how many villages and their inhabitants? What reason is given? What had happened in the time to which Judges 1:28 refers? What did Israel do? What didn’t they do? What did Ephraim not do in Judges 1:29? What did Zebulon not do in Judges 1:30? With whom? But what did they do? What did Asher not do in Judges 1:31? To whom? What didn’t Naphtali do in Judges 1:33? To whom? But what did they do to them? What was done to Dan from their own territory in Judges 1:34? When they became stronger, what did they do (Judges 1:35)? Whom did all of these tribes end up having living among them (Judges 1:29, Judges 1:32, Judges 1:33)? What had been done at Gilgal in Joshua 5:10-12? Who comes up from there now in Judges 2:1? What had he forbidden Israel to do (Judges 2:2)? What had He commanded Israel to do? Of what does He now accuse them? What does He say that He won’t do now (Judges 2:3)? What will the Canaanites become to Israel? What will their gods become unto Israel? How do the children of Israel respond in Judges 2:4? And what do they call the place (Judges 2:5)? And what do they do there? How does Judges 2:6 clue us into the fact that this sequence of events actually came before Judges 1:1-26?

We’re tempted, when we read the rest of the book of Judges, to see it as a downhill slide from a golden age of faithfulness under Joshua to the pits of despair by the time we get to the “Eli & Sons” priestly administration with which 1 Samuel begins. The problem with that is the jarring revelation in Judges 2:6, “And when Joshua had dismissed the people…”

We’ve turned back the clock. Judges 2:6-9 basically ends up covering the same ground as Joshua 24:29-31. So, although the people did in fact serve the Lord during the lifetime of Joshua and his contemporary elders, the seeds of their rebellion were already there. They were lazy.

Repeatedly, we see that the Canaanites were determined (Judges 1:27 and Judges 1:35). Repeatedly, we see that even when Israel could have followed God’s commands, they preferred receiving tax money over rendering obedience (Judges 1:28, Judges 1:30, Judges 1:33, Judges 1:35). Sure, they worshiped Yahweh, but when push came to shove, laziness and greediness were more important than uncomfortable separation from the world (Judges 2:2a) or the offensive and difficult work of shattering all man-made worship (verse 2b).

So the Lord announces to them that He will bring upon them the consequences of their choices. And what do they do? Cry. Not all sorrow is godly sorrow. Sometimes, we cry because we got caught or because we feel badly about the consequences. But, if it doesn’t produce repentance—a change of course, then it is not godly sorrow (cf. 2 Corinthians 7:10).

This all puts Judges 1:1-26 into a different perspective. What had appeared to be “minor” flaws in an otherwise reasonably good start now look rather ghastly: it’s more of the same rebellion that earned Weepingville its name. It’s the threatened judgment of Judges 2:3 beginning to be carried out.

The Lord wants whole hearts. Devoted obedience with diligence and contentment (cf. 1 Timothy 6:6-11). And, when we see our sin and its consequences, wholehearted sorrow that produces fruit that is in keeping with repentance (cf. Matthew 3:8 and Luke 3:8). Are we lazy? Greedy? What does our “repentance” look like?

In what parts of your Christian life do you shrink back from doing what requires diligence and strength? In what ways are you careless about having your mind and heart shaped by the world? What consequences have you seen from this? How have you responded to those consequences?

Suggested songs: ARP51B “From My Sins, O Hide Your Face” or TPH51C “God, Be Merciful to Me”

2019.05.15 Prayer Meeting Folder

Click [here] for a PDF of tomorrow's prayer meeting folder. As you can see from the schedule on the folder, we have a brief devotional (from the upcoming Lord's Day morning "call to prayer") by which we seek for the Spirit to stir us up to prayer by the Scriptures, and then we simply pray together for an hour. The praying in each section loops through the corresponding sections in Matthew Henry's Method for Prayer. This week's devotional is in Romans 1:8-10. Having worked through most of the passages in the Psalms explicitly about our calling upon the Lord and His hearing us, we turn now to begin working through the prayers that we find in the apostolic letters.

2019.05.14 Hopewell @Home ▫ Exodus 20:1-17

Read Exodus 20:1-17

Questions for Littles: Who spoke these words (Exodus 20:1)? How many of them? Who is God (Exodus 20:2a)? What had He done for them? What were they not to have in front of His face (Exodus 20:3)? What were they not to make (Exodus 20:4)? What were they not to do with such images (Exodus 20:5)? What reason does God give from His character? What does He call making an image of Himself? Upon how many generations will He visit such iniquity? What does He call the keeping of this commandment in Exodus 20:6? What does He show to those who do so? To how many generations? What does God call “bearing His Name lightly” in Exodus 20:7? What will Yahweh not do for someone who does this? What is the first word/command in Exodus 20:8? Which particular day is it that we are to remember? For what purpose are we to remember it? In order to keep the Sabbath holy, on which days should we have it in mind (Exodus 20:9)? To Whom does the Sabbath belong (Exodus 20:10)? How much work should we do on it?  Who else should not work on it? What else should not work on it? What explanation does Exodus 20:11 give for the pattern of “six and one”? What did the Lord create? How much of it? How long did He take to do this? What did He do on the seventh day? What two things did the Lord do to the Sabbath day? What must one do with father and mother (Exodus 20:12)? How does God promise to bless the keeping of this commandment? Who is giving them the land? What does Exodus 20:13 forbid doing? What does Exodus 20:14 forbid doing? What does Exodus 20:15 forbid doing? What does Exodus 20:16 forbid doing? What things are especially marked out as forbidden to covet in Exodus 20:17? What doesn’t verse 17 forbid coveting?

This week’s Call to Worship, Prayer for Help, Song of Adoration, and Confession of Sin came from Exodus 20:1-17. These words were first spoken from the mountain by the very voice of God, then written in tablets of stone, by the very finger of God (meaning that God did not use any creaturely agency to make the words appear). Here is the great foundational statement of all moral law!

The first four commandments are summarized in the first and greatest commandment, “Love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” The other commandments are summarized in the second commandment, which is like it, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

In Romans 13:8-10, the apostle tells us that these commandments and love are the perfect definitions of one another. More importantly, Romans 13:11-14 tells us that these commandments describe the wicked darkness from which we have been saved, and the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ that has been counted for believers, and into which likeness believers are now being shaped. The following is our prayer of confession, following Scripture’s own teaching about what each of these commandments mean (You can also see a good summary of them in Westminster Shorter Catechism 40-84!). As you review it, consider what perfect obedience Christ has acted on our behalf, what we ought to be striving after now, and what we shall be like, when His work in us is done!

Lord God, we have lived in dependence upon and devotion to ourselves. We have worshiped in the way that we prefer. We have taken your Name lightly. We have filled Your holy day with our thoughts, words, and works. We have rebelled against authority in our hearts and resisted in our actions. We have despised those who were created in Your image. We have indulged fleshly appetites over keeping holy commitments. We have sought to acquire possessions in ways that You have not appointed. We have spoken deceitfully and harmed others’ names. We have had discontented, grumbling, craving hearts. Your good and pleasing and perfect law exposes how wicked and miserable and destructive is our remaining sin, which we so often commit. In Christ, You have given us His sacrifice to put away our guilt, and Your own righteousness to stand for us as our righteousness. Forgive us, we pray, through Jesus Christ, AMEN.

Which commandments did you find most convicting to review? What has Christ done about that in His own life? What can He do about it in your life? What does He use to do that? What are you going to do about, then?

Suggested songs: ARP119W “Lord, Let My Cry before You Come” or TPH174 “The Ten Commandments”

2019.05.13 Hopewell Harbinger

Hopewell This Week, May 13-18

▫A Hopwell @Home for this week is available here.

▫Prayer Meeting, Wednesday, May 15, 6:30p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

▫Men's Breakfast, Saturday, May 18, 6:30a.m. in the Fellowship Hall.  

▫Children’s Catechism for May 19
Q. 122. How many sacraments are there? A. Two.

▫Shorter Catechism for May 19
Q. 92. What is a sacrament? A. A sacrament is an holy ordinance instituted by Christ; wherein, by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are represented, sealed, and applied to believers.

Songs for May 19: TPH175 "Your Law, O God, Is Our Delight," ARP121 "I Lift My Eyes and See the Hills," TPH72A "O God, Your Judgments Give the King"

Morning Sermon Text for May 19: Genesis 10

Evening Sermon Text for May 19: 2Corinthians 10:7-18

Lord's Supper on May 19

▫Memory Verse for May 19

(Genesis 10:32) These were the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the flood.  

2019.05.13 Hopewell @Home ▫ Genesis 9:18-29

Read Genesis 9:18-29

Questions for Littles: Who were Noah’s sons who went out of the ark (Genesis 9:18)? Of whom was Ham the father? What happened to the whole earth from these three (Genesis 9:19)? What did Noah begin to be in Genesis 9:20? What did he plant? What did he drink (Genesis 9:21)? How much? What did he end up doing? Who saw (Genesis 9:22)? What did he do about it? What did Shem and Japheth do about it (Genesis 9:23)? How did they walk? Where did they turn their faces? From what did Noah “awake” in Genesis 9:24? What did he know? Whom did he curse in Genesis 9:25? What was he to be? To whom? Whom did he bless in Genesis 9:26? By what title did he call Yahweh? Whom did he prophesy to be Shem’s servant? Whom did he prophesy for God to enlarge in Genesis 9:27? In whose tents would Japheth dwell? Who would be his servant? How long did Noah live after the flood (Genesis 9:28)? How many years total did he live (Genesis 9:29)? Then what happened?  

This passage announces to us that it is our family’s story, “from these the whole earth was populated.” That’s a problem for us, because it concludes with, “and he died.” That’s discouraging and encouraging at the same time. It’s discouraging, because it reminds us that we are descended from the first Adam, through another covenant head whom we find drunk and naked in this passage, and in both of whom we deserve death and bring all the more upon ourselves through our own sins.

But the conclusion is also encouraging, because it takes us back to chapter 5, where we saw that over and over again, as we looked forward to the Seed of the woman Who would crush the serpent’s head. The line of the Savior seemed to be doing so well, until those opening verses of chapter 6, through which we ended up in a place where only Noah, from his entire generation, was right with God by grace. From just one in all the earth, we’re back up to 100% through a flood that brought both wrath and salvation!

But, there must be constant vigilance to believe in Jesus and live as those who belong to Him. We, like Noah, can turn the greatest blessings into instruments of the greatest curse. Noah went out of the ark—salvation blessing! “From these the whole earth was populated”—reminder of God’s commitment to re-fill the earth with those made in His image. Noah began to be a farmer—literally, “man of the dirt”… that same dirt that God promised not to curse ever again, and which brought forth not only thorns and thistles but grapes—blessing of the covenant of grace! But rather than use the wine for all of those glorious things for which God created and gave it, Noah uses it as an occasion for great sin, and more specifically one great sin that leads very quickly to many other great sins—in this case the sin of uncovering nakedness by exposing (Noah) or looking (Ham). Noah may have been chosen by God to get us through the flood, but he certainly can’t be the one in which we escape the curse or stand at the judgment.

And there’s a hint at Who this is going to be in our passage. The Savior has to be a man, the seed of the woman. But He is also God. For, it is not blessed be Shem but rather “blessed be Yahweh.” Shem’s blessedness does not come so much in being Noah’s son. Ham had that, and look at what he ends up bringing upon his own son! Shem’s blessedness isn’t even in being in himself. Rather, his blessedness is in belonging to the Lord Himself. Even Japheth, who finds his blessing as a covenantal member of Shem’s household, must find his blessing not so much in Shem, but in Shem’s God.

At last, there must be One who does have blessedness in Himself. And that One is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the substance—the reality, the “true stuff”—of covenantal blessings. And, if we are to enjoy that which is displayed and promised in that covenant; and, if we and our children are to be included among the covenant people on earth; then, we must be joined by faith to Jesus Christ, that we may have Him who is the substance of the covenant. The outward form is not enough for those so guilty and wicked as we are!

How does one become part of the last Adam instead of the first? In which Adam are you?

Suggested Songs: ARP179 “Now Blessed Be the Lord” or TPH564 “Now Blessed Be the Lord”

190511FW Gen 9:18-29 - How to Be Blessed: Christ Is Adam's Children's Only Hope

An example of a hopefully-faithful but comfortably imperfect family worship teaching time in Genesis 9:18-29

2019.05.11 Hopewell @Home ▫ Genesis 9:18-29

Read Genesis 9:18-29

Questions for Littles: Who were Noah’s sons who went out of the ark (Genesis 9:18)? Of whom was Ham the father? What happened to the whole earth from these three (Genesis 9:19)? What did Noah begin to be in Genesis 9:20? What did he plant? What did he drink (Genesis 9:21)? How much? What did he end up doing? Who saw (Genesis 9:22)? What did he do about it? What did Shem and Japheth do about it (Genesis 9:23)? How did they walk? Where did they turn their faces? From what did Noah “awake” in Genesis 9:24? What did he know? Whom did he curse in Genesis 9:25? What was he to be? To whom? Whom did he bless in Genesis 9:26? By what title did he call Yahweh? Whom did he prophesy to be Shem’s servant? Whom did he prophesy for God to enlarge in Genesis 9:27? In whose tents would Japheth dwell? Who would be his servant? How long did Noah live after the flood (Genesis 9:28)? How many years total did he live (Genesis 9:29)? Then what happened? 

This passage begins by introducing itself as our family history. “From these, the whole earth was populated.” After 120 years ark building, followed by the flood, Noah finally gets to settle down as a farmer (literally, “a man of dirt”). And God’s promise to restrain the curse holds true. Noah’s vineyard produces, which is throughout Scripture, an indication of God’s favor and blessing.

So far so good, but if we are looking for better things from this humanity reboot than we got from the original Adam, the history takes a discouraging turn. Noah doesn’t just drink a little wine. He gets drunk. How drunk? He has to “awaken from his wine” in Genesis 9:24.

Bad leads to worse, when Ham sees his father’s nakedness. Later, all manner of the most perverted sin will be summarized under the phrase “uncovering nakedness” (cf. Leviticus 18). Yet, Ham not only indulges this sin but at the very least dishonors his father and invites his brothers into doing so as well.

Their action is a strong rebuke to Ham: not only covering the nakedness, but doing so both walking backward and turning their faces away.

Perhaps Noah surprises us, when he doesn’t say, “Cursed be Ham,” but rather, “Cursed be Canaan.” Perhaps more than any other generation, this one was aware of how much rested upon their children. And Ham brings curse down upon Canaan’s entire line for a few moments of sin. It’s so easy to throw away that which matters so much for that which offers so little. All sin is like that, but especially the type of sin Ham committed. Professing believers are trashing their lives and legacies for it in droves today.

Notice that the blessing and the curse are not balanced. Noah doesn’t bless Shem (or a son of Shem). He blesses God Himself. To be sure: this is a great blessing to Shem, but Shem’s blessedness is bound up in belonging to God. Shem’s blessedness is not based upon his performance, but upon being favored to belong to the God of grace in Christ.

It is an extraordinary blessing that God would be known as “the God of Shem,” just as later patriarchs would be honored by their covenantal to “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Even for Japheth, blessing would be in having Shem as his covenantal representative. To be sure, Shem is a sinner. He will die, just as Noah does at the end of this passage. But God’s grace is stronger than sin and stronger than death. And our covenant representative Jesus is no sinner at all, and death could not hold Him!

How do you protect your eyes from sin like Ham’s? How do you protect others’ eyes? Who is the blessed One with whom God has most identified Himself? How do you identify with Him?

Suggested Songs: ARP179 “Now Blessed Be Jehovah God” or TPH265 “In Christ Alone”

2019.05.10 Hopewell @Home ▫ John 12:23-36

Read John 12:23-36

Questions for Littles: How does Jesus answer the disciples who brought Him the Greeks (John 12:23)—what hour has come? What does He then say has to happen to a grain of wheat in order to be productive (John 12:24)? Who will lose his life (John 12:25a)? Who will keep it for eternal life (verse 25b)? Upon talking about going to His death, what does Jesus say His servants must do (John 12:26)? Who will honor those who follow and serve and are found with Jesus? What then does Jesus say about His soul (John 12:27a)? What request does He refuse to make? What request does Jesus make instead (John 12:28a)? What comes from heaven at that point? What does it say? Who couldn’t figure out what the voice was (John 12:29)? But for whom did Jesus say that the voice had spoken (John 12:30)? What does Jesus say is about to happen to the world (John 12:31a)? To its “ruler” (verse 31b)? How does He plan to initiate drawing all to Himself (John 12:32)? What did He mean by His being lifted up from the earth (John 12:33)? How did the people respond to the idea that He would depart (John 12:34)? What does Jesus urge them to do now (John 12:35)? What would happen to them without the light (Him)? How does He define this “walking” in John 12:36? What would they become if they believe in the light (Him)? What did He do as soon as He had said this?

In the gospel reading this week, Jesus equates His own being glorified (John 12:23) with the glorifying of His Father’s name (John 12:28). The connection is that Jesus is the greatest revelation of the glory of His Father. He and His Father are One.

In order to glorify His Father, the Son has become a Man who must die in order to be fruitful (John 12:24). He must not love His life (John 12:25) but aim at His purpose (John 12:27b), even when His soul is troubled by the intensity of what He must endure (verse 27a).

What is astonishing is that it’s not just Jesus who will do this. Only Jesus can atone for sin. But He is going to reproduce this attitude in His followers (John 12:26a) and even make them into little displays of His glory (verse 26b).

In fact, God has been waiting for the crucifixion of Jesus, the lifting up of Jesus as a dsplay of God’s glory between Heaven and earth, to usher in a new age of His work in men (John 12:33). So far, there has been a spiritual protection that existed only among a small nation of Jews. Now, wherever people are drawn to Christ, the devil will lose his foothold (John 12:31-32).

The people hearing Him in our passage, however, have been hesitant to believe in Him. He doesn’t seem to be lining up with what they think that they know (John 12:34). Jesus’s warning to them is that following Him is the only way to truly know anything (John 12:35). He tells them that their time to walk in His light is short (John 12:36a), then highlights to them its shortness by promptly hiding Himself from them (verse 36b).

How have you been holding yourself back from Jesus? How would your life look different if you really lived like someone who believes that He is the living God?

Suggested songs: ARP110B “The Lord Has Spoken to My Lord” or TPH270 “At the Name of Jesus”

190509FW 2Corinthians 9 - Godliness That Displays Christ unto His Glory

An example of a hopefully-faithful but comfortably imperfect family worship teaching time in 2Corinthians 9