Living in Light of the End [Family Worship lesson in Proverbs 24:13–22]

What must we always remember? Proverbs 24:13–22 looks forward to the midweek sermon. In these ten verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that we must always remember our latter end.

2026.04.20 Hopewell @Home ▫ Proverbs 24:13–22

Read Proverbs 24:13–22

Questions from the Scripture text: How does Proverbs 24:13 address the reader? What does it say to do? Why? What else should be good and sweet (Proverbs 24:14a)? To what? What does finding wisdom give you (verse 14b)? What will not happen, then (verse 14c)? Whom does Proverbs 24:15 address? What two things does it forbid doing to whom? Why—what will always happen to the righteous man (Proverbs 24:16a–b)? What will ultimately happen to the wicked (verse 16c)? What mustn’t we do, when (Proverbs 24:17)? Why—who will see it (Proverbs 24:18a)? And consider it what? And respond how (verse 18b)? What else mustn’t we do, when (Proverbs 24:19a)? And what else (verse 19b)? Why—what don’t they have (Proverbs 24:20a)? What will ultimately happen with them (verse 20b)? How does Proverbs 24:21a address the reader? Whom does it say to fear? But not to do what with whom (verse 21b)? Why—what will happen with them (Proverbs 24:22a)? What is the implied answer to the rhetorical question in verse 22b)? 

What must we always remember? Proverbs 24:13–22 looks forward to the midweek sermon. In these ten verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that we must always remember our latter end.

These are the last five of the thirty sayings of the wise, beginning in Proverbs 22:20. And in the first section, we had been taught to especially remember that we are before the Lord, and to note before whom else we stand. Now in Proverbs 24:13–22, the thirty sayings close by teaching us always to remember the latter end. And so, in these last five sayings, we are told to enjoy and employ whatever God gives us in this life, remembering that He will call us into judgment (cf. Ecclesiastes 11:9). So Proverbs 24:13-14 (saying #26) teach us to use honey and wisdom in that way. God made honey good, made it to be enjoyed. The same is true with His wisdom. He has made knowledge of Him and of His Word good for you. And He has made learning from Him sweet to His saints and good for them, giving them an unfailing hope (Proverbs 24:14c) for their hereafter (verse 14b). So if you are hoping in God to be good to you forever, hope in God to be good to you now, and enjoy what He has given you now—especially His word. Because it is by His word that He gives you faith in Jesus, by Whom you have a hope that cannot be cut off. 

The second saying (Proverbs 24:15-16, #27) reminds us that the wicked should tremble to attack the righteous, but the righteous need not be afraid. The righteous man may fall seven times (implying “completely,” Proverbs 24:16a), but his latter end is one of rising (verse 16b). And however much the wicked seem to prevail, their latter end is one of calamitous falling (verse 16c). There is coming a day when they will sink deeper than the grave into hell itself. If the wicked could have wisdom, they would know that attacking the righteous is self-defeating. But the righteous can have that wisdom, and they should remember their latter ends.

But let not the righteous exult over the stumblings of the wicked (Proverbs 24:17-18, #28). God, Who is preparing the righteous for glory, will not suffer them to persist in an envious or vindictive heart. If it is necessary for the sanctification of the righteous, He will give the wicked a temporary reprieve. 

There are two more things (Proverbs 24:19-20, #29) that remembering the wicked’s end ought to keep the righteous from doing with them: fretting over them (Proverbs 24:19a) or envying them (verse 19b). Remember that they will have no hereafter (Proverbs 24:20a), that they will suffer the second death (verse 20b). There is no reason to fret, for they will not prevail. And there is no reason to envy them; you want your end, not theirs (cf. Psalm 73:17–24).

Finally, remember that at the last, you will stand before Him Who sits upon the throne (God) and the Lamb (the King of kings). Whoever your king is in your nation, he is a lesser magistrate in the chain of command up to Jesus (cf. cf. Romans 13:1–7; Psalm 110:1; Hebrews 1:2–3, Hebrews 1:13; Matthew 28:18; Psalm 2).  So, fear YHWH and the King, for they are forever (Proverbs 24:21-22, #30). Those given to change, and the changes to which they are subject, can both bring sudden ruin (Proverbs 24:22). So, cling to God and Christ tightly, serving them in this world and holding loosely to the things of it (Proverbs 24:21-22, #30, cf. 1 Corinthians 7:29–31). 

Put your hope in Christ, and throw your lot in with Him. The one who belongs to God in Christ will never be ruined, because he will be blessed in Christ, with Christ, by God, with God, forever. So live as someone who remembers your end; and, by faith in Christ, live as someone who has a joyful present now, because you are living in the certainty of your eternal life in Jesus Christ.

What is the latter end of the wicked? Why? What is the latter end of the righteous? Why? How does this change how the righteous live now? Which of these is your own end? Why? Who are the wicked, against the exulting over of whom, the fretting over of whom, and the envying of whom, you must watch? 

Sample prayer: Lord, You know how hard it is for us to be mindful of eternal things when we are so tied to the moments of time in the present. Grant the help of your Spirit, that we would always live in remembrance of our latter end, and of our being before You. So please help us, Lord, in the weakness of our minds and affections; strengthen us by Christ and by His truth, for we ask it in His Name, Amen!

Suggested songs: ARP1 “How Blessed the Man” or TPH73B “Yes, God Is Good to Israel”

2026.04.19 Lord's Day Livestreams (live at 10:10a, 11:10a, and 3p)

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How the World Ends Up [Family Worship lesson in Nahum 3:1–7]

How can God’s people withstand the attacks and temptations of the great ones of the world? Nahum 3:1–7 prepares us for the morning sermon in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these seven verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God destroys the world’s power and humiliates the world’s promises of pleasure and pride. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The passage assesses that the world is characterized by deceit and violence—symbolized by Nineveh’s harlotries and bloody conquests—posing two dangers to God’s people: fear of persecution and envy of worldly power and pleasure. In response, God will not only destroy the violent through judgment that mirrors their own brutality but also humiliate the seductive lies of the world by exposing their shame and worthlessness. At the end, the world will be transformed into a new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells, and no one will mourn the fallen powers, for the bride of Christ—the faithful—will remain, purified and eternal. The call is to reject both fear and worldly allure, trusting in God’s certain justice and the ultimate triumph of His kingdom.

2026.04.18 Hopewell @Home ▫ Nahum 3:1–7

Read Nahum 3:1–7

Questions from the Scripture text: How does Nahum 3:1a begin? Upon whom is this woe pronounced? With what two things is she full (verse 1b)? What does she always have (verse 1c)? What four things are heard in Nahum 3:2? What four things are seen in Nahum 3:3? How is the fourth one emphasized? Why has all of this happened—what has the “good harlot” done (Nahum 3:4a)? What does verse 4b call her? What does she do to what two entities (verse 4b–c)? What is Nineveh’s biggest problem (Nahum 3:5a)? How does the description of her humiliation (verse 5b–d) match up with the description of her wickedness? What will be the effect of her judgment (Nahum 3:6)? So that who (Nahum 3:7a) does what (verse 7b) and says what (verse 7c)? What will they not find someone to do (verse 7d–e)?

How can God’s people withstand the attacks and temptations of the great ones of the world? Nahum 3:1–7 prepares us for the morning sermon in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these seven verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God destroys the world’s power and humiliates the world’s promises of pleasure and pride.  

Woe (Nahum 3:1a)! While the powerful of the world congratulate themselves, Scripture takes a dimmer view of their condition (cf. James 5:1). If we are to think of them rightly, we need to take Scripture’s view, lest we end up their victims. 

Full of lies and robbery (Nahum 3:1b). Nineveh was a classic example of both dangers that the “great ones” of the world pose: deception and destruction. We see an example of the deception in 2 Kings 8:31–32, where they promised the Judeans each his own vine, fig tree, and cistern in a new land of grain, wine, bread, vineyards, olive groves, and honey. And with regard to destruction, the history of Assyrian brutality is extreme.

Living godly in the world means suffering persecution (cf. 2 Timothy 3:12). While the wicked remain, being righteous will mean the continual risk (and, often, reality) of being harmed by them. 

But the wicked threaten something far worse: that we would get sucked in by their lies, and allured by their harlotry, to join in their idolatries. It is one thing to be sold to wicked men through Assyrian brutality, but a far worse thing to be sold to idols/demons through Assyrian religion.

Envying the “great ones” of the world endangers you of living for what they live for, depending upon what they depend upon, and delighting in what they delight in. Nations and families (and eternal souls!) are destroyed by being sucked into the idolatries of the world (Nahum 3:4).

So YHWH of hosts is against them (Nahum 3:2-6). His two-pronged response is appropriate to the two-pronged danger that they pose to the world. 

Corresponding to their brutality, their downfall will be brutal (Nahum 3:2-3). The verses bring us into the experience by sounds (Nahum 3:2), sights (Nahum 3:3a–b), and even the sensation of verse 3c–e. We can hear (and even feel) the whirring of the whip (Nahum 3:2a), and the rattling of the wheels (verse 2b); the pounding of the hooves (verse 2c), and the jolting sounds of chariots as they skip and leap (verse 2d). We can see swords that appear like flames as they wave about with blood, and spears that fly like bolts of lightning (Nahum 3:3a). We can see the ground covered with the bodies (verse 3c–d) and feel the unsteadiness of trying to walk but finding nowhere to place our feet (verse 3e). The brutes will be brutalized.

Corresponding to their deceptions, and the allurement of their idolatries, they will be humiliated (Nahum 3:5-6). The Assyrians supposed themselves to be exalting their own gods over-against all other gods (2 Kings 18:34–35), but YHWH has declared that He is cutting off the idols out of their temples (cf. Nahum 1:14). Now, He repeats that their great problem is not that the Chaldeans and Medes have arisen against them, but that YHWH of hosts Himself is against them (Nahum 3:5a, cf. Nahum 2:13). 

When idolaters are confronted by the one true God, how great is their humiliation! Their existence becomes an excruciating embarrassment of the pathetic uselessness of their “purpose,” helplessness of their “power,” and worthlessness of their “property” and “pleasure.” Whereas she had tempted the nations with promise to be exposed unto their pleasure (Nahum 3:4), when she is exposed by the light of God’s justice and wrath, it is actually to their horror (Nahum 3:5) and disgust (Nahum 3:6). 

Until only those remain who love and praise the justice of the Lord (Nahum 3:7). At the last, all worldly deceptions will be defeated, and those who remain will praise God for His justice, rather than mourn for the wicked. Nineveh (and, ultimately, all like her) will go from endless victims (Nahum 3:1c) to zero sympathizers (Nahum 3:7d–e).

Dear Christian reader, God is such a Savior that He will not suffer you to continue being either crushed or captivated. Those who seek to crush you will be destroyed; do not fear them. Those who seek to allure you will be humiliated; do not envy or imitate them.

The Lord has made Nineveh a spectacle. He has done this with the world’s “great ones,” many times throughout history. In Nahum 3:7 we see His purpose in all of this. Behold the Lord’s justice—unto your comfort and faithfulness, all unto His praise!

How are you tempted to be afraid of what the world might do to you? How are you tempted to live for what the world lives for? How does God’s sure, and total, justice help you to resist such temptations? In what current circumstances do you most need to remember this?

Sample prayer:  Lord, in a world full of lies and robbery, give us to remember the gospel of Your Son. Make us submit to Him, Who dashes all His enemies to pieces. Make us to trust in Him, with Whom alone all true blessing is found. And keep us from giving in either to fear or to the idolatry of envy, for we ask it through Christ, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP2 “Why Do Gentile Nations Rage” or TPH73B “Yes, God Is Good to Israel”

Christ's True Friends and Bride [Family Worship lesson in Song of Songs 8:13–14]

What is the ultimate desire of Christ in the Song? Song of Songs 8:13–14 prepares us for the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these two verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Christ’s ultimate desire, in the Song, is to hear His bride’s desire for His coming. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The devotional concludes the Song of Songs with a powerful call to spiritual longing, portraying the Church as the bride eagerly awaiting her Bridegroom’s return, echoing the final cry of Revelation: 'Come, Lord Jesus.' Central to this vision is the idea that the Church, no longer in the wilderness but dwelling in the gardens—plural, representing gathered congregations—is called to live in faithful anticipation, producing spiritual fragrance through worship, prayer, and proclamation. The bride’s voice, empowered by Christ’s Spirit, is not merely her own but His, and her worship, discipleship, and evangelism are acts that hasten His coming. The age between Christ’s first and second advent is not a time of despair but of divine purpose, where trials and labor are transformed into 'mountains of spices'—obstacles that yield fragrance as the Bride is sanctified and perfected. The true companions of Christ, those indwelt by His Spirit, are drawn to the assembly not for mere ritual but to hear the Bride’s voice, which is the voice of Christ Himself, and to join in the holy discontent that longs for His return, reflecting the heart of the Bride and the mind of the Spirit.

2026.04.17 Hopewell @Home ▫ Song of Songs 8:13–14

Read Song of Songs 8:13–14

Questions from the Scripture text: What does Song of Songs 8:13a call the bride? Who are listening for what (verse 13b)? Who else wants to hear it (verse 13c)? What does she ask Him to do (Song of Songs 8:14a)? What does she call Him? What does she ask Him to be like (verse 14b–c)? Leaping upon what (verse 14d)?

What is the ultimate desire of Christ in the Song? Song of Songs 8:13–14 prepares us for the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In these two verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Christ’s ultimate desire, in the Song, is to hear His bride’s desire for His coming. 

How far the bride has come. She was in the wilderness, but as she leaned upon her Beloved (Song of Songs 8:13b), He brought her out of the wilderness (verse 13a). Now, she dwells in the gardens. He got her here. He gave her the moisture of life, instead of dryness and death. He planted the good seed of the Word in her. He brought forth her shoots and buds and blossoms and fruit. Now she is a garden of life. She is a living Eden, not with creaturely life, but with life that is from the Lord Himself, in union with Him. 

Note, also, that “gardens” is plural. The bride of Christ is found in particular congregations. This is where the bride dwells. 

What the companions do. So far, in the Song, the bride has referred to the members of the church as the “daughters of Jerusalem,” and the Bridegroom has referred to them as “friends and beloved” (cf. Song of Songs 5:1). Now, Song of Songs 8:13b calls them “the companions.” This gives us an opportunity to examine ourselves as companions. Do we listen for the bride’s voice? The Lord speaks through her. The Lord declares God’s Name to His brethren; in the midst of the assembly the Lord sings God’s praise (cf. Hebrews 2:12). It’s His voice that we are to hear in the church’s voice. True companions love the assemblies, the gardens, for the voice that they hear there. And the Lord uses that voice give them faith (cf. Romans 10:17), to save them (cf. James 1:21), to make them holy (cf. John 17:17), and to furnish them for every good work (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16–17). When Christ’s Spirit makes someone a true companion, they don’t forsake the assembling together; they desire to hear the bride’s Christ-given voice.

What the Companion desires. A true companion wants to hear the bride’s voice, but this is not the church’s highest motivation for preaching and prayer and reading and singing God’s Word in worship. The Bridegroom Himself desires to hear her voice (Song of Songs 8:13c). How glorious it is that we have opportunity to give Christ what He loves. We have seen, throughout the Song, that He loves the fruit that is produced upon believers in the church. And we have seen that, among that fruit, He loves what is on the lips of His bride and from the mouth of the bride. Now, we hear His loving request, His loving command: “Let me hear it!” Every opportunity that we have to participate in the corporate worship of the church is an opportunity to give the Lord Jesus what He desires.

What the bride desires. He loves to hear her voice, and she immediately gives Him what He wants: she speaks/prays/sings. The situation of the bride in Song of Songs 8:14 is the situation of the bride in this world, between the two comings of Christ: belonging to Him but with some distance between them for a time. The whole of Scripture ends with the bride praying for Him to come, and Him assuring her that He is already coming quickly (cf. Revelation 22:17–20). So, also the Song concludes with her pleading that He would come quickly.

The mountains are no longer mountains of separation (cf. Song of Songs 2:17). His coming quickly is upon mountains of spices, the fragrant fruit of His work in the church. Quickly, He saves all of His elect and prepares them for glory. He hastens His return. And the bride who longs for that return loves to participate in that work. She is zealous and diligent for evangelism and discipleship, which hasten (instrumentally speaking) the coming of the Lord Jesus. A congregation that doesn’t prioritize this, or a professing believer who doesn’t participate in it, is not reflecting the mind of the true bride.

How does it show, in your heart and your habits, that you love to hear the voice of the bride? How does it appear that you want to give Christ the congregational worship that He desires. How much do you desire Christ’s coming? How are you expressing this desire? How are you pursuing it?

Sample prayer:  Lord, we thank You that Your bride, in this world, dwells in the gardens that are congregations of the life of Christ, the beauty of Christ, and the fruit of Christ. Give us to be such a garden. Your companions gather to hear the bride’s voice, so give this congregation voice. Come, and declare God’s Name to Your brethren; in the midst of the assembly, sing God’s praise. And take pleasure, Lord Jesus, in the voice of Your bride as she worships You. Delight in her praying, reading, singing, and preaching Your Word. Even so, use her worship, discipleship, and evangelism to gather in all of those whom You have loved with saving love, from all eternity. And thus, come quickly, Lord Jesus, we ask in Your own Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP45B “Daughter, Incline Your Ear” or TPH405 “I Love Thy Kingdom Lord” 

The Good Lord on His Good Sabbath [Family Worship lesson in Mark 2:23–3:6]

What is the Sabbath a day for? Mark 2:23–3:6 prepares us for 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 the Sabbath is a day for being with Jesus. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The devotional centers on Jesus’s authority over the Sabbath, revealing it not as a burdensome legal requirement but as a divine gift designed for our flourishing in Him through worshiping Him. Drawing from Mark 2:23–3:6, it emphasizes that the Sabbath was made for humanity, not the other way around, and that Jesus, as the Lord of the Sabbath, fulfills its true purpose by prioritizing communion with God. Pastor calls his family to a joyful, Spirit-led observance of the Lord’s Day—rejecting both miserable legalism and worldly distractions—through joyful, heartfelt worship, the whole of the day. He urges believers to delight in God as the supreme gift, cultivating a heart that finds its deepest joy in Christ. Ultimately, the Sabbath is presented as a foretaste of eternal worship, where the triune God is fully known and glorified in the life of the redeemed.

2026.04.16 Hopewell @Home ▫ Mark 2:23-3:6

Read Mark 2:23-3:6

Questions from the Scripture text: On what day did Jesus go through the grain fields in Mark 2:23? Who begin to pluck the heads of grain? Who think that this is unlawful (Mark 2:24)? What had David gotten to eat (Mark 2:26)? Who also ate it? For whom was the Sabbath made (Mark 2:27)? And who is the Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28)? What were the Pharisees doing on the Sabbath in Mark 3:2? What does Jesus ask them in Mark 3:4? What was the condition of their hearts (Mark 3:5)? What are the Pharisees doing on the Sabbath in Mark 3:6?

What is the Sabbath a day for? Mark 2:23–3:6 prepares us for 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 the Sabbath is a day for being with Jesus. 

In this passage, the Lord Jesus challenges us as to whether we will consider the Sabbath a gift for our good. 

Just as David was needy and hungry, so also the disciples are hungry, out in the field with Jesus (Mark 2:23). They don’t actually break the law. The Scripture prohibited harvesting on the Sabbath (cf. Exodus 34:21), but also made a distinction between harvesting and gleaning. You weren’t allowed to harvest in your neighbor’s field, but you were allowed to glean as you walked through it (cf. Deuteronomy 23:24–25).

But the point that Jesus makes about the Pharisees is not even that they got the Law of God wrong. Rather, He shows that they are completely wrong about the God of the Law. God is generous and kind. 

The Sabbath was a love-gift to man (Mark 2:27), but the Pharisees treat it as a burden to be borne. 

They aren’t the first to do this. When Jesus calls Himself the Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28), it brings to mind Isaiah 58, in which the most religious of the Jews make a great display of how miserable their religion is, and how they believe that God “owes them” for bearing the miserable burdens He has placed upon them (cf. Isaiah 58:3–5). But the Lord reminds them that the whole point of the day is joy, pleasure, and delight (cf. Isaiah 58:13–14). Delight in the day! Delight in the Lord!

And now the Lord of the Sabbath is here! What should the Pharisees be doing on the Sabbath? Having fellowship with Jesus and delighting in Him! 

The men with David were able to eat the showbread, not only because they were needy and hungry (deed of mercy/necessity), but especially because they were with David. And now great David’s greater Son is here. There is no safer, more righteous place to be on the Lord’s Day than with Jesus. Being with Him is the point of the day. Watch out for being either the sort of person who wants to justify his own activities on the Lord’s Day, or the sort of person who is obsessed with the list of things that one cannot do on the Lord’s Day. Rather, spend the whole of the day in the public and private exercises of God’s worship, and those deeds of mercy and necessity required to enable others and yourself to spend the day in worship. Spend. The. Day. With. Jesus. In. Worship. He is the Lord of the Sabbath.

When someone is wrapped up in justifying himself, he opposes Jesus. We already saw this in Mark 2:16, but it gets worse in Mark 3:1–6. How are the Pharisees keeping Sabbath now? By watching to accuse others—by watching to accuse Jesus Himself (Mark 3:2). By treating God’s command as a misery—closing their heart against their suffering brother (Mark 3:1) in church, implying that they see God as cruel-hearted as themselves. This is what Jesus exposes by His questions in Mark 3:4. This is why He is so grieved with them in Mark 3:5. By Mark 3:6, they are “keeping Sabbath” (?!) by going out and immediately plotting how to destroy Jesus.

Oh, dear Christian, let us see that a day in which God gives us Himself (!), as the gift, is an act of divine love and generosity! 

Let us not consider it a misery for ourselves. Let us not spurn God’s good gift for the labors and recreations of the other six days. Let us have soft hearts toward those in need and in pain, and make a point of alleviating their suffering, in fellowship with Christ. 

Most of all, let us enjoy the Lord’s Day as a day of delighting in the Lord Jesus all day long. He is the Lord about Whom Isaiah 58 was speaking! When God blessed the Sabbath day, He made it a greater blessing than the whole of creation. When God made it holy, He made it a day to leave behind our own ways, our own pleasures, and our own words, and spend the whole day worshiping Jesus.

What would your Lord’s Day keeping look like, if you saw it as a generous gift from God? How are you responding to the fact that He has given you a day completely and entirely for public and private worship?

Sample prayer:  Lord, thank You for the divine generosity in which You have given Yourself to us. And thank You for the generosity in which You have given us Your day as a day with Jesus, and a day with You in Jesus. Forgive us for how we spurn that generosity by wanting spend that day on other things than worship. And forgive us for how we fail to reflect Your generosity by being heartless toward others. Keep us from wanting to please ourselves, and make us to have our pleasure in You and Your worship. Keep us from wanting to justify ourselves, and make us to receive Your day and its worship as a gift of joy, we ask through Christ, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP92 “It’s Good to Thank the LORD” or TPH153 “O Day of Rest and Gladness”  

2026.04.15 Midweek Meeting Livestream (live at 6:30p)

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