Hopewell ARP Church is a Biblical, Reformed, Presbyterian church, serving the Lord in Culleoka, TN, since 1820. Lord's Day Morning, set your gps to arrive by 11a.m. at 3886 Hopewell Road, Culleoka, TN 38451
Read Micah 3:9–12
Questions from the Scripture text: Whom does v9a–c now address? What do they do (v9d–e)? What do they think they are doing (v10)? But by what method are they building up Zion/Jerusalem? What motivates her judges (v11a)? What motivates her priests (v11b)? What motivates her prophets (v11c)? Yet, what do they think they are doing (v11d)? And in what do they think they re hoping (v11e)? Thus, what are they presuming is the outcome (v11f)? Therefore, who is to blame for what is about to happen (v12a)? And what is about to happen to the city (v12b–c)? And to what structure in particular (v12d–e)?
What did Micah have power to declare to Israel? Micah 3:9–12 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these four verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Micah had power to declare to Israel that their service of the Lord was really just service of themselves, and that God would destroy the very church they thought they were building.
Upon condemning the unfaithful prophets of his day, Micah declared that he was full of power by the Spirit of YHWH to declare to Israel his sin. And that is exactly what he is doing in this passage.
The frightening thing about this passage is that the people it is condemning thought they were serving the Lord (v10), depending upon the Lord (v11e), and hoping in the Lord (v11f). Truly, we are so blind to the condition of our own hearts that we need the Spirit to wield His powerful Word to expose the thoughts and intentions of our heart (cf. Heb 4:12–13; Jer 17:9–10).
The problem with those who thought they were doing the Lord’s work in v10 is that they were willing to sin in order to get it done (v10b). How many, in ministry, are willing to employ a little lying, a little stealing, a little Sabbath breaking, a little disregard of others’ value, etc., in order to advance the work! But they build up Jerusalem with iniquity.
One of the easiest ways to diagnose a Micah-3-mindse is by the love of money. The civil magistrates (v11a), priests (v11b), and prophets (v11c) were all guilty of “serving” for the paycheck. If something else is primary, then you are treating the Lord and His service as a means to your end.
But such service does not build up that part of the Lord’s church in which He has placed you. In fact, the very Zion and Jerusalem they thought they were building up (v10) were about to be destroyed precisely because of them (v12a–c). Even worse, the Lord’s own temple would be desolated on account of them (v12d–e, cf. Rom 2:24). For those who are thinking straight, there is no worse consequence to our actions.
In what areas have you been called to serve the Lord? What wrong ways of accomplishing it are a danger to you? What wrong motivations threaten to make your service sinful?
Sample prayer: Lord, please forgive us for how we have been self-deceived into thinking we were serving well, when we were really just serving ourselves. Thank You for Christ, Who came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. For His sake, forgive us, and make us to be like unto Him, we ask in His Name, AMEN!
Suggested Songs: ARP29 “You Sons of the Gods” or TPH400 “Gracious Spirit, Dwell with Me”
Read Ecclesiastes 1:12–18
Questions from the Scripture text: What does the author call himself (v12)? What position did he hold? Where? What did he set his heart to do (v13)? About what task? What has he seen (v14)? What does he conclude about its enduring nature? What two problems with man’s work does v15 present? What do his meditations about himself conclude in v16? What did he set his heart to know in v17? What did he conclude about that? What does much wisdom gain you (v18a)? And what does increased knowledge increase (v18b)?
What can man do about the fallen world? Ecclesiastes 1:12–18 looks forward to the opening portion of morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these seven verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that man cannot do anything about the fallen world.
There was no candidate greater than Solomon (v12) for trying to solve the shortness of man’s stay in the world, and the lightness of his impact upon it (v13). But Solomon’s conclusion was that all that a man can do is indeed just a vapor’s worth: here for a moment, then gone with the wind. With sin came death, and the brevity of man’s life is irremediable.
Furthermore, the curse has had a dreadful impact upon the fruitfulness of man’s work. Whatever he does cannot fix the world (v15a), or supply what the world now lacks (v15b). Gen 3:17 is a barrier that man’s labors cannot overcome.
This obstacle even applies to the gaining of wisdom and knowledge. Solomon had pushed the limits of that as well (v16). But while wisdom is not temporary like a vapor, it was still a grasping after the wind, unable to produce lasting change (v17). The result is that, because the world is fallen, the wiser you are, the more grieved you are at what you see of it (v18a). The more you know, the sadder you are (v18b).
So, if man’s work cannot resolve what is “under heaven” (v13), and man’s wisdom cannot resolve it, then the solution must come from something that is above the heavens! Already, the Spirit prepares us for the exhortation, “Remember your Creator!” If you forget Him, this world has nothing to offer you but futility and sorrow.
What work do you do? What knowledge do you have? What knowledge are you obtaining? Why can’t either this work or this knowledge provide meaning to your life? What CAN do so?
Sample prayer: Lord, thank You for giving us work to do. Grant that we would rejoice to do it unto Your glory, but make us to hope only in Your work and not in ours. And thank You for giving us knowledge and wisdom about the world. But, grant that we would not forget You, lest the knowledge and wisdom that we have become a source of great grief. We praise You, O gracious King of heaven, that You have redeemed us from our fall and curse. Bring us into Your blessedness, that we may glorify You and fully enjoy You forever, we ask through Christ, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP1 “How Blessed the Man” or TPH222 “O God, Our Help in Ages Past”
Read Matthew 21:1–11
Questions from the Scripture text: Where were they drawing near (v1)? To where did they come? At what? Whom did Jesus send? To where (v2)? What would they find? With what? What are they to do to them? What might happen (v3)? What are they to say to the person who asks? And what will the person do? Why was all this done (v4)? To whom had the prophet spoken (v5a)? About Whom doing what (v5b)? In what manner (v5c) and on what animal (v5d)? What did the disciples do (v6–7)? Who else joined them by doing what (v8)? Who began to cry out (v9)? How did they begin (v9b)? What did they call Him? What did they say about Him (v9c)? How did they conclude (v9d)? Where had He come in v10? Who were moved? Saying what? What did the multitudes say (v11)?
To what does Jesus draw our attention? Matthew 21:1–11 prepares us for the sermon in the morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these eleven verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Jesus draws our attention to His kingly, divine salvation by way of humiliation.
Jesus is now intentionally drawing attention to His public ministry. Thus far, He has been Him Who “will not cry out, nor raise His voice, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street” (Isa 42:2). Now, it is He Who intentionally instigates (v1) this public incident. The miracles, and even the preaching, were not the great thing that He had come to do. Now, He was doing that great thing: seeking and saving what was lost by giving His life a ransom for many. So, it is now that He “publicizes” Himself for the first time. To what is He drawing our attention in this incident and this passage?
Attention to His being the Great Prophet. Jesus perfectly predicts everything that will occur. His words are immediately corroborated by God. He is the One of Whom Dt 18:18–19 demands that we hear Him (cf. Mt 17:5). Listen to Him! In His mouth are the words of God, for God has given Himself now, in the person of His Son, to be His church’s great Prophet. Even the other Nazarenes answer the question of the people of Jerusalem that He is “the prophet.”
Attention to His fulfilling of all Scripture. Jesus is doing this precisely because Zech 9:9 said He would. God has determined to save from before the world began. And He has spoken His own Word about that salvation, and He is bringing that Word to pass. Jesus is aware of this, and self-consciously and intentionally fulfilling that which He has spoken of by His Spirit, in His divine nature. We may trust everything that the Bible says. Jesus will not permit one word of it to fall to the ground. We may praise Him already for glorious actions that are not yet!
Attention to His being the Forever-King. The people have been waiting for the Forever-King promised to David (v9) in 2Sam 7:11–16. Zech 9:9 had given them a sign by which they could identify Him. He doesn’t come upon a great horse or some other marvelous beast. He comes to them lowly, not just on a donkey, but even on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Jesus is the Forever-King, Whom we can trust to deliver and defend us, and to Whom we must submit with devotion, gladness, and love for all eternity.
Attention to His humiliation. This was the exact way that the people were to know Him. By His lowliness. What they didn’t understand was the infinite condescension that this represented. Even if He had come on a great horse or magnificent beast, it would have been an infinite humiliation for Him Who is the Living God. We would be wrongly impressed with a great white horse, or a rhinoceros, or an unicorn. So the Lord Jesus comes on a steed that more easily communicates to us how low He humiliated Himself. Marvel at His humiliation in faith and love, and be willing to follow Him with your own humility!
Attention to His atoning death. Ultimately, this is the point. We have a King Who came to die. His death procures His kingly deliverance. In His death, our old self is crucified with Him, establishing and enabling our submission to His kingly rule. Of all of the things that Jesus came and did, His atoning death is the great thing that He came to do.
Attention to His bringing the salvation of the Lord. The crowd responds with, “Hosanna,” “Lord save!” He was bringing the Lord’s salvation. Even when a few days later, they shouted, “away with Him! Crucify!” they would be unwittingly crying out for the Lord’s salvation to come. He is the Blessed One, Who brings the salvation of heaven down to earth. They may be quoting their favorite bit from Ps 118 (cf. Ps 118:25–26), but the Psalm as a whole is being fulfilled, and particularly vv22–24. Jesus is here to be rejected by the builders and become the capstone, as He comes into His crown by way of a cross!
In what ways, and for what things, do you usually think about Christ? How is Christ’s humiliation and cross at the center of each of them? How are you responding to Him? How are you, yourself, being humbled?
Sample prayer: Our King and Savior, we thank You for what You suffered, and we praise You for what You accomplished by it. Make us to bless Your Name in all of our thinking of You, and forever, we ask in Your Name, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP72B “Nomads Will Bow” or TPH270 “At the Name of Jesus”
Read Deuteronomy 5:20
Questions from the Scripture text: What must you not bear? Against whom?
What does God expect out of how we use our mouths? Deuteronomy 5:20 prepares us for the evening sermon on the coming Lord’s Day. In this verse of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the God Who designed us to be speaking creatures requires that we use that speech for the good of our neighbor.
In the eighth commandment, we were reminded that God is the good Giver of possessions, and that we should therefore respect the property of our neighbor and desire to be an agent of God’s good to him. Now in the ninth commandment, the Spirit extends that especially to one of our neighbors greatest possessions: his name.
Prov 22:1 says that a good name is better than great riches. There are many heart-reasons why a sinner might risk others’ names by speaking that which is false.
We must guard against the enmity or envy that would desire to take this good name away from our neighbor. And we must guard against the pride that seeks to advance our own name by some twisting or embellishing of what we say. And we must guard against the ambition of trying to get something by saying what we think the listener wants to hear. And we must guard against the unbelief that thinks that God needs us to lie in order to protect from evil or promote the good.
As our larger catechism says, the ninth commandment requires “from the heart, sincerely, freely, clearly, and fully, speaking the truth, and only the truth, in matters of judgment and justice, and in all other things whatsoever.”
God cannot lie (Titus 1:2), and Satan is the father of it (Jn 8:44). We were created to image God, especially in part by speaking. Our mouths exist, first and foremost to praise Him (cf. James 3:9a). But our mouths therefore exist also to bless men who have been made in the likeness of God (cf. James 3:9b). Our words, therefore, are greatly important. Whether to our neighbor’s face or behind his back, we must seek to do him good with our words. There is enough that could be said here that it would fill many of these little devotionals, but it might serve us well just to consider these two paragraphs from our larger catechism:
The duties required in the ninth commandment are, the preserving and promoting of truth between man and man, and the good name of our neighbor, as well as our own; appearing and standing for the truth; and from the heart, sincerely, freely, clearly, and fully, speaking the truth, and only the truth, in matters of judgment and justice, and in all other things whatsoever; a charitable esteem of our neighbors; loving, desiring, and rejoicing in their good name; sorrowing for and covering of their infirmities; freely acknowledging of their gifts and graces, defending their innocency; a ready receiving of a good report, and unwillingness to admit of an evil report, concerning them; discouraging talebearers, flatterers, and slanderers; love and care of our own good name, and defending it when need requireth; keeping of lawful promises; studying and practicing of whatsoever things are true, honest, lovely, and of good report.
The sins forbidden in the ninth commandment are, all prejudicing the truth, and the good name of our neighbors, as well as our own, especially in public judicature; giving false evidence, suborning false witnesses, wittingly appearing and pleading for an evil cause, outfacing and overbearing the truth; passing unjust sentence, calling evil good, and good evil; rewarding the wicked according to the work of the righteous, and the righteous according to the work of the wicked; forgery, concealing the truth, undue silence in a just cause, and holding our peace when iniquity calleth for either a reproof from ourselves, or complaint to others; speaking the truth unseasonably, or maliciously to a wrong end, or perverting it to a wrong meaning, or in doubtful or equivocal expressions, to the prejudice of the truth or justice; speaking untruth, lying, slandering, backbiting, detracting, talebearing, whispering, scoffing, reviling, rash, harsh, and partial censuring; misconstructing intentions, words, and actions; flattering, vainglorious boasting, thinking or speaking too highly or too meanly of ourselves or others; denying the gifts and graces of God; aggravating smaller faults; hiding, excusing, or extenuating of sins, when called to a free confession; unnecessary discovering of infirmities; raising false rumors, receiving and countenancing evil reports, and stopping our ears against just defense; evil suspicion; envying or grieving at the deserved credit of any; endeavoring or desiring to impair it, rejoicing in their disgrace and infamy; scornful contempt, fond admiration; breach of lawful promises; neglecting such things as are of good report, and practicing, or not avoiding ourselves, or not hindering what we can in others, such things as procure an ill name.
Here is one of the great places that Christ’s grace in the believer is seen: in the sanctifying of his speech.
In what situations are you most tempted to speak a falsehood or bend or exaggerate the truth? How does this relate to the purposes for which God has enabled you to speak?
Sample prayer: Lord, thank You for creating us with the ability to honor You with our speech and also bless our neighbor with our speech. Forgive us for turning our mouths into instruments of self-service, and give us grace from Christ to use our mouths in a godly manner, for we ask it in His Name, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP15 “Within Your Tent, Who Will Abide” or TPH174 “The Ten Commandments”
Read Revelation 17–18
Questions from the Scripture text: Who comes to talk with John in 17:1? Whose judgment will he show him? Upon what did she sit? Who did what with her (v2a)? What did she do to whom (v2b)? Where did he take John, and whom did he see there (v3)? Upon what was she siting? How was she clothed (v4)? What did she have in her hand? What was written on her forehead (v5)? With what was she drunk (v6)? What impression does she make upon Jon? What does the angel ask (v7)? What will he do to help Jon? Which beast is this, and who marvel at it (v8, cf. 13:3–4)? What do the heads of the beast represent her (v9)? What do each of these mountains have (v10)? From what eras? As what does the beast present himself (v11)? What do the horns represent (v12)? How long is each of their reigns? Like whom do they think (v13)? With Whom do they make war (v14)? Who wins? Why? What do he waters from v1 represent (v15)? What do the kings and kingdoms ultimately do to the harlot (v16)? Why (v17)? And who is the mother of this and all harlots (v18, cf. v5)? Whom does John see in 18:1? What does this angel have? How glorious is he? What does he do in v2? What has happened to Babylon the great? What happened to those who drank her cup (v3, cf.17:4 )? What does John hear in v4? Whom does the voice address? What does it tell them to do? Why (v5)? What will God do to her in this remembrance (v6)? To what extent (v7)? And with what result (v8)? How/why? What will the kings of the earth do at this (v9–10)? Who else will weep (v11)? Why (v11–14)? What, specifically, will they say (v15–16)? What will shock them the most (v17, cf. end of v10)? Who else will mourn her (v17–18)? In what manner (v19)? Most amazed at what? But who will have what other reaction (v20)? Why? Who does what in v21? To demonstrate what? What will now be an irrelevant memory (v22–23)? Why—what was found in her (v24)?
Why do we need to see and hear the greatness of God’s wrath upon worldliness? Revelation 17–18 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these forty-two verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that we need to be warned about wrath, so that we will come out from among the worldly and be separate.
The wrath of God comes with observation and reaction, both by the world, and by the saints. And, the Lord’s angel summons John to observe this (17:1). The “mystery” (knowledge that is revealed from the Scripture, rather than found in the creation) of this “Babylon” is that she is the mother of all harlots (v5), offering luxuries and pleasures apart from God (v4), and receiving the devotion of the kingdoms of the world (v3).
Whether the empire of the 7 mountains/heads (probably Rome, v9–10), subsequent attempts to rule the world by force of power (the beast, and its manifestations, v11), or lesser kingdoms that are more local or short-lived (the ten horns, v12)—they all have one mind, willing to make war with Christ and His church in service of power (v13), and especially the harlot of prosperity and pleasure (v14).
The point of the waters (v1, 15) is that this is an equal opportunity harlot, seducing literally every “civilization” there has ever been. The prostitute woman-city of Babylon is a counterfeit of the woman-city of Zion/Jerusalem. A counterfeit church in which the creature is worshiped, rather than the Creator. And wherever peoples, multitudes, nations, or tongues have been, members of the harlot-church of prosperity and pleasure have been found.
But her days are numbered, and regardless of how prosperous or luxurious their experience has been with her, all who loved her will be shocked at the severity and the intensity of her desolation that comes in “one hour” (18:10, 17, 19).
We need to see the violence and completeness of the coming destruction of worldliness (v21–23). When the shiny cup of 17:4 is drunk, it will turn out to be full not only of her filth, but of the wrath that she will drink with all who have accepted it from her (18:6). Even after she has slain so many of the prophets and the saints (cf. 16:6, 17:6, 18:24), we are vulnerable to worldliness. So, the angel in 17:1 shows these things to John, and the voice of the Lord in 18:4 urges us to come out of the world-church of worldliness.
Dear saint, be warned, and be amazed at the judgment of the harlot. Don’t let worldliness seduce you. Separate yourself from that (18:4; cf. Is 52:11, 2Cor 6:17). Be one of the called, chosen, faithful ones who are with the Lord of lords and King of kings (17:14). Then, you will be among those who rejoice over her, when God avenges His saints (v20).
Whom do you know that pursues prosperity and pleasure? How are you coming out from among them?
Sample prayer: Lord, forgive us for being so easily tempted by the pursuit of prosperity and pleasure. Please make us remember that this harlot church will be devastated suddenly and completely. And, make us to come out from among the worldly, and be the called, chosen, and faithful ones of King Jesus, we ask in His Name, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP24 “The Earth and the Riches” or TPH389 “Great God, What Do I See and Hear”