2026.03.26 Hopewell @Home ▫ Mark 1:21–39

Read Mark 1:21–39

Questions from the Scripture text: Where did they go (Mark 1:21)? On what day did they go where? To do what? How did they receive His teaching (Mark 1:22)? Why—how did He teach? Unlike whom? Who was there, where (Mark 1:23)? What did he have? What did he do? What did the spirit ask Jesus to do (Mark 1:24)? What two questions did it ask? What did it declare? What did Jesus do to the spirit (Mark 1:25)? With what two commands? What did the spirit do to the man (Mark 1:26)? How did it cry? Then what did it do? What effect did this have upon the people in the synagogue (Mark 1:27)? What did they do among themselves? What were they asking? Why? What effect did this have (Mark 1:28)? Where? Where did they go in Mark 1:29? When? Who was with Him? Who was in what condition (Mark 1:30)? What did they do about this? What did He do to her (Mark 1:31)? With what effect? What time was it in Mark 1:32? Whom did they bring to Him? Who was there (Mark 1:33)? What did Jesus do in Mark 1:34? What did He not allow? Why? What time was it in Mark 1:35? When had Jesus risen? Where did He go? What did He do? Who did what, in Mark 1:36? What did they do in Mark 1:37? What did they say? Where did He say to them to go (Mark 1:38)? In order for Him to do what? Why? What was He doing (Mark 1:39)? Where? Attended by doing what else?

How does Jesus keep the Sabbath? Mark 1:21–39 prepares us for the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these nineteen verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that Jesus keeps the Sabbath holy unto the Lord, and by being unto us the Lord of His holy Sabbath. 

In Mark’s presentation of the gospel, we had the extraordinary beginning in Mark 1:1-11, and then the very humble—possibly even discouraging—developments in Mark 1:12-20 from last week. Then, in this week’s reading, as we follow Christ in Mark, the Holy Spirit takes us along with Him on a Sabbath.

Christ chose humble appearance, circumstances, and companions; but, now, He elects to display the greatness of His power, in connection with His Word on the Sabbath, in congregational worship.

It was a very interesting day in church. First, there’s the Man that the baptizer had gotten so excited about, before getting tossed into prison. He’s been in the wilderness and came back looking half starved. He came to their back country town and chose some young fishermen to be His companions.

Then He starts to preach (Mark 1:21). And what preaching it is. There’s never been anything like this in church—it’s as if God Himself is addressing the congregation (Mark 1:22)! Then, a man with a demon (Mark 1:23) calls Him the Holy One of God (Mark 1:24), and Jesus casts it out (Mark 1:25-28). Then later, they hear that He has miraculously healed a woman in town (Mark 1:29-31), and they swarm the house with all the people who need healing and deliverance (Mark 1:32-34).

He is the God of the Sabbath, here to save them not just from demons and disease, but from damnation. The Sabbath is all about being with Him as He shows forth to us Who He is. There is nothing so Sabbath-keeping as being with Jesus and being healed by Jesus. He has come to undo all of the effects of our sin. All of them!

Jesus, of course, knows what the Sabbath is all about. He rises early, before the sun, to have fellowship with the Father and the Spirit (Mark 1:35). Prayer is more refreshing to Him than sleeping in.

On subsequent Sabbaths, He repeated His preaching and delivering in other synagogues in other towns (Mark 1:36-39).

Is the gospel about power for salvation? Yes. But even more than that, it is about the almighty Person, Who is the Savior. And that’s Whom the Sabbath is all about.

What should our Sabbaths be about? How is that different from how we are tempted to spend them? Shall we not confess our hard hearts—that we more easily acknowledge our need of sleep or play than our need of the Lord Himself? And shall we not rejoice that Christ is our righteousness, and even His Sabbath keeping, and delight in the Lord, is both counted for us and being worked out in us?

Sample prayer:  Lord, we praise You for Your display of Yourself as Lord of the Sabbath. Forgive us for how we have not spent the whole of our Lord’s Days gathered to Jesus, listening to Jesus, being amazed at Jesus, being delivered by Jesus, being healed by Jesus, and having fellowship with Jesus. We grieve that we have sometimes thought sleep, or play could be more refreshing, or some other work or service could be more productive. Please forgive us. Count Jesus’s righteousness as our own, and make us also to keep the Sabbath as He did, we ask in His Name, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP118D “Now Open Wide the Gates” or TPH151 “Lord of the Sabbath, Hear Us Pray”

2026.03.25 Midweek Meeting Livestream (live at 6:30p)

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

The Word Dwelling Richly in Us [Family Worship lesson in Deuteronomy 31:30–32:47]

How does God display Himself as the only true God? Deuteronomy 31:30–32:47 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these forty-eight verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God displays Himself as the only true God by saving sinners, with whom He persists until glory. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

2026.03.25 Hopewell @Home ▫ Deuteronomy 31:30–32:47

Read Deuteronomy 31:30–32:47

Questions from the Scripture text: How does Deuteronomy 31:30 introduce the song? Who are called to witness it (Deuteronomy 32:1)? How does Deuteronomy 32:2 express the intention for the song to be life-giving? Whom do Deuteronomy 32:3-4 describe? What resemblance to Him do Israel have (Deuteronomy 32:5)? What do the rhetorical questions in Deuteronomy 32:6 imply about this? What had YHWH done for them (Deuteronomy 32:7-11)? With what actions, and in what manner? What does He emphasize about their being led (Deuteronomy 32:12)? How does Deuteronomy 32:13a describe the blessedness of this intimacy with the Lord alone (cf. Isaiah 58:14)? How do Deuteronomy 32:13-14 continue to describe it? How does Deuteronomy 32:15a describe Israel in their prosperity? What did they do in this prosperity (Deuteronomy 32:15-18)? To Whom? How? How did YHWH respond to this treachery (Deuteronomy 32:19-24)? Addressing whom, among them (Deuteronomy 32:25)? What did they deserve (Deuteronomy 32:26)? But what would the enemy then have thought (Deuteronomy 32:27)? What should Israel have realized about their own judgment (Deuteronomy 32:28-30)? How does Israel’s God compare to the enemy’s God (Deuteronomy 32:31-33)? What will He do to the enemy, at what time (Deuteronomy 32:34-35)? What will He do for His own people, at what time (Deuteronomy 32:36)? What does He say about their idols (Deuteronomy 32:37-38)? What does God show about Himself, through all this (Deuteronomy 32:39)? How, then, will He exercise His vengeance upon the enemy (Deuteronomy 32:40-42)? Whom will He bring into this joy (Deuteronomy 32:43)? Who did what, with this song (Deuteronomy 32:44)? In whose hearing? What does Moses speak (Deuteronomy 32:45)? How much? To whom? What does he tell them to do with their hearts (Deuteronomy 32:46)? What are they to command their children? What will these words be to them (Deuteronomy 32:47)? What will they do by these words?

How does God display Himself as the only true God? Deuteronomy 31:30–32:47 looks forward to the hearing of God’s Word, publicly read, in the holy assembly on the coming Lord’s Day. In these forty-eight verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that God displays Himself as the only true God by saving sinners, with whom He persists until glory.  

Moses summoned three witnesses against Israel for their future unfaithfulness to God. The witnesses were the song (cf. Deuteronomy 31:19), the book (cf. Deuteronomy 31:26), and the heavens and the earth (cf. Deuteronomy 31:28). Now all three witnesses come to bear in this song. The song itself is a witness. Second, as we go through the song, we find that it summarizes the book of Deuteronomy. Moses summons the heavens and the earth to witness (Deuteronomy 32:1). 

As the song summarizes the book, it is fulfilling the role of a song, in making the Word dwell in us richly (cf. Colossians 3:16). The song is designed to keep the book in the hearts and mouths of their descendants (cf. Deuteronomy 31:21). 

After the introduction (Deuteronomy 32:1-2), Deuteronomy 32:3-4 declare who the Lord is, and the relationship he established with His people, saving them despite their sinfulness in the wilderness and giving them Himself as their inheritance. The first four chapters of the book had done this. Now, the song proclaims the name of YHWH (Deuteronomy 32:3), a Rock of truth and justice to them (Deuteronomy 32:4). 

But Israel had not borne a resemblance to Him (Deuteronomy 32:5-6). This, too was one of the main themes in the second half of chapter 1. 

Nevertheless, He carried them through wilderness, keeping His promises to them, and showing the consistency of His character (Deuteronomy 32:7-11). This was the main theme of chapters 2–3.

Finally, YHWH strongly declared His uniqueness to them in chapter 4, which the song now does in Deuteronomy 32:12. By making Israel to find all of their pleasure and provision in Him, He made them to ride upon the heights of the earth (Deuteronomy 32:13-14). This relationship and blessing is the foundation of all upright living, just as the Lord declares, as He is introducing the ten commandments (cf. chapters 5–6). 

In the earlier part of the book, it was at this point that Moses began an exposition of the ten commandments, taking from Deuteronomy 6:1–26:19. Sadly, in the song’s summary, this is the point at which Deuteronomy 32:15 reports that what He warned against in Deuteronomy 8:10–17 will come true. Jeshurun is one of the Lord’s pet names for Israel, whom He loves. But, He describes, using the past tense here, their future forgetting of Him, and idolatry, which is demon-worship (Deuteronomy 32:15-18). 

And so the song continues with an emphasis upon the covenant curses (Deuteronomy 32:19-26), just as the book had done (chapters 27–29). But, the book had not stopped there, proceeding to prophesy their restoration (Deuteronomy 30:1–10), just as the song now does (Deuteronomy 32:27). He will not let the enemy be self-satisfied, but the Lord will display Himself as the God Who delivers His people in compassion (Deuteronomy 32:36), the God Who not only kills but makes alive (Deuteronomy 32:39c), the God Who not only wounds but heals (verse 39d). 

YHWH is the only Rock Who could do this; the nations’ rock could not (Deuteronomy 32:31). Deuteronomy 32:39a–b gives the theme of the book (and of the whole Bible, and of all existence): “Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me.” This, He displays in healing Israel, and this He displays in taking vengeance upon His enemies (Deuteronomy 32:40-42), from among whom He will ultimately add to His people. To glorify Himself as the one true God, He will bring nations to join with His people in rejoicing before the God (Deuteronomy 32:43a) Who has vengeance on some (verse 43c), but atones for others to make them His own (verse 43d). 

This summary-song of the book of Deuteronomy, Moses and Joshua declared to the people (Deuteronomy 32:44-45), so that they would their hearts on it (Deuteronomy 32:46, cf. Colossians 3:16).  The Lord give to you, dear reader, to set your own heart upon His Word, in which the great theme is that He alone is God, and that He displays this by saving sinners from all nations. The Lord give you to ride on the heights of the earth—to have Him alone as your purpose, power, path, and pleasure.

Lord, thank You for teaching Your people in Your kindness. Thank You for giving us songs. Thank You for giving Israel this song. Thank You for the warning that even a people with this book and this song sinned against You, so that we see how completely we need Your grace, by Your Spirit, to write Your word on our hearts and to make Your word dwell richly in our hearts. So please do that for us by Your Spirit, and give us to know You as the one living and true God, the source of all our hope and purpose, all our joy. We ask in Jesus' name.

What use do you make of Scripture songs? What are the ways in which the Lord has been good to you? How have you remembered Him in your life? In what ways have you forgotten Him? How are you responding to His displays of Himself, in your life, as the one, true, and living God?

Sample prayer: Lord, thank You for teaching us about Yourself, Your mercy, our sin, and our salvation. Forgive us for how we have forgotten You in our prosperity. Forgive us for how we have lived as if our lives were about ourselves, rather than about You. Please make us to find in You all of our purpose, all of our power, and all of our pleasure. Please use the songs of Your Word, to make that Word dwell richly in our hearts, we ask through Christ, AMEN!

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

Giving Her Love to the Beloved [2026.03.22 Evening Sermon in Song of Songs 7:9b–13]

The church delights to give Christ that which delights Him: new and old fruit in believers' lives.

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

A Stronghold in Trouble [2026.03.22 Morning Sermon in Nahum 1:7]

The LORD displays His glory in the justice of His wrath, but especially in the mercy that He shows to those whom He has chosen in love.

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

Confirmed Partaking of Christ [2026.03.22 Sabbath School in WCF 27.1.3—Hopewell 101]

Jesus tells us to take the Supper in a manner by which the Spirit confirms to us our true partaking of Him and His benefits—which that Supper represents to us.(click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson)

Delighting to Delight Jesus [Family Worship lesson in Song of Songs 7:9b–13]

What does the bride delight to do? Song of Songs 7:9b–13 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 the bride delights to produce fruit that delights her Beloved. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: The passage reveals the deep, mutual delight between Christ and His church, portrayed through intimate imagery of love, spiritual awakening, and shared mission. Central to this vision is the church’s joyful, grace-enabled ministry—evangelism, discipleship, and worship—performed not for self-gain but to fulfill Christ’s heart, delighting Him by nurturing spiritual life in the 'sleepers' and celebrating every sign of resurrection, growth, and fruitfulness. Ultimately, the church’s purpose is to reflect Christ’s glory, to be conformed to His image, and to find its deepest joy in giving Him what He delights in—His people alive, growing, and bearing fruit in His likeness.

2026.03.24 Hopewell @Home ▫ Song of Songs 7:9b–13

Read Song of Songs 7:9b–13

Questions from the Scripture text: How does the wine go down, for whom (Song of Songs 7:9b)? Whose lips does it move (verse 9c)? In what manner?  To Whom does she belong (Song of Songs 7:10a)? What is the object of His desire (verse 10b)? What does she invite Him to do (Song of Songs 7:11a)? To go where (verse 11b)? And lodge where (verse 11c)? Getting up when (Song of Songs 7:12a)? To go where? And see what (verse 12b–d, cf. Song of Songs 6:11)? What will she do, there, when these things have happened (Song of Songs 7:12e)? What give off what (Song of Songs 7:13a)? What are at their gates (verse 13b)? Of what kinds (verse 13c)? For Whom has she laid them up (verse 13d)?

What does the bride delight to do? Song of Songs 7:9b–13 prepares us for the opening portion of public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the bride delights to produce fruit that delights her Beloved. 

Desiring the Bridegroom’s Delight, Song of Songs 7:9-10. The bride delights in His delighting in her—not in the pride of her delightfulness, but in the love of giving Him delight. It is for Him. It is “for her Beloved” (Song of Songs 7:9b) that the wine goes with uprightness. “Smoothly” is a fine contextual translation, but the more literal meaning is even better, when we remember that the wine refers to the reviving, strengthening, gladdening ministry of the church.

The verb in the last part of the verse appears only here in the Hebrew Bible. Most scholarly guesses about what sort of movement it is describing come from its connection to the wine, but in the context of what has happened in the song, and the nature and purpose of wine, we get a better sense from the fact that it is doing this to “the lips of sleepers.” We have seen, in Song of Songs 3:1, Song of Songs 5:2–3, what these sleepers are. When the bride has slept, it has been an indication that she needs reviving. Now, we see that a revived church loves to delight the Bridegroom by herself being the means by which sleepers are revived. 

Here is one thing that especially delights the Lord Jesus in a church: when her ministry is such as He uses to give life to those who are spiritually dead, and to recover saints who have backslidden into a spiritual slumber.

Just as her spiritual labor is entirely unto her Beloved (Song of Songs 7:9), His desire is entirely unto her (Song of Songs 7:10). She is His delight.

Sharing the Bridegroom’s Delight, Song of Songs 7:11-12. With His eagerness to see revival in mind, she invites Him to come and watch for it with her. The exercise in Song of Songs 7:12 is one that she learned from Him, in Song of Songs 6:13, where He had described His eager watchfulness to see any signs of new growth in her, during her time of backsliding: watching for new buds (Song of Songs 7:12b), new blossoms (verse 12c), or new blooms (verse 12d). Wherever these sleepers are found—whether field (Song of Songs 7:11b), village (verse 11c), or vineyard (verse 11d)—she invites Him to look for signs of life. He delights to see the new life that He gives, and she delights to be the means of producing that new life as an expression of her love to the Bridegroom (Song of Songs 7:12e). 

She expresses action in looking for these signs of life by “going forth” (Song of Songs 7:11b). She expresses persistence in looking for these signs of life by “lodging” (verse 11c). She expresses earnest eagerness in looking for these signs of life by “getting up early” (Song of Songs 7:12a). In all of these, she is happy to share with Him in looking for signs of new life.

Multiplying the Bridegroom’s Delight, Song of Songs 7:13. From Genesis 30:14–16, we know that mandrakes (Song of Songs 7:13a) were thought to improve fertility. The idea here is that the bride is bearing fruit in the sense of child-bearing. New birth. Her spiritual fertility produces fruit (verse 13b) of all kinds. She is happy to see new life in new saints, and continued life in old saints (verse 13c). All of her ministry, to all of them, is especially for the Beloved. The church loves to multiply fruit, new and old, for Christ.

How do you enjoy, and express, delight at being Christ’s own delight? What action are you taking to see new fruit in yourselves and others? How are you persisting in that action? How are you demonstrating eagerness and diligence to see that fruit? What fruit are you laying up for Christ in your own life? And to whom are you fulfilling your duties, as a church member and a neighbor, out of a desire that fruit would be laid up for Christ?

Sample prayer:  Lord, we are amazed that Your church is Yours, and that Your desire is toward her. Come, our Beloved, and let us go now together to see new buds and blossoms of life in Your church. We are here to give You our love. By Your Spirit, produce pleasant fruits in those whom You newly convert, and in those Who older believers, of long standing. Come, and make us fruitful, so that we might lay up for You all the fruit that we can, through Christ, in Whose Name we ask it, AMEN!

Suggested songs: ARP122 “I Was Filled with Joy and Gladness” or TPH403 “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken”

Christ's Act of Obedience [Children's Catechism 45—Theology Simply Explained]

Pastor walks his children through Children's Catechism question 45—especially explaining how Christ’s obedience was not only the keeping of the written law of God, but especially the commandment to do what was necessary to bring the elect into the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ.

Q45. Whom did Christ represent in the covenant of grace? To keep the whole law for His people, and to suffer the punishment due to their sins. (click here to DOWNLOAD mp3/pdf files of this lesson) Summary of the transcript of the audio: Christ's work in the covenant of grace is defined by His perfect obedience to the entire law—moral, ceremonial, and judicial—for His people, fulfilling every commandment in His life, and culminating in His voluntary sacrifice on the cross.