Words of Hope

A Word Study on the Biblical Word "Hope"

We have looked briefly at the first of the Hebrew synonyms for the word "hope" as found in the Old Testament, and have considered its root meaning of a "cord" which implies something "strong enough to place confidence in".  Now we want to begin looking at some of the scriptures where this word is found.  Using Strong's Concordance we can find 21 references where the Hebrew word tiqwa is translated by the English word "hope" in the King James Version of the Bible.  Interestingly, this word is found most often in the Book of Job (12 times), a book not usually associated with the concept of hope!  We will list them here so that you may read them for yourself:  Job 4:6; 5:16; 7:6; 8:13; 11:18,20; 14:7,19; 17:15 (twice); 19:10; and 27:8.  (You will find the word "hope" three other times in the book, but three different Hebrew words are used in these verses:  Job 6:11; 8:14; and 31:24.)  Even a casual reading of these twelve verses in their contexts reveals the emotional roller coaster of Job's experience in dealing with his inexplicable sufferings - there is a constant vacillation between hopelessness and hopefulness.  As Job looks at his circumstances he feel hopeless (7:6; 14:19; 17:15; 19:10), but as he looks to God with the expectation of future vindication and even resurrection, he finds hope!  Even his misguided friends encourage him in the beginning of their counsel that he could be hopeful of restoration if only he would be willing to admit his sins and come clean with God.  (Which would have been good advice if only Job's suffering had been caused by some sin in his life, which as we know, and as Job knew, was not the case.  They had the right doctrine, but were making the wrong application.)  In fact, the three most positive statements concerning hope come from the mouths of Job's friends!  We will consider the first of these as found in Job 4:6 -  "Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?"  Here Eliphaz reminds Job that he had counseled others in the past and had effectively encouraged them in their sufferings.  And so it would seem that Job should have had the inward resources  to comfort himself now that he was suffering (see vs. 4,5).  Indeed, according to Eliphaz, Job should be confident (yet another synonym for hope) because of his fear (i.e. his reverence for God), and should have hope because of the uprightness of his ways (i.e. the spiritual integrity of his life and testimony).  As an innocent man he would not perish, and as a righteous man he would not be cut off by the Lord (see vs. 7).  In other words, our relationship to God (reverence and piety) is a strong basis for confidence and hope despite our outward suffering or circumstances!  It is made equally clear, however, that there is no hope for the wicked or the hypocrite!  Job 8:13 - "So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish."  Job 11:20 - "But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost."   Job 27:8 - "For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?"   And so the all important question is this:  Do you have confidence in your relationship with God?  Do you have hope because your heart is right with Him?  If not, you can begin a personal relationship with God today by trusting the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.  Faith in Christ is the foundation of a personal relationship with God, a life of true hope.  It is a firm confidence that our sins are forgiven and our souls have been made clean in the shed blood of the Lamb of God, so that we will not perish in our sins, but will have everlasting life in Him (John 3:16).