Words of Hope

A Word Study on the Biblical Word "Hope"

Study #8 - "Hope in our Old Age"

In a previous study we had stated that there were 21 references in the Old Testament where the Hebrew word "tiqwa" was translated by the English word "hope".  Upon further review, we have now identified at least three more, for a total of 23.  We have spent the last three studies looking at the 12 occurrences of this word in the Book of Job.  The remaining eleven references may be grouped together under the following three themes:  1)  Hope remaining in our old age - Ruth 1:12; Psalm 71:5;  2) Hope for the reformation of the erring (whether children or fools!) - Proverbs 19:18; 26:12; 29:20; and  3) Hope for the future restoration of Israel (the largest of the three themes) - Jeremiah 31:17; Lamentations 3:29; Ezekiel 19:5; 37:11; Hosea 2:15; Zechariah 9:12.  In keeping with the root meaning of this Hebrew word for "hope" we have consistently observed that a true hope must be grounded in something or someone strong enough to have confidence in.  A hope that is unsubstantial is not really a hope at all!  This point is again illustrated by the two references dealing with hope during one's old age.  Ruth 1:12 provides a stark contrast with Psalm 71:5.  In the Book of Ruth we find hope temporarily eclipsed, but in the Psalm we find hope continually expressed.  Both are statements made by individuals in their senior years.  First we find Naomi whose hope has been temporarily eclipsed by the shadow of her suffering:  "Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband.  If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also tonight, and should also bear sons; would you tarry for them till they were grown?" (Ruth 1:12,13).  Naomi had lost sight of any hope because she was looking only at her circumstances:  She had lost her husband and her sons; She was too old to have another husband; and time was too short to produce more sons for her widowed daughters-in-law.  While we can certainly sympathize with Naomi in her sufferings, we are still somewhat shocked by her self-expressed bitterness:  "It grieveth me much (literally - I have much bitterness) for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me" (1:13);  "Call me not Naomi (meaning "pleasant"), call me Mara (meaning "bitter"): for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?" (1:20,21).  Someone has said that sufferings should make a Christian better, not bitter!  But Naomi by her own admission was the very personification of bitterness!  She was bitter and her hope was eclipsed because she could not see beyond her circumstances.  It is said that John Wesley was once trying to help a fellow Christian who had fallen into depression and doubt.  As they were talking, Wesley pointed out a cow standing nearby looking over a stone fence.  He asked the question, "Do you know why that cow is looking over that stone wall?" And then he provided the answer: "Because she cannot see through it!"  Naomi could only see darkness before her and was not looking above to the God who had already provided a blessing beyond her limited perception.  The rest of the story reveals the restoration of her hope through the provision of a kinsman redeemer who would in time to come place her and her daughter-in-law Ruth into the very lineage of the Messiah!  This blessing would indeed come from the very God she had been so embittered against:  "Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman ... and he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age ..." (Ruth 4:14,15).  And so once again we find that the placement of our hope is critical.  Our hope must never be in our circumstances but in our Sovereign God!  Just saying "I have hope" (Ruth 1:12) doesn't make it so.  Our bitterness must turn to believing, and our hope must look beyond our circumstances and above ourselves.  We will see this expressed most fully in our next study on Psalm 71.