Words of Hope

A Word Study on the Biblical Word "Hope"

Study # 27 - Hope in God's Word (Part II)

In our previous post we began looking at the six places found in Psalm 119 where the Hebrew word "yahal" is used in reference to the believer's hope in God's Word.   There we saw in verse 43 of this Psalm that the believer's confidence in God's Word leads to a bold confession of its truth.  Then in verse 49 we noted that God's Word gives the believer a cause to hope because it is a source of comfort and quickening in times of suffering. This is indeed a sustaining promise from God Himself to His people, a promise that may be confidently claimed in prayer because we have God's Word on it, and God is always true to His Word!  The best prayers are always scriptural prayers. We can plead the promises of God without a single doubt of their veracity, for God's Word is Truth.  Matthew Henry wrote: "The enemies thought to defeat the promises God had made to David, but he was sure it was out of their power; they were inviolably true, and would be infallibly performed" (emphasis mine).  And so we find the Psalmist constantly pleading the promises of God's Word and then confidently trusting God to make good on them:  "I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word" (Psalm 119:147).  The Psalmist could confidently cry out to the Lord because of His trust that what God has said is true, both now and forever:  "Thou art near, O LORD; and all thy commandments are truth. Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them forever" (vs.151,152).  "Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever" (vs.160).  We may safely trust in the truth of God's everlasting and infallible Word.  But we must also note that God's promises, though certain, are not always fulfilled in the ways we may hope for nor at the time we would prefer. We must pray with confidence but then we must wait on God in patient expectation for His timing and His will to be done:  "My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word. Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me? For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget thy statutes" (Psalm 119:81-83).  Here we are taught the lesson of continuance in our hope in God's Word, despite the prolonging of its fulfillment.  The Psalmist described himself in terms of severe distress as his waiting upon God was tested by a seemingly endless delay in God's response.  His weariness of soul and incessant longing made him feel like a leather bottle or wine skin being dried out over a slow, smoking fire!  This unpleasant waiting however was not without purpose.  God always has a benevolent and wise reason for delaying His answers to our prayers.  According to some, wine skin "bottles" were dried out in this way in order to toughen and harden them so that they would become more useful and durable.  Others explain that it was the contents of the bag that was being modified by the smokey fire in order to mellow and ripen the wine.  If this is the true figure in view, then the lesson is that while the outward man was being physically tried the inward man was being made stronger and spiritually refined.  "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day" (II Cor. 4:16).  Sometimes the greatest lessons are learned in our times of waiting upon God, but only if we spend that time continuing to trust in God and in His Word.  Delitzsch observed that "It is in the school of affliction that one first learns rightly to estimate the worth of (God's) word, and comes to feel its power."  It is also in these times that we learn to plead the promises of His Word.  C.H. Spurgeon said: "Mighty prayer has often been produced by mighty trial."  And so the Psalmist found God and His Word to be a source of spiritual strength and a place of spiritual refuge:  "Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word" (Psalm 119:114).  Adam Clarke referred to God's Word in this passage as the believer's "asylum".  A hiding place protects from danger, while a shield protects in danger.  God's Word provides solace in times of retreat and imparts strength in times of battle.  But the final passage we shall consider in this Psalm that deals with the believer's hope in God's Word speaks not of its comfort to us, but of its encouragement to others who observe this hope in our lives:  "They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word" (Psalm 119:74).  Our hope in God's Word may have a powerful impact upon those who observe us.  This is at least a part of our testimony as believers to the difference that God's grace has made in our lives.  When others see that God's Word is our hope, even in times of trial, they will be encouraged to place their hope in Him as well.  Delitzsch comments:  He prays "that he may be a consolatory example to the God-fearing - that all who fear God may see in him with joy an example of the way in which trust in the word of God is rewarded."  We simply never know who may be watching us and what influence for good or bad we may have upon those around us.  But this should be a constant concern to the Christian.  Please take a moment to look up and read these verses, all of which deal with the influence of a godly life:  Psalm 34:2,3; 35:27; 69:30-32; 107:41,42.  May our hope in God's Word be always confident and faithfully consistent so that it may provide a convincing testimony to those around us.

Words of Hope

A Word Study on the Biblical Word "Hope"

Study #26 - Hope in God's Word (Part I)

So far in our study of the Hebrew word "yahal" ( an expectant hope expressed by patient waiting and trust ) we have considered some Old Testament verses where such hope is directed toward God, and more specifically in His attribute of mercy. In this post and in the next we will attempt to look at passages in which this "yahal" hope is directed toward God's Word.  In our last study on the blessings of hope we included Psalm 130:7 which connects the believer's hope in the LORD with the resultant blessings of His mercy and plenteous redemption.  But how do we come to know of these blessings God offers to mankind except through His own Word?  And how can anyone claim to trust God and yet not trust in what He has said, that is, in His Word?  And so it is not surprising to find that prior to this statement in Psalm 130 we find these words:  "I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope" (vs.5).  Once again we note the association of "waiting" (Hebrew - qawa) with hope (Hebrew - yahal).  But now we must also see that "waiting on the LORD" is associated with "hoping in His word".  These two things are practically equivalent.  By waiting patiently for God to work or to answer our prayers we are in essence trusting Him to keep His promises and to act in accordance with what He has said He will do.  In other words, we are trusting in His Word with an expectant hope that it will be fulfilled on our behalf or on behalf of God's people, the Church.  No where is this aspect of hope in God's Word emphasized more than in Psalm 119.  In this extensive Psalm of 176 verses, God's Word is mentioned directly in every verse but five, and three of those make an indirect reference to it!  Far from being monotonous, however, this Psalm is a treasure chest full of golden gems, each displaying some shining facet of God's Holy Word.  It is a word study in itself to note all the various synonyms used to describe God's word in this Psalm:  In addition to being God's "word", it is also called His "law", "way", "testimonies", "precepts", "statutes", "commandments", "judgments", "truth", "righteousness", "faithfulness", "promises", and "ordinances".  But we will focus upon the six times in which God's Word is associated in this Psalm with the hope of the believer.  The first of these is found in verse 43 - "And take not the word of truth out of my mouth; for I have hoped in thy judgments".  Here the word "judgments" is used synonymously with the phrase "the word of truth".  God's "judgments" (mishpatim) are the judicial pronouncements of His word - His decisions concerning right and wrong, truth and error.  Thus man is accountable to follow the rules of conduct God has decreed in His Word.  By hoping in His judgments we are trusting that all of His words are the expression of His infinite wisdom and are therefore unfailingly true and trustworthy.  In this section of the Psalm, the writer is concerned about his own testimony to and open confession of the truth of God's Word.  By praying that God would not take His word of truth out of his mouth, he is asking for God's help to enable him to always speak up for the truth of God's Word: "So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word" (vs.42).  "I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed" (vs.46).  Thus we can see that confidence in the truth of God's Word is essential to a bold confession of His Word before the world.  If we are truly hoping in God's Word for ourselves, we will not hesitate to proclaim it to others.  As we noted above, it is only in the proclamations of God's Word that we find the promises of His mercy and salvation:  "Let thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even thy salvation, according to thy word" (vs.41). Only when we are fully convinced of this truth for ourselves are we enabled to boldly confess it to others, whether they are skeptics or kings!  The second of these references in Psalm 119 to the believer's hope in God's Word is found in verse 49 - "Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope".  Here "the word" takes on a very personal application to the Psalmist; it is the word "unto thy servant".  Many would agree that the Hebrew word for "word" in this verse could be translated here by the word "promise".  When we personally apply God's Word to our lives we often "claim" His words as promises to ourselves.  What God has pledged in His Word to do for His people we may boldly claim in prayer that He will do the same for us when and if it His will to do so.  Thus the Word of God, and especially the promises of His Word, give the believer cause to hope. It is God Himself that causes us to hope in His Word and encourages us to pray to Him on the basis of His own promises to His people. There is no greater foundation for prayer than the promises of God's Holy Word!  After receiving great promises from the Lord concerning the future of his dynasty, King David prayed, "Let the thing that thou hast spoken ... be established for ever, and do as thou hast said" (I Chronicles 17:23). After Ezekiel was given a great vision concerning the future restoration of Israel, God Himself conditioned its fulfillment upon the prayers of His people:  "Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them ..." (Ezekiel 36:37).  So what was the specific promise from God's word the Psalmist was "claiming" in prayer?  It was God's promise to comfort His people in times of affliction:  "This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me" (vs.50).  Truly God's Word not only gives us a cause to hope, but also gives us comfort in affliction.  When believed and applied it gives us life and power to endure life's trials that cannot be found in ourselves (it quickens us).  It is clear from reading Psalm 119 that the author was being persecuted by the wicked (some think that he may have been falsely imprisoned), but his hope in God's Word empowered him to face his foes with boldness and to trust His God for deliverance.  But more than that, God's promises to him soothed his weary soul and gave him a song in the midst of his sorrow:  "Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage" (vs.54).  C.H. Spurgeon wrote: "Within the Scripture there is a balm for every wound, a salve for every sore."  There is nothing in this world that we could ever face that hope in God's Word cannot help us patiently to endure! May the Lord help us to hope in His Word.

Words of Hope

A Word Study on the Biblical Word "Hope"

Study #25 - Blessings of Hope

In our last post we considered the conditional aspect of hope as it relates to God's mercy.  God's mercy is received upon the condition of our hope (yahal - confident trust) in Him.  This is to be understood in light of the New Testament which declares that God's saving mercy is given only to those who have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.  It is not surprising therefore to find God's mercy linked to the believer's hope in Him.  But it may be surprising to some to find that God's mercy is also connected to the believer's fear of God.  We considered this somewhat last time in relation to God's conditional blessings upon our nation as a God-fearing nation.  In two very similar statements in the Psalms we find the fear of God identified with the believer's hope in God:  "Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy" (Psalm 33:18); "The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy" (Psalm 147:11).  It is evident that in these two verses the Bible is placing the fear of the Lord side by side with hoping in His mercy.  In other words, placing our hope (confident trust) in God's mercy is at least a part of what it means to truly fear the Lord.  We might have the false idea that fearing God is counter productive to or contradictory to trusting God.  Unfortunately in our limited understanding fear and mercy seem to be mutually exclusive, but here in the Scriptures we find them to be mutually inclusive!  It is clear that modern "Christianity" does not have a healthy, much less Biblical, view of what it means to fear the Lord.  Does the average "Christian" ever concern himself with the dread of displeasing His Lord?  At the very least, the fear of God in the believer's heart should cause him to reverence Him, respectfully obey Him, and exclusively worship Him (See Deuteronomy 6:2,13-15 for example and compare our Lord's quotation in Matthew 4:10).   This should also help us understand more clearly what it means to truly place our hope in God and His mercy.  We also find in these two Psalms the blessings that accompany our fear of God as we place our hope in His mercy:  1) His watchful care - "the eye of the LORD is upon them ..." (Psalm 33:18); and 2) His loving approval - "The LORD taketh pleasure in them ..." (Psalm 147:11).  We should carefully read both of these Psalms in their entirety to find out what all of this includes.  We may simply note here that Psalm 33 speaks primarily of His protection and Psalm 147 of His provision.  But there is one more blessing connected to the believer's hope in God's mercy found in Psalm 130:7 - "Let Israel hope in the LORD; for with the LORD there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption".  Here the Psalmist is speaking of the blessing of the forgiveness of sins - the greatest gift of God's boundless mercy!  He begins by crying out to God out of the depths of his despair (vs.1).  His sin had left him in the bottom of a great pit of guilt and shame.  There all seemed to be hopeless.  There was no where to look but up, nothing to do but pray, and no where to turn but to the Lord! But then his contrition turned to confidence as he placed his hope in God - His willingness to forgive, His mercy, and His promised redemption:  "If thou, LORD, shouldest mark (keep a record of or retain) iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee ... for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities" (vs.4,7,8).  God offers to us freely the bountiful pardon of all our sins - a full and free redemption - solely on the basis of His grace and mercy - a gift that is ours for the asking, conditioned only upon the placing of our hope of salvation entirely and exclusively upon His Son, Christ Jesus the LORD.  "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:6,7).

Words of Hope

A Word Study on the Biblical Word "Hope"

Study #24 - According As We Hope

In our last study we began to look at the Biblical subject of hope in God's mercy and listed four places in the Psalms where this theme is found.  Two of these references are found in Psalm 33 - "Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy" (vs.18);  and "Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee" (vs.22).  In verse eighteen we see the connection of Biblical hope in God's mercy with the Biblical fear of God and the resultant blessing of God's watchful care.  We hope to consider these aspects of hope in our next study, but for now we want to focus upon the conditional aspect of hope expressed in verse twenty-two - "according as we hope in thee".  Rawlinson in The Pulpit Commentary states that this phrase is "emphatic" and comments that "The measure of men's hope and trust in God is the measure of his mercy and goodness to them. Those who are assured that they have a full trust in him may confidently expect a full and complete deliverance".  Likewise, Delitzsch remarks, "His holy Name is His church's ground of faith, of love, and of hope; for from thence comes its salvation. It can boldly pray that the mercy of the Lord may be upon it, for it waits upon Him, and man's waiting or hoping and God's giving are reciprocally conditioned" (emphasis mine).  I am studying this Psalm and its conditional message of hope during the week of July 4th - the celebration of our nation's independence, and so it is only natural that I am drawn to reflect upon its application to our nation's current spiritual state and need of revival.  Psalm 33 is a very patriotic psalm, and I consider myself to be a very patriotic person.  I am thankful for the spiritual legacy of many of our founding fathers and for the Christian influence they exerted in our nation's founding, yet I am greatly burdened by our nation's continual departure from its moral and biblical beginnings.  This Psalm, I believe, speaks of two ways a nation may enjoy the blessings of God's mercy.  The first part of the Psalm recognizes the general Providence of God in His creation and oversight of all that He has made.  Verse five declares:  "the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD"!  The word translated "goodness" in this verse is the Hebrew word "hesed" - God's mercy!  The whole world is full of the loving and merciful kindness of its Creator.  And so verse eight rightfully demands: "Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him".  All the nations of the earth are called upon to reverence their Creator as the Source of all blessing.  And so a nation may experience the merciful kindness of God as a God-fearing nation.  The other way is an even better and more sure way.  This is declared in verse twelve: "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD".  Here the nation of Israel was especially in view as the rest of the verse plainly states, but I believe this indicates a higher recognition of God - not just as Creator (God), but as Redeemer (LORD Jehovah).  In the New Testament sense this would speak of not just a God-fearing nation but of a Christian nation. This was certainly the case in our nation's founding.  Not everyone who came to this country and not everyone who had a part in its establishment were Christians in the strict Biblical or New Testament sense, but the vast majority were God-fearing people and many of them were true Bible believing Christians!  We can read evidence of this everywhere in the writings of the history, legal decisions, monuments, buildings, and governmental documents of America's early days.  But where does our nation stand today?  Evolution has replaced Creation in our science and schools; The Bible and prayer in the name of Jesus Christ are prohibited in public and political arenas; Abortion has replaced abstinence; Family and marriage has been redefined to cater to perversion and fornication; Alcohol and drugs have become epidemic in abuse; Pornography has become viral; Violence is commonplace; and the list goes on and on.  We are today not only a post-Christian nation, we are becoming less and less of a God-fearing nation.  How much longer can we as a nation expect God's mercy and blessing before we must face His anger and judgment?  I believe it is only the presence and prayers of God's people that are withholding the just wrath of God upon our country.  We as Christians must pray for revival in the Church and for regeneration in the hearts of the people and leaders of our land.  We can only continue to know the Lord's mercy to the extent that we hope in Him.  And our only hope in Him is by faith in the Gospel of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.