Words of Hope

A Word Study on the Biblical Word "Hope"

Study # 31 - A Beatitude of Hope

This will be our last look at the Hebrew words "sabar" and "seber" which express the idea of "looking in hope".  In our last post we ended with some of the spiritual desires found in Psalm 145 for which the believer must look to God to provide just as we and all of creation "looks" to Him for the provision of our material needs.  There we saw the nearness of God's Presence (vs.18), the hearing of our prayers (vs.19), and the granting of His protection (vs.20) as some of the promised provisions God graciously imparts to those who call upon Him, reverence Him, and love Him as expressions of our looking to Him in hope.  Psalm 146 continues this theme of "looking in hope" for God's provision with a Beatitude of Hope:  "Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God."  Here the word "hope" is the Hebrew word "seber" and the word translated as "happy" is the familiar Hebrew word "asshur" which also means "blessed".  The Psalms contain some 25 such declarations of blessedness or happiness beginning with Psalm 1:1 and ending with this one in Psalm 146.  You can easily find them with a good concordance - 18 of them begin with "blessed" in the KJV and the remaining seven with "happy" as in this verse.  Like the Beatitudes of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-12) they declare the enviable state of blessedness and true happiness possessed by those who meet God's conditions of Divine blessing.  In Psalm 146:5 the believer's "seber" hope in God is expressed by his looking to God for His help. The familiar title for God, "the God of Jacob", is in itself a reminder of the weakness of man.  Jacob was by nature a schemer (his name meant "heel grabber"), a struggler, and a sojourner, yet God in His mercy dealt with him graciously, helped him in times of trouble, and guided his life's path.  A man like Jacob needs a God like Jacob's God!  Our hope must not be in man, or ourselves - our hope must be in the  LORD our God to whom we must always look for help.  With such a God to help us, we are blessed indeed! He alone is unlimited in His power, unchanging in His verity, and eternal in His dominion:  "Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever ... The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations" (Psalm 146:6,10).  So what kind of help may we find as we look in hope to the God of Jacob?  Verses 7-9 gives us a list of just some of the ways God has been known to help His people:  He performs justice on behalf of the oppressed, provides food to the hungry, sets the prisoner free, gives sight to the blind, lifts up the fallen, shows love to the righteous, protects the traveler, relieves the helpless and thwarts the plans of the wicked.  Clearly these words can be taken in their literal sense but they may also be applied to the spiritual emancipation, salvation and protection the Lord has provided for us in His atonement.  The Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated his power to deliver fallen man from all of his physical maladies in His miracles, but His greater work was in delivering us from all of our sins through the power of the Gospel (see for example Matthew 11:5; Luke 4:18,19).  The greatest help we can receive from the Lord is the gift of eternal salvation and along with it His sustaining grace!  Our final two references speak to these very things. In Psalm 119:116 the Psalmist looks to God in hope for His sustaining grace:  "Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe ...".  The Psalmist prayed that he would not be disappointed as he looked in hope (seber) for God to uphold him and to enable him to be faithful in keeping God's commandments and statutes.  The shame and disappointment would come because of his own failure, not the Lord's.  But he was claiming in prayer God's own promise ("according to thy word") to help him and to uphold him in his spiritual life.  Matthew Henry wrote: "We stand no longer than God holds us and go no further than He carries us" adding that "Our holy security is grounded on divine supports".  It is reassuring to know that the God who sustains us is the very God who saves us!  In Psalm 119:166 we find the simple confession, "LORD, I have hoped (sabar) for thy salvation."  Many centuries before, the patriarch Jacob had made the same declaration: "I have waited (qawa) for thy salvation, O LORD" (Genesis 49:18).  Like Jacob before him, and like all who have followed, the Psalmist simply looked in hope to His God to provide his soul's salvation.  Do you have the God of Jacob for your help?  Are you looking to Him for His saving and sustaining grace? Have you answered His invitation in Isaiah 45:22?  "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Words of Hope

A Word Study on the Biblical Word "Hope"

Study #30 - Looking in Hope

In our last post we left off with four references in the Psalms in which the Hebrew words sabar and seber are translated with the English word "hope".  We noted that the root meaning of "sabar" was that of "looking" or "examining" and that these two words could therefore express the idea of a watchful hope.  One of the strongest ways we can demonstrate that we are truly hoping for something or expecting someone is to actually watch or look for them.  Of course we recognize that such "looking" is really the attitude of the heart rather than the action of the eyes.  I enjoy physically looking up into the daytime sky and thinking of my Savior's promise that He will return for His saints in the clouds one day.  But I do not have to literally "look" for Him with my eyes in order to "watch" for His Coming, nor is this a feasible or logical thing to constantly do since He has also commanded us to work or occupy until He comes!  The beloved hymnist Fanny Crosby, though physically blind from infancy, could write with profound spiritual vision these words:  "Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my Saviour am happy and blest, Watching and waiting, looking above, Filled with His goodness, lost in His love."  This is the type of looking in hope that we find expressed in the Psalms.  In faith the believer looks to God and then watches to "see" how the Lord will work.  This idea is clearly expressed in Psalm 145:15,16 - "The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing."  The word that is translated as "wait" in verse 15 is the Hebrew word "sabar" and so the marginal translation in the KJV is "look unto".  Every living thing LOOKS unto the Creator for provision even though this "looking" takes place without any conscious or rational thought about God on their part (as far as we know).  They instinctively receive God's provision in the way He has ordained for them and He never fails to provide what they need.  The Pulpit Commentary notes that "The constant supply of all living creatures with their necessary food is little less than a standing miracle". Of all of God's creatures, only man seems to worry or become anxious about the necessities of life. Worse than this is man's ability to doubt God's faithfulness in providing his needs or to complain about what God chooses to provide (or how or when!).  Still worse is man's propensity to think of himself as the source of his own wealth while totally disregarding the Lord who gave to him the ability to work, a job to go to, the health and ability to perform his labors, and the breath that keeps him alive!  James reminds us that "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights ..." (James 1:17).  The food on our table, the clothes on our back, and the roof over our head are all graciously  given unto us by our Heavenly Father. The Lord Jesus Christ taught that the God who feeds the fowls of the air and clothes the lilies of the field is the same God who will feed and clothe us even though we are of little faith (Read Matthew 6:24-34). How foolish it is to worry about such things - our Heavenly Father knows that we have need of all these things and He will graciously and faithfully provide for all our need (but not necessarily for our greed).  The providential method or means of provision may differ for each of us but the promise proves true to all who will look to God in faith.  But God's provisions go far beyond the physical necessities of this life.  Not only does He open His hand to give to us our "daily bread", He also satisfies our spiritual desires as well.  The Psalmist goes on to say: "The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them" (Psalm 145:17-19).  We must look in hope to our Savior and God for these spiritual provisions as well.  In fact these spiritual desires should take precedence over our physical necessities: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33).  May the Lord help us to look in hope to Him and then to praise Him as we watch Him provide!

Words of Hope

A Word Study on the Biblical Word "Hope"

Study #29 - A Watchful Hope

At this point in our study it might serve us well to summarize our findings thus far.  As in all word studies we are finding that the various synonyms for "hope" are all used in similar ways and with similar meanings and yet there are also various shades of meaning indicated in their different roots and in the contexts in which they are found.  And so we may propose a slight distinction in the various synonyms we have studied to this point as follows:  1) tiqwa (root idea: "a cord") = "a strong or confident hope; 2) miqweh (root idea: "a collection") = "a collective hope"; 3)yahal (root idea: "to wait") = "a patient hope"; and 4) tohelet (a derivative of yahal) = "a future hope" (in most contexts). We should also point out that all of the Hebrew words for hope we have studied thus far have a connotation of expectation and that the differences should not be pressed beyond what the context and usage indicates. The next synonym for "hope" we wish to study is the Hebrew word "sabar" and its derivative "seber" (Strong's #7663, 7664; Theological Word Book #2232).  These words also carry the basic idea of "waiting" and of "expectation" but with the added idea in some contexts of "watching" or "looking".  Strong states that "sabar" means "to scrutinize" and by implication the idea "of watching".  Gesenius in his Lexicon states that it means "to look at, to view" and adds that "the primary idea appears to be that of digging out and exploring...".  Under the word "seber" he gives the definition "to expect, to wait for (properly to look for)".  The Theological Word Book defines "sabar" as "examine" (in the Qal stem) and as "wait, hope" (in the Piel stem), and in its article on "seber" comments that "It looks abroad to that life and deliverance which alone has power to make a person safe... and happy...".  The root idea of "examining" or "scrutinizing" may be found in the use of sabar in Nehemiah 2:13,15-  "And I went out by night by the gate of the valley ... and viewed the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down ... Then I went up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall ...".  This is the word used in its most basic meaning without any connotation of "expectation" or of "hoping".  So what does "looking" have to do with "hoping"?  I have fond memories of when I was a young boy of waiting for my father to come home from work.  My expectation grew stronger as the day went by and the usual time of my father's arrival would draw near.  I remember well going to sit in front of a certain window that had a clear view of the street and of the direction from which he would be driving up to our home.  I can remember on more than one occasion my sisters joining me in this vigil of watching for daddy to come home. My hoping for his arrival led to my looking for his coming!  And so we may say that "looking" and "watching" is a strong way of expressing "hope" and "expectation".  I believe this is why we are told so many times by the Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospels to WATCH for His Return.  We are to be LOOKING for Him to come as an evidence of our HOPE of His Second Coming!  There are four times when these two words for "hope" are found in the Psalms.  We will simply list them here and will reserve our comments upon these passages in our next post, but see if you can sense the concept of a watchful hope in these verses:

Psalm 119:116 - "Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of  my hope."   

Psalm 119:166 - "LORD, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments."

Psalm 145:15 - "The eyes of all wait upon thee: and thou givest them their meat in due season."

Psalm 146:5 - "Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God."

Words of Hope

A Word Study on the Biblical Word "Hope"

Study #28- An Eschatological Hope

This is our final study on the Hebrew word "yahal" and its derivative "tohelet".  Thus far we have considered this "hope of patient waiting and trust" as it relates to the believer's hope in God, His Mercy, and His Word.  The final aspect of yahal and tohelet we shall consider has to do with the  believer's hope for salvation and the expectation of a future (and everlasting) life.  While some so called "scholars" tend to deny or downplay any statements found in the Old Testament that may possibly indicate a belief in life after death, there is no valid reason for assuming that Old Testament believers lacked any revealed knowledge of an afterlife.  It is true that the revelation they possessed was limited and that the New Testament revelation of Christ would bring "life and immortality to light through the gospel (II Timothy 1:10), but references to an eschatological hope are not completely lacking in the Old Testament Scriptures.  We have already considered Job's hope in a future resurrection in Job chapter 14 (see study #7 posted 3/11/13).  There Job said that his dead body would "wait" (yahal) in the grave until his "change" (resurrection/transformation) came at God's appointed time (Job 14:12-15).  Clearly this speaks of the eschatological hope of a future physical resurrection of the believer from the dead.  The "yahal" hope of the Old Testament saints extended beyond this life to include elements of a future deliverance and everlasting salvation.  For example, we find this prophecy in Isaiah 51:5 - "My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people; the isles shall wait (qawa) upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust (yahal)".  This is a prophecy that is clearly set in an eschatological context as verses 6-8 make plain: "Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished" (Isaiah 51:6).  This is God's own promise of eternal life to those who know and follow after righteousness (vs.1,7).  It extends beyond the physical restoration of Israel to the eternal salvation of those declared to be righteous by the Lord, including the islands of the Gentile nations - those who dwelt "in the ends of the earth", the "people from far" (see Isaiah 41:5, 42:10; 49:1), the only condition being that they placed their trust (yahal) in God's "arm" (i.e. in His power to save them).  This "yahal" hope in God's promise of eternal salvation for the righteous is placed in sharp contrast to the eternal destination of the wicked - "For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness shall be for ever, and my salvation from generation to generation" (Isaiah 51:8).  The language of this chapter is clearly reflected in the prophecies of the New Testament pertaining to the coming judgment, the new heaven and earth, the everlasting punishment of the wicked dead in hell, and the everlasting salvation granted to those who die in Christ. We may also note the words of the prophet Micah as he looked for a day when God would right the wrongs of this world and would bring salvation to His people:  "Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait (yahal) for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me" (Micah 7:7).  The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament states: "Not only does 'hope' bring relief from present problems, but also in the eschatological sense 'hope' in God's help and ultimate salvation will bring to an end all distress" (emphasis mine).  Finally we come to the Hebrew word "tohelet" which is regarded as a derivative of the word "yahal".  Here again we find that this word is also used to express the expectation of the believer of a future salvation in contrast to the lack of such a hope for the wicked:  Proverbs 10:28 - "The hope of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish".  We should also note Proverbs 11:7 - "When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth."  Once again we appreciate the comments found in the Theological Wordbook on these passages:  "This word (tohelet) may refer ... to a confidence in a future life.  In Prov10:28 the joyful tohelet of the righteous is contrasted with the no hope (tiqwa) of the wicked.  The previous verse concerns long life and sudden death so the questions of eternity are in view.  Proverbs 11:7 seems to support this idea; at death the hope of the wicked is gone... Solomon, like Job, found the resolution of the antimonies of this existence in the judgments of a future life."  And so, while we must look to the New Testament for a fuller declaration and description of the believer's future eschatological hope, it is encouraging to find that such a hope was not non-existent among the believers of the Old Testament times.  While we look back in faith upon the Savior who has come they looked ahead in faith for the Messiah to come.  But both find their eternal hope in the same place and in the same way - through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  How wonderful that this eschatological hope has been made even more certain and clear to us today through the revelation of the New Testament and the preaching of gospel of Christ!