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.