Hope
The hope of Israel
Zechariah wrote: “As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have
sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein is no water. Turn you to the
strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare that I will render
double unto thee” (9:11,12). We are all born as prisoners of sin and death.
Yet, through the blood of Christ, the blood of the new covenant, we can have
hope of being released from this prison.
The Hebrew in Zechariah 9:12 is literally, “the hope”. There is only
“one hope” (Eph. 4:4)[1].
It is “the hope of the gospel” (Col. 1:23)[2].
Paul called it “the hope of Israel” (Acts 28:20)[3].
For this hope, he says, he was bound by a chain. He truly was a prisoner of the
hope. Paul said to Agrippa, “And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the
promise made of God unto our fathers” (26:6)[4].
The promises made to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob formed the basis for his hope.
Abraham provides a prime example of a man who hoped for that time when the
promises would be fulfilled: “Who against hope believed in hope, that he might
become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall
thy seed be” (Rom. 4:18)[5].
Unlike the blessings of the Law, these promises are based on
justification by faith and not perfect obedience to the works of the Law. Also,
they will last for ever. They are therefore “better promises” (Heb. 8:6)[6].
The “hope of the promise” is therefore a “better hope” (7:19)[7].
Hope of eternal life
The “one hope” is described in various other ways:
• the hope of righteousness (Gal. 5:5)[8]
• the hope of glory (Col. 1:27)[9]
• the hope of salvation (1 Thess. 5:8)[10]
• the hope of eternal life (Tit. 3:7; cf. 1:2)[11].
All these different descriptions relate to the time when the Kingdom
will be restored to Israel. The hope of true believers is that they will one
day share in that time when the earth will be full of righteousness and the
glory of God, and when they will have salvation from sin and death through the
gift of eternal life. Hope is therefore vital for salvation. As Paul says: “For
we are saved by hope” (Rom. 8:24)[12].
The hope is a living hope made possible by the resurrection of Christ: “Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Which according to His abundant
mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead” (1 Pet. 1:3)[13].
David wrote, “my flesh also shall rest in hope” (Ps. 16:9)[14].
Peter quoted this and showed that it applied to Christ: “moreover also my flesh
shall rest in hope” (Acts 2:26)[15].
In the psalm the Hebrew for “hope” has the sense of ‘confidently’ (see AV
margin) or ‘safely’. Christ’s hope was based on the confidence that God would
resurrect him from the dead. He had this hope and trust in God even as a child:
“But Thou art He That took me out of the womb: Thou didst make me hope when I
was upon my mother’s breasts” (Ps. 22:9)[16].
The God of hope
The importance of hope is shown by Paul when he says
that God is “the God of hope” (Rom. 15:13)[17].
We should “have hope toward God” (Acts 24:15)[18]
and our “hope” should be “in God” (1 Pet. 1:21)[19].
How we can have hope
By definition, hope involves things we cannot yet see: “but hope that is
seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we
hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it” (Rom. 8:24,25)[20].
We therefore need patience, or endurance, if hope is to develop. This endurance
of hope must continue at all times, and requires effort on our part: “Wherefore
gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace
that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:13)[21].
And so hope will come with experience: “patience [worketh] experience; and
experience, hope” (Rom. 5:4)[22].
Proverbs 13:12 sums up what it is like for believers as they wait for
the hope of eternal life to come to pass: “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick:
but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life”.[23]
Yet hope comes not just from experience. Our hope is based on the Word
of God: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our
learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have
hope” (Rom. 15:4)[24].
The hope is from heaven, and we can only find out about it from God’s revealed
Word: “the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in
the word of the truth of the gospel” (Col. 1:5)[25].
When we hear the Word of God we should have faith (Rom. 10:17)[26].
This faith provides a firm underlying basis for hope: “Now faith is the
substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1)[27].
The effect of hope
The hope of Israel should cause us to rejoice:
• “rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom. 5:2)[28]
• “rejoicing in hope” (12:12)[29]
• “the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end” (Heb. 3:6)[30].
The hope has a purifying effect upon the believer: “Beloved, now are we
the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that,
when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And
every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1
Jo. 3:2,3)[31].
We should preach the hope of Israel to others and we should be prepared
to explain to others the reasons why we have this hope: “sanctify the Lord God
in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh
you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Pet. 3:15)[32].
Hope is an important part of the love of God, for love “hopeth all
things” (1 Cor. 13:7)[33].
That is, all the things that God has promised, we should hope for. Yet,
although hope is vital, it is not as important as love: “And now abideth faith,
hope, charity [love], these three; but the greatest of these is charity [love]”
(v. 13)[34].
Israel and their hope
When the invasion of Israel by Gog takes place, the
nation of Israel will think all hope is lost: “Then He [God] said unto me, Son
of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones
are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts” (Ezek. 37:11)[35].
Yet, in the mercy of God, the Lord Jesus Christ will deliver them, and then,
with Paul, they will say that God and the Lord Jesus Christ are “our hope” (1
Tim. 1:1)[36].
- by The Testimony Magazine, 26 Tiercel Avenue,
Norwich NR7 8JN
[1] “There is one body, and one
Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;” (Eph 4:4 AV)
[2] “If ye continue in the faith
grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel,
which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is
under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;” (Col 1:23 AV)
[3] “For this cause therefore have I
called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that
for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.” (Ac 28:20 AV)
[4] “Now I stand here to be judged for
the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,” (Ac 26:6 HNV)
[5] “Who in hope believed against hope,
to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that
which had been spoken, "So will your seed be."” (Ro 4:18 HNV)
[6] “But now he has obtained a more
excellent ministry, by so much as he is also the mediator of a better covenant,
which on better promises has been given as Torah.” (Heb 8:6 HNV)
[7] “(for the law made nothing
perfect), and a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to
God.” (Heb 7:19 HNV)
[8] “For we, through the Spirit, by
faith wait for the hope of righteousness.” (Ga 5:5 HNV)
[9] “to whom God was pleased to make
known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which
is Messiah in you, the hope of glory;” (Col 1:27 HNV)
[10] “But let us, since we belong to the
day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and, for a helmet,
the hope of salvation.” (1Th 5:8 HNV)
[11] “that, being justified by his
grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Tit 3:7
HNV)
[12] “For we were saved in hope, but
hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for that which he sees?” (Ro 8:24
HNV)
[13] “Blessed be the God and Father of
our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who according to his great mercy became our father
again to a living hope through the resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah from the
dead,” (1Pe 1:3 HNV)
[14] “Therefore my heart is glad, and my
tongue rejoices. My body shall also dwell in safety.” (Ps 16:9 HNV)
[15] “Therefore my heart was glad, and
my tongue rejoiced. Moreover my flesh also will dwell in hope;” (Ac 2:26 HNV)
[16] “But you brought me out of the
womb. You made me trust at my mother’s breasts.” (Ps 22:9 HNV)
[17] “Now may the God of hope fill you
with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, in the power
of the Holy Spirit.” (Ro 15:13 HNV)
[18] “having hope toward God, which
these also themselves look for, that there will be a resurrection of the dead,
both of the just and unjust.” (Ac 24:15 HNV)
[19] “who through him are believers in
God, who raised him from the dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith and
hope might be in God.” (1Pe 1:21 HNV)
[20] “24 For we were saved in hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For
who hopes for that which he sees? 25 But if we hope for that which we
don’t see, we wait for it with patience.” (Ro 8:24-25 HNV)
[21] “Therefore, prepare your minds for
action, be sober and set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to
you at the revelation of Yeshua the Messiah––” (1Pe 1:13 HNV)
[22] “and perseverance, proven
character; and proven character, hope:” (Ro 5:4 HNV)
[23] “Hope deferred makes the heart
sick, but when longing is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.” (Pr 13:12 HNV)
[24] “For whatever things were written
before were written for our learning, that through patience and through
encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Ro 15:4 HNV)
[25] “because of the hope which is laid
up for you in the heavens, of which you heard before in the word of the truth
of the Good News,” (Col 1:5 HNV)
[26] “So faith comes by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God.” (Ro 10:17 HNV)
[27] “Now faith is assurance of things
hoped for, proof of things not seen.” (Heb 11:1 HNV)
[28] “through whom we also have our
access by faith into this grace in which we stand. We rejoice in hope of the
glory of God.” (Ro 5:2 HNV)
[29] “rejoicing in hope; enduring in
troubles; continuing steadfastly in prayer;” (Ro 12:12 HNV)
[30] “but Messiah is faithful as a Son
over his house; whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the
glorying of our hope firm to the end.” (Heb 3:6 HNV)
[31] “2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed
what we will be. But we know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him;
for we will see him just as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope set
on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.” (1Jo 3:2-3 HNV)
[32] “But sanctify the Lord God in your
hearts; and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason
concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear:” (1Pe 3:15 HNV)
[33] “bears all things, believes all
things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1Co 13:7 HNV)
[34] “But now faith, hope, and love
remain––these three. The greatest of these is love.” (1Co 13:13 HNV)
[35] “Then he said to me, Son of man,
these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are
dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.” (Eze 37:11 HNV)
[36] “Paul, an emissary of Messiah
Yeshua according to the commandment of God our Savior, and Messiah Yeshua our
hope;” (1Ti 1:1 HNV)
