Waiting with Hope

Isaiah 9:1–7 ESV

1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 3 You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Hope is an Essential Part of life.

Humans seek after hope like moths seek after light. It’s intrinsic to who we are. Neuroscientists Tali Sharot argues hope is so essential to our survival that it is hardwired into our brains, arguing it can be the difference between living a healthier life versus one trapped by despair.

Studies show hopeful college kids get higher GPA’s and are more likely to graduate.

Hopeful athletes perform better on the field, cope better with injuries, and have greater mental adjustment when situations change.

In one study of the elderly, those who said they felt hopeless were more than twice as likely to die during the study follow-up period than those who were more hopeful.

It’s pretty clear: hope is powerfully catalytic, and why Dr. Shane Lopez, the psychologist who was regarded as the world’s leading researcher on hope, claimed that hope isn’t just an emotion but an essential life tool.

Over a ten-year span, it turns out that the one factor most strongly predictive of suicide is not how sick the person is, nor how many symptoms he or she exhibits, nor how much physical pain he or she is suffering, nor whether the person is rich or poor. The most dangerous factor is a person sense of hopelessness. The person without hope is the likeliest person to commit suicide.

We can not exist without Hope

HOPE The confidence that, by integrating God’s redemptive acts in the past with trusting human responses in the present, the faithful will experience the fullness of God’s goodness both in the present and in the future.

NOTE: Biblical faith rests on God’s trustworthiness to keep His promises.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Words for Hope in the Old Testament

The verb קָוָה (qawah) means “to wait or to look for with eager expectation” (Hartley, קָוָה, qawah), as upon Yahweh (Holladay, “קוה, qwh”). The essential notion is that the God of Israel is reliable and worthy of His people’s trust. Trusting and hoping in Yahweh, however, is an expression of great faith. Such action on Israel’s part means “enduring patiently in confident hope that God will act decisively for the salvation of his people” (Hartley, “קָוָה, qawah”; Gen 49:18; Isa 49:23; Psa 37:9).

God has planned to give his people light again, though the timing of this is not specified. 8:17 “I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him. There is a sense of a sure hope that it is written in the past tense as something that has already happened. Believers walking in darkness can already see the great light and are sustained by hope.

I remember in elementary school we made these devices out of a paper towel tube so that we could watch the total eclipse of the sun. It was supposedly suppose to protect our eyes from looking directly at the son. Total darkness is immediately given way to immediate light. I was struck by the waiting and waiting for the sun to be covered by the silhouette of the Moon and once it was covered it immediately began to display the light from the sun. Almost as if the light from the sun could not be contained.

This is the picture we get in verse 2 “The people who have walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in deep darkness, on them has light shone.

Isaiah 8:22 ESV

22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness.

This doesn’t necessarily look like a heading for your next Christmas card does it? Isaiah 8:19-22 sets the stage for 9:1-7.

Note: Isaiah saw this prediction of darkness began to be fulfilled but, as always, we have to decide what reading of our experiences we are going to live by. This prophecy was written 700 years before Jesus birth.

BIG IDEA: Only the Light of Our Hope can push back the Darkness.

Note: The people know that they should be pushing back against the darkness and seeking God, however, they are consulting different mediums and spirits. You may say well, that was then, and this is now. I assure you that there are plenty of spirits and mediums that people are consulting today. People who were people of the Torah, the chosen people of God, knew that they should be diving deep into God and his word but, here is the Verdict.

“THE PEOPLE LOVED DARKNESS MORE THAN THE LIGHT.”

Here is the good news, God refuses to leave us where we are in the darkness. Notice my favorite word in the text again. “But” there will be no gloom.

Romans 5:2–5 ESV

2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

The Light of our Hope is in the Glory

Christian Hope is not Uncertain

God’s Glory is the object of our Hope!

Like our everyday hopes about the weather or our health; it is a joyful and confident expectation which rests on the promises of God, as we saw in the case of Abraham.

The object of our hope is the Glory of God meaning the splendor with which will in the end fully be displayed. One day the curtain will be removed and the veil lifted from all of humanity so that they will see the glory of God in it’s full display.

NOTE: Jesus coming as fully God and fully man displayed the glory of God in flesh. This is a future glory that we will see manifested in three ways.

*The Hope we have of Future Glory is an Objective hope not Subjective.

Hope in the English language conveys doubt or speculation. The word hope is many times followed by the word so. This is the answer some may give if asked if they think they will go to heaven when they die. They say, “ I Hope So.” However, this is not the meaning of the world that is translated “hope” in the Bible.

The Old Hebrew word Batah resonates the meaning of confidence, security, and being without care; therefore, the concept of doubt is not part of this word. Possible the best verse to identify hope in scripture is Hebrews 11:1

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

This carries with it the sound and feeling of a confident assurance or hope in God. So, the object of our Hope is Jesus Christ. As believers we are also commanded to give an answer for the hope that is within us to anyone who asks. 1 Peter3:15

1 Peter 3:15 ESV

15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

So, Biblical Hope is an assured reality not a feeling. Biblical hope carries not doubt. This is the foundation on which we base our whole lives that God is trustworthy and true in every way.

1)Jesus Christ himself will appear with great power and glory.

All of creation is waiting with eager expectation for the day of Christ’s revealing, when the veil of heaven will be pealed back and Jesus Christ will return in all of His glory. There will be no mistaking the return of the king.

Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings

Tolkien describes Aragorn as someone that none of us would really be attracted to. As Tolkien would put it, “All that is gold does not glitter" (Fellowship of the Ring ch.10). This sounds very familiar to a passage of scripture that describes Jesus: Isaiah 53:2

Furthermore, in Return of the King, Aragorn dies a figurative death when he enters the Path of the Dead to summon the deceased traitors of the mountain to fulfill their ancient oath and fight for Gondor. Though Aragorn himself did not die, he willingly entered into a world in which the line between life and death is very blurred. Moreover, being surrounded by ghosts, darkness, evil, skulls, and other symbols of death emphasizes Aragorn’s metaphorical death. Once Aragorn emerges from the dark Path of the Dead, he leads his newfound army of the dead to liberate Gondor from the forces of darkness.

Upon the fall of Sauron, flight of Sauron’s armies, and Aragorn's healing of the people of Gondor, Aragorn is crowned king with much praise and exaltation. His coronation signaled the restoration of the ancient Kingdom of Gondor and began a time of unparalleled peace.

The Christ symbolism of Aragorn largely draws from the Jesus of Revelation. In Christian theology, Jesus Christ is going to return to the world and rescue all those who have faithfully served God. When Jesus returns, the book of Revelation describes Jesus as a warrior much like Aragorn:

Remember that the first time Jesus came he appeared as the Lamb being led to slaughter, which many saw as week an unappealing.

Look at the Description now of the return of the King.

Revelation 19:11–13 ESV

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.

Isaiah 9:5 ESV

5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.

“For every boot of the warrior that tramps noisily, and the cloak rolled in blood, rolled for burning.”

Note: All military acts will be committed to the flames, that the reign of peace and justice may commence.

Isaiah 2:4 ESV

4 He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

2) We will not only see His glory but be changed into it.

Note: We will not only see his glory but we will be changed into it, so that he will ‘be glorified in his holy people.’ Then redeemed human beings, who were created in the first place to be ‘the image and glory of God.’ Remember to be made in the image of God means that you were created to reflect His glory.

Romans 8:17 ESV

17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

3) All of creation will be liberated from it’s bondage of decay.

Romans 8:21 ESV

21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

The renewed Universe will be displayed with the Creators Glory. All this is included in the glory of God and is therefore the object of our sure hope.

*The hope we have of future glory is powerful motivation for our present duty.

Note: The fruits of our justification relate to the past, present and future hope. So, what is our present duty as his creation, to wait with an objective hope, not merely a subjective idea of hope. The hope we rest in is an active hope.

We have peace with God (our past forgiveness).

We are standing in His Grace (our present privilege).

We rejoice in the hope of glory (our future inheritance)

2. The Light of our Hope is in the Suffering

Note: The sufferings that Paul speaks of can also be translated as tribulations. These are not what we sometimes call trials and tribulations of our earthly existence, meaning our aches and pains, fears, frustrations and disappointments. These are specifically pressures referring to the opposition and persecution of a hostile world. These are sufferings that Christians must expect from a sin soaked hostile world that we currently live in as a part of the human race.

“Remember that Jesus promised His disciples that in the world they would have trouble, but that he had overcome the world. Jesus expects his followers to go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God before he returns.”

Cultural Problem

“We do not anticipate that we will have to go through suffering and struggles for being a Christian. We all get our fallen state of physical health and problems left by the fall, however, we tend to have resigned ourselves to believe that we are not going to face suffering for the sake of Christ.

What attitudes should Christians adopt to such “tribulations?”

We are to rejoice in Suffering

Note: This is far different from just stiffening our upper lip and plowing ahead. This is also not masochism, finding pleasure in pain. It is rather the recognition that there is a divine rationale behind suffering.

1) Suffering is the one and only path to glory.

This was the way it was for Christ; it is so for Christians. As Paul will soon express it, we are co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory’ (8:17). That is why we are to rejoice in them both. Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ.” Romans 12:1 “I am to present my body as a living sacrifice.”

2) Suffering leads to glory in the end.

Suffering can be a productive thing if we respond to it in the right way, and not with anger and bitterness. Notice that in every generation suffering has produced perseverance, without suffering there would be nothing to endure. Perseverance produce Character, and then Character produces hope.

3)Suffering is the best context for understanding God’s Love.

Cultural Context: Many people will doubt this to be true, since it is suffering which makes many doubt God’s love. But consider Paul’s argument. He has traced the sequence of chain reaction from tribulation to perseverance, from perseverance to character, and from character to hope. Now he adds that HOPE will not DISAPPOINT us, and never will.

It will never betray us by proving to be an illusion, the hope we have is not a fantasy, or made up fairy tale.

HOW DO WE KNOW THIS?

WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE GROUND ON WHICH OUR CHRISTIAN HOPE RESTS, OUR HOPE OF GLORY?

It is the steadfast Love of God.

“The reason our hope will never let us down is that God will never let us down.”

How can we be sure of God’s love for us?

To be sure every child finds the love of his or her parents indispensable to the healthy emotional development of a child. To be sure of the love of a spouse or a friend is marvellously conductive to human fulfillment.

To be sure God’s love brings even richer blessings. It is the major secret of all:

JOY, PEACE, FREEDOM, CONFIDENCE and SELF-RESPECT.

3. The Light of our Hope is in the Love

“because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”

NOTE: This is the great hope that will not put us to shame, what does it mean to experience shame?

Shame: We experience shame when we feel like a bad person and regret something that we have done. This is a self-conscious feeling associated with a negative evaluation of the self which leads to withdrawal and feelings of distress.

The Bible teaches about a conscience that has been seared by the world. The Conscience is the God given moral compass within each of us. If the conscience is seared it is literally cauterized meaning it has been rendered insensitive. Such a conscience does not work properly; its as if spiritual “scare tissue” has built up and dulled our senses.

The Hope that will disappoint has had the scar tissue torn away and experiences to the full the love of Christ that has been richly poured out on us. Notice in 1 Timothy 4:1-2 it tells us that in later times some will abandon the faith and allow deceiving spirits and hypocritical teaching to place doubts of apostacy into their lives.

1 Timothy 4:1–2 ESV

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,

We know John 3:16 and maybe even John 3:17 but read further to John 3:19-21.

John 3:19–21 ESV

19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Do You Love the Light?

Cultural Problem:

Human beings long for intimate relationships. We all spend a lifetime developing these close friendships and relationships and share with them things that we would never share with anyone else. Marriage obviously is the closest of all human relationships, and typically we tell our spouse things that we would not even tell a close friend.

Although we reach such an intimate level of relationship with our spouses and close friends that we do not reach with anyone else, we still do not tell them everything. We have dark thoughts that we hide, sinful desires that we never bear fruit in deeds but that we share with no one else.

With Romans 5:5 in our minds that the Hope we have in Christ Jesus does not but us to shame. Do you love the Light? If we love the light and trust in Christ, we will confess these hidden things to Him because we know that this is what it means to love the light of His truth. Having been exposed to the light of His Grace. This is the light in Isaiah 9 that has now been shown on all of creation.

If we choose to remain in the darkness then we cannot truly say we love the light. Without the light of the world coming to shine the light of His grace on his creation we would want no part of the light. He has to first grant us new birth before we believe.

R.C. Sproul wrote, “It is against the nature of a child of darkness to come to the light because he knows the light represents exposure and humiliation.”

We cannot blame God for unbelief; rather, Scripture is clear that those who remain in darkness stay there because they love the darkness more than the light.

Note: Here is the paradox of God’s love in verse 6 “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ does for the ungodly.” The fact that God would choose to justify the ungodly by the brutal murder and death of His son is hard for us to wrap our minds around.

verses 7 begins to flesh out who would be worthy to have such a sacrifice given, possibly someone who is good and righteous, however Paul reminds us in Romans 3:10 that no one is righteous.

verse 8 “but” there is that word again, “but” God shows His love for us in while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

So How does God prove His Love?

Which by the way He does not have to do.

Note: Human beings can be very generous in giving to those they consider worthy of their affection and respect.

However this is what set’s God’s love apart from all human love. This is the unique majesty of God’s love in the combination of 3 Factors. Namely that when Christ died for us God:

Ephesians 2:4–5 ESV

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

He Gave Himself

Note: Great Love this phrase is used only here in the New Testament. Lit it sink into your soul. God loves his own with a “great love.” This great love now moves God to make us alive in Christ.

Subjected Himself to the sin-bearing horrors of the Cross.

Doing so for His undeserving enemies.

What should we do with the Hope we have been given?

1 Peter 1:3 ESV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Hope is not a passive thing for believers, as Peter expounds it is a living Hope. The living hope comes through the Holy Spirit that has been poured out into your life.

*Hope needs to be lived Out!

Cultural Problem: Many believers today fail to engage and actively live in the Hope that they have been given.

Peter states that it is the “new birth” that provides our living hope, affirming that Salvation is a gift from God. Just as an infant does nothing to be born, we experience re-birth not because of anything that we have done to deserve it. We are born of God through Jesus resurrection from the dead. Salvation changes who we are, 2 Cor. 5:17 making us dead to sin and alive to Christ and His righteousness.

This new birth serves as the reason for our great Hope.

The Greek term for “hope” in this passage means “an eager, confident expectation.” The hope of the believer is not only living but lively, full of action and activity. Unlike the empty dead hope of this world, “living hope,” is energizing, alive and active in the soul of a believer.

Have you ever been around a believer who is just infectious in a good way. Their energizing spirit that is not put on or fake it is a real living hope. How are you living out the great Hope you have been given?

The object of our living hope is described in 1 Peter 1:4

1 Peter 1:4 ESV

4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,

God guards and preserves this hope inside of each and every one of us.

Hebrews 6:19 ESV

19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,

We now have a steady anchor for our Soul.

CLOSING