"Hope, in the world's phrase, refers only to an uncertain good, for all worldly hopes are tottering, built upon sand..." Matthew Henry
Where is Job's Hope?
When Job answers one of his so-called friends who is making unjust accusations against him in Job 17:13-16, he says,
"If I wait for the grave as my house, If I make my bed in the darkness, If I say to corruption, ‘You are my father,’ And to the worm, ‘You are my mother and my sister,’ Where then is my hope? As for my hope, who can see it? Will they go down to the gates of Sheol? Shall we have rest together in the dust?”
In the midst of Job's suffering he can see only death looming before him. He has lost hope and his "friends" are not helping.
Job Abounds in Hope
And yet in Job 19: 25-27, Job remembers again where his hope lies. He remembers why he has hope when he says that he knows that his Redeemer lives. We have all had those moments when our faith wavers, when hope seems lost to us. Tragedy does things to a person. In James 5:11, James tells us that Job is an example of perseverance during trials. We are reminded of Jesus's mercy and compassion towards him. We know that Job is counted as blessed because he endured.
Perseverance of Hope
In 1 Thessalonians 1:3, Paul talks about the, "perseverance of hope". Hope in the Bible does not mean some "uncertain good" as Matthew Henry put it. The Hebrew word for hope is qawa. This can be translated as trust. We trust our God is good, that He is just, that He is love, and that He is full of compassion and lovingkindness. The Hebrew word also often carries with it a sense of expectancy, of waiting for suffering and injustice to end and God's grace to abound.
Hope for the Messiah
The Old Testament looks with hope, trust and expectancy towards the coming of the Messiah. The New Testament fulfills that hope and teaches us to continue to hope for His return. As Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:1, "Christ Jesus our Hope". Without Him and His sacrifice on the cross there would be no hope.
Hope for Eternal Life
Faith, hope and love we are told in 1 Corinthians 13:13 abide. All three are part of living a life abiding in Christ. In Colossians, Paul tells us that the reason we have faith and love is , "because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven" (Colossians 1: 5). What is the hope he refers to? It is salvation and eternal life purchased for us by the Cross.
A Defense Against Falling Away
In 1 Thessalonians 1:3, Paul commends the church saying that he is always mindful of ,"your work of faith and labor of love and perseverance of hope". When we can keep hold of our hope, even in dark times, it will be a defense against falling away. What a blessing we would have, and be to others, if the same things could be said of each of us.
Hope Fills Us With Joy and Peace
Paul tells us in Romans 15:13,
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
The hope of God fills us with joy and peace. These are the fruits of the Spirit given to us by His power in our lives. These are gifts of God that we may use to show others His love. When the world sees us rejoicing in times of darkness, when the world sees us at peace when tragedy abounds, they see the difference that the Holy Spirit makes in our lives. We don't face the world alone and with no hope. As the old hymn says,
"My hope is nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness"
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