“Even if I thought there was hope for me, . . .”  Ruth 1:12  JPS

Hope – What is your definition of “hope”?  Two questions might help you determine if your idea of hope comes from biblical sources or from the culture of Greek philosophy.  The first question is this:  “Is your idea of hope the projection of desired good things happening in the future?”  In other words, if you examine what you hope for, is it really just a collection of your wishes for good things for you?  If you discovered that this element is present in your idea of hope, then you are right in line with Plato.  He taught that hope is the subjective projection of our yearnings for future benefits.  Of course, these yearnings often turn out to be disappointments.  In Plato’s view, hope is like a psychological crutch.  It helps us manage contemporary difficulties by projecting a better tomorrow, but it is ultimately without real foundation.  It’s just wishing things will be better.

Examine your feelings carefully.  Perhaps there is just a hint of Plato lurking in your own definition.  You might ask yourself, “If nothing turns out the way I want it to, does that affect my idea of hope?”  If you answered, “Yes,” then Plato is your man.

Now let’s ask the second question.  “Does your idea of hope depend entirely on God’s faithfulness regardless of any present or conceivable future circumstances?”  Let’s ask the question another way.  “If none of your future expectations occur, do you still absolutely trust God and wait patiently for Him to act?”  If you find that you can answer “Yes” to these questions, then you are ready to examine the Hebrew word tiqvah.  When Naomi uses this word, she doesn’t have the projection of future desires in mind.  She is thinking about the color scarlet.  What does scarlet have to do with hope.  Frymer-Kensky points out that tiqvah is the Hebrew word meaning “thread” in the story of Rahab.  “The imagery in this idiom suggests that our life is spun out like a cord, and hope arises from the strength of that cord, representing the prospect of a viable future.”[1]  She goes on to show that hope in Hebrew thought is intimately connected with life here and now.  To have a future is to not be cut off.  To have a future is to see the continuation of your name in the lives of your offspring.  Tiqvah hope has nothing to do with getting to heaven.  It is all about having a legacy on earth.  It’s about a scarlet cord that can’t be cut.

To this we must add Paul’s comments in Romans 8.  In the Brit Chadashah, hope (the Greek is elpis) is also not about personal wish fulfillment.  It is about the absolute reliability of God, anchored in the completed evidence of Yeshua’s resurrection.  In other words, Paul teaches us that our present hope has been guaranteed by Yeshua’s finished act.  That does not mean that our wishes will come true.  It means that we can patiently wait for God to complete His purposes regardless of what happens to us.  Why can we take this attitude about our circumstances?  Because we know “that all things work together for the good.”  By the way, all things work together for the good (as defined by God), not my good.

Put Plato aside.  Our hope doesn’t depend on good things happening to us.  Our hope depends on God doing what He says He will do, “on earth as it is in heaven.”  That is why hope cannot disappoint.  That is why hope casts out fear.  It doesn’t depend on you or me, and frankly, it’s not even about you or me.  We are just along for the ride as God fulfills His purposes here.  That is red letter hope.

Topical Index:  scarlet, hope, tiqvah, Joshua 2:18, Ruth 1:12

A previous study of tiqvahin the story of Rahab can be found here.