The Details

How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God. Psalm 146:5

Is In – It’s certainly commonplace for us to say we hope in the Lord, but we might be surprised to find the Jewish prayer book doesn’t render the thought this way. The same Hebrew construction (al – there is no verb here) is translated “to” rather than “in.” This is the usual translation of al. The common Hebrew expression for “in” is b’ (as in b’ re’shiyt – “in the beginning”). So, what’s the difference between “hope in the Lord” and “hope to the Lord? Or is there really any difference at all?

It doesn’t take much reflection to unpack the idea of hope in the Lord. When we speak this way, we usually have His character in mind. We think of His unfailing benevolence, His sovereignty, His trustworthiness and His constancy. All these attributes are crucial if we are going to find hope in God. We want to know our trust in Him and His plans and purposes will not be in vain. The Bible is filled with expressions of God’s reliability and they all contribute to our ability to expect that He will bring justice in the end.

But what does it mean to hope to God? The change in preposition shifts the focus from God’s attributes to our need. Essentially, the idea moves from what I expect of God to what I give over to Him. The focus of my thought is not God’s unchanging nature but rather my movement from my need to His rescue. In is a static concept. To is a concept of motion. When I hope to God, I move in His direction and He moves in mine. My hope becomes the road I travel to reach toward His care – the same road He uses to run to meet me. Do you remember the parable of the Two Sons (the Prodigal)? When the lost child walked in the direction of the father, the father ran in the direction of the son. Maybe “his hope to the Lord his God” is really an expression of action toward God rather than expectation about God. At least the prayer book seems to think it is. The sages suggest this kind of hope implies the following: if you pray and you do not receive an answer, pray again.

Why is this little change necessary? Perhaps it combats a version of Christian fatalism. You know how that goes. “God knows my needs better than I do. I prayed about them. Now it’s up to Him to do something. He’ll act if He wishes to.” This is Christian fatalism. It is without movement. God rests in His heaven. I stand my ground on earth. No point in pleading my case. He already knows what He will do. This is hope in God – hope that because He is who He is, He will do something about my circumstances.

But hope to God is unrelenting movement in His direction. I never stop asking until the answer arrives. Maybe this is what Paul had in mind (pray without ceasing). God never tires of our desire to come to Him. More often than not we stop moving toward Him. We stop wrestling all night long because we think the outcome is pre-determined. We become believers in the divine rather than pilgrims to the divine.

Topical Index: prayer, al, to, hope, Psalm 146:5