A History of Hope
They who sow in tears in glad song will reap. Psalm 126:5 Robert Alter
In tears – Don’t take this verse out of context. Read the whole psalm. David clearly writes about the historical circumstances of Israel. The nation has suffered. For centuries it has been afflicted by others. Now he summarizes Israel’s perspective. Suffering today brings joy tomorrow. In fact, were it not for hope in the Lord, Israel would expire.
This psalm is about 3000 years old. Look back over the history of Israel and ask yourself, “When did the nation sing that glad song?” They’ve sown plenty of tears. Centuries of rivers from the eyes. But when did they experience the promised prosperity, the joy of the Lord, the acknowledgement of other nations that these are God’s chosen people? Can I be bold enough to answer, “Never”? Israel’s entire history is overwhelmingly a history of sorrow, of affliction, and of persecution. Yet even today the people of God read this psalm with hopeful breath. Frankly, it seems impossible. After thirty centuries of sowing tears, you would think the myth of prosperity would unravel. Who could possibly pretend that the promise is real after so many generations have been piled in the graveyards?
Scholars have asked how the Qumran community managed to maintain its apocalyptic outlook for nearly three hundred years. If you preach the end of the age, people expect the end of the age. You can’t keep delaying and delaying, generation after generation, and expect the message to maintain its appeal. Three hundred years of “the end is near” seems to be evidence that the end isn’t near. But rather than query Qumran about this particular phenomenon, perhaps we should ask how Israel itself could continue to validate David’s hope after 3000 years. Or for that matter, how can the Christian Church maintain its claim of the return of the Messiah after 2000 years? “Hope springs eternal” isn’t very comforting. The world sinks into misery. Evil raises its head unchallenged. We all want it to be over. And yet . . .
I wish I could provide an answer but even in my short lifetime I’ve heard multiple predictions of the end—all failures. I wish I could read David’s words and proclaim their truth. “Yes, God showed up and we lived in His grace.” How I wish I could say things like that! But the reality is much harsher—and terrifying. Solomon followed David and Israel knew international peace (but not so much internally). From that point on the nation’s history seems to be one of conflict and suffering. Who’s fault it is isn’t the point. The point is that thirty centuries later Israel still hopes. And so do we. What is it about humanity that recognizes the nightmare of history and still clings to a promise from Heaven? Is it the occasional personal validation of God’s gracefulness? Is it the infrequent victories of the righteous? Or is it something else, some paradigm commitment that can’t be altered because if it were the whole house would fall? If I look inside myself, I discover this truth: should I let go of the promise, life would have little purpose. Perhaps that’s it. Perhaps we hope because it’s impossible not to, no matter how long we’ve waited.
Topical Index: hope, sow, reap, sorrow, history, Psalm 126:5
Again, the hope of Israel… that is to say, the genuine hope of the people of Israel in the promises of their God, YHVH… does not come from within themselves. Rather, it comes to them from above by a Spirit of hope that is concretely grounded both within and upon the history of this God’s self-revelation and his promise (i.e., his Word); a Word of God is that is affirmed and confirmed by his mighty acts and works that are shown in the midst of those whom he calls to be his people. This is Israel’s testimony of witness, found in their scriptures.
And although this revelation and its affirmation was centered in the midst and among the people of Israel, it was extended from that center stage among them to include not only Israel, but all the nations of mankind. This why Jesus’ own disciple and Apostle, Simon/Peter, was confused and shaken to very depths of the darkness of his own being when his Lord (Master/Rabbi)— whom Peter believed was Ha Meshiach (Cf. Mark 8:29)— submitted to trial and conviction by Israel’s religious leadership, and then was given over to a cursed one’s death by being hung upon a tree… moreover, as an execution at the hands of the Gentiles on their cross of crucifixion.
Yet Peter also bears witness to the supernal affirmation of Jesus’ own testimony… Jesus’ being raised from among the dead… yet again now alive and present to him and also all his other disciples who also testify as witnesses to this unbelievable and miraculous supernal work of God manifested in the center stage of Israel’s history and experiences. Moreover, Peter leaves us with this testimony as to the reason for Israel’s persisting, abiding hope… and ours as well:
“Now, dear friends, do not let this one thing escape your notice, that one day with the Lord is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day. The Lord is not delaying the promise, as some consider slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not want any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will disappear with a rushing noise, and the celestial bodies will be destroyed by being burned up, and the earth and the deeds done on it will be disclosed. Because all these things are being destroyed in this way, what sort of people must you be in holy behavior and godliness, while waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by being burned up and the celestial bodies will melt as they are consumed by heat! But according to his promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness resides.”
(2 Peter3:8-13)