"The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore I will hope in Him."
Lam. 3:24
"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord
Jesus Christ, our hope." 1 Tim. 1:1
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life."
Prov. 13:12
In today's world, so much is said and done, and even taught, in order to try to destroy the hope in men's hearts. But the word of God tells us to hope-not just to hope in anything, or anyone, but to hope in Him. The word "hope" in scripture is described by twelve different Hebrew words. Twelve is the number of God's government and authority. Each of these meanings of the word hope gives us a facet of the power and importance of the living hope inside each one of us.
The first use of the word "hope" is in the Book of Ruth. How much Ruth needed to hold fast to the hope she had received when she learned about the God of her Hebrew inlaws. This word is "Tikvah". It is the kind of hope that binds and fastens like a rope. It is about tying something together for strength. Ruth ties herself to her God, and His people:
"Entreat me not to leave you,
Or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.
Where you will die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
The LORD do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me."
Ruth 1:16-17
How Ruth's life, and all history, were changed by this hope.
The second meaning of hope in scripture is "Mikvah", found in the Book of Ezra.
This hope includes a meaning of a collection, a congregation, a gathering, a host, a company. Ezra begins a re-awakening of the returned captive exiles, from a group of toilers, to a congregation of God, whose hope in Him withstood the lies and plots of the enemies around them. He came to Jerusalem "according to the good hand of his God upon Him, having prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel (Ezra 7:8-10). This is the kind of hope that causes you to not only hear the Word, but to do it, and strengthens all around you to do likewise.
The third, fourth and fifth words meaning "hope" are found in the Book of Job. These are the most numerous occurrences of the different words meaning "Hope". Certainly, of what we know of Job's story, we can understand why God poured out the revelation of hope to him so thoroughly. He needed it. The three words of hope in this book are "Yachal, Kehsel, and Towkheleth". These three can be summarized as meaning to wait, hope, tarry, to wait in expectation, to be strengthened in the most inward parts: loins, kidneys, bowels, until it is a part of you. To wait, even if looking foolish and stupid to others who mock your hope.
The next two words for hope are found in the Book of Psalms, and how their meanings go to the heart of that book! The words are "Behtak and Saver". These words mean security, safety, without fear, to inspect, examine, wait for, dig out, explore, compare.
"How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments.
I will meditate on Your precepts,
and contemplate Your ways.
Open my eyes that I might see wondrous things from Your law."
Psalm 119
"I will love You, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in Whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."
Psalm 18
The next word meaning "hope" appears in the Book of Proverbs, the book of wisdom. This is the word "Khasah", which means to seek refuge, flee for protection, confide in, hope in, even under extreme circumstances such as when dying. Unlike others, we have hope in the time to die, and we have hope when others have falsely proclaimed the time of death over us. This hope is the very wisdom of God.
"The wicked is banished in his wickedness,
but the righteous has a refuge (hope) in his death."
Proverbs 14:32
Our next word for hope appears in Ecclesiastes. This book, written by a world-weary King Solomon, having seen and done all in his life, still expresses the hope that comes from his confidence and trust in God. It is the word "Bittakhon". Its meaning is also expressed in these words:
"I know that whatever God does,
it shall be forever.
Nothing can be added to it,
and nothing taken from it.
God does it, that men should fear before Him."
Eccl. 3:14
The next word "Ya ash" is found in Isaiah 57. It may sound strange, but it means despair, to be desperate, to be without hope, to be in vain. Isaiah is prophesying to those who have a false confidence, a false hope, relying upon their own wealth and strength instead of the true foundation of hope, which is God. They think God will continue to hold His peace, and this is where they have placed their "hope", which is not hope. He is speaking to those who trust in the world, which is passing away, rather than the One who is our source and our rescue.
The last two words for hope are "Mivtak" and "Makaseh", and both are first mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah is a prophet who cries and preaches for repentance to God's own people because he sees destruction coming. The people of God prefer to listen to the false prophets who tell them that all will be well. The false prophets tell the people that they can put their hope in the fact that they are the chosen people of God. They remain comfortable in their sins and idols. Jeremiah tries to tell them that their hope and confidence should not in their position, but in the One who is their trust, confidence and security, their refuge from the coming storm, and danger. He prophesies that even after the destruction and desolation comes, there will be a hope:
"For I know the thoughts that I think towards you says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."
"Thus says the LORD: Again there shall be heard in this place-of which you say,"It is desolate, without man and without beast"- in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate without inhabitant and without beast, the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, and the voice of those who will say:
"Praise the LORD of hosts,
For the LORD is good,
And His mercy endures forever..."
Jeremiah 29:11, 33:10-11
Our Father is hope.
"Everlasting God (We Set our Hope)"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG_ofDL9BpE
"You Are My Hope"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG_ofDL9BpE
"As the Deer"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG_ofDL9BpE
