Hope and the Bible - Glenn Conjurske
Abstract of a Sermon Preached on April 19, 1998
Introduction: The Purpose of Scripture – Hope
“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4).
“Whatsoever things were written aforetime” refers to the entire Old Testament, and we can now include the whole New Testament. It was all written for us with this specific purpose: that we might have hope.
The Nature of Hope
What is hope? It is the ability to look forward with the expectation of a better future—expecting that things will improve, that our needs will be met, and that we will be delivered from our troubles. The Bible is the book most calculated to give us hope. God knows the needs and propensities of the human heart, and He wrote a book to address them. Unbelief is natural to the human heart, especially to the fallen heart. We have hard thoughts of God, are quick to blame Him for our troubles, and slow to trust Him to relieve them. We don’t expect God to act on our behalf.
Therefore, God wrote a book filled with examples of His dealings with humanity, all designed to give us hope. The Bible is full of promises, but it also offers numerous examples. It recounts miraculous deliverances and provisions. “Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again.” (Heb. 11:33-35). “The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised.” (Luke 7:22). These examples are all intended to give us hope.
The High Concentration of Hopeful Examples in Scripture
The Bible contains a much higher concentration of such examples than the world itself. Throughout history, miracles and remarkable provisions are rare. However, in the Bible, such events are abundant. God, the author of the Bible, surveyed the entire history of His people and intentionally selected examples that would inspire hope. For instance, in Luke 4:25-26, “Many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land, but unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.” While there were many widows, the Bible focuses on the one whose miraculous deliverance offers hope. Similarly, in Luke 4:27, “And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.” God chose to tell us about the one leper whose healing gives us hope.
Addressing the Nature of Fiction and the Bible’s Realism
You may think that the Bible does not give us a true picture of life. Fiction often paints an overly rosy picture, giving false hope—hope that is fantasy rather than reality. How is the Bible different in this regard?
Firstly, we must take the Bible as a whole, rather than selectively focusing on what we like. The Bible itself teaches that miracles do not happen for everyone, as seen in the verses from Luke 4. There are many factors involved, such as our own faith and failures. God rewards faith and faithfulness, and He also chastens and disciplines His people. While miracles do occur, they are not guaranteed. Moreover, the entire creation is under the curse, including our bodies. We ourselves, who have the Holy Spirit, still groan within us. No amount of faith can remove the curse from the earth or eliminate the groaning of this life. Thus, much of the hope offered by the Bible points to the resurrection and the life to come, rather than this current world. However, there is still much in the Bible that gives us hope for this life, albeit in a distilled and concentrated form.
Fiction vs. The Bible: The Role of Patience
The Bible differs from fiction in its portrayal of hope because it teaches patience along with hope. In Romans 15:4, we see that we have hope “through patience and comfort of the Scriptures.” Fiction may inspire hope, but it does not cultivate patience. The Bible teaches both.
Hope is not the fulfillment of our desires but exists in times of suffering, need, and unfulfilled dreams. “Hope that is seen is not hope.” (Romans 8:24). Hope belongs precisely to the time when our needs are not met, when our desires are not fulfilled, and when we are deprived of the things we long for.
The Purpose of Hope in the Bible
The purpose of hope in the Bible is not to disappoint us but to inspire true hope that will ultimately be fulfilled. If God is true, He will fulfill the hope He has given us. In my own struggles with God, I often tell Him, “Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.” (Psalm 119:49). God’s word causes us to hope, and He does not give us false hope. The very fact that God has given us a book designed to inspire hope is evidence that He intends to bless us.
Hope, Patience, and the Bible’s Realistic Outlook
While the Bible contains a concentrated version of hope, it does not promise an easy or immediate fulfillment of all our desires. The Bible is not a fantasy; it is realistic in its portrayal of life’s hardships. It teaches us patience as we wait for our desires to be fulfilled.
For example, Joseph’s dreams were fulfilled in his life, but only after enduring great suffering: he was sold into slavery, thrown into prison, and subjected to hardship. His patience was tested before God delivered him. Similarly, Hannah’s prayer for a child was answered, but only after years of unfulfilled longing and provocation from her adversary. These examples are meant to inspire hope but also to teach patience. The Bible is full of such examples where individuals received blessings after enduring great suffering.
The Role of Patience and Faith in Hope
Hope and faith are inseparable from patience in the Bible. Joseph, Hannah, Job, and others exemplify this. Job was delivered from his suffering, but only after long endurance. The woman with the issue of blood was healed after suffering for twelve years. The blind man, the lame man, and the woman who was bent over all received healing after prolonged suffering.
These examples illustrate that hope is not about immediate fulfillment but about enduring through patience. God allows us to feel our need and to endure hardship, for He knows that patience and endurance are essential for strengthening our faith. Hope sustains us in our struggles and allows us to wait for God’s deliverance in His time.
Conclusion: Hope and Patience Through Scripture
The Bible is filled with examples that give us hope, but they also teach us patience. The stories of Joseph, Hannah, Job, and others show us that while God is faithful to fulfill His promises, His timing often requires us to wait. Hope is not the immediate fulfillment of our desires but the confident expectation that God will act in His time. Through patience and the comfort of the Scriptures, we are encouraged to trust in God’s faithfulness, knowing that our hope will be realized in due time.