Hope in the Scriptures
The Hope of Israel
For you are my hope, Lord YHWH, my confidence from my youth.
Now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you.
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in YHWH, his God …
Blessed is the man who trusts in YHWH, and whose confidence is in YHWH. For he will be as a tree planted by the waters, who spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes, but its leaf will be green, and will not be concerned in the year of drought. It won’t cease from yielding fruit.
Behold, YHWH’s eye is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his loving kindness, to deliver their soul from death, to keep them alive in famine. Our soul has waited for YHWH. He is our help and our shield. For our heart rejoices in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let your loving kindness be on us, YHWH, since we have hoped in you.
Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in YHWH.
For I hope in you, YHWH. You will answer, Lord my God.
But I will always hope, and will add to all of your praise.
My soul faints for your salvation. I hope in your word.
You are my hiding place and my shield. I hope in your word.
YHWH takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his loving kindness.
My son, eat honey, for it is good, the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste; so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul. If you have found it, then there will be a reward: Your hope will not be cut off.
YHWH Himself is called the hope of Israel:
You hope of Israel, its Savior in the time of trouble, why should you be as a foreigner in the land, and as a wayfaring man who turns aside to stay for a night?
YHWH, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be disappointed. Those who depart from me will be written in the earth, because they have forsaken YHWH, the spring of living waters.
Hope in the Dark
But as for me, I will look to YHWH. I will wait [or hope] for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. Don’t rejoice against me, my enemy. When I fall, I will arise. When I sit in darkness, YHWH will be a light to me.
Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him, the saving help of my countenance, and my God.
This I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope. It is because of YHWH’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his mercies don’t fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. YHWH is my portion, says my soul. Therefore I will hope in him. […] Let him put his mouth in the dust, if it is so that there may be hope.
Hope Means Waiting
I wait for YHWH. My soul waits. I hope in his word. My soul longs for the Lord more than watchmen long for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. Israel, hope in YHWH, for there is loving kindness with YHWH. Abundant redemption is with him.
… but those who wait for YHWH will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint.
I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of YHWH in the land of the living. Wait for YHWH. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for YHWH.
Rest in YHWH, and wait patiently for him. Don’t fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who makes wicked plots happen. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath. Don’t fret; it leads only to evildoing. For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for YHWH shall inherit the land.
I will wait for YHWH, who hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.
Therefore turn to your God. Keep kindness and justice, and wait continually for your God.
Therefore YHWH will wait, that he may be gracious to you; and therefore he will be exalted, that he may have mercy on you, for YHWH is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait for him.
Yes, no one who waits for you will be shamed. They will be shamed who deal treacherously without cause.
… Then you will know that I am YHWH; and those who wait for me won’t be disappointed.
For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hurries toward the end, and won’t prove false. Though it takes time, wait for it, because it will surely come. It won’t delay.
See also the waiting verses in my study on peace.
Prisoners of Hope
Turn to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope! Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says YHWH, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.”
Indeed surely there is a future hope, and your hope will not be cut off.
YHWH says: “Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded,” says YHWH. “They will come again from the land of the enemy. There is hope for your latter end,” says YHWH. “Your children will come again to their own territory.”
I will give her vineyards from there, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope; and she will respond there as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.
Achor means “trouble.” The valley of trouble becomes a door of hope.
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when longing is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.
Hope Beyond the Grave
For there is hope for a tree if it is cut down, that it will sprout again, that the tender branch of it will not cease. Though its root grows old in the earth, and its stock dies in the ground, yet through the scent of water it will bud, and sprout boughs like a plant.
But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives. In the end, he will stand upon the earth. After my skin is destroyed, then I will see God in my flesh, whom I, even I, will see on my side. My eyes will see, and not as a stranger. My heart is consumed within me.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices. My body shall also dwell in safety. For you will not leave my soul in Sheol, neither will you allow your holy one to see corruption.
Your dead shall live. Their dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs, and the earth will cast out the departed spirits.
Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine as the brightness of the expanse. Those who turn many to righteousness will shine as the stars forever and ever.
Don’t marvel at this, for the hour comes in which all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life; and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.
Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost. We are completely cut off.’ Therefore prophesy, and tell them, ‘The Lord YHWH says: “Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, my people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. You will know that I am YHWH, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, my people. I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live. Then I will place you in your own land; and you will know that I, YHWH, have spoken it and performed it,” says YHWH.’”
He has swallowed up death forever! The Lord YHWH will wipe away tears from off all faces. He will take the reproach of his people away from off all the earth, for YHWH has spoken it. It shall be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God! We have waited for him, and he will save us! This is YHWH! We have waited for him. We will be glad and rejoice in his salvation!”
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead …
I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with people; and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain any more. The first things have passed away.”
Be Hopeful, Ye Righteous
… and the fourth, who is set over the repentance unto hope of those who inherit eternal life, is named Phanuel.
One of the four chief angels is set over hope itself.
Be hopeful, ye righteous; for suddenly shall the sinners perish before you, and ye shall have lordship over them according to your desires. […] Wherefore fear not, ye that have suffered; for healing shall be your portion, and a bright light shall enlighten you, and the voice of rest ye shall hear from heaven.
Fear ye not, ye souls of the righteous, and be hopeful ye that have died in righteousness. And grieve not if your soul into Sheol has descended in grief, and that in your life your body fared not according to your goodness, but wait for the day of the judgement of sinners, and for the day of cursing and chastisement.
… all goodness and joy and glory are prepared for them, and written down for the spirits of those who have died in righteousness […] And the spirits of you who have died in righteousness shall live and rejoice, and their spirits shall not perish, nor their memorial from before the face of the Great One unto all the generations of the world.
What Enoch read on the heavenly tablets about those who died in righteousness.
Be hopeful; for aforetime ye were put to shame through ill and affliction; but now ye shall shine as the lights of heaven, ye shall shine and ye shall be seen, and the portals of heaven shall be opened to you. […] Be hopeful, and cast not away your hopes for ye shall have great joy as the angels of heaven.
The same promise Daniel was given (quoted above): the righteous will shine.
Blessed are ye, ye righteous and elect, for glorious shall be your lot. And the righteous shall be in the light of the sun, and the elect in the light of eternal life: the days of their life shall be unending, and the days of the holy without number. […] And there shall be a light that never endeth, and to a limit of days they shall not come, for the darkness shall first have been destroyed, and the light of uprightness established for ever before the Lord of Spirits.
See my study on the book of Enoch.
Beloved, now we are children of God. It is not yet revealed what we will be; but we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him just as he is. Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.
… that they might set their hope in God, and not forget God’s deeds, but keep his commandments, and might not be as their fathers— a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that didn’t make their hearts loyal, whose spirit was not steadfast with God.
See my study on God’s law.
No Hope for the Wicked
The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hope of the wicked will perish.
And now, know ye that ye are prepared for the day of destruction: wherefore do not hope to live, ye sinners, but ye shall depart and die; for ye know no ransom; for ye are prepared for the day of the great judgement, for the day of tribulation and great shame for your spirits. […] Woe to you who set at nought the words of the righteous; for ye shall have no hope of life.
Enoch’s counterpart to “be hopeful, ye righteous” (above).
The Hope That Is in You
Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober, and set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ …
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. Always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear …
The Nations Will Hope
Matthew applies Isaiah 42:1-4 to Yeshua:
Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit on him. He will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not strive, nor shout, neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets. He won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a smoking flax, until he leads justice to victory. In his name, the nations will hope.