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In Job chapter 4 Eliphaz counsels Job concerning the suffering in his life. In verse six Eliphaz asks Job: "Is not your reverence your confidence? And the integrity of your ways your hope?" Are Eliphaz’s words true in my life, your life? Do we put our hope in the integrity of our ways? Being the well versed students of the Bible we are, we would of course say a loud, “No." "We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ.” We would, of course, be right. But would those words be the truth of our lives?
The Hebrew word for hope in this scripture is tiqvah . It means cord, hope, expectation. I really like the word expectation. It certainly defines my idea of hope. But what is my expectation, hope, placed in? Is it, as Eliphaz said to Job, my integrity? Yikes! I might find my foundation not so firm under my feet if my hope lies with me.
I found another story using this very same word, tiqvah. It’s in the book of Joshua chapter two. The Israelites are going to enter the Promised Land and they have sent two men to spy out the land. The men go into Jericho and are sheltered by a harlot named Rahab. She protects them from harm and helps them to escape. In verse three she says to the two Israelites: "I know that the Lord has given you the land…." The men told Rahab the only way she and her family would be kept safe from their invasion was to bind a line of scarlet cord (tiqvah) in the window. Hebrews 11:31: "By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace."
Was Rahab’s hope in the cord? Did she believe the cord would save her or did she believe the Lord was her redemption? Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Rahab believed and obeyed. Her hope was in the living God. And her hope did not disappoint.
The very thing we put our hope (tiqvah) in could be the very cord (tiqvah) that hangs us. Is our hope in our works, our integrity, our obedience? If so we will always be disappointed. These are not bad things, but not the main thing. Not the Hope.
Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, say the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope (tiqvah)." He alone is our Hope.


NKJV

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