Where do we find hope? That’s a great question for Monday morning.
Not too long ago, I studied and found that the word hope does not occur in the Bible until the book of Ruth. That may not sound important, but a little reflection brought me to an important realization. The word hope cannot be found in the first five books of the Bible, the books that our faith has called “The Law.” My realization,
You will not find hope in the Law.
You will not find hope in your behavior. Nor will you find it in what you know. You will find it in a different kind of relationship with God, one that is based on a heart to heart connection to the Risen Savior….even on the day after Easter.
So the Monday question that will bring hope isn’t “Have I done enough?” or “Have I earned enough?” Rather, it’s “How is my daily connection to the dead man who walks?”
Keep that question at the forefront of your soul, and you’ll have hope for Monday.
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The word hope isn’t found until Ruth, but the concept certainly is in the Torah — the Exodus and entering the Promised Land to name the most obvious.
The oldest Gospel, Mark, does not contain the word hope, nor does the Apocalypse. The first written and the last written NT letters do not contain the word “hope.” Does that mean the NT is “bookended” without hope?
Well said, and thanks for the thoughtful insight. I guess my metaphor, like all, are flawed. But I still stand by the statement that the Law will not bring hope. Only the fulfillment of the law in Christ.
Indeed! Thanks for the good insight. As the old Reformers said, the full blossom of the Gospel of Christ begins with the stem and leaves found in the OT.