Hope

Post 157

Meaning absolutely no offense whatsoever, I could not have paid our friend Sharon to leave a comment that proves my point as well as the one she left on the previous post “False Hope”.
Sharon mocks documentation of facts, she needs no history, no science, logic, or reason to maintain her hope.
“I refuse to believe…” is not a statement of reason resulting from evaluation of the evidence, it is just a baseless, stubborn determination.
The facts, the history, the documentation have no effect on her hope.

I have well documented my understanding that the values of this man in the white house she "hopes" may be "that someone new", is in fact spawn of Hell.
I would ask her for her supporting documentation of her views, but she doesn’t believe in that stuff.

It has been rightly said; “You cannot reason a person out of a position he did not use reason to get into.”

* * *

So why then does the scripture promote hope at all?
At my count the scriptures refer to hope 140 times.
The word hope in the OT has 15 different definitions.

This is not a simple word, and so it is not hard to comprehend that there might be a difference between False Hope, and Hope that has merit.

It would be far too lengthy to provide here detailed explanation of the 15 various definitions of hope used in the OT, but fortunately for us, the New Testament uses only two definitions both of the same source;

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible:
Translated from the New Testament Greek
Hope:
1679 elpizo; from 1680; to expect or confide.
1680 elpis; from a prime root elpo; (to anticipate, usually with pleasure); expectation (abstract or concrete) or confidence. [Other related words]; faith, hope.

In this definition as used in scripture, it is understood that with this hope is also attached a causality; a value that makes your particular hope reasonable. *1
This biblical hope has a specific expectation, expectation comes with support.

When an astronaut climbs aboard a rocket, it is with hope that the mission will result in a successful return to earth.
This hope is supported by years of complex scientific calculations based on even more complex understanding of the universe, combined with amazing engineering, skilled mechanics, extensive training and a careful evaluation of every possible factor until the conclusion is declared; “All systems Go.”
So where is there room for hope?
Because in every untested or dangerous venture there is always the unknown or uncontrollable factor.
This uncontrollable factor creates the potential for failure.
Once a venture (if possible) has been perfected until the danger is entirely removed, hope is also removed. The success is a certainty and there is nothing left to hope.
The degree of hope is therefore directly proportionate to the knowledge of control.

* * *

I am a wolf trapper.
I have spent a few years perfecting my skills, knowledge, and equipment.
And as a result, I now harvest more than I did when I started this venture.
But because I do not have full control, I cannot guarantee my success.
Therefore each time I go out on my trap-line, I “hope” I catch a wolf.
This hope is significant support which sustains my motivation to try even after I fail.

I had similar hope back when I started learning, so why did I not catch wolves then?
Trip after trip I failed, and day after day I returned empty.
But I had hope.
The hope was not the factor that determined if I would succeed or not.
Hope had virtually nothing to do with my success.
But was the significant factor which motivated me to continue the effort until I did succeed.
Knowledge and skill and equipment were the factors I increased, added to the variable factors I could not control, which made me eventually successful before I ran out of hope.

But if I expected hope to be the answer, I would have continued doing the same things over and over just waiting to catch a wolf because I believed in hope.
I might as well just stayed home watching TV and "hope" a wolf would jump into the back of my truck.
As I look back at my early days, I had such little knowledge, that I actually set wolf traps where there were no wolves.
All the hope in the world would never result in success.
Hope is only a tool which “fills in the gaps” of the uncontrollable, allowing us to push through until success is achieved. It is therefore vital that our hope is based on something actually worthy of counting on.
Hope must be based on SOMETHING, not on hope itself.

Now the astronaut is not brilliant enough to make a rocket, nor calculate the flight path. He therefore must have hope in the ability of those in whom he places his life.

Hope in nothing but hope has another definition; Insanity.
A humorous but accurate working definition of insanity is;

“Doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results.”

This is the definition of believing hope is all you need in defiance to history, logic, reason, science, and fact.

* * *
With this understanding of hope and its specific place in our determination to succeed, we can evaluate the hope of Abraham as show in Romans 4.

This passage is not informing us that Abraham did not practice the works of the law,
He did.
What this passage is telling us is that Abraham understood that his works, though having their place, did not cover the uncontrollable factors.
“For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.” Romans 4:2
This verse tells us works are a good thing indeed, and have good results in this life, but have nothing to do with God’s part of it.
“For what saith the scripture? (the OT, the Tanakh) Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” Romans 4:3
According to God’s perspective, Abraham’s righteousness was not found in his works, but in his believing God.
And the chapter continues for some verses showing just this thought, until we find ourselves at verse 13;
“For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham… through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” Romans 4:13
Here in the general topic of faith in its role completely different than works, we are given a specific example of the existence of the Jewish nation and its eventual influence over the entire world though Abraham and the faith. *2 And for several more verses this topic is developed.
Until we arrive at 4:17 “(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth [makes alive] the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.”
Say what?
Without going into detail, Abraham and Sarah were both childless and very old.
Yet God promised Abraham he would be the father of many nations. (Genesis 22:17-18)
This verse tells us in hindsight, that Abraham believed God even though it was impossible.
And finally we get to the verse of this post topic.

“Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.” Romans 4:18

* * *
This hope of Abraham’s; was it baseless hope in nothing at all but hope itself?
The verse almost lets us think this.
“who against hope believed in hope…”
This tells us that even hope was hopeless in this case. Abraham's hope was even against hope. His hope could not even be supported by hope itself, let alone by science or facts.
So in every way Abraham had virtually no reason to hope, and yet he did hope even against the logical failure of hope itself.
What a fool!
But not quite.
What was Abraham's belief of hope actually hoping in?
Was Abraham’s hope based on nothing?
NO.
Abraham’s hope was based on a promise from God; "according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.”
His hope was completely based on belief in the promise of God and nothing else, for there was nothing else including hope that could support his hope.
ONLY the promise of God.
In this blogs vernacular; His hope was in the knowledge and experience and equipment of God not his own.

“And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither the deadness of Sarah’s womb:
he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able to perform.” Romans 4:19-21
THIS hope, was not hope in hope, because even hope had no hope.
This hope was an intellectually unreasonable belief in God, that if God said it, it was true, regardless of how impossible it was.
“And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.” Romans 4:22 (Genesis 15:6)

Now, if there is no God, this man was the most foolish man the planet had ever seen, because there was no possible support for his hope.

Such a godless hope (if there is no God) is the similar baseless hope of Sharon as she hopes America will recover under the Obama administration.
The nation has driven off the cliff; by the wholesale yet thinly veiled abandonment of the Constitution, and the unconscious national embrace of socialism, and the bankruptcy of our nation, and the rejection of our Christian foundation.

The hope to levitate our "national van" out of thin air and back onto the road, is to hope in a hope that has no hope.

But If there IS a God, the God of Abraham, then we have reason to hope in His promise and nothing else, even if that promise is to levitate the nation out of thin air, back onto the road in defiance of all science, and history, and logic, and reason… and hope.

and now we have new and deeper understanding of just such a fantastic promise by God:

“IF my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14

This promise is a promise of hope when hope is hopeless.
But look at the works that must accompany this promise. (just as Abraham's faith was accompanied by works)
The works are our part and the hope covers the gap of the uncontrollable which is God’s part. As our national van plummets through the air to the ocean below, just how effective do you think our part really is? “Move over, you’re not steering right!”
Yet God says we have a part, and we must put great diligence to getting our part right.
And steering our nation right is not even included in the works God expects from us!
At this point it is as hopeless as the guy behind the wheel vigorously and desperately turning it in a fruitless attempt to drive it back onto the road while we are plummeting through the air!
Miracle? YOU BET IT WOULD BE.
But as long as we are still trying to drive, we are neglecting our part of the works his promise requires;
Humility, prayer, seek God's face, and repent from our wicked ways.
This is our part.
Not a revision of Healthcare! Not a new negotiation with China! Not "Hope and Change" as promised by this administration!


But now, to add significant complication, our national leader, before the media of the world, publicly declared; “Whatever we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation,…” *3
So the question must be asked; Does this promise even apply to us now?
“IF my people, which are called by my name…”
are we as a nation still called by his name if we publicly reject that title?

Are you starting to see why I have great fear for the life of America?
Mine is the same fear that our founders also had.
They at the beginning, and I at the end.

* * *
Now returning this thought of hope back to a personal application as it was for Abraham; Do you suppose "I sure hope God fixes my problems" will get you very far?


* * * * * * *

*1 "...and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you..." I Peter 3:15

*2 The original story of promise and events; Genesis 15-17
An interesting side note related to this verse and passage: the main thrust of Islam is world dominance.
Since at least the 7th century Islam has attempted to conquer the world through the forceful spreading of their faith.
The Holy Wars, and the creation of the United States of America are direct results of this Islamic effort. *4
Here in this chapter we see that God the Father has promised world dominance to Abraham and his seed, not through force of law as Islam strives for, but through faith.

Islam claims to be also the children of Abraham through Esau, and attempts to achieve the promise of world dominance by force of law.
But this is not what God has in mind.
THIS is why neither the Jew’s, or the Christian’s faith requires compliance.
We OFFER our faith to the world, but do not demand it.
Through faith we believe GOD will “arrange” the events that will bring about the faith across the globe when the Messiah comes.
But before he comes, scripture tells us the Anti-messiah will first appear and attempt to fulfill his dominance by force.
Islam’s Qur’an indicates their Mahdi will do this very thing. *5

Related Post 067 Help Hope Or Folly? - when-did-reason-die.blogspot.com/2010/06/is-this-help-hope-or-folly.html

*3 Not a Christian nation
Obama speech in Ankara Turkey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIVd7YT0oWA


*4 With regret I have not yet developed the topic regarding the original cause for Columbus to sail to America. Until then I offer this portion of American history;
Treaty of Tripoli 1796
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/bar1796t.asp

This treaty was made only 20 years after the creation of our fledgling nation.
And that, following a great battle against her former sovereign.
The new nation of America was in great need of the supplies and goods acquired in the Barbary regions, But as is the nature of Islam, the heavy Jizyah taxes and submissions were required.
This treaty was written in Arabic, heavily taxed, and greatly favored the Muslim nations, But at the time America had few options but to comply.
Note this document is strangely missing indication of any signature by anyone of the USA other than Barlow himself appointed by the President.
One must also note the date of the formation of the United States Marine Corps, 1775
The initial and primary purpose of the USMC was, as told in our Marine Corps Song; "From the halls of Montezuma, to the Shores of Tripoli, we will fight our nation's battles, on the land and on the sea..."
Breaking the oppressive hold of the Muslim authority over the trading nations was the job of the USMC.
Therefore sighting article 11 of this treaty as evidence America was not created as a Christian nation is folly and uninformed. - (excerpt from post 072 “What Makes A Christian Nation?”) - a Christian Nation - when-did-reason-die.blogspot.com/2010/06/america-christian-nation.html

*5 The Qur’an’s Mahdi (messiah) is the Bible’s Antichrist, and the Qur’an sees the Bible’s Messiah as the Antichrist (Dajjal). Chapter 49 “God’s War On Terror” by Walid Shoebat. This book is packed full of references both Qur’an and Bible showing the plethora of examples and explanation.

“you can’t imagine how I felt when I read the Bible and found so much that describes the Mahdi who I had learned so much about growing up (as a Muslim). The shock to me was that, while a character identical to my Mahdi was seen throughout the pages of the Bible, this character was not called “the Mahdi”, but rather “the Antichrist”. Were the prophets of the Bible Islam-aphobes? After all, the Mahdi to us Sunni Muslims was “The rightly-guided and awaited One.” Shi’a Muslims refer to him as Sahib Al-Zaman “the Lord of the Age.” This is exactly what the bible calls Satan: “the lord of the age” (II Corinthians 4:4)
You may think that this is simply a coincidence. Once I am done demonstrating the dozens of similarities between Islam’s system and that of the Antichrist, you will not be able to claim mere coincidence….” - Chapter 12 “God’s War On Terror”