The God of Hope

According to a tradition that originated among German Lutherans in the 16th century, Christians celebrate what is called the Advent season leading up to Christmas that began on November 30th this year with the lighting of the first candle of Hope also known as the Prophecy Candle pointing back to Isaiah’s foretelling of the birth of Christ and all of the promises God gave us in the Old and New Testaments looking forward to Christ’s Second Coming. In medieval times, Advent was a period of prayer and fasting during which people's thoughts were directed to the expected second coming of Christ; but in modern times many have forgotten this meaning, and it has instead been primarily seen as the lead up to Christmas. In Scripture both times and seasons enter into God’s plans, and He has a system of “Prophetical Chronology” by which He makes known His “Plans and Purposes.” As we have seen from fulfilled prophecy that nothing has failed to be fulfilled on time, so we can confidently believe that all that the Scripture foretells of the future will likewise come to pass to the very minute. In our study on Daniel last week, we saw God’s revelations to him regarding prophetic timelines for the future. The Book of Daniel began with Daniel at twenty years old and ends with him as an elderly man in his 90’s. Daniel had reason to give up hope as he was taken captive to a strange land as a young man by an enemy nation; castrated without hope of having a family; and faced with impossible situations beyond human comprehension. Daniel had lived in Babylon, away from his beloved Land and City, for over seventy years. His life had not been an idle one. He had been active in the public affairs of two Empires. His religion had received the severest tests. God honored him by taking him into His confidence and revealing to him the history of the “Times of the Gentiles.” In his last Vision he had the blessed privilege of seeing and hearing the voice of his Lord. But his work was done. Daniel’s trust in the God of Hope did not waver and brought him through it all with a strong testimony of faith. What can we learn from Daniel to help us through these uncertain times when our faith and hope are challenged? Peter brings it home to us with these words: “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” (1 Peter 3: 15) We must know the God of Hope personally as Daniel did!

Depending on the translation, the root word “hope” is found somewhere between 142 times (KJV) to 182 times (NIV) in the Bible, divided almost equally between the Old and New Testaments. The first word translated as “hope” signifies waiting patiently in Genesis 8: 12 where Noah waits for the waters to recede after the flood. Noah believed God, obeyed Him by building an Ark, and gathered the animals and his family into it. God closed the door emphasizing that the doorway to salvation is made open by God and those who enter are saved for eternity. The pitch on the Ark sealed those within from danger, destruction and death. It was a symbol of the Holy Spirit as God’s seal on His people, His claim on us as His very own. (2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1: 13-14; 4:30) Noah trusted the God of Hope in the expectation rooted in His divine promise.

In the New Testament, the first mention of hope is in Matthew 12: 21, where it states, “and in His name, the Gentiles will hope” which is a confident expectation based on God’s promises. Paul in Romans 4: 16-19 binds together the meaning of the God of Hope in the Old and New Testaments. “For this reason it is by faith so that it may be by grace, with the result that the promise may be certain to all the descendants—not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who have the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (As it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations.)” He is our father in the presence of God whom he believed—the God who makes the dead alive and summons the things that do not yet exist as though they already do. Against hope Abraham believed in hope with the result that he became the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall your seed be.”

We conclude then that the God of Hope is the same yesterday, today and forever. With this in mind, let us again go to lessons from Daniel to give us strength, courage and hope today. We learn in Chapter 6 that God had given Daniel favor with King Darius and made him the first among a hundred and twenty princes because he had an excellent spirit in him. (6: 1-3) When this became known by the other Presidents and Princes they were filled with envy and fear. For they well knew that Daniel would not stand for any graft or dishonesty in the administration of the affairs of the Empire, and they did not want to lose either their positions or their opportunity for gain, so they sought for some charge of malfeasance in office that they might make against the old Jew, but they found no occasion or fault. Then they devised a hellish and diabolical plot. The plot reveals the cunning of the “Serpent.” They knew that Daniel was a deeply religious man, and that nothing would cause him to be disloyal to his God. They also knew that it would never do to let Darius know that they were after Daniel, because of his fondness for the “Old Jew.” They would not write a Decree that read that no petition should be asked of the “God of the Hebrews,” less the King would have known that it was aimed at Daniel and would have refused to sign it. So, they made it general, and thus heaped insult on their own gods, for the sake of getting rid of the object of their hatred. Having decided on their course of action, with lying tongues they went into the presence of the King and told him that ALL the Presidents, the Governors, the Princes, the Counsellors, and the Captains had consulted together to establish such a “royal Decree.” But as Daniel, the “Chief” of the Presidents, had not been consulted, they lied. Satan is a liar! King Darius was doubtless flattered by their proposal, for in those days it was not uncommon to look upon their kings as gods, and for no one to pray to any other one than the King for thirty days was to exalt him to that position. So, the King, not knowing that Daniel, whom he loved, had not been consulted, fell into the trap, and the “Decree” was prepared, signed by the King, stamped with the “Royal Seal,” and publicly proclaimed according to the Law of the Medes and Persians, and therefore unalterable.

Daniel heard about the Royal Decree and knew it was aimed at him. To pray to his God was to break it. He must choose between loyalty to his God or loyalty to his King. Should he be faithless to his God, and thus save his life? That would be to deny all his past faithfulness. But was there no way to pray to his God in secret? Could he not enter into some secret chamber in his own home and lock the door and pray silently so his enemies would have no evidence against him? Most of us would be tempted to do that. But Daniel was not made of that kind of stuff. He was no coward. He did not value his life when it came to a question of loyalty to his God. We read in verse 10 that he chose to honor his God by opening the windows of his house and prayed toward Jerusalem upon his knees three times a day and gave thanks before God as he had done before. This was just what those conspirators expected Daniel to do. They knew that no “Decree,” even one that would endanger his life, would prevent him from praying daily to his God. All they had to do then was to assemble on the Jerusalem side of his home at the hour of prayer, not only to see him in the attitude of prayer, but to hear his supplication. Daniel’s enemies had not misjudged him, and they were delighted at the success of their scheme, and at once they brought the matter to the notice of the King. Needless to say, the King was placed between a rock and a hard place. He heard the report: “That old Jew who is but a captive, and is dependent on you for his position, is so far from being grateful and appreciative of your favors, that he has disregarded your “Decree” and thus shown his disrespect of you.” The King learned that he had been tricked and he was in a helpless position. The King was powerless and had to command that Daniel be cast into the “Den of Lions.”

The King spoke and said to Daniel, “Thy God whom thou servest continually, HE WILL DELIVER THEE.” The King knew of the miracle from God that saved the three faithful “Hebrew Children” in the fiery furnace and he had hope that He might work another miracle as he permitted His aged servant Daniel to be cast into the “Den of Lions.” After a sleepless night, the King returned to the Lion’s Den and cried out to Daniel and said, “O Daniel, servant of the Living God, is THY GOD, whom thou servest continually, ABLE TO DELIVER THEE FROM THE LIONS?” Daniel answered and said, “MY GOD hath sent His Angel, and hath SHUT THE LIONS’ MOUTHS, that they have not hurt me.” So, Daniel was taken up out of the “Den,” and no hurt was found on him, because he BELIEVED IN HIS GOD.” (vv. 18-23) The God of Hope not only saved Daniel, but He used the King to perform a Divine Reversal upon the enemy. The King commanded, that those men which had accused Daniel be cast in the “Den of Lions,” and also their children and their wives and they met their fate by the mouths of the lions. Here we see how the wicked involve their families in their wickedness and bring upon them sorrow and death. The King was converted by the intervention of Daniel’s God. He wrote a Decree that in every dominion of his Kingdom men should tremble before the “God of Daniel,” for He is the “Living God,” and steadfast forever and His Kingdom will not be destroyed and His dominion will be even unto the end.” He said, “He delivereth and rescueth, and He worketh signs and wonders in Heaven and in earth, WHO hath delivered Daniel from the POWER OF THE LIONS.” (VV. 25-27) He is our God of Hope!

It is clear from this account of Daniel that it was a spiritual battle of the Serpent against the One True God. We are seeing this replayed today as the enemies of God and His people are plotted against over and over for personal gain, power and control. Daniel had no control over his circumstances and trusted totally in the God of Hope for his deliverance. Daniel was never a victim of his circumstances as his hope was in God’s sovereignty. Likewise, we can also say, “God, if Daniel endured, so can we, because You have not changed and You love us just as you loved Daniel.” Daniel did not doubt God but viewed his circumstances as opportunities for the God of Hope to reveal His glory and shine forth in victory. God is not surprised by anything that we face as He knows everything from beginning to the end and knows every difficulty we will have. May God shut the mouths of Satan and his lions today and bring victory and a Divine Reversal! In the Old Testament God granted the anointing of His Holy Spirit for certain people to fulfill His purposes. We know for sure that God’s Spirit was upon Daniel. Today we as true believers in Jesus Christ have the Holy Spirit indwelling us to guide us, encourage us and strengthen us to endure whatever we face. As John tells us in I Jn. 4:4 “Greater is He that is within us than he that is in the world.” We have the assurance of His Holy Spirit who reminds us of His faithfulness. (Jn. 14: 26) The same God of Hope that was with Daniel is with us today. Like Daniel, we must call upon Him to infuse us with His power and wisdom and obey anything He calls us to do. We must remember that we are never a victim of our circumstances, for the God of Hope can use everything that happens to us for our blessing and His glory. We must fix our eyes on the God of Hope and recognize and discern the spirit of evil from the Spirit of God. (1 Jn. 4:6) The God of Hope goes before us and will not forsake us! Read and mediate on Jere. 29: 11-13 and Psa. 138: 7-8.