A Living HOPE, Jesus Christ, Our Living Tikvah, Our Red Cord of Redemption

 

A Living Hope

Dec 28, 2021

I could hear the music from the parking lot. I didn’t want to be up early and certainly not at a church. As a ten-year-old, I wanted to be at my friend’s house a little longer, enjoying pancakes and board games.

But this music coming from the church was different from any hymn I’d heard before. There was something almost tangible about it. It was as if the Spirit of the Living God was using the praise music to hand me something I had never experienced before a living, breathing hope. It is where my faith journey began.

Recently, I’ve been meditating on the fact that the God of the Old Covenant, who always had a barrier or massive scarlet curtain between Himself and mankind, allowed Himself to be handled, swaddled, laid in a manger, needing human aid to survive.

It astonishes me that the hands that measured the span of the heavens and sculpted mountain ranges allowed Himself to be physically linked to humanity. 

Hope incarnate. 

Handled.

Interestingly, the Hebrew word for hope is tikvah. It’s not like our English word which can be abstract, like a wish or a longing. The Hebrew word for hope comes with an expectation. Tikvah provides a strong word picture of a cord or rope. This kind of hope is tangible…something that can be held onto like a lifeline. 

Handled.

The first instance of this tangible hope was found in the story of Rahab. The coming destruction of Jericho was imminent. Rahab knew it to be true; the God of heaven and earth had given her city into the hands of the Israelites. She in faith hid the spies sent to the city and preserved their lives when the king of Jericho came searching for them. She saved them by providing a scarlet tikvah (cord) for them to climb down from the window of her home set in the wall of Jericho.

The cord saved the spies as they grasped the blood-red rope and climbed down to safety. This same cord would later save her entire family as she left it hanging out the window as a sign of her solidarity and the promise given her by the spies to protect her (Joshua 2:18-21).

The time between the spies leaving Rahab and the walls of Jericho falling was significant. She knew the danger of the coming judgment. Her only hope was a scarlet cord and a promise. This took great faith.

How did she live that next week?

Scripture tells us the people in city were terrified. In contrast Rahab had a great expectation of deliverance. She held the scarlet tikvah in her hand.

Sometimes our hope feels less like that scarlet cord and more like an abstract wish. If only I had the physical hand of Jesus to hold. Or audible words from heaven to steady my course.

We have been placed in a strange season of waiting on the fulfillment of God’s historical timeline. Messiah came down and secured our redemption through His death and resurrection 2,000 years ago. We have responded to this truth by faith and now we wait for the blessed hope of His return.

You see, the cord of hope has a knot in it called faith. You cannot have one without the other. In order to hold on you will need both hands and it will require great patience.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.  And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:18-25 (emphasis mine)

What trials of life have sought to extinguish your hope?

We must remind our souls to hang on tight. To keep about our Father’s business. He who has promised will deliver.

The Light of the world stepped down and allowed Himself to be handled by mankind so that we in turn would have something to hold onto as we wait. 

Jesus, our soon and coming King, our living tikvah.  

Written by Kori, LIFE staff (Life in Messiah Ministry)

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 1. What are you hoping for in the new year ahead?

2.  Is your hope mere wishing, or is there a promise of God that applies to your situation?

3.  Is the Lord calling you to hope in Him when your circumstances look grim?

4.  Where do you see “the knot of faith” being put to use as you wait on the Lord to answer or provide?