The History of Hope: Navigating Life in the Light of Faith
Hebrews was written to a community of ancient Christians facing immense pressure to abandon their faith. Violence, imprisonment, and the seizure of their homes were only some forms of aggression they’d already endured. Was faith in Jesus worth keeping in the face of such hostility?
The letter’s author draws on the history of God’s faithful people recorded in the Scriptures to offer encouragement in the face of suffering, culminating in his stirring appeal to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. He offers them a history of hope unveiled in the lives of their ancestors, reminding them that God’s people have always lived by faith, a faith that is the substance of things hoped for and as yet unseen.
The Power of Hope: More Than Just Wishful Thinking
Hope has been a beacon of light for humanity, guiding us through the darkest nights and uncertain mornings. The essence of hope, deeply intertwined with faith, can transform lives, sustain spirits, and bridge the chasm between the seen and the unseen.
Biblical hope contrasts sharply with a mere wishful longing we express when we often speak of hope: we hope our team wins a championship, we hope to get the job, we hope to be accepted into the graduate program, and so on. Each example, however, carries with it no assurance or certainty. What we hope to see happen might occur - or it might not. Biblical hope doesn’t work that way at all.
Biblical hope concerns what is yet to come, but there’s no uncertainty about that future. Why? Because the future in view doesn’t find its origin in our desire or whim but in God’s promise and plan. While we can’t see how it will all work out, we know that because the promise is God’s promise and God is utterly faithful to fulfill his word, we now enjoy a “sure and certain hope” and act accordingly. Joseph offers a good example.
Let me mention two other vital reasons for the certainty of our hope. First, in Christ’s incarnation, death, and resurrection from the dead that justifies us and begins the restoration of the entire cosmos, the future has already arrived in the present. In a certain sense, in Christ, the new creation has begun and will reach its fullness just as God has promised. Second, the “right now” presence of the Spirit in a believer’s life is a guarantee of the future we’ve not yet fully experienced. Our hope is “sure and steadfast” because it is rooted in the throneroom of God rather than the predictably bad behavior of humanity.
Since “faith is the substance of things hoped for,” Joseph directed that his bones be disinterred and carried back to the Promised Land when the future Exodus from Egypt dawned. He knew that day was generations away, but he was confident it would come and took action in his present based on the future he knew God had planned. He had a current experience of the future hope and acted accordingly.
Not everyone has that kind of hope.
The sign above the entrance to hell in Dante's "Inferno" famously warns, "Abandon all hope ye who enter here.” Hopelessness really is hellish, and hope’s abandonment is the final gesture made by souls entering the darkness. Contrary to this dire warning, citizens of Christ’s kingdom live in hope, and that isn’t just a fleeting desire but a sustaining grace in every realm of life and work. It’s well-known that medical and mental health professionals affirm hope's critical role in coping with chronic illnesses, combating depression, overcoming addiction, and providing a foundation for the long-term recovery necessary after a catastrophic injury. Hope is one of the Spirit’s great gifts in this shattered world.
The story of Florence Chadwick, who nearly completed a swim from Catalina Island to the California mainland in 1952, illustrates hope's tangible impact. Hindered by fog and unable to see the shore, Chadwick gave up, not knowing how close she was to her goal - less than half a mile. This account mirrors our own journeys through life's foggy passages, where hope can be the vision that strengthens and guides us to our destination. Let’s look briefly at three objects of faith that hope inspires in the hearts of God’s people.
Faith in God’s Promise: The Long View of Hope (Hebrews 11:20-22)
Hope rooted in faith looks beyond the immediate to the eternal, beyond personal timelines to God's eternal purpose and plan. The biblical figures mentioned in Hebrews 11:20-22 exemplify this forward-looking faith, living with a conviction in God's promises that extend beyond their lifetimes. They teach us to anchor our hope not in the transient but in the promise of an unfolding divine purpose. In their own unique ways, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph model the final triumph of hope as it overcomes every impediment to lay hold of the future for the sake of others. They knew that God had bound himself to them in covenant love and would bring salvation to the world, though such a promise would take many centuries to be fulfilled.
Faith in God’s Providence: Joseph’s Journey (Genesis 50:15-26)
Joseph's life is a testament to hope sustained by faith in God's providence. From beloved son to rejected brother, from falsely accused prisoner to ruler second only to Pharaoh, Joseph's journey through betrayal and redemption reminds us that our own paths often pass through despair to hope. It would’ve been easy for Joseph to trade in his dream for despair and succumb to the belief that, given his immense sufferings, God had surely abandoned him. And yet repeatedly, the Scriptures say, “The Lord was with Joseph.” Could Joseph see or feel that was true at the time? Probably not. From his vantage point, everything looked like a disaster. It looked like God had abandoned him.
More than anything else, Joseph’s life reflects the experience of Jesus. The beloved son of his father, Joseph
Was rejected & sold by his brothers
Had his robe dipped in blood and shown to the father
Tested and Falsely Accused
Interpreted Bread and Wine
Rose from the Pit to Save, Rule, and Feed the World
Received his Brothers, revealed himself to them, and far from taking vengeance on them, he embraced them, acknowledging that God used their evil actions to save them and so many more.
Joseph’s life isn’t written simply to offer us an example of persevering faith, hope, and love, but rather to direct our gaze to Jesus, who “endured such hostility” but sat down at God’s right hand to rule and save the world.
Faith in God’s Power: The Assurance of Resurrection (Hebrews 11:22)
The ultimate expression of hope in the Christian faith is the resurrection. Just as Joseph instructed the Israelites to carry his bones from Egypt in anticipation of the promised land, we, too, look forward to a future where death does not have the last word. This hope is anchored in the power of Christ, who conquered the grave and promises eternal life to those who believe. Our hope doesn’t perish with our death; hope is never laid in the tombs that become our temporary dwellings. Like Joseph, we die by faith, knowing that our resurrection will surely come because Jesus himself has been raised.
Navigating Life's Fog with Hope
Despite the same blinding fog, Florence Chadwick's second attempt to swim from Catalina Island succeeded because she kept the image of the shoreline in her mind. Similarly, our faith offers us the image of Jesus, the "greater Joseph," whose resurrection assures us of our hope's fulfillment. In the midst of life's uncertainties, pain, and despair, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus enables us to navigate through the fog with enduring hope.
The Destination of Hope
The absence of hope is a hellish state of utter despair. In contrast, Christian faith offers hope as a present reality, a foretaste of heaven directing us toward an eternal relationship with Christ. This hope is not a passive waiting at a departure gate but an active journey, empowered by faith in God's promises, providence, and power. It's a hope we can hold fast because God has promised to finish what he started in us.
In the life of Christian hope, each step in faith brings us closer to the shore, even when we cannot see it. The history of hope, therefore, is not simply a record of past faith but a beacon for our future, illuminating the path from despair to destiny, from fog to clarity, and from death to eternal life.