"Hope Series" Day 1: What is Hope?
by Jamie Steach
Read Romans 4:18-22
Did Abraham place his hope in the reality that he saw around him, or did he hope in God’s power? How can you tell?
What allowed Abraham to maintain his faith, not wavering in unbelief, even when he saw the reality of his situation? How might this be connected to hope (where does expectation come in)?
What conclusions can you draw about hope based on this passage? What about the connection between faith and hope? Can you have one without the other?
Read Jeremiah 23:16-22
Does God care about the hope we have? How do you know this?
Does there appear to be a connection with hope and truth? What is the primary issue that God has with these false prophets and their “false hopes”?
Why do you think God wants our hope to be based on what’s true, and what He says? What happens when we expect something that is based on a lie? What does God seem to want for us instead?
Read Acts 26:4-8
What does Paul describe as the central point of conflict between him and the perspective of Pharisees? Why is this conflict so heated (hint: Luke 24:21 perspective)? How does this relate to the passage in Jeremiah?
What is new surrounding the concept of hope in this passage? How is a hope shared by a group different from the hope of an individual? How can a shared hope bring unity?
Does Paul speak of hope in God as having limits? How can you tell?
Wrap up:
What conclusions or new perspectives on hope have you gained from reflecting on these scriptures? How do you think God would define hope? Why is it essential to have hope?
About this series
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. (Proverbs 13:12)
Yachal = hope: to wait, expect; waiting with expectation (OT)
Elpizō = hope: to wait with joy and full confidence, to trust in (NT)
Elpis = hope: expectation of good; the thing hoped for (NT)
Hope is a common topic in the Bible, and while many references speak of placing hope in God, we have a few other examples, as well. But what do all of these various references have in common?
Acts 16:19 - hope of making money=expectation of making money
Luke 24:21 - expectation that Jesus was going to redeem Israel (like David)
Jeremiah 23:16 - false expectations
These 3 examples capture the specific nature of hope that echoes through the Bible: to have hope is to have expectation, and usually it involves waiting on that expectation. So what exactly does expectation have to do with God? As it turns out, a lot.