The Day of New Beginnings

Divine Hope

 

Proverbs 13:12 states: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” There is human hope and there is divine hope. The hope deferred that makes the heart sick is born out of the Adamic nature. Human hope is iffy, maybe, maybe not. Human hope is desiring something with no real assurance that it will ever be obtained. Divine hope, however, is all together different. Its source is God Himself. He creates it within us. Its fruition within us is the fulfillment of “but desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” 
 
Rom. 5:
3  And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
4  and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
5  and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
 
Mystically, the proven character that brings about hope is the divine nature formed in us. All the dealings of God, i.e. the tribulations, etc. are designed to create His nature in us. That nature produces a hope that does not disappoint. 
 
Heb. 6:
11  And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end,
12  so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
13  For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,
14  saying, "I WILL SURELY BLESS YOU AND I WILL SURELY MULTIPLY YOU."
15  And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.
16  For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute.
17  In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath,
18  so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.
19  This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil,
20  where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
 
Verses 11-14 point out that God swore an oath to Abraham saying, “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.” Abraham, having patiently waited, inherited the promise. The Greek word for patient is makrothumia. It would be better translated endurance or perseverance. Patient infers a passive waiting, but Abraham did not passively wait for the promise, he persevered in the face of conflict and obtained that which God had promised (Rom. 4:18-22). Verse 17 begins, “In the same way…” The writer of Hebrews takes the analogy of Abraham inheriting the promise and applies it to the heirs of the promise (those in Christ), pointing out they receive their inheritance the same way Abraham did: Through a persevering hope, divinely created. 
 
Read verses 18-20 again carefully. Because God has sworn, we who have taken refuge in His promise are to have strong encouragement in taking hold of the hope set before us. It is a hope that is sure and steadfast, and one which enters within the veil. What does it mean, “One which enters within the veil?” It means a hope of standing fully in the Lord’s presence, breaking through the veil that separates this natural realm from the spirit realm. Its breaking through and experiencing fully God’s world. 
 
1st John 3:
1 ¶  See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
2  Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
3  And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
 
These verses speak of our potential in Christ. Now we are the children of God, but it has not yet appeared what we shall be. When the Lord appears we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He is. This isn’t referring to a rapture, or what is generally called the Second Coming. It’s speaking of a personal revelation of the Lord to us in which He is fully revealed. Notice it says, “and everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself just as He is pure.” This indicates a personal experience contingent upon certain factors working in our lives. The general interpretation of this verse is that those who have this hope set about to purify themselves just as He is pure. No, No, No! Not true! How can we purify ourselves as He is pure? What religious works can we perform to make ourselves pure? There are none. We can’t make ourselves pure. The KJV gives a more accurate translation of this verse: “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” We don’t purify ourselves because we have the hope. If we have this hope in us, we are purified by it. The hope itself purifies us because that hope is divinely implanted in our spirits. Remember the verses about Abraham? He persevered and inherited the promises. The hope within him purified him and prepared him to receive. 
 
We must not underestimate this divine hope. It is linked to all creation being released from futility. To have it sparked within us is a great blessing. It ensures us of our participation in God’s ultimate purpose in Christ. Let’s read it:
 
Rom. 8:
19  For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.
20  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope
21  that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
22  For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
23  And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.
24  For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?
25  But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.
 
These verses are saying the same thing as 1st John. There is a manifestation of the Lord in us that must take place. It becomes the key for all creation being loosed. Notice it says the creation was subjected to futility in hope. There is a divine hope inherit within creation for its release. Look carefully at verse 25: “But if we hope for that which we don’t yet see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.” That doesn’t sound like passive patience does it? It’s perseverance and eagerly waiting! God is creating this hope within His sons. It’s the guarantee of fulfillment of all that He has spoken. Is there a longing, an aching within your heart to see the Lord? It’s been placed there by the Lord Himself and that hope is sure and steadfast. It will take you through the veil into His very presence.
 
Zech. 9:
12 ¶  Return to the stronghold, O prisoners who have the hope; This very day I am declaring that I will restore double to you.
13  For I will bend Judah as My bow, I will fill the bow with Ephraim. And I will stir up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece; And I will make you like a warrior’s sword.
14  Then the LORD will appear over them, And His arrow will go forth like lightning; And the Lord GOD will blow the trumpet, And will march in the storm winds of the south.
15  The LORD of hosts will defend them. And they will devour and trample on the sling stones; And they will drink and be boisterous as with wine; And they will be filled like a sacrificial basin, Drenched like the corners of the altar.
16  And the LORD their God will save them in that day As the flock of His people; For they are as the stones of a crown, Sparkling in His land.
17  For what comeliness and beauty will be theirs! Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine the virgins.
1 ¶  Ask rain from the LORD at the time of the spring rain— The LORD who makes the storm clouds; And He will give them showers of rain, vegetation in the field to each man.