Focus: The Rope Of Hope

Text: Josh.2:18

"Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this LINE of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee."

In a world as ours hope is fundamentally essential for human existence. We cannot cope without hope, and for those of us who are in Christ, we have divine hope for an anchor, and Paul tells us in Rom.8:24, that "we are saved by hope."

Now the two Israeli spies entered into a covenant with Rahab of Jericho concerning her safety and that of her family. She saved the lives of the two spies and by a rope she dropped them to the ground and helped them to escape for their lives. Then they asked her to gather her family members together in her house and tie the rope with which she saved them to the window and make it drop down for them to see it upon their return.

The word translated as 'line' in the King James Version is the word tiqvâh in Hebrew, which in other Scriptures is translated either as 'expectation' or 'hope.' I believe a few example will suffice. In Jeremiah we read, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an EXPECTED end" (Jer.29:11). The word 'expected' is tiqvâh. 

In chapter 31:17 of the same book we read, "And there is HOPE in thine end, saith the LORD, that thy children shall come again to their own border" (Jer.31:17). The word 'hope' is tiqvâh. 

Hosea declares, "And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of HOPE: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt" (Hos.2:15). Again, it is the word 'hope.' 

The children of Israel cried out, "Our bones are dried, and our HOPE is lost: we are cut off for our parts" (Ezk.37:11). Once again it's the word 'hope.' Zechariah says, "Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of HOPE: even to day do I declare that I will render double unto thee" (Zech.9:12). It's the word 'hope' again. 

In Ruth the word 'hope' is used. Job says, "The thing that I long for." It's the word 'long.' In Proverbs, 'expectation' and 'hope' are used, and the same goes for the Psalms.

So tiqvâh can be described as the rope of hope. 

God ties or binds us with the rope of hope at the point of our spiritual rebirth. All we need do is lay hold on that rope and hold it tightly. This rope of hope serves as our anchor.

With the rope of hope Rahab saved the two spies, and with it the spies would save her and her household. They vowed and covenanted to save her once she had the cord tied to her house. She said to them, "According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet LINE in the window" (Josh.2:21).

Our hope is based on the sure promises of God, and God's promises are based on His character of faithfulness. God is trustworthy.

When we think about the promises of God, we think about God's:

*Holiness

…God tells no lies, deceives no one, and does no evil.

*Oath

…God speaks no idle words, He means what He says and says what He means, and He makes His word His bond.

*Power

…God is the all-powerful; He has infinite power to keep His word and fulfill His promises.

*Effulgence

…God cares about His glory; He is not ready at any time to tarnish His glory. God has self-esteem, and for every promise He makes His honor is at stake. His name is excellent. So our hope is built on the foundation of God's nature, name, and/or character.

Hold on to the rope of divine hope! We are saved by hope. Our faith in Christ has given us a whole lot to hope for, and surely, our hope will never bring us shame or disappointment. Our hope never fails, not today, and certainly not tomorrow. Our hope is a strong and a solid thread; it never breaks. Hang on tight to that rope or thread of hope. Our God has revealed Himself to us as the God of hope, meaning that He is the source and soil of our hopes. Our hope is rooted in Him, not on anything else. Amen!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter