Year 2, Day 111: Job 17

Theology of Hope

I’m going to spend half of this blog post talking about the theology of hope that Job ends with before moving on to a bit of an excursion that has been running through my mind of late.

I absolutely love the way that Job ends this section.  “If I make Sheol my house,” Job says, “then where is my hope?”  He adds, “If I make my bed in darkness, who will see my hope?”  These are deeply profound and personally reflective of the spirit of a true follower of God.

Job has every reason to quit.  It appears the universe has conspired against him.  It appears that the maker of the universe seems to have it out for him.  His friends even think that he has done something wrong.  His wife tells him to just curse his God and die.  There is no earthly reason to go on.  Period.

The only reason left is the only actual real reason for anything: God.  Is giving up on life ever an option when God is still out there?  Is it ever too late in the ninth inning when you know that God will still get a chance to bat?  Or for those of you who prefer a football analogy, can the field ever be too long if you are down by 2 with only seconds to play but God is your field-goal kicker?

You see, there is no point in hoping for anything but God.  There is no point in hoping in anything but God.  Job knows this.  This hope in God is the one thing that keeps him from rolling over and dying.  There is no hope in surrender.  There is no hope in rolling over.  There is no hope in giving up one’s faith.  So long as there is yet room for God to work – there is hope.

For Job, he knows he is not the cause of this.  Only God can vindicate him.  If he forfeits God, he forfeits hope.  If he forfeits God, he forfeits truth.

This is the same spirit that drives the true believer as well.  The true believer may get knocked down. They might even make a few mistakes along the way and say a few things that need some correction.  But they will always be able to muster up the strength to continue to look to heaven and look for God.  Even in our darkest hour, there is God.  That is what it means to be a Christian.

I love the analogy that my mind formed as I wrote that last paragraph.  I pictured Christ as he breathed His last breath upon the cross.  He breathed.  He cried out “Eli, eli, lema sabacthani” towards heaven.  He tasted the sour wine.  He died.  In Jesus’ darkest hour, He still mustered enough strength to look to heaven for the hope of the Father.  It is the example of our Lord to look to God in our darkest hours.

As I said in my opening paragraph, I planned to say more … but having arrived here I think not, actually.  This is a good place to leave us today.  In our darkest hour, the true follower of God turns to the Father.  Nothing else can be said to bring us to a more holy place than that today.  So turn.  Look.  Yearn for the hope that is in God.

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