6 December 2018

 During the Advent season, there are generally four words of focus: Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.   This week during faculty devotions, Mrs. Haase shared about Hope and Peace. We all know what these words mean, but when looking at it from a Biblical context they mean so much more.

HOPE is a state of anticipation.  There are three uses of the word hope in the Bible.  In the Old Testament there are two different uses for the word hope. Yakhal is use to wait, as Noah did when waiting for the flood to recede.  Qavah means to wait with tension as a farmer waits for the harvest after planting his field.  The people of the Old Testament waited with tension in expectation of a Savior.  

In the New Testament, Elpis means a living hope.  A hope in knowing that Jesus died and rose again for our salvation.  Our hope is in Jesus and His return when we will all be made free from the slavery of sin.

PEACE means the absence of war, but in the Bible, it carries a few more meanings.  Many of us have heard the word Shalom, which means Peace in Greek. Shalom means much more than just absence of war though.  Shalom means completion or whole.  We live in a broken world that has been this way since the fall in Eden.  We are constantly in search for “shalom.”  We have moments of “shalom” when everyone is healthy, or the house is clean, but those moments are not lasting.  Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Shalom (completeness).  Romans 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have shalom with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jesus birth, death and resurrection is the beginning of making our world complete again.  The day of completion has yet to come.  Philippians 1:6 “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”  During Advent, we not only are mindful of His birth, but also are mindful of His return.

This Advent season, I pray that we HOPE in anticipation of His return and are confident in the SHALOM that will come on that day.          

Real. Present. God.