Hope

After the catastrophes and rebellions, the re-shaping of Israel in the OT brought forth a hope for life in spite of ruin, much as it may do for us when we find ourselves in similar circumstances. YHWH acted in forceful and compelling ways on behalf of his people and they in turn begin to respond, though not yet fully liberated from exile. Hope, for them, consists of a political re-establishment of Davidic reign, the transcendent YHWH breaking in and coming as God of the whole world, and the ethical conviction that all would be made right as YHWH  made his full blown presence known to humanity. The future, Israel reckons, is in the hands of the promising One, who will not fail to transform hope into reality for living today, tomorrow, and in the age to come. Yet, for us, this age to come has already arrived in the messiah and left in its wake traces of release, renewal, and redemption that configure hope in a fresh manner, giving it a trajectory that goes beyond promise to fulfillment.