Originally posted: 9/02/2020

“For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off,
When God requires his life?” (27:8).

It’s a rhetorical question that Job poses. The answer being, none; the godless have no hope when their life on earth has ended and they stand before God. And in that rhetorical question there is also an implied declaration of faith. The godless have no hope; but not so with the godly who have been declared righteous by their faith.

“Behold, as for the proud one,
His soul is not right within him;
But the righteous will live by his faith,” (Habakkuk 2:4).

Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.” (Galatians 3:11).

And while Job maintains his innocence, and albeit, feels his treatment is bitterly unjust, Job’s faith does not wane, declaring with certainty that it is God Who lives and gives him life, holding fast to his only Hope for Life.

“As God lives, who has taken away my right,
And the Almighty, who has embittered my soul,
³ For as long as life is in me,
And the breath of God is in my nostrils,” (27:2-3).

And as adamantly as he professes his faith in God Who lives and gives life, he doggedly refuses to admit to the guilt his three associates keep insisting is his; for in so doing he would let go of his integrity, his righteousness, and his Hope for Life.

“My lips certainly will not speak unjustly,
Nor will my tongue mutter deceit.
⁵  “Far be it from me that I should declare you right;
Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me.
⁶ “I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go.
My heart does not reproach any of my days,” (27:4-6).

Consider Him, Our Hope for Life

Job knew, the day of judgment awaits everyone. He also knew that hope is only as good as the object of one’s hope.

“For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off,
When God requires his life?” (27:8).

Our Hope for Life is perfect, lacking in nothing, filled with the riches of all God’s glory. Our Hope for Life is perfectly manifested in Christ Who is in us, the Hope of Glory.

that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, ²⁷ to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory, (Colossians 1:26-27).

• He is Our Hope for Life Who remembers the needy.
  • For the needy will not always be forgotten,
    Nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever, (Psalm 9:18).

• He is Our Hope for Life Who plans for our future welfare.
  • “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope,” (Jeremiah 29:11).

• He is Our Hope for Life Who through His unfailing love will never disappoint us.
  • 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, (Romans 5:5).

• He is Our Hope for Life Who cannot lie and fulfills every promise.
  • in the hope of eternal life that God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, (Titus 1:2 HCSB).

• He is Our Hope for Life Who mercifully gives new life and living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
  • Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (1 Peter 1:3).

How do we respond to Him, Our Hope for Life?

“For what is the hope of the godless when he is cut off,
When God requires his life?” (27:8).

In the Hebrew language, the word Job used for “hope” just might knock you off your feet. It is the same word used for the scarlet cord Rahab hung from her window; the scarlet cord that would save her and her entire family from annihilation (see Joshua chapters 2 and 6).

This word, hope, is truly our lifeline, for it describes a faith that expects deliverance. This word can also be translated, wait.

From Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance:
Hope (noun): “8615. תִּקְוָה tiqwāh: I. A feminine noun referring to a cord, a line. It refers to a piece of rope or a cord made of bright red thread with a tinge of orange that Rahab placed in her window (Josh. 2:18, 21)… A feminine noun referring to hope, expectation. It refers to an attitude of anticipation with the expectation that something will happen…”
Hope (verb): “3176. יָחַל yāḥal: A verb meaning to wait, to hope, to tarry… In the Psalms, it frequently means to wait with hope …”
Hope (New Testament noun): “1680. ἐλπίς elpís; gen. elpídos, fem. noun. Hope, desire of some good with expectation of obtaining it.”

In the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are given Hope for Life, our true lifeline for salvation and for eternity, to receive by faith the imparted righteousness of God.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹⁷ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith,” (Romans 1:16-17).

Job was a man declared righteous by Almighty God, but that did not preclude him from experiencing pain, loss and suffering. And somehow, Job, even without God’s inspired Word and with far less understanding of God’s purposes, continued to cling in faith to Him, Our Hope for Life.

He has given us Himself, Our Hope for Life. Will we take hold of His lifeline?

• When we are tempted to despair in the midst of our trials, let us cling in faith to Him, Our Hope for Life.
  • Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
    On those who hope for His lovingkindness, (Psalm 33:18).

• He is Our Hope for Life and spiritual health. Let us refuse to allow the enemy to discourage our Hope in Him.
  • Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
    But desire fulfilled is a tree of life, (Proverbs 13:12).

• We may have questions, perhaps a lot of questions, but may we never waver in Who we have confessed as Our Hope for Life.
  • Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; (Hebrews 10:23).

• As we steadfastly love and obey Him, Our Hope for Life, we will actually experience the privilege and joy of bringing Him pleasure.
  • the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him,
    in those who hope in his steadfast love, (Psalm 147:11 ESV).

• Let us pray for ourselves, and our brothers and sisters in Christ, that we would truly comprehend the lifeline of Hope we have in Him.
  • I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, (Ephesians 1:18).

• There will be times when we don’t experience the feeling of Hope for this Life or the future. But Hope is faith, believing He is faithful, even when we can’t see or feel it.
  • For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? (Romans 8:24).

• Let us ask Him to grow us in our faith, that our continual Hope will blossom into ceaseless praise for Him, Our Hope for Life.
  • But as for me, I will hope continually,
    And will praise You yet more and more, (Psalm 71:14).

• Let us determine to wait expectantly, believing that we have all we need in Him, Our Hope for Life, if we will but put our Hope in His Word.
  • I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait,
    And in His word do I hope.
    ⁶ My soul waits for the Lord
    More than the watchmen for the morning;
    Indeed, more than the watchmen for the morning.
    ⁷ O Israel, hope in the Lord;
    For with the Lord there is lovingkindness,
    And with Him is abundant redemption, (Psalm 130:5-7).

As we live in Hope, we can trust Him, Our Hope for Life, to fill us with His joy and His peace, even in the midst of trials, pain, sorrow and suffering.

Oh God of Hope, fill us that we may abound, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, in the Hope for Life we have in You.

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit, (Romans 15:13).

Let’s Grow Together!