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The
Hope of Israel
Introduction:
Hope has been called the great stabilizer because of its power to
steady us during the storms of life. The prophet Jeremiah calls
Jehovah “the hope of Israel” in
Jeremiah 17:7-8,
13a. Our hope
rests upon the fact that God can always be trusted.
The Fastnet Race
is one of the toughest and most prestigious offshore races in the
world, capping a series of five races that make up the coveted
Admiral’s Cup. On August 11, 1979, 303 yachts embarked from the
Isle of Wight in the English Channel, each crew having the same goal
– to be the fastest yacht in the 608-mile race.
Saturday, the
first day of the race, was picture perfect – sunny with a pleasant
breeze. But by the lunchtime on Monday, savage winds began whipping
the Irish Sea into a fury. That night, force 10 winds created walls
of water 35-40 feet high. For twenty hours 2,500 men and women
battled the raging winds, their boats tossed about like toys in the
tumultuous sea.
After receiving
a string of mayday calls, British and Irish naval vessels, a Dutch
frigate, helicopters, and several lifeboats came to the rescue. But
despite their efforts, fifteen sailors perished. Of the 303 yachts
that began the race, only eighty-five made it to the finish line.
The largest Fastnet race ever had turned into the worst disaster in
yachting history.
The lessons
learned from Fastnet are many, but there are two that stand out.
First, experienced sailors now realize it is best to stay with the
boat no matter what. The Fastnet sailors who did stay with their
boats survived while many of those who took to life rafts died.
Lifeboats should have been a last resort. Second, a sea anchor or a
set of drogues (drag devices used to steady a boat in high seas) can
help a boat weather a violent storm by enabling its helmsman to
maintain control. In the Fastnet tragedy, only one drag device was
used and the boat using it survived. Several boats were abandoned
because of conditions a sea anchor could have alleviated – loss of
rudders, intolerable motion below decks, dismastings, and capsizing.
But what does a
sailing disaster have to do with one of God’s titles – the Hope of
Israel? Simply this – for two millennia the Christian symbol for
hope has been an anchor. What better way to picture the One who is
utterly reliable, completely steady, invulnerable to all the forces
of evil that threaten us? If our hope is grounded in God, we will
not be destroyed when gale force winds begin to blow in our
direction, when fear, pain, grief, and disappointment threaten to
overwhelm us. No matter how terrible the storm, we can survive
because God is with us.
Sometimes,
however, we let fear take over. The conditions we face seem so
impossible that we are tempted to jump ship. Instead of clinging to
God, we jump into “lifeboats” of our own making, things that promise
security but don’t deliver it – wealth, hard work, brains, alcohol,
relationships, food. Rely on any of these long enough and you will
find how incapable they are of keeping you safe in the midst of real
trouble. Misplaced hopes are dangerous because they keep us from
anchoring ourselves in God, the only one who can save us.
Body:
I. Hope In God’s
Name
-
Psalms
33:18-22
Wait in hope
-
Psalms 52:8-9
“Green, olive tree” – flourishing and long-living
II. Hope In God’s
Word
-
Psalms 119:74,
81
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I Peter
1:23-25 Endures
forever
III. Hope Anchors
Our Soul
-
Hebrews
6:19-20
Anchoring our soul in God, in His nature and promises, keeps us
sure and steady through life’s storms. Psalms
46:1-3, 5a
IV. Hope In God’s
Mercies
-
Lamentations
3:21-26
God’s compassion for His people is limitless. It can never
run out.
V. Hope Does Not
Disappoint
-
Romans 5:1-5
What a
marvelous promise!
Invitation:
Titus 2:11-14
Jesus is coming back for His people, His special people. That
hope motivates us to live soberly, self-controlled, righteously,
upright, and godly.
Bobby Stafford
January 1, 2012
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