September 18, 2016

HOPE archaic Webster Dictionary a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. archaic a feeling of trust.

HOPE Theological Sense To trust in, wait for, look for, or desire something or someone; or to expect something beneficial in the future implies and element of assured patience A strong and confident expectation

HOPE God’s Bottom Line

He will strike your head, and you will strike His heel. HOPE And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike His heel. Genesis 3:15

HOPE “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. 2 You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God:

15 “But if you refuse to listen to HOPE 15 “But if you refuse to listen to the Lord your God and do not obey all the commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overwhelm you: Deuteronomy 28:1,2,15

Timeline of Old Testament Prophets

Zephaniah’s Theme The Day of the Lord and the Jews (Zephaniah 1:1–2:4); The Day of the Lord and the Gentiles (Zephaniah 2:4-2:15)

God’s word is true and will be fulfilled in His time. God’s people can claim His promises knowing that He will be faithful. God’s enemies can be sure that His words of warning carry costly penalties. W. Wiersbe

Zephaniah’s Theme The glory of the Kingdom (Zephaniah 3:1-20)

Christ’s millennial kingdom

HOPE …for God’s sinful people …for the Gentiles …Christ’s millennial kingdom

HOPE for God’s sinful people The “City” Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, to the oppressing city! 2 She has not obeyed His voice, She has not received correction; She has not trusted in the Lord, She has not drawn near to her God.

HOPE for God’s sinful people The “City” Jesus said: 37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let Me. Matthew 23:37

HOPE for God’s sinful people The Leaders 3 Her princes in her midst are roaring lions; Her judges are evening wolves That leave not a bone till morning. 4 Her prophets are insolent, treacherous people; Her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.

HOPE for God’s sinful people The Leaders Jesus said: 29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites …you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. 33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?   Matthew 23

HOPE for God’s sinful people Our God is Utterly Righteous 5 The Lord is righteous in her midst, He will do no unrighteousness. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He never fails, but the unjust knows no shame.

HOPE for God’s sinful people Our God is Utterly Righteous 6 “I have cut off nations, Their fortresses are devastated; I have made their streets desolate, With none passing by. Their cities are destroyed; There is no one, no inhabitant.

HOPE for God’s sinful people corrupted all their deeds.. Our God is Utterly Righteous 7 I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me, You will receive instruction’— So that her dwelling would not be cut off, Despite everything for which I punished her. But they rose early and corrupted all their deeds..

HOPE for God’s sinful people Our God is Utterly Righteous 8 “Therefore wait for Me,” says the Lord, “Until the day I rise up for plunder; My determination is to gather the nations To My assembly of kingdoms,

HOPE for God’s sinful people Our God is Utterly Righteous To pour on them My indignation, All My fierce anger; All the earth shall be devoured With the fire of My jealousy.

call on the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one accord. HOPE…for the Gentiles Our God is Utterly Righteous 9 “For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call on the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one accord.

HOPE…for the Gentiles Our God is Utterly Righteous 10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, The daughter of My dispersed ones, shall bring My offering.

HOPE Christ’s millennial kingdom SIN will be removed 11 In that day you shall not [need to] be shamed for any of your deeds in which you transgress against Me; for then I will take away from your midst those who rejoice in your pride, and you shall no longer be haughty in My holy mountain.

HOPE Christ’s millennial kingdom SIN will be removed 12 I will leave in your midst A meek and humble people, And they shall trust in the name of the Lord.

When the modern nation of Israel celebrated her twentieth anniversary, they displayed this motto: “Science will bring peace to this land.” Various news media and commentaries

According to Shteinbuk Research and BBC News (2012): Science and technology in Israel is one of the country's most highly developed and industrialized sectors.

According to Shteinbuk Research and BBC News (2012): Israel ranks fourth in the world in scientific activity, as measured by the number of scientific publications per million citizens. Israel's percentage of the total number of scientific articles published worldwide is almost 10 times higher than its percentage of the world's population.

According to Shteinbuk Research and BBC News (2012): Despite its small population relative to other industrialized nations around the world, Israel has the highest number of scientists, technicians, and engineers per capita in the world with 140 scientists, technicians, and engineers per 10,000 employees. In comparison, the same is 85 per 10,000 in the United States

According to Jerusalem Post (April 2016): Leaving politics aside, the governments of Israel, Jordan, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Cyprus, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority are cooperating so that by the middle of 2017, their scientists work together on SESAME, the first Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East.

According to Jerusalem Post (April 2016): The synchrotron light source is…used for basic science in a variety of fields, from nanotechnology to understanding the structure of medications, layers in old paintings, archaeological dating of findings, the structure of proteins and materials, and many other fields.

HOPE Christ’s millennial kingdom SIN will be removed 12 I will leave in your midst A meek and humble people, And they shall trust in the name of the Lord.

HOPE Christ’s millennial kingdom SIN will be removed 13 The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness and speak no lies, Nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; for they shall feed their flocks and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid.”

HOPE Christ’s millennial kingdom God’s People Will Rejoice 14 Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! 15 The Lord has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy.

HOPE Christ’s millennial kingdom God’s People Will Rejoice 15…The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; You shall see disaster no more.

HOPE Christ’s millennial kingdom God’s People Will Rejoice 16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak. 17 The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save;

HOPE Christ’s millennial kingdom God’s People Will Rejoice He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

HOPE Christ’s millennial kingdom The Nation Will Be Restored 18 “I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly, who are among you, to whom its reproach is a burden.

HOPE Christ’s millennial kingdom The Nation Will Be Restored 19 Behold, at that time I will deal with all who afflict you; I will save the lame, And gather those who were driven out; I will appoint them for praise and fame In every land where they were put to shame.

HOPE Christ’s millennial kingdom The Nation Will Be Restored 20 At that time I will bring you back, Even at the time I gather you; For I will give you fame and praise among all the peoples of the earth, When I return your captives before your eyes,” Says the Lord.

MISPLACED HOPE

What Next? 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost. Luke 19:10

What Next? God is faithful to convict, chasten, forgive and reward God will reign in righteousness – eternally God will one day deliver us from the very presence of sin

What Next? …we who have fled to Him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. 19 This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. Hebrews 6:18-19

Where does your hope lie? What Next? Where does your hope lie?

Be Still My Soul No. 347

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side. Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain. Leave to thy God to order and provide, Who through all changes faithful will remain. Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake To guide the future surely as the past. Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake; All now mysterious shall be bright at last. Be still, my soul: The waves and winds still know His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on When we shall be forever with the Lord; When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone, Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored. Be still, my soul: When change and tears are past All safe and bless-ed we shall meet at last.