Yet Now There Is Hope

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Yet Now There Is Hope

• Ezra 101-4

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Ezra 101-4
1Now while Ezra prayed and made confession,
weeping and casting himself down before the house
of God, there was gathered together unto him out
of Israel a very great assembly of men and women
and children for the people wept very sore. 2And
Shecaniah answered and said unto Ezra, We have
trespassed against our God, and have married
foreign women of the peoples of the land yet now
there is hope for Israel concerning this thing.
3Now therefore let us make a covenant with our
God to put away all the wives, and such as are
born of them, according to the counsel of my
lord, and of those that tremble at the
commandment of our God and let it be done
according to the law. 4Arise for the matter
belongeth unto thee, and we are with thee be of
good courage, and do it.
Yet now there is hope
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Points About Hope of Israel

• Their hope did not
• Overlook the problem before them
• Ignore the work necessary to correct such
• Give up regardless of the grim situation
• Their hope did
• See the present situation as temporary
• Recognize solution is found in Gods law
• Cause commitment to required obedience

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Abraham Example of HopeRomans 418-25
18Who in hope believed against hope, to the end
that he might become a father of many nations,
according to that which had been spoken, So shall
thy seed be. 19And without being weakened in
faith he considered his own body now as good as
dead (he being about a hundred years old), and
the deadness of Sarahs womb 20yet, looking unto
the promise of God, he wavered not through
unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving
glory to God, 21and being fully assured that what
he had promised, he was able also to perform.
22Wherefore also it was reckoned unto him for
righteousness. 23Now it was not written for his
sake alone, that it was reckoned unto him 24but
for our sake also, unto whom it shall be
reckoned, who believe on him that raised Jesus
our Lord from the dead, 25who was delivered up
for our trespasses, and was raised for our
justification.
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Some Facts About Our Hope

• Having hope in our time does not
• Overlook the severity of problems we face
• Ignore the work necessary to correct such
• Give up due to the grimness of situation
• Having hope in our time does
• See the present situation as temporary
• Recognize solution is found in Gods word
• Cause commitment to required obedience

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We Can Have HOPE Despite Present Problem
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Having Hope for Our Nation

• We live in troubled times of immorality,
  terrorism, social division financial loss
• Yet now there is hope
• As Gods message is taught (book of Jonah)
• If nation returns to source of true security
  (Prov. 1434 Prov. 1111 Gen. 1822-32)
• When government returns to purpose given by God
  (Rom. 131-6)
• Only as Christians boldly stand for truth

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Having Hope for Our Families

• Are we troubled by turmoil in the family?
• Yet now there is hope
• When we seek our answer from Gods word (1 Cor.
  710-11)
• If husband shows proper love (Eph. 525-29)
• If wife has godly character (1 Pet. 31-6)
• If parents exemplify teach truth (Eph. 64)
• If children honor obey in Lord (Eph. 61f)
• Only when all repent, obey encourage

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Having Hope for Our Souls

• Are we in despair of sin? (Lk. 1513f)
• Yet now there is hope
• When we go to Scripture (Rom. 154)
• If we come to self, see sin for what it is, go
  humbly to our Father (Lk. 1517-24)
• If we purify our lives from sin (1 Jn. 33)
• Only in Christ through cross (Eph. 211-16)
• Found in obeying truth as we are born again (1
  Pet. 117-25)
• Regardless of depth of our sin (1 Tim. 116)