A Pilgrimage of Hope

Psalm 119: 49-56 Zain ז Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. 50 This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me. 51 The proud have had me greatly in derision: yet have I not declined from thy law. 52 I remembered thy judgments of old, O Lord; and have comforted myself. 53 Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law. 54 Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage. 55 I have remembered thy name, O Lord, in the night, and have kept thy law. 56 This I had, because I kept thy precepts.

The word Zain means both crown and sword in Hebrew, and interestingly as the seventh letter of the alphabet, it symbolizes completion and rest. It is written as the letter Vau with a “crown”, and as we discussed last week, the letter Vau represents God’s goodness and light coming down on us from heaven. The symbolism of the letter Zain then, is the completion and perfection of the effects of this light from above, as seen within us. This light from above makes us spiritual royalty, as we are seated with God through His grace and mercy with and through Christ Jesus.

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:4-9)

As the above scripture in Ephesians explains, we are the recipients of God’s goodness, not of our own works, but His, and with that we are raised up together with Christ into completion. The outpouring of His goodness onto us, and into us, makes us blossom into what we are becoming, and will become.

With that we are equipped with our most powerful weapon as believers, and that it hope! Why is hope so powerful? If we understand who we are to God, if we understand His love for us, His control, His nature, His victory; then, we suddenly realize we live in that victory, and nothing the world throws at us can dismantle it. That hope quickens us just as the psalmist says, “upon which thou hast caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.” We can hope and believe in God’s words and when we put our hope in Him we can live in confident reassurance that we will not be disappointed!

And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Romans 5:5)

This hope is the most powerful weapon, or sword, we have against the wickedness and corruption of this world. The book of Habakkuk captures a similar sentiment as verse 51 and 53 of this Psalm.

Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. 4 Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.(Habakkuk 1:3-4)

Habakkuk, as the Psalmist of Psalm 119 describes, a world that is overflowing with wickedness and strife; with the absence of and His love. This breaks the hearts of both writers, as they understand the reason for the evil is the rejection of God’s love, law, and Spirit in the culture around them. This leaves them to rest on one thing, their hope in the Lord, His righteousness, His word, His nature, and His promises. This is what gives the Psalmist of 119, “songs in the house of (their) pilgrimage” In other words, a song to sing despite the evil around them. Further, what do they attribute their ability to hold that song in their heart to? Simply, their hope in God, His righteousness, and His nature and precepts.

The last key element of our study for today is the point the Psalmist makes regarding pilgrimage. As we grow closer to God, we sense a growing void between us and the world. The darkness of the world eventually becomes more and more apparent to us, and the reality begins to sink in that we just don’t belong here. Indeed, this life is a Pilgrimage towards God and His country, and that means we have to come to terms with the unavoidable truth that this place is not our home.

“And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20)

We are on a journey in this place to discover God, grow in His light, and to do His work. We must learn how to hope in the journey, and though it may be long, and full of twists and turns, we will surely see God’s miracles and watch the beautiful work of His hands. We will encounter the evil of man, and be targeted as enemies or prey for the worldly, but we will also experience God’s protection and provision against that evil for His glory. Fruther, we will be blessed by His love, both in giving and receiving of it, in the God given relationships we will have in this life. At the end of this journey, we will find rest in Him and with Him, surrounded by our brothers and sisters in Christ in a world fully redeemed from corruption.

Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. (Romans 8:21-25)

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May we wait patiently with hopeful expectation, and a song in our hearts, for the full restoration of the world from corruption!