On Hope and Hoping

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” — Hebrews 6:19

Why Hope Feels So Elusive¹

We use the word hope to cover everything from “I hope they serve tacos today” to “the hope of the resurrection.” No wonder the concept feels slippery. Scripture presents hope as far more than wishful thinking; it is a God-given capacity, forged in adversity, to envision a future beyond present chaos.

1. God Created Us as Hoping Beings

Hope is not simply an attitude we adopt—it’s woven into our very being. In moments of disorder, God has graced us with the ability to see beyond the storm, to imagine His future breaking into our present. This capacity to hope “anchors” us, keeping us from being swept away by despair.

2. Hope Arises in Calamity

We do not feel much hope when life is easy. True hope emerges when circumstances press in, and we feel overwhelmed. In that tension, we can envision a time when the present burden will pass. The act of hoping comforts us now by opening a window to God’s future.

3. The Hebrew Roots of Hope

The Hebrew word for hope, tiqvah (הָו ְק ִּת(, derives from qavah (הָו ָק—(to wait, look for, or expect. As the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament explains, “Waiting with steadfast endurance is a great expression of faith.”² This waiting means holding fast to integrity and uprightness while trusting God’s promises will come to pass (Isaiah 49:23; Psalm 25:21; Psalm 27:14)

Thus, hope carries a posture of patience and a forward pull toward God’s decisive action. As long as there is a future, there is hope (Proverbs 23:18). But for the believer, this hope is anchored not in chance but in Yahweh, the God who acts righteously on behalf of His people.

4. Life as Calamity, Hope as Gift

From illness to loss, from economic turmoil to war—life is full of calamities. In a sense, life itself is a calamity marked by universal suffering. Without the gift of hope, we collapse into despair, its opposite. Yet God offers peace and wholeness beyond this age, even when our outward circumstances suggest otherwise.

5. Hope as an Anchor

Hope stabilizes us (Hebrews 6:19). Like an anchor, it keeps us from drifting into despair, where our actions become the opposite of faith. In despair, people lose sight of God’s bigger picture and act contrary to their deepest values. But hope keeps our souls tethered to God’s faithfulness, enabling us to persevere.

6. A New Testament Picture of Hope: Acts 27

Acts 27 provides a vivid example. Paul and his companions sail for Rome only to be caught in a violent storm. In the Bible, storms are the enemies of God that bring chaos to his created order. Paul is on his way to Rome with the Good News, while the storm opposes God’s mission. As the tempest rages, the crew “lost all hope” (v. 20). But Paul receives an angelic message of reassurance: no one will perish. He encourages his shipmates to hold on to hope and persevere until rescue comes.

Luke’s narrative includes unusual details: the repeated mention of “anchors” and the exact number of passengers—276 souls. Numbers in Scripture are often used symbolically rather than to specify precise details. In ancient numerology, 276 is significant because it is a “triangle number.”³

According to Google, triangle numbers are “a type of figurate number that represents the quantity of dots in an equilateral triangle formed by arranging them in rows, with each subsequent row containing one more dot than the last.” Calculating a triangle number is simple; the ‘triangle’ of 17 (1+2+3...+17) is 153 (John 21:11). If we extend the triangle by one more dot to 18, the following triangle number in the series is 171.

The triangle of 23 is 276. Luke’s original audience would have immediately recognized this.

Taking one step further, the 23rd letter of the Greek alphabet is psi Ψ, the first letter of the Greek word for soul, psyche. This would connect with Luke’s audience: 276 souls saved—and 276 symbolically linked to the soul.

But there is more! The Rabbis use an interpretive technique called Gematria. Since Hebrew letters also serve as numbers, each Hebrew word or phrase has a numeric value. By analyzing the numerical values of different Hebrew words or phrases, the sages seek deeper, hidden meanings within the text.

In Hebrew, the phrase “The LORD Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:16) totals 276.

According to Jeremiah, this is the name given to the “righteous branch” from David’s line, while verses 14-16 describe God's righteous actions that will save Israel. By incorporating this number into his storm narrative, Luke references Jeremiah’s promise that a righteous God—through His Branch—will act to save. The message? God’s righteousness—His faithful deliverance—is available to all souls, both Gentiles and Jews.

Thus, Acts 27 becomes a theological portrait:

• God’s righteousness promises deliverance.

• This promise extends beyond Israel to all humanity.

• Hope in God’s righteousness acts as an anchor for the soul (psi Ψ) amid life’s storms.

7. Early Christian’s “Anchor Cross”

The earliest Christians adopted the anchor symbol and included it in their depiction of the cross, showing the ancient world that it is the anchor of their faith. This anchor cross, found at the ancient city of Sardis, was placed on a reused stone to create a dye vat.

8. The Dynamics of Hope

This Biblical portrait aligns with what psychology and theology alike have observed:

• Hope emerges in the calamities of life, not in comfort.

• Hope anchors us in humility, reducing self-centeredness.

• Hope is communal and contagious- we hope “with” and “for” others.

• Hope keeps us reality-based, not delusional; it waits for God’s action rather than conjuring fantasies.

9. Our Hope Today

As followers of Jesus, our hope rests on God’s demonstrated promise of resurrection and His ongoing righteousness. This hope steadies us when we are buffeted by personal crises or global upheaval. Like Paul on the storm-tossed sea, we cling to the anchor of God’s faithfulness and extend that hope to others.

Takeaway for Fig Tree Readers:

• Hope is not wishful thinking but a Spirit-given capacity to envision God’s future breaking into our present.

• Hope anchors our souls so we can live faithfully even in life’s storms.

• Hope extends God’s promise to all people, uniting Jew and Gentile under His righteousness.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” — Romans 15:13

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¹ Paul W. Pruyser, Phenomenology and Dynamics of Hoping, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Vol. 3, No. 1 (Autumn, 1963), pp. 86-96.

²John E. Hartley, “1994 הָו ָק, “in Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 791.

³See our lesson on John 21:11, Why 153 Fish - https://youtu.be/qafgoYawoL4