PATIENTLY hold on to our HOPE...
This verse was another that showed as my daily verse on a BibleApp. I have shared before about what some of this verse means, but today I have a little different challenge.
Romans 15:4
For everything written in the past was written to teach us, so that with the encouragement of the Tanakh we might patiently hold on to our hope. (CJB)
What does it mean about “written in the past?” Paul was writing to the Romans, so this meant that Paul was speaking about Torah, the Prophets, Psalm, Proverbs, Esther and the list goes on… Paul was encouraging the communities of faith in Rome to STAND ON the PROMISES and to be ENCOURAGED by ALL that was written and given to them.
What is the Tanakh? This is a cool teaching and helpful for understanding:
Tanakh is an acronym of the first Hebrew letter of each of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: Torah ('Teaching', also known as the Five Books of Moses), Nevi'im ('Prophets') and Ketuvim ('Writings')—hence TaNaKh.
This verse shows us that these words (The Torah, The Prophets and the Writings) were written to ENCOURAGE the communities. With those words they were told to “patiently” hold on to HOPE.
I also read this verse in The Passion Translation
Whatever was written beforehand is meant to instruct us in how to live. The Scriptures impart to us encouragement and inspiration so that we can live in hope and endure all things. (TPT)
As I read this, I realized that we are DOUBLY BLESSED. WHY? Well… the early communities of faith only had the Scriptures. They did not have the New Testament writings available to them. They were making the connections between what God gave to Moses and their life in the communities they were in. We have everything put together for us and we just need to connect the “Torah Instructions” with the New Testament teachings based on the Torah, Prophets and Writings (Psalm and Proverbs).
We should be THANKFUL for these encouragements and inspirations from Scripture. These WORDS of TRUTH can help us live in HOPE and endure ALL things. Recognize how the Tanakh and the New Testament fit together and work alongside one another. Our DOUBLE blessing should cause us to live WITHOUT EXCUSE to have JOY.
Love and blessings,
Rose
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