The same agricultural illustration is brought to our notice in I Corinthians 9:10: "...he that plows ought to be plowing in expectation; and he that threshes should be partaker of his expectation." You will notice that in place of the word "hope" in the King James version I have used the word "expectation". Hope is rather an unfortunate word to use in this context, because hope is something which has no certainty of fulfillment. There is no guarantee; Well, I just hope so, if it doesn't come about, well, it will not really matter, but I hope it does." That is what the word "hope" means in today's language, and it is far too weak to express what God is saying to us here in the original text.
There is a lot of difference between expectation and hope. Suppose I am expecting a visitor to arrive by plane tomorrow morning. I am not just hoping that he will come, I am expecting him to come and because of my expectation I have made certain arrangements regarding his visit. To expect something means that there is a strong possibility, even a certainty that the event is going to happen. Just to hope so has no feeling of certainty at all, it is only a pie-in-the-sky dream. Now I want you to keep these two words sharply separated in your mind, for it affects the principle of believing and your enjoyment of all that God has made available.
The farmer in I Corinthians 9:10 who was plowing his field, putting his energy into it, was not just hoping, he was really expecting a harvest. This becomes an interesting study, because the action most people take between the moment of believing and the manifestation of the answer, is not to express their expectation but to make preparation for the non-arrival of the answer. It seems as if they mostly spend their time as if the answer was not coming. The plowing in hope is a real plowing in expectation of the harvest. You are really expecting, you are putting all your effort into it, you are expecting the supply of your needs. Yet the reverse is true in most Christians that I have counselled. Even people who say they are walking on the Word, when they have a need, seem to spend as much time, if not more time, trying to find some way around the problem as if the answer is not coming, than they do in an attitude of expectation.
The most vital key in the period between believing and manifesting the answer is this matter of expectation. Are we really expecting God to supply that particular need? Oh yes, we expect it the moment we first believe, yes, that day and maybe a day or two after, but if there is any length of time between the believing and the manifestation we cease the attitude of expectancy. Too often we get into a hope situation, It sure would be nice, you know, it would be great if we got the answer to that need; wouldn't it be terrific? We are no longer expecting it, and Satan has tricked us on that one little point. I am sure to some of you that there is only a hairline distinction between expectation and hope, but it is there and Satan is very anxious to give you a nudge over from the side of expectation into hope, because he knows that by so doing he can cancel the whole project. You must be on your guard all the time and keep your mind geared to the fact that you are standing on the greatness of God's Word.
Examples of Expectation
The truth of expectation is so important that I want to take you deeper into its understanding by sharing some of the usages of the word expectation in the New Testament. In the vast majority of cases in the Bible as well as in classical Greek literature, it is used of expecting the best. In the New Testament there are only a few times when there is any indication in its usage of expecting the worst. In contrast, most usages in the Church Epistles deal with expecting the best. But what do we find most Christians doing? Expecting the worst to happen. I've heard it time and time again from various people; most people seem to spend their lives thinking: What is the worst thing that could happen to me? They fill their mind with this and it influences their whole life. Now, what can possibly go wrong today? This has gone wrong, that has gone wrong, there must be a third disaster somewhere! And they usually get what they are expecting -- the worst. And yet what does the Word indicate? The Bible teaches that we should be expecting the best. Now here again is an area where we must adjust our thinking to agree with God's Word. If we are going to get the result that is promised, it will not be by expecting the worst that can happen, it will be by expecting the best. Always expect the best!
There is an example in the Word that I want to share with you of expecting the worst. In Acts chapter 27 there is the record of the shipwreck during Paul's enforced journey to Rome. After describing the fury of the hurricane that was battering the ship, verses 18-20 state: "And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; And on the third day we cast out with our hands the tackling of the ship. And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all expectation that we should be saved was then taken away." Now why did they lose all expectation? They took their eyes off the goal. (Paul was the only one believing at the time.) The people on board had their eyes on the sense-knowledge circumstances around them: no sun or stars to guide them, just the tempest blowing day after day after day. When they looked at this situation, the record states that all expectation that we should be saved was then taken away." Who took it away? They did -- they took it out of their minds.
Read through to the end of the chapter, and you will notice that not one person on board lost their lives. They were all saved because of a believer on board who knew how to believe God, and a great part of believing is expectation. Look at verse 25 (this is Paul speaking): "Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: For I believe God..." There is expectation, "I believe God," and God had told him by revelation that everyone on the ship would be saved because he (Paul) was there, but that they would lose the ship. And they lost the ship but every person on board was saved. In this example all expectation was taken away, they took it out of their mind, they gave in to sense-knowledge evidence, but when a believer stood on the greatness of God's Word, success was assured.
Nearly every other usage of this wonderful word expectation is in a positive sense. Romans 12:12 gives a vital key to an understanding of the subject of expectation. The first clause of this verse is packed with truth: "Rejoice in expectation." Rejoicing is a repeated experience of joy. Here it is obvious it can also refer to being so excited about what you are about to receive, so joyful and excited that you are on tiptoe waiting for it to arrive. This enthusiasm is generated not by outside circumstances but by the renewing of our mind to the greatness of God's Word. It is not a case of sitting there with a straight face and a sour look, and saying, "Yes, I'm expecting the answer." There is a rejoicing in expectation, there a thrill about it, because you are seeing the Word coming alive. God has said that He blesses you with all spiritual blessings, you have believed -- now you are expecting the manifestation of the answer, and ,you are getting excited about it. There is a rejoicing in expectation.
In Romans 15:13 God is declared to be "the God of expectation". God is characterised as having this attitude of expectation. His ultimate purpose in creating this universe and in placing man upon the earth, is to have somebody with whom he could fellowship. This will come to pass, and therefore He is called the God of expectation. Now let me show you the rest of the verse: "Now the God of expectation fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in expectation..." To abound means to be over above in number or measure. Expectation is not just saying every morning, "Today is the day", and then forget it for the rest of the day. This verse teaches a rejoicing, an abounding, an enthusiasm -- it becomes a real expectation. Perhaps you are waiting for your girl-friend to call you on the telephone and you are sitting there just waiting for that phone to ring; or perhaps you are waiting for your boy-friend to visit you, and every time a car drives down the street, you look out the window and see if it is him. Expectation -- it is certainly not a dull, straight-faced thing! Why should it be dull when it comes to spiritual realities? Rejoicing in expectation, abound in expectation; there is some emotion involved. You supply the excitement, the expectation.
No comments:
Post a Comment