Holding on to Hope: Easter in Old Testament PoetrySýnishorn

Jesus reigns victorious!

For generations, the Israelites held on to hope as they waited for their future Messiah.

Jesus fulfilled this hope, knowing both the joy and pain set before Him as He followed through on the promise.

Today, we cling to this same hope as believers whom Christ redeemed. And we wait for our King to return. God’s unending story continues, and we are part of it.

As I describe in a poem:

“Jesus died,
descended,
defeated sin and death,
rose, ascended,
promised the Holy Spirit,
proclaimed His future return.
No,
there was no end then.” (Jen Weaver, “Unbroken” in A Beckoning to Wonder)

But it’s not just modern poetry that proclaims this reality. Ancient biblical poems do too.

It’s believed that Jesus’ human ancestor King David wrote about Him in the prophetic poem of Psalm 110. David lived roughly a millennium before Jesus was born on earth, and God promised a future King to reign on David’s throne forever. Rich with kingdom imagery of lordship and authority, this poem begins with the Forever Priest being seated in a place of honor and power.

“The Lord says to my Lord:
'Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.'” (Psalm 110:1)

This verse is repeated throughout the New Testament:

• By Peter to affirm that Jesus was exalted to the right hand of God after His resurrection.
• By the unknown author of Hebrews who calls Jesus the radiance of the glory of God.
• By Jesus Himself, demonstrating to the Pharisees that not only is Christ a descendant of David, but He is also greater than David.

Christ’s work is fully completed and also, we wait to experience the fullness of its completion.

Poetry in Isaiah encourages us in our waiting with powerful imagery of death being swallowed forever and intimate depictions of our Sovereign King who “will wipe away tears from all faces.” (Isaiah 25:8a). Even the familiar song lyric “I know that my Redeemer lives” is a quote from Old Testament poetry. While still in anguish, Job spoke of the hope he found in God as his Redeemer, closing with:

“I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!” (Job 19:27 NLT)

Our Redeemer lives!

My prayer is that as you’ve completed this plan, you’ve seen your Redeemer even more vibrantly with the eyes of your heart. And because He lives, because He faced rejection and crucifixion, because of His completion, and resurrection, ascension, and redemption, you too will see Him face to face. May you be joyously overwhelmed at the thought!

If you enjoyed this reading plan, I’d love to help you experience greater awareness of God’s love for you. Click here for complimentary access to TWO of my favorite practical tools for holding on to hope:
1. My personal Quick Guide for holding on to hope in seasons of struggle.
2. My favorite journaling prompts for drawing near to God's heart through biblical poetry.