FAITH BEYOND REASONABLE HOPE

Romans 4:18 KJV 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the
father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

Ro 4:18 Who without reason for hope, in faith went on hoping, so that he became
the father of a number of nations, as it had been said, So will your seed be. (BBE)

Ro 4:18 With no ground for hope, Abraham, sustained by hope, put faith in
God; in order that, in fulfillment of the words-'So many shall thy descendants be,'
he might become 'the Father of many nations.' (TCNT)

Ro 4:18 Under utterly hopeless circumstances he hopefully believed, so that he

might become the forefather of many nations, in agreement with the words
<"Equally numerous shall your posterity be."> (WNT)

Hope: Elpis; from a primary elpo (to anticipate, usually with pleasure);
expectation (abstractly or concretely) or confidence:--faith, hope.

All circumstances that could give Abraham some hope had vanished into thin air
sarah was not getting younger, now she was into her eighties, she was already
barren, now the hope of youth miraculously bearing had vanished too, he was
now over 100 years old. There was no more logical or reasonable grounds to
have hope

Our hope must not be in the natural things, but must go beyond.

2 Corinthians 4:18 KJV 18 While we look[to take aim at, regard, consider, focus]
not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the
things which are seen are temporal[for the occasion only, for a while, endure for a
season, or time proskarios]; but the things which are not seen are eternal
[perpetual, both past and future].

2 Corinthians 5:7 KJV 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

Romans 8:24 KJV 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?

Romans 8:25 KJV 25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with
patience wait for it.

Believed in hope. What made Abraham keep on having supernatural hope? he

placed credence, faith on that which was spoken, - the rhema word of God so
shall thy seed be.

He believed in the God who had made covenant with him, sworn to him, made
promises and knew that they could not fail, though not visible to the senses now.

Ro 4:17 so that the promise should be made sure to all Abraham's true
descendants; not merely to those who are righteous through the Law, but to those
who are righteous through a faith like that of Abraham. Thus in the sight of God
in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and makes reference to things
that do not exist, as though they did, Abraham is the forefather of all of us. As it is
written, <"I have appointed you to be the forefather of many nations."> (WNT)

Hebrews 6:13-20 WNT 13 For when God gave the promise to Abraham, since He
had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself, 14 saying, <"Assuredly I
will bless you and bless you, I will increase you and increase you."> 15 And so, as
the result of patient waiting, our forefather obtained what God had promised. 16
For men swear by what is greater than themselves; and with them an oath in
confirmation of a statement always puts an end to a dispute. 17 In the same way,
since it was God's desire to display more convincingly to the heirs of the promise
how unchangeable His purpose was, 18 He added an oath, in order that, through
two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for Him to prove false, we may
possess mighty encouragement--we who, for safety, have hastened to lay hold of
the hope set before us. 19 That hope we have as an anchor of the soul--an anchor
that can neither break nor drag. It passes in behind the veil, 20 where Jesus has
entered as a forerunner on our behalf, having become, like Melchizedek, a High
Priest for ever.

This was Abrahams hope Gods rhema word, His oath, promise. Our hope
reaches beyond the Vail into the very presence of God.

Abraham kept

remembering and focusing on these things because there was no natural grounds
for hope.
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