The Two Wolves - Pt 4

Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:23-24 ESV).

The hope we have is a moral certainty. That is different from, say mathematical or merely logical certainty. Mathematical or strictly logical certainty results from the necessity of non-moral laws. If we have two apples and add two more, we may be “mathematically” certain that we now have four apples. That is mathematical certainty. If all men are mortal and if Plato was a man, then we may be “logically” certain that Plato was mortal. That is logical certainty. That kind of thinking is important. In fact, it is indispensable in biblical studies as well as all other areas of life. But most of our experience is not like that. There is a kind of legitimate certainty and confidence that does not come from mathematical calculations or merely logical laws. I call it “moral certainty.” I call it moral because it is rooted in the commitment of the will of persons. And the will is the seat of morality. That is, we can only speak of moral right and wrong in relationship to acts of will. So whatever has to do with the will is an issue of morality. And moral certainty is a certainty that is based on acts of will. For example, I have a strong moral certainty that Mary and I are going to stay married to each other as long as we live. This is based not on mathematical laws or merely logical thoughts. It is based on the character of our wills and the promises of God which are just expressions of the character of his will. We have almost fifty years of evidence about the nature and commitments of our wills and the graciousness of God’s will. When we speak of our future, we do not speak in the ordinary terms of hope. We speak in terms of confidence and certainty, because the character of a God-centered will is like iron. Biblical hope is not a mere desire for something good to happen. It is a confident expectation and desire for something good in the future. Biblical hope has moral certainty in it. When the word says, “Hope in God!” it does not mean, “Cross your fingers.” It means, to use the words of William Carey, “Expect great things from God.” After all, he is the God who declares “I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth” (v. 24). There is no sudden change in his character or will according to circumstance. He is indeed the same today and every day. That certainty gives us the basis for real, undeniable hope. For millennia he has proven that steadfastness. Feed that wolf!