Hope leads to joy. We can know what a world looks like where few have a confident hope of a life beyond the dubious pleasures and pain of this life. To have a confident and sure hope, with evidence in our lives and prophetic events playing out as expected to the hope of an expected end of the best of all worlds: that is joy.
Joy is not mere happiness, as it is a state beyond happiness. It is a state of emotional conviction of the rightness of the process of eternal good. James captures something of the nature of the state of joy, noting that joy can come in a time of trial- a time of unhappiness!
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (James 1:2-4)
This joy is due to the conviction that we are in a process which is already part of the rightness of God's plan of eternal perfection. Whereas happiness is about a feeling now, and tomorrow can bring its oppsite sorrow,(which is the curse after Adam's sin, so we find nothing good here 'under the sun' Eccl. 7:14). Joy, in contrast to happiness, has no end, as it is part of hope which has as its end point an eternal good, which has no sorrow at all
The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it. (Proverbs 10:22)
The blessing of Yahweh (He who will be) is the hope of the promises, which have no sorrow with them, as they are eternal life on earth with no curse.
I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (Rev 21:3-4)
Eternal hope for non-Jews is to attain the path to the promises to the Fathers of Israel – which is vested in the sacrifice of the Jewish King Priest Messiah (in the Greek language Christ), which was prefigured in Isaiah. Paul writes,
“And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:10-13)
Paul is quoting Isaiah who is speaking of the joy of the hope of a process to attain the future of a perfected world.
They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11:9-10)
Despite what many do-gooders think, we cannot attain that world without hurt which Isaiah speaks of until all are full of the knowledge of Yahweh Elohim- He Who will be the Mighty Ones. We therefore have joy as we attain and grow in knowledge in the path to that perfect day. On that path to knowledge in this age of sorrow, in the age of Christ's absence from the earth, there are small markers of answered prayer until the day the disciples of Christ see Christ as King, in the perfected earth.
Ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:22-24)
As Christ says we may be full of Joy now, despite sorrow. He even gave some detail of the sorrow his disciples may face.
Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. (Luke 6:22-23)
Habakkuk notes this sorrow also, as the sorrow of the evil of judgements on sin in this age.
Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. (Hab 3:17-19)
Though Habakkuk saw a vision of judgement, he himself knew that the reward-er of the evil and the good existed and would do as He had promised, and rejoiced in the promised hope.
The joy of hope is in the certainty of Christ's resurrection, in the blessing of Christ's narrow way where our Creator in every aspect shapes our lives towards the fullness of joy when faith is made sight and the hidden dwelling with our Creator is revealed when finally our Creator openly dwells in Glory on earth with us. The Joy of hope is found in seeking to be beside Yahweh, the Mighty Ones of Israel who helps us now unto our future.
I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psalm 16:8-11)
Habakkuk's dialogue with Deity
