Introduction
For people, the world is not only a subject of scientific knowledge but also a subject of faith. No matter how much science reveals secrets in the field of physics, chemistry, and geology, fundamental questions will remain unsolved for man: where did the very laws of nature and the elementary particles from which the world was formed, what is the purpose of everything that surrounds them, and what is the purpose of human life. Science continues to study the world intensively, and it discovers many new and interesting things that help a person to understand the Bible more fully and deeply. Therefore, for a person, understanding the principles should be more important than knowing the details. The significance of the Bible lies in the fact that it reveals the principles of existence; therefore, it has eternal meaning and accents wisdom and hope as key elements of human nature embodied in Jesus Christ.
Biblical Metanarrative
The biblical metanarrative is based on four main plot movements. They include creation, the fall, redemption, and the new creation. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1) – with these words, the Bible covers everything that God created: our visible material world and the spiritual angelic world that is beyond our physical observation (Whitney 45).
The chapter on the fall is based on the fall of the first humans, Adam and Eve, and their expulsion from paradise (Benz 191). Part of redemption includes the period when God came into the world as the man Jesus Christ and freed mankind from sin and death (Ephesians 1:7). The world after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ is called a new creation.
The Bible consists of books that systematize and divide life into stories and truths (Zambakari 4). Each theme of the Bible is related to the main plot movements and unites the sermons in one book. The main hero of the Bible is God in the three persons of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, and God. The apostles wrote the Bible through the Revelation of the Holy Spirit and divine instructions. One of the leading themes in the Bible is wisdom and hope.
Wisdom
The Lord created each person in his own image and likeness, filling the human organism with wisdom and the desire for this possession. At the time of the fall, man still retained wisdom and the capacity for this trait, but man lost direct contact with God and the source of wisdom. In the redemption and new creation, God wants to give us his wisdom, regardless of human origin and education (Corinthians 1:26-29).
The first prerequisite is the fear of the Lord, which is expressed in the fear of losing contact with God. In the new creation, one of the facets of wisdom is the ability to successfully apply knowledge in practice. The expression “to fear God” means not to tremble before him with fear, but to bow down with reverence, respect, and trust. Such fear is healthy and has great motivating power because it encourages people to bring their lives into line with what they know about God’s will and way of doing things.
Another way is to be humble. If people have truly acquired God’s wisdom, it will be reflected in human behavior.
Hope
Another critical theme in the Bible in terms of meta paradigms is hope. This quality is taught from Romans to Isaiah to 2 Timothy and, in Revelation, as well as many other passages. The root cause of hope extends into eternity, but it can also sustain you in the daily trials of life. “Blessed,” said the singer of psalms, “the God of Jacob helps him, whose hope is in the Lord, his God” (Psalms 146:5). With hope, you can find joy in life. The biblical metanarrative speaks of hope for God’s creation of heaven and earth (Ekeke and Eyo 375).
During the world’s creation, God created man with the hope of believing in His promises. During the fall, the first humans lost hope in God and believed in the devil (Collins). In the part of redemption, the Lord revives hope for a new life after death, called a new creation.
After redemption, men were assured that if they did works of righteousness, they would receive their reward, namely, peace in this world and eternal life in the world to come (“Proverbs, Ecclesiastes’ Wisdom Is the Principal Thing; Therefore Get Wisdom”). Such hope comes solely through the atonement of Jesus Christ. When people try to live according to the Gospel, they grow in their ability to be enriched by hope, the power of the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion
Overall, wisdom and hope are among the key features that man received from God during creation. They accompany man during the fall, redemption at the price of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and during the new creation. Whoever believes in God can confidently hope for a better world. Such hope comes through faith and becomes an anchor for people’s souls, which will make them confident and steadfast, always rich in good deeds, and lead to the glorification of God. God’s wisdom is a gift that is of little value without proper application.
Works Cited
Benz, Brendon C. “The Ethics of the Fall: Restoring the Divine Image through the Pursuit of Biblical Wisdom.” Biblical Theology Bulletin: Journal of Bible and Culture, vol. 46, no. 4, 2016, pp. 191–199, Web.
Bible. “What Does the Bible Say about Hope?” Www.openbible.info, Web.
“What Does the Bible Say about Wisdom?” Www.openbible.info, Web.
Collins, Carmen. “20 Hopeful Bible Verses to Help You Reset Your Frame of Mind.” Country Living, Web.
Ekeke, Emeka C., and Ubong Ekpenyong Eyo. “The Necessity of Hope: A Philosophical and Theological Appraisal.” European Scientific Journal, ESJ, vol. 12, no. 5, 2016, p. 371, Web.
“Proverbs, Ecclesiastes ‘Wisdom Is the Principal Thing; Therefore Get Wisdom.” Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Web.
Whitney, William B. “Beginnings: Why the Doctrine of Creation Matters for the Integration of Psychology and Christianity.” Journal of Psychology and Theology, vol. 48, no. 1, 2019, p. 009164711983702, Web.
Zambakari, Christopher. “Christianity, the Fall of Man, and Redemption.” SSRN Electronic Journal, 2018, Web.