The gospel of Jesus Christ is no mere religious ritual or routine. God has called-through grace by faith-for His elect and predestined children to soar on wings like eagles. Not live picking worms from the ground like chickens. The greatest tragedy of Christianity is a doctrine “of the cross” devoid of the resurrection. A truncated gospel.

My hour with the LORD yesterday and this morning focused on this idea of “waiting upon the LORD”. I was led to meditate upon Isaiah chapter 40, and verses 29 to 31. I was left shaking my head in disbelief (forgive me, LORD!) at this amazing truth and promise of God to His people.

God is promising that He “29 He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall. 31 But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.…”

This resonates so much with me! You see, I’m 61 and will hit 62 in December. I feel my age! And sometimes I despair that I still have so many dreams of serving my LORD and Master in the gospel and lack the strength and stamina to do so.

In my contemplations, I was led to this portion of Scripture. As I studied and meditated upon the Hebrew of this verse and its range of meanings, I felt led to curate a chat with Microsoft Copilot, structured this way:

“Conduct an exhaustive study of the Hebrew word, “qavah” from Jewish theological sources, and integrate it with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Show connections with the doctrine of union with Christ, and the place of faith in God through the person of the Holy Spirit.” (Franklin’s curated chat)

And I was really amazed at Copilot’s response, attached below (with my comments interspersed accordingly):

“The Hebrew word qavah (קָוָה) carries profound theological significance, particularly in its connection to hope, waiting, and expectation. Rooted in the imagery of a cord being pulled tight, qavah conveys a sense of tension and anticipation, rather than passive waiting. This concept is deeply embedded in Jewish thought and finds rich integration within Christian theology, especially in relation to the gospel of Jesus Christ, the doctrine of union with Christ (“a cord being pulled tight”?), and the role of faith through the Holy Spirit.

Jewish Theological Understanding of Qavah

In Jewish theology, qavah is often associated with hope and trust in God. The word appears in passages such as Isaiah 40:31, which states:
“But they who wait (qavah) for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Here, qavah is not merely waiting but an active, expectant trust in God’s faithfulness. It implies a certainty in the outcome, much like a measuring cord that ensures precision. The word also appears in Psalm 130:5, where the psalmist declares:
“I wait (qavah) for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.”

This reinforces the idea that qavah is deeply tied to faith—an unwavering confidence in God’s promises. (Hebrews chapter 11 is such a demonstration of this type of faith. The faith that received God’s promises and looked expectantly towards its fulfilment. This led the heroes of faith to walk in alignment with their faith expectations of God and His promises. Remember Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? This means-as an application point for us-when I look to God for His supply of wisdom, strength and guidance, I can then live life confidently knowing that He has already heard me, since He lives in me by faith through the Presence of the Spirit of Jesus.)

Integration with the Gospel of Jesus Christ

In Christian theology, qavah aligns closely with the gospel message. Jesus Christ embodies the fulfillment of divine expectation, as believers place their hope in Him. The New Testament Greek equivalent, elpis (ἐλπίς), conveys a similar meaning—a confident expectation rather than mere wishful thinking. (There is no place here for “disembodied living”. Meaning, we cannot “think” the faith, and “cognitivise” the faith. It must show an experiential thrust! The proof is in the pudding it’s said. What you believe must be reflected in our words and lifestyle.)

Jesus Himself taught about waiting in faith, as seen in Luke 12:35-40, where He urges His followers to be like servants waiting for their master’s return. This parallels the qavah concept—an active, faithful anticipation of God’s promises. (So whilst we “wait”, we actively demonstrate that faith through serving the LORD in a life of service to others. See why we have people like Mother Theresa, and a host of others who because they understood this truth, lived out their lives to serve others with the love and light of Christ?)

Union with Christ and Qavah

The doctrine of union with Christ emphasizes that believers are spiritually joined to Jesus (the imagery of a cord being pulled tight”), sharing in His life, death, and resurrection. Qavah plays a crucial role in this union, as it reflects the expectant faith that believers hold in their relationship with Christ. (This means that suffering and exaltation are the two sides of the cross and resurrection we are called to live in union with Christ. No place for “worm theology”. No place for “triumphalist theology” either!)

We will experience as Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote in 2 Cor 4:10 “Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.” 

Paul further expresses this in Galatians 2:20:
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”

This union is sustained by faith, which mirrors the qavah concept—a confident waiting and trust in God’s redemptive work. (This is the life of death and resurrection and ascension in union with Christ that Greg Beale wrote about (2023). What deep humility it ought to inculcate and bring out in believers! What confidence and freedom to soar too!)

Faith in God through the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the agent through whom believers experience qavah in their daily walk with God. The Spirit strengthens, renews, and assures believers as they wait upon the Lord. (And the Spirit does this by imparting faith as believers in Christ meditate upon the word of Christ as it is scribed in Col 3:16. Furthermore, as Rom 10:17 puts it, “faith comes…by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” This is why it is absolutely crucial and critical that believers of Christ live a life as Joshua was exhorted to in Joshua 1:8. This is the secret of success for the believer. Amidst pain, frustration and suffering. Exactly as Paul explained in 2 Cor 4: 7 “Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Romans 5:5 states:
“Hope (elpis) does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.”

This verse highlights how faith and hope are intertwined through the Spirit, reinforcing the qavah principle of expectant trust.

Conclusion

The Hebrew word qavah is a powerful theological concept that bridges Jewish thought and Christian faith. It embodies expectant hope, trust, and certainty in God’s promises, which are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Through union with Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit, believers experience qavah as they wait upon the Lord with unwavering faith.” (End of Copilot’s response!)

For the believer, it means that we continuously “bind” ourselves to Jesus Christ, who is already bound to us by the grace and mercy of God in His great act of redemption through the cross and resurrection, and ascension of Christ to His right hand. And we with Him.

Dear believer, call out to Jesus. He is near to all who call upon Him. He NEVER fails. He thoroughly satisfies. More than drugs. More than the highest high you can experience. And He offers Himself through His word of the truth of the gospel. Again and again, the Holy Spirit brings Christ to us, experientially, by His amazing and sovereign grace, by faith. What joy! What exhilaration! What delight in Him! What an honor to serve such a Savior!