Robin McMillan. Harbinger of Hope. Emanate, 2018.

Robin McMillan recently spoke at a church I happened to watch online when I was sick. The pastor put in a good word about Harbinger of Hope. It was definitely worth reading.

As readers can guess from the title, its subject is hope. To organize his thoughts, McMillan tells us of five things that bring hope. He uses the image of five wagons, taking the idea from the story of Joseph in the Bible. Jacob had lost hope when he thought Joseph had died. His hope was restored when his sons returned from Egypt with wagons of food and goods from Joseph, now a leader in Egypt.

It is easy enough to sum up McMillan’s five main points, but it is worth reading the book. He uses many different Scriptures to illustrate and prove his points. It all has to do with one’s relationship with God and what one can expect. In other words, what hope God has for us.

First, he calls our salvation in Jesus the first—and probably most important—thing. This includes, as he puts it, deliverance from consequences we deserve. “All have sinned” (Romans 3:23) the Bible tells us. “There are none righteous.”(Psalm 14:1-3, 53:1-3) We all deserve to reap what we sow from our sin. But Jesus paid the price on the cross for that. That, folks, is the Gospel in a nutshell. “Whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (See John 3:16)

The second may be the most challenging in our everyday life: “Deliverance from criticism and a critical spirit.” Criticism works both ways: we are hurt when criticized and can be hindered when we criticize. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” says Proverbs 18:21. Harbinger of Hope encourages us in how to deal with criticism while at the same time warning us about how we lose blessings when we criticize others.

The third “wagon” is hope itself. Here the author tells us specifically what the Bible says about hope, true hope. And it is not just “pie in the sky by and by.” We note that even in hard times the Lord can give us hope. Joseph was in prison in a foreign country, but he hung onto hope. Jesus faced the cross, but he knew the suffering and torture he would endure would be worth it.

The fourth “wagon” is the closest to the wagons Jacob received: abundance. While the book does address briefly material possessions, it emphasizes the work of the Holy Spirit. Psalm 16:11 says to God, “In your presence is fullness of joy.” The chapter is mostly about joy and its relationship to the presence of the Lord. Looking back on my own life, the most joyfully memorable times for the most part have been when the Lord manifested His presence. Let us all seek the Lord and remain in Him and where He is. This section is really profound, and I suspect many Christians miss out on this. I confess that that often may include me. Read the two chapters on this subject. The joy of the Lord is our strength (see Nehemiah 8:10).

The writer of the book of Hebrews encouraged us to be “looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:2). If we focus on our sinfulness instead of gazing upon the One to whom we turned, our old nature will try to hold us in bondage. (141)

McMillan describes the fifth hope specifically for Americans, though there is no reason why it cannot apply to other nations. With hope from God comes a promise for revival. Revivals such as the two Great Awakenings and even the Jesus Movement had a profound effect on many lives and helped the country to prosper. Let us seek God for this and pray for this. Hope tells us that the best is yet to come. (See, for example, Amos 9:11-15).

Let it be, Lord. And let this book encourage, you, blessed reader.

P.S. As I write this christianbook.com has a bargain price for this book (over 90% off). Now would be a good time to get a copy…