Jon Courson Bible Study: The Book of Habakkuk (the prophet who wrestled with God in dark times)

habakkuk hopefully you found it by now Habakkuk was the last of the minor prophets to be preaching in the southern kingdom that is Judah before the Babylonian invasion the Babylonians being led by Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah on three separate occasions and it culminated in their carrying away the people back to Babylon into captivity Habakkuk was ministering in the days immediately before Nebuchadnezzar's first invasion so let's place it around the year 609 608 BC the times were troubling the days were dark there were ominous signs on the horizon the Babylonian Empire was emerging having already formed an axis with the Medes to overthrow the Assyrians there was now sort of a vacuum created in that realm of the world who would now come into supremacy who would ascend into power it would be the Babylonians so the year is 608 609 Habakkuk is ministering he probably started his ministry we assume or can put together from some internal evidence about 630 BC so he was ministering for a number of years before this particular book was penned Habakkuk we don't know much about him the man personally we do suspect that he was a priest before he was called to be a prophet the reason that that is believed is because the final verse of this small book verse 19 chapter 3 he ends by writing a song and then saying this song was to be given to the chief singer on my strength instruments now we know that it was the Levites particularly the priests who were the ones who wrote the songs and played the instruments in the temple that was part of the Levitical priesthood so it would seem as though Habakkuk was probably a priest himself if that be sold he would be in the same situation as a contemporary who was on the scene at the same time a prophet by the name of Jeremiah Jeremiah was also a priest before he was called to be a prophet so these two fellows Jeremiah and Habakkuk both ministering in the days immediately before the Babylonian invasion when the southern kingdom would come crushing down both it would seem called from the priestly ministry into a prophetic ministry now the priestly ministry was much more regimented than the prophetic ministry was priests had certain prescribed activities they did each day they went according to the Levitical calendar with their feasts and their festivals it was regimented it was structured it was ordered the prophets their ministry was crazy man the prophets weren't going according to a certain regimentation a certain structure these guys were moved by the Spirit of the Lord to do whatever whenever however the spirit guided so you have Isaiah who is to make a point by taking off his clothes and walking through the land naked ly preaching getting people's attention obviously explaining to them some important truths the naked truth about some situations that the people needed to wake up to you have Hosea a prophet who was told to go marry Gomer a prostitute as an illustration of God's redemptive ability in marrying people in embracing people that are unfaithful to him and how that prostitute would then go play the harlot again leaving him and yet he was to pursue her yet once more you have Ezekiel who was told to chop off his hair and throw it in the fire lay on his side for over a thousand days eat cow manure I mean the prophetic ministry was a difficult one these guys were called to do radical things to get the attention of the people because the people had grown so calloused and so hard-hearted that father God was willing to go to great extremes to get their attention to wake them up and so the prophetic ministry if indeed Habakkuk previously enjoyed being a minstrel in the temple I'm not sure what his reaction would be when he was called to be a prophet before the people I know what Jeremiah's was he said O Lord not me I am but a youth I'm still young he was probably thirty years old at the time but he was trying to find a reason why he wouldn't be thrust into that kind of a bowl prophetic kind of ministry Habakkuk is interesting though because of all the prophets he is the only one who in his book is not being initiated by God into the ministry but rather he is initiating a dialogue with God about the ministry he's the she ate her and God is the responder he's initiating some questions he's troubled because Habakkuk sees that the people although on the surface at the beginning of his ministry in the days of King Josiah went through a revival of sorts the revival was not real it was shallow you might remember Josiah he was one of the good kings of Judah he was eight years old when he began to reign at sixteen it says he sought the Lord with all of his heart and at twenty he ordered the temple to be remodeled rebuild restructured and as they were restructuring or remodeling the temple they found in the corner of the temple a copy of the taurah the law the land had been so wicked previously not one copy of the scripture was found in the entire land so when it was taken out the people were amazed here's a copy of the Bible and as they read it Josiah realized how far they were from where they should be and he wept before the Lord and he called the people into seeking of the Lord into instituting the festivals and feasts of Israel particularly the Passover once again and there seemed to be a great revival but in reality you cannot legislate spirituality there was Reformation but there was not regeneration that is people were going through the outward motions but their hearts were not really right towards the Lord they were attending the services they were enjoying the festivals but they did not really have a heart for the Lord not personally and so a bad cook and next week we'll see Zephaniah and jeremiah and others were on the scene calling the people to a true spirituality not just a religiosity but a true internal relationship with God well Josiah is off the scene then comes another king ahoy kin and Joakim was an evil King Habakkuk was still ministering in Jerusalem when Joha Kim came on the throne and Jo wake him being given a scroll from Jeremiah concerning how he should be behaving despised it and he took out his knife and he cut the scroll up and he tossed it into the fire well that wasn't going to stop the work of the Lord just because he rejected God's Word Jeremiah wrote another scroll only this time the message against Jehovah Kim was stronger and sent it yet again the climate now going down quickly the revival which happened a few years previously did not really affect the people on a deep level and now a new king was wicked and the people were plunged into immorality and here's Habakkuk who had been ministering during this time wandering Lord why don't you judge these your people where are you why aren't you working Ward and Habakkuk the name means wrestler because he was wrestling with this issue wondering what is God doing why isn't he working and it's a great book for any of us who at any time wonder where is God isn't he caring isn't he seeing doesn't he know that he should be doing something doesn't he see the situation I'm in the need I have the gravity of this particular problem that surrounds me where is God and in these three chapters we see this man of God Habakkuk wrestling in Chapter one we see him wandering and wrestling and then in chapter two we see him watching and waiting and in chapter three we see him worshiping and witnessing he starts in the valley in Chapter one he goes into the tower in Chapter two and he ends up on the mountain in Chapter three he starts with a sigh in chapter one he then seeks in Chapter two and he sings in Chapter three it's a glorious beautiful little gem little book that talks about the Prophet who started wrestling with God and ended worshiping the true and living God let's see his progression as he moves from sobbing to singing the bird in which Habakkuk the Prophet did see Oh Lord how long shall I cry and thou will not hear even cry out under the violence and thou will not save Lord how long will I cry and the second time he uses the word crying verse 2 the Hebrew word there is scream I cry to you Lord I scream out before you Lord and your not hear him do you ever feel that way that you're crying out to the Lord even screaming sometimes and the Lord doesn't seem to be responding that's what Habakkuk here is saying Lord how long why why was he crying why was he screaming why verse 3 dust thou show me iniquity caused me to behold grievance or spoiling and violence are before me and there are that rise of strife and contention I look around Jerusalem I look around your people and I see violence and contention why aren't you doing anything about this so - I think we feel that same way watching NBC Nightly News Lord aren't you seeing what's happening violence did you know that the homicide capital of the world is now Washington DC the most dangerous city in the world bar none is Washington DC - murders per day did you hear mark Hatfield said yesterday that he was caught in a crossfire driving on North Capitol Avenue towards the Capitol building five gunshots were fired over his head he hit the accelerator our state Senator Mark Hatfield hit the accelerator to get out of the crossfire I mean things are weird folks violence bloodshed our capital city has become like the Wild West in days of old and it's not just there did you know that the strife and contention and weirdness the the latest stock offering on the New York Stock Exchange as Mustang Ranch and Reno Nevada the brothel and it's the hot new stock there's violence and corruption and weirdness and ungodliness in our society and so too Habakkuk says wait a minute Lord aren't you seeing aren't you observing what's happening he says in verse 4 the law is slacked and judgment does never go forth the slack therefore you students is literally paralyzed the law is paralyzed it's not working the judicial system is not functioning the law is paralyzed sirhan sirhan the killer of Robert F Kennedy at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles back in 1968 was up for parole a few months ago now I don't know about you but this interests me that a guy guns down one of our national leaders it's on film there's hundreds of eyewitnesses he's pounced on by rosey Grier on the spot the big football player you know they capture the guy and yet his case is still not totally coming to an end there's still parole and the possibility there of it you know the average person who is convicted for a capital offense in this country before he is executed he will be in the court procedures for 22 years spending 1.8 million dollars so if a guy kills somebody it costs our government 1.8 million dollars 22 years of legal hoops before he actually goes to execution our system is paralyzed folks our judicial system is not working is that right counselor it doesn't work the way it was meant to the way that it should something's wrong and I'll say this that when a society or a country cannot deal with its infection quickly and effectively that society like a human body will die of infection the body must purge its germs must deal with its infections if it cannot that body that society will die of infection you've got to be able to take care of problems but here Habakkuk says wait the law and judgment it's paralyzed it never goes forth the wicked doeth or death compassed surround the righteous and wrong judgment proceedeth wrong judgment is happening the wicked seem to be winning and judgment is not happening there's no justice Joel Steinberg in the paper today is now filing a major counter suit he was the one of course in New York the the fella that was guilty of beating his daughter six-year-old daughter to death and the trial was in the headlines for months he is now filing a major counter suit that's going to work its way through the entire system again because here's the claim he claims and his lawyers his team of lawyers claimed with him that the foreman of the jury influenced the decision that was made by the jury and that makes the trial a mistrial now I read that and I've been a jury foreman before and I thought that's what we were supposed to do in the jury room I you know I mean I thought the jury was supposed to talk together and figure out the situation but yet here is a guy who is found guilty of beating his daughter his foster adopted whatever daughter to death and now it's going all the way through the courts again because the jury the foreman of the jury gave his opinion in the jury room something's wrong folks did you see Ivan boskie's back in the news Ivan Boesky is being sued $500,000 why because a stewardess on continental airlines and airline that he was flying tripped over his briefcase that was in the aisle this was years ago and claims that she has irreparable back damage because she tripped over his briefcase now here's the irony first of all it doesn't show up for years of course and then it's the stewardesses job to keep the aisles clear in the first place and yet it's in the courts working its way up and counterclaims and so forth not that I feel sorry for Ivan Boesky mind you but the point is is our system is really out of kilter and that's what's happening in Jerusalem they too were at the end of the line because they could no longer deal with justice and equity fairly and quickly and simply it was all hodgepodge and Habakkuk saying Lord the violence in our society and the lack of judgment and equity then the Lord answers as Habakkuk saying why don't you do something the Lord says behold ye among the heathen the whole look and regard look out among the heathen regard and wonder marvelously for I will work a work in your days which you will not believe though it be told you don't accuse me God is saying of not working of not seeing I am doing something that if I told you you wouldn't even believe it you know that's why God doesn't tell us what he's doing see the Lord knows that if he really told us what was going to be happening in our lives five years from now we wouldn't believe it we wouldn't believe it or we would argue about it we would say now wait a minute Lord I don't know if I like that the Lord declares my ways are not your ways my thoughts are higher than your thoughts the Lord does not have an obligation to ever give us explanations about what he's doing or why it seems as though he's not working according to our expectations he is never required to give an explanation what he does promise is relaxation what do you mean he says be anxious for nothing but in everything with prayer and supplications let your requests be made known unto God and the peace of God that passes understanding shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus he says look when you're anxious when you're uptight what I do promise you is not answers but a peace that passes your understanding not that comes from understanding I'm going to bypass your puny brain because you wouldn't understand you would argue with me you wouldn't believe it anyway so I'm just going to forget the brain so to speak and I'll infuse you with a peace in your heart and that's what I'm promising you a peace that passes understanding that's what God promises and here he's saying to a back ik look you're accusing me of indifference of inactivity if I told you what I was doing you wouldn't believe it but then it's almost as though Habakkuk says we'll try me and so the lord proceeds in verse 6 to go ahead and to explain something of what he is doing verse 6 for lo I raise up the Chaldeans another name for the Babylonians that bitter and hasty nation which shall march through the breadth of the land judah to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs they are terrible and dreadful their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves their horses verse 8 also are swifter than leopards and are more fierce than the evening wolves and their horsemen shall spread themselves and their horsemen shall come from barn they shall fly is the Eagle that hates it to eat they shall come up all four via their faces shall suck up as the east wind they shall gather the captivity as the sand and they shall scoff at the Kings and the princes shall be a scorn unto them they shall divide every stronghold they shall heap dust and take it then his mind shall change that is the Babylonians and he shall pass over and offend imputing this power to his God now here's what's happening Habakkuk you think I'm doing nothing up north I am preparing a people that are going to come down swifter than lepers more fierce than lions and they're going to invade this land that you're complaining about and I'm going to use them as a rod in my hand as a whip to punish to deal with the unbelief the immorality the inequity of the society which you're observing now what is a vaca do when he hears that at first he's wondering Lord why aren't you working judging our society now he's really wrestling oh no he says verse 12 art thou not from everlasting o Lord my God my Holy One we shall not die that's sort of a wishful statement there weren't we're not gonna die o Lord thou hast ordained them for judgment not the Babylonians Lord you're missing my point that I was making Habakkuk is saying I was concerned about our people yes but you can't use them to judge us no wonder the Lord said you wouldn't believe it if I told you you don't want to know about it and Habakkuk now is really wrestling saying Lord you ordained them for judge they're the ones that should be judged and verse 12 goes on to say Almighty God thou has established them for correction they should be corrected Oh thou art too pure eyes than to behold evil & Canas not look upon iniquity wherefore look us thou upon them that deal treacherously and hold us thy tongue when the wicked devour the man that is more righteous than he and make us men as the fishes of the sea as the creeping things that have no ruler over them they take up all of them with the angle they catch them in their net gather them in their drag therefore they rejoice and are glad therefor they sacrifice unto their net and burn incense to their drag because by them their portion is fat their meat is plenteous shall they therefore empty their net and not spare continually to slay the nation's Lord I understand the question I was asking previously but this is not a good solution that you're suggesting the Babylonians Lord I know that we are wicked but we are much more righteous than they are they're going to come down and be cruel like a fisherman scooping up fish in the net not caring about how the fish are feeling they're going to scoop us up and they're going to attribute that victory to their God they're going to burn incense to their fish gods their idols you can't allow this now he's really struggling not only is God not doing what he thinks God should do with the people of Judah but he seems to be saying the Babylonians are going to be victorious in their coming down in this conquest and that isn't fair at all Habakkuk is protesting and I bet you that you have situations in your life that relate to this hey how come they got a new house now Lord you know that I have devotions regularly and they don't even come Wednesday night and I'm here faithfully each and every Wednesday night and they we always have this tendency to wonder well now Lord how come what are you and that's what Habakkuk is saying this is just not right but then Habakkuk does something which is oh so wise he's a good man a godly man he's a questioner he's been called the doubting Thomas of the Old Testament but he does something very wise here in chapter 2 after wandering and wrestling in chapter 1 now he's watching and waiting he says I will stand upon my watch and set me upon the tower and we'll watch and see what the Lord will say to me and what I shall answer when I am reproved I need an answer so what am I going to do Ibaka could say I'm going to go up into my tower and I'm going to seek my father and I'm going to see what he will say to me brothers and sisters would you note three key components of verse 1 first of all determination Habakkuk when he needed an answer wondering what God was doing said I will stand upon my watch and will watch and see he didn't say you know I should maybe spend some time with the Lord next week or when it's convenient or if I can break away from work or if I can find some time he said I need an answer and I'm determined I we'll seek the Lord there's determination the Word of God promises you shall seek me and find me when you search for me with all of your heart you know what the lack is folks determination there's an acknowledgment in our minds that we should seek the Lord there's an intention that we probably will seek the Lord sometime but we don't get answers to the things we're wrestling with because we lack this key component determination I will seek God now not next month if I can fit it in or next week if I can work it out Habakkuk said I need an answer and I will stand upon my watch determination secondly isolation I'm going to get away from my environment away from my telephone away from my TV set I'm going to go up into a tower I need to get above the world I need to find a place it's quiet a place away from all the distractions that are yelling at me all the needs that are screaming at me I must get away I will go up into the tower isolation you know why we don't hear the voice of God because there's too many other voices constantly carping and chirping and yelling and screaming at us all the time we need a quiet place as much as we need a quiet heart if you really want to hear the voice of the Lord in the things that you're wrestling with all listen a quiet heart a quiet place a quiet time there is no alternative aback and knew that this prophet cares about his people he doesn't understand what's going on he says therefore I will seek God and I will get away from all of the distractions isolation and thirdly expectation he says and I will see what the Lord will say to me not what he might say to me not what I hope he says to me what I wish that he would he will speak to me listen Hebrews 11 declares us without faith it is impossible to please him but he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him there are many ways to please God but none apart from faith if you don't believe God is going to speak to you and deal with you man chances are you're not going to hear a thing from him now how do you know if God is going to speak to you or not let me give you a very simple test this isn't the law this isn't the only thing but I find it interesting to note when I'm seeking the Lord do I have my journal with me a pencil and paper before me you see if I don't really expect God to speak I'll just kind of show up casually slumped in my chair and wonder if there's anything in here for me today probably nod maybe something to leap out at me and Judas went and hung himself go thou and do likewise and and we adopt this we adopt this this this kicked-back kind of mentality in seeking god and we wonder why don't I ever hear from him I'll tell you gang I will tell you the truth those who expect to hear from God have pencil and paper in hand I believe that and they are on the edge of their chair in their morning devotions or wherever or whenever they meet with God or on their knees they're in a posture of expectancy they're not in a spirit of complacency and lethargy and slumbering I tell you he says I am going to seek God I will get away and I will hear what he has to say to me he's going to speak that's the kind of faith that honors God that's the kind of faith that clears the wax out of the ears of the inner man I desire this for me for you for our congregation a spirit of expectancy in our time seeking the Lord individually or our times of studying together that people would come that we would say Lord I expect that you're going to deal with my heart I expect you to speak so what did God do the next verse he spoke but what did he say the Lord answered and the Lord said write the vision write the vision here it is Habakkuk you're in the place of determination isolation expectation you're ready to do business with me take a memo take a note here it is write the vision and make it plain upon the tables that he may run that now this language is interesting because it can be interpreted or translated in two ways either write the vision and make it so plain that the person who's running by quickly can read it easily like a big billboard that says Crest or woody billboard say big message you know they're designed to communicate simply and easily a message and the Lord could be saying to Ibaka write this vision and it's going to be so articulated and so concise and so clear that the person who runs by you Habakkuk will understand and could I throw this out for your consideration the vision and purpose of your life should be just that I believe where people who run by you would know what you're about what your thing is I don't know what my thing is you say I'm not sure what why I'm here what my ministry is what I should be doing I don't have a clue then get in the tower and seek the Lord and say father give me vision for what I'm about that the person who runs by my life might know I know what his thing is I know what her thing is right the vision and make it plain or it could mean so that the person that you share the vision with can run that they can go with it I believe that both meanings are embedded in this verse that it should be so simple that the people that run by you will know what your thing is and that you would be able to share it with others that they could run with it as well right the vision make it plain now the vision is yet verse three for an appointed time but at the end of it shall speak and not lie though it Terry wait for it because it will surely come it will not Terry what I'm telling you it's going to take time to work it out but it will come that's what God is reiterating be patient don't panic I'm giving you the vision and it will come to pass in due time and now in verse 4 behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him whose soul the Babylonians the people that God was referring to in the first part of me the second half of chapter 1 the Babylonians the people that you're concerned about Habakkuk their soul is not right specifically Nebuchadnezzar the king of the Babylonians the leader was his heart puffed up you recall Daniel chapter 4 he's cruising around the city of Babylon look what I have done he says and the Lord says you are done as of now and pride filled his heart the Bible says the pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall and man how he fell do you recall what happened to nebby for seven years he acted like an animal his hair grew like feathers on his back and arms his fingernails grew like claws he went around eating grass and then at the end of seven years he said there's only one who's worthy of honor and that is God and suddenly his sanity was restored and he was once again put back in the position that he was in previously the Babylonians generally Nebuchadnezzar specifically the Lord says their soul is lifted up it's not upright and in a few years we would see that worked out when Nebuchadnezzar turned into an animal but verse or the just shall live by faith if you weren't here Sunday please perhaps if it's I would encourage you to pick up the tape this verse the just shall live by faith is a key component of New Testament understanding the just shall live by faith not puffed up with their pride with their abilities with their spirituality the just shall live by faith and we exhausted or we did an exhaustive study in that subject on Sunday you're saying yes indeed it was so I won't go into that again except to add one footnote and that is here Habakkuk in this context is being told by the Lord not so much the great theological understanding of our salvation that we understand from Paul when Paul quotes this in Romans and in Galatians and the writer to the Hebrews also quotes it in Hebrews chapter 10 but the context here for Habakkuk deals more directly with his situation Habakkuk the Babylonian is proud and puffed up but the just shall live by faith in other words you Habakkuk you are going to live by faith this is the hinge upon which this whole book swings in essence in other words not you should live by faith not I want you to live by faith you are going to live by faith you're not going to always have answers to your questions you're not going to always have solutions to your mental problems I am going to put you Habakkuk and two people in the applegate as well I'm going to make you the just shall live by faith you are going to live by faith whether you like it or not that's the idea here not by the intellect not by sight not by feelings not by touch you are going to live by faith you're not going to know what I'm always doing how I'm working you're not going to always know where I'm going or why I'm doing what I'm doing but the just you shall you're going to live by faith like it or not you say that sounds cool not at all because God is saying to us throughout the Scriptures that faith is the currency of eternity our physical senses our eyesight physically our touch physically our hearing physically is irrelevant in the ages to come he wants you to be a rich person in eternity what does that mean he's saying therefore Jack I'm going to force you to hear me with the ears of faith to see me with the eyes of faith to touch me with the hands of faith I'm not going to appear before you like you want me to to tell you exactly what's going on because that won't do you any good in the ages to come you're going to be a people who are spiritually developed the only way I can do that is to force you to walk by faith because that is what's going to get you by in the ages to come when you're ruling and reigning and living with me and it's hard he is weaning us folks as a mother lovingly Wiens her baby at a certain point saying son or daughter time to grow up I'm going to have to wean you so our Heavenly Father says I'm going to have to develop you into a people of faith faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen it's a different dimension and God here saying Habakkuk I realize you're wrestling but the just shall live by faith I'm going to force you aback ik to develop this whole arena of your spirituality because it'll come in handy in the next billion years to come that's what God is saying but the Babylonians be puffed up with their military plans their strategy their economy their governmental abilities but the just shall live by faith just trusting me now watch this this totally amazes me having said that Jay also verse 5 now the Lord having established it's almost calling Habakkuk behind the woodshed saying Habakkuk the just shall live by faith but I'm going to go ahead and tell you some things anyway even though the premise and the principle is there the just shall live by faith since you're asking okay I'll begin telling you something you're worried about these Babylonians you're worried that they're not getting justice that I'm not working listen to this yay also verse 5 because he that is the Babylonians transgresses by wine he is a proud man neither keepeth at home who enlarged with his desire as hell and is as death and cannot be satisfied but gathereth unto him all nations and he pyth unto him all people ibaka understand this about Nebuchadnezzar in the Babylonians you're so concerned about that they will not be satisfied I'm going to let them have their fill but like Mick Jagger sang back in 1964 at the apex of his career I can't get no satisfaction so with them the more they take the more miserable they'll be and I know what I'm doing see that's the way it is lust is a funny thing no matter what thing you're lusting after what your trip might be be it money or people or power or prestige or or whatever it might be occupational success or or respect the funny thing about lust is it never satisfies it always demands more so Mick Jagger in his skinny body flopping around the stage in his tights sings I can't get no satisfaction how true Mick with your multi-million dollar record contracts and screaming girls down at the concerts and all this hype and jive and People magazine stuff What's Wrong Mick you're finding out what God said about the babylonians though they take on more and more God says they're not going to get satisfaction I'll just let it play itself out nothing's going to satisfy them they'll have to keep on conquering keep on warring but it's not going to be working did I tell you the story tell me if I did about the preacher who wanted to play golf did I tell you about that No yeah that this yeah that I I can't remember my mind its finality is creeping in at this point well guess preacher he loves to play golf you know you just beat all through seminary I mean this guy every chance he got went out to the greens and he was determined you know just to be an expert golfer which he became but as he went on he was told over and over again by his buddies eight there is nothing nothing nothing like golfing on Sunday morning well he could never golf on Sunday morning because he was in the ministry he was pastoring he was teaching but one Sunday after hearing this for years he finally said I'm gonna do it and so he called up his assistant pastor and said AB I mean he called he said he said brother I'm just not feeling good can you take the service today and the guy said sure so he gets up and he gets his clubs and he gets in his car and he drives 400 miles away and he goes out to this Country Club you know and he and he sits there all great Sunday morning and the Sun was shining in the birds were chirping and he goes it's great Sunday morning I'm golfing at last this is it and he gets on the first green there and he and he puts up the little tee thing you know and he puts the ball on the tee and he takes his wood and he back his club and and Gabriel the angel saying to God look at him that's your servant down there and he's supposed to be teaching him in your in your flock and he's out here playing golf do something in God's just relax and so he his club back and he swings and he hits the ball and it flies up in the air and and Gabriel says God you've got to do something this isn't right relax and the ball goes heading right towards the green and it bounces right on the green and Gabriel is having apoplexy in heaven saying this isn't white it's going to be a great shot and the ball continues to roll right into the cup and Gabriel with the red face turns to God and says this isn't right you should have done something and God said Gabriel I did can you tell and that's what's happening here God saying hey aback ik relax you're so worried about the Babylonians getting away with something about me being defamed relax they're going to keep conquering and they're going to get no satisfaction the more they take the more they desire the more they'll need and the more miserable they'll be there's a lesson in that for me and for each one of us if you're striving after things prominence position power people money whatever your thing is hobbies toys it will not work it'll always be oh we're almost there honey just a little bit more and we'll really be happy and it'll never be it will never be you are created for an intimate deep real rich walk with God and you forsake that a bit to pursue your career and you're in trouble you forsake your ministry you forsake your walk with God intimately to pursue that hobby you're in trouble because it will not satisfy it won't and here God is saying to an apoplectic ibaka you got to do something relax they're not going to have any satisfaction and then he goes on to say not only no satisfaction but he says in verse 6 shall not all these take up a parable against him that is the Babylonian and a taunting proverb against him saying woe to him that increases that which is not his how long and to him that laid it himself with thick clay shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee and awake that shall vex thee and thou shalt be for booties unto them because thou has spoiled many nations all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee secondly not only no satisfaction but secondly repayment the people they devoured are soon going to devour them be careful because the Scriptures tell us as believers in the book of Galatians take he that you bite and devour not one another lest you be consumed by one another God here is saying look not only no satisfaction but these people they prompt on are going to rise up against them eventually and going to crush them and Paul tells us if you're biting other people you're going to get bit yourself Ben is learning that right now you know sometimes little kids have a problem biting and all it takes is a bite or two back before they begin to learn hey I can't do that there was an interesting discovery archaeologically in East Africa they uncovered a couple of intact saber-tooth Tiger skulls and bones they both died together and the reason they both died is because their saber teeth were stuck in each other's saber teeth in other words they were biting each other they got stuck their mouths did in there biting and battling and they both starved to death and died together and great story great illustration of what happens when you are biting and devouring you'll get stuck and go down in the process God declares it to be so and here God is saying in a very relaxed way the people that they trampled on are going to trample on them they'll give devoured thirdly not only lack of satisfaction and repayment but thirdly verse 9 woe to him the Babylonians that covetous and evil covetousness to his house that he may set his nest on high that he may be delivered from the power of evil thou has consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people thou has sinned against thine own soul for the stone shall cry out of the wall and the beam out the timbre shall answer it no security you build your little nests you build your fancy homes you build your empires and guess what it's going to crumble you will have no security that which you think you've got it so together God is saying the very material things that they're building are going to fall apart how many of you can remember a new car that you bought or a new house you moved into or a new stereo stereo you purchased or a new skateboard you got or whatever it is remember you thought oh this is great and it wasn't too long before the paint starts to peel the wheels start to fall off the dings start to come the records start to scratch it falls apart God is saying look about this very thing that they're doing whoa to them because it's going to fall apart it's just not going to work the very material things they're pursuing are going to end up bumming them out how many of you bought a car or something that you eventually said man that's a bummer anybody just you buy so there you go what a headache what a headache I mean I thought this was really it and it turned out to be a real pain that's what God is saying don't worry Habakkuk fourthly he's saying again woe to him that buildeth the town with blood verse 12 and establishes a city by iniquity all behold it is not of the Lord of Hosts that the people shall labor in the very fire the people shall weary themselves for very vanity in other words these people that are expanding their empire and doing their thing are going to get burned out in the very fire of their own energy and it's going to be vain to them they're gonna burn out I was talking to a fellow a couple of weeks ago who has this yuppie syndrome thing he just can't get up in the morning just tired all the time can't function and and they call this a barge syndrome right I can't recall the technical names that bars Syndrome free is there a doctor in the house Bard Epstein syndrome but it's this thing where they're finding all kinds of people in their 20s and 30s and early 40s that are just burned-out can't function you know they they got their thing together but in the process man they're just sick of living that's what God is saying they're going to burn out in the very fire the very vain things that they've been pursuing are going to consume them and destroy them they'll just burn out in the process and finally he says and they're giving drink to their neighbor verse 15 that they might make their neighbor drunk to look upon their nakedness that is being seductive and they're partying to take advantage of people to exploit them sexually verse 16 thou art filled with shame for glory drink thou also and let thy foreskin be uncovered the cup of the Lord's right hand shall be turned unto thee and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory in other words in your very act of trying to manipulate in trying to seduce you're going to be manipulated and seduced yourself and you're going to see your own nakedness exposed now folks you got to see what's happening here God is saying these Habakkuk are the natural consequences of people who are not walking with me I don't have to do anything you're so worried about about my reputation about their situation it's going to take care of itself and as you study the Babylonian Empire it did they became a corrupted vile unhappy dissatisfied sick people who are no longer on the face of the earth they're gone Habakkuk why are you worrying about me God would say why are you concerned God would declare don't you know verse 20 that the Lord is in his holy temple that all the earth keeps silent before him I know what I'm doing I'm on the throne why don't you keep silence it's a nice way of saying well be quiet calm down it's a loving way of declaring Habakkuk I don't first of all I don't have to tell you anything because the just shall live by faith but since you're asking I'll tell you some principles about life it's all going to backfire on him I don't have to do anything the processes of their own lust and their own sin will come back upon their own heads well a backup is told be quiet God is on the throne in the temple so what does he do what does he do oh boy if you will give me five minutes I will sum up Chapter three but we can't leave him in the state we must continue on if you will just stay with me for a few more minutes Habakkuk realizes he's been corrected he realizes that he's been called on the carpet he realizes as he sought the Lord the Lord said Habakkuk your fears and concerns are not valid not really I'm on the throne all the earth verse 14 of chapter 2 shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of me Habakkuk things are going to be right eventually and presently I am in the temple so be silent before me about then praise in chapter 3 Oh Lord verse 2 I have heard thy speech and am afraid I've heard your word I got the point O Lord revived thy work or literally let your work live do what you say that you're doing in this process of judging us your people and the Babylonians they'll find their own repercussions soon from their own sinfulness do your work Lord chasing us revived thy work continue your work in the midst of the years in the midst of the years make known keep going keep doing it Lord but in your wrath remember mercy yes Lord use them to punish us if that's your plan for us but don't forget mercy habakkuk not only heard a sermon from God but now he has a vision of God in your reading you read in these verses verses three through verses 15 a description of the Lord I won't go over that again but I want to point out to you there are two main thoughts on this passage there are those that say it speaks it's a prophetic word speaking of the coming of Jesus Christ it speaks about his coming from teman in verse three team and of course is Edom and in Isaiah 63 we are told in that great prophetic passage that when Jesus comes back he will move through that region south of Jerusalem through basra with his garments that are stained with red blood and he'll move north towards Jerusalem so there are those of you this is being prophetic others view it as being historic that is it doesn't speak of the coming of Jesus Christ but it speaks of the descending of God from Mount Sinai when the law was given and it charts the next movement of God in Old Testament history as he came down with the law for the people and as the people were then moving through that region in their wilderness wanderings through Midian through teaming through these areas the mountains and and the parting of the Red Sea is mentioned here perhaps the parting of the Jordan River in verse eight and various historical ideas now which is it is a prophetic concerning the coming of Jesus Christ or is it historic concerning the Old Testament movement of God from Mount Sinai I personally am convinced in my own study in thinking that it is both that what the Lord is saying here is both historic Habakkuk look back and see how I worked Habakkuk look ahead and see that I'm coming and you know what happens when you are reviewing what God did in the past and when you are anticipating what God is going to do in the future it allows you to have peace in the present it really does when you remember the glorious things that God has done for you in past days and you remember that your going to be in heaven soon that Jesus is coming back again it allows you to have a tranquility and a stability and a peace in your life presently so I do believe it was a reminding of the past and it was a revealing of the future that he might have a renewing in the present so he has this vision that you read well verse 16 when I heard this this awesome presence of God a vision of the Lord my belly trembled I liked that my lips quivered at the voice rottenness entered into my bones I trembled in myself that I might rest in the day of trouble when he cometh up under the people he will invade them with his troops boy I see the coming of the Lord whether it's remembering what he did previously to the enemies of Israel or anticipating what he's going to do when he comes again as the Messiah the conquering king I'm trembling it's an awesome vision he has here I asked for judgment in Chapter 1 but I spoke lightly I spoke quickly now that I see what this means when you step mountains melt when you walk the earth quakes the indignation of the Lord has talked about here you know we say come quickly Lord Jesus and we mean that but do we remember what that means for those that are left behind awesome awesome trouble the indignation the tribulation it's an awesome event and Habakkuk is sober now earlier saying Lord do something now he's saying Oh Lord I'm trembling that you really are going to be doing this it's reality and it's not just for them but Habakkuk says it affects me because I'm here and when the Babylonians come as you've promised that they would as I asked you to work although verse 3 the fig tree shall not blossom nether shall fruit be in the vines and the labor of the olives shall fail and the field shall yield no meat the flock shall be cut off from the fold there shall be no herd in the stall even though my country is devastated might my stocks crash my bank account closes up my house burns the grocery store is empty even though everything is troubling yet he says I will rejoice in the Lord the word rejoice there in the Hebrew is I will jump up and down in the Lord and I will joy the word in the Hebrew is spin around like a whirling dervish yet even though this is coming and I know what it means yet I will joy in the Lord not in the trouble but Lord you are my hope I have seen you I can trust in you I will joy in you rejoice in the Lord this idea of rejoicing praising God for your problems is bogus in everything give thanks but not for everything I can give thanks in everything because I know that God can redeem the situation can work out the problems but I don't say oh praise God that 7:47 over Lockerbie blew up that's silly but I can say Lord that's a tragedy yet I can give thanks that you are going to be working that out for good in some way I trust you I rejoice in the Lord not in the problem I rejoice in the Lord and that's what a bath ik is saying here I will jump up and down I will swirl around man I'm rejoicing in the Lord the Lord he says is my strength he will make my feet like Hinds feet he will make me to walk upon high places God is my hope my strength I was in the valley in Chapter one in the tower in Chapter two now I'm walking on the top of the mountains in Chapter three because God I see that what you're doing is right that you know what you're doing I approve it's hard don't always understand but I trust in you final note and then we're done contrast please two prophets who were struggling with God's will Jonah and Habakkuk Jonah was ministering to who the Assyrians aback at the Babylonians Jonah ran from God when he heard what God was going to do Ibaka ran to God wondering what God was going to do in Jonah salvation of God to the Gentiles Nineveh Habakkuk the sovereignty of God over the Gentiles I'm in control Habakkuk how does historian in faith Jonah in foolishness he's worried about the little gourd that got chopped down now I close on this note the difference between Habakkuk and Jonah between you and the person who's despairing is simply this Jonah had to learn in the fish Habakkuk learned in the high tower you and I have our choice God's going to teach us the just shall live by faith where do you want to live where do you want to to learn your lessons about faith I have a choice I can either seek the Lord with determination with expectation I need to know father your heart your mind or I can get tossed around in the storm and the belly of the great fish the whale and wonder why is my life always going through storms why is there seaweed always around my head why do I always feel cramped why am I always in the dark listen please hear this the reason people are always in the storm is because they're never in the Hightower the message here is simple his problems were greater than Jonah's were his message much more difficult but he ends up in victory because he learned the secret of seeking God now this book these three chapters we can go our way tonight and say well good for him or we can say Lord I'm hearing your heart the just shall live by faith and you want me to seek your face to hear your voice to see your vision that no matter what is happening round about me I might be an oasis of tranquility and peace a peace that passes understanding and I will seek you and Lord as you speak to my heart I will rejoice in you no matter how bad the news might be I'll rejoice in thee you're my strength you're my joy you know what we've discovered you have I have we all have you seek the Lord about a problem but by the time you're finished talking it over with him and praying to him and giving worship towards him and reading about him by the time you finish that process you forgot what you were even there for in the first place it's so rich you just got larger so good and you start to whirl around and and jump up and down at least in your heart and you say oh look hard no matter what happens you're my joy you are it Lord you are it it doesn't matter what happens to me doesn't matter whether it goes through or it works out your relevant Lord you're my joy in seeking you I found what I really longed for all the time the Babylonians all they'll take care of themselves Lord you're my joy that's the message of a package the wrestler turns into a worshipper the Sauber turns into a singer and so will you if you learn the secret of the tower

Channel: The Sharper Sword

Views: 58,696

Rating: 4.8562498 out of 5

Keywords: Book Of Habakkuk (Book), Habakkuk, Bible, Prophecy, Sermon, Pastor, Jon Courson, Christian, Faith, Christianity, The Bible (Religious Text), Bible Study (TV Subject), Gospel, Lord, Babylonians, Jerusalem, Jeremiah, End Times, God, Knowing Gods will, Hearing God, Wrestling with God, Sin, Apostasy, Rebellion, Wrath, Minor Prophets, Old Testament, Dark Times, Evil, Violence, The Just shall live by faith, Jesus Christ

Id: qNz4DpZ4VMY

Length: 75min 43sec (4543 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 03 2015