Why, oh Why, Oh okay

Thank Elders.

If you will, turn with me to the book of Habakkuk. Yes, it is a real book of the bible. It is in between Nahum and Zephaniah. And yes, those are also real books of the bible. We are in the Old Testament, in the minor Prophets. The Book of Habakkuk. We will be looking through the whole book of Habakkuk today. Do not worry. After looking at my first draft, I have shortened My sermon down from three hours to two hours and 55 min. You will be home for supper. Hopefully.

Adoniram Judson and his wife of 17 month took off to Burma to share the gospel of Jesus Christ as missionaries. Adoniram himself was only 24 years old when he reached Burma and he labored in Burma for 38 years. Adoniram’s life was full of trials and sufferings. He lost two wives, seven of his thirteen children, and colleague after colleague in death. When I was listening to an audio book on the life of Judson, we were traveling back from a vacation and Courtney, my wife, looked at me and told me that the book was depressing. The last four chapters of the book seemed to list all the people that had died around Judson. Judson labored writing Christian tracts and handing them out to the people of Burma. He was also translating the bible into their language. Judson labored and only saw one Christian Convert between 1819 and 1831. Judson was thrown in prison because he had relation to the British that were under war with the people he was ministering to. During his imprisonment they would hang the prisoner’s upside with their heads and shoulders resting on the ground and bamboo poles in between their legs holding them up. Ann his wife, at the time, was pregnant and came to plead with the prison to let Adoniram go, She tried to show that Adoniram wasn’t a spy. After 17 months, Judson was released. Ann, his wife, died 11 months later after Adoniram was released. Six months after Ann’s death their daughter died also. He wrote “God is to me the great unknown. I believe in him, but I find him not.”

This is where we find Habakkuk. Asking Why and Where are you God? Looking around at the suffering of his people, the tribe of Judah. Habakkuk saw the injustice, wrongful suffering, destruction, violence, strife, and conflict. The Law was paralyzed, and justice never prevailed, wicked people surrounded the righteous and justice was perverted. Judah has seen a recent revival. After King Manasseh, who did evil in the eyes of the Lord, by erecting alters to Baal, sacrificing his own son, he used fortune tellers, mediums, and necromancers. Manasseh did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord and made him angry. 2 kings 21:6 after Manasseh came a king named Josiah. A revival happened through king Josiah. The book of Deuteronomy was found. The king read it and fell down to his knees, weeping, distraught that his people have disobeyed Gods commands. The Lord heard the cry of king Josiah and relented his punishment of Judah for a time. He reinstated the Passover. All seemed good. King Josiah was killed by a pharoh named Neco. The next king that was put in place Josiah’s son, jehoahaz, did not take after his father but rather his grandfather and continued to do evil in the sight of the Lord. So did Jehoahaz’s son Jehoiakim, he also did evil in the sight of the Lord.

This is where we find the book of Habbakuk taking place. Not much is known about Habbakuk. We know he is a prophet of God. And he was given an Oracle or vision or burden from God about what was going to happen to his nation. The Structure of the book of Habakkuk is in a question answer format, Habakkuk cries our in lament to God about the things going on in his nation, and God answers. In Habakkuk, we see many wonderful truths. However, today I want us to focus on this. The main point of the sermon is: in the midst of trials and suffering those who are disciples of Christ must look toward the promises of God by Faith.

Look with me at 1:2-4

Habakkuk cries out to God. This is the first of two complaint or question we see Habakkuk ask. He is wondering where God is and why isn’t he doing something about the iniquity, corruption, and destruction. Habakkuk saw the way the tribe of Judah was living and remembered the covenant that God had with his people. He knew the blessings for Obiedience and the curses for disobedience from Deuteronomy 28. Things are happening beyond his control, he is seeing the Continuous rebellion of Gods people and he is wondering when God is going to act. Habakkuk’s lament for God to work. He wanted another revivial like they saw in king Josiahs day. He wanted the wicked punished and the righteous to be upheld. Habakkuk looked at the seeming absence of God through all the unrighteousness, strife and conflict, and is calling out to him asking why and where are you?

God responds to Habakkuk. Let’s read God’s Response. Look with me verses 5-11

Not very comforting is it. God’s says look among the nations and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told. Then God tells him a little insight into the plan that God has.

I am raising up the Chaldeans to reign judgment.

The Chaldeans or we could also refer to them as Babylon, would come in and be the Judgment of God that Habakkuk is asking for. These are the same Babylonians that King Nebuchadnezzar brings in on a conquest. This same Babylon that will take the people of Israel and Judah to exile. God responds to Habakkuk by making him look from the local calamity to a bigger picture. You think Judah is bad, wait till you see the Babylonians. The Babylonians would come in seizing the land, taking for themselves what they wanted. They had their own Justice their own laws. They were powerful, God describes their horses as swifter than leopards and fierce. Those riding the horses into battle would continue on seeking only to destroy. The cry of violence and destruction that Habakkuk is seeing now is nothing compared to what is about to come. All the Babylonians want is violence. They are able to look at fortresses and laugh because they are nothing compared to their might and power. Their might is their own God. The Babylonians worshiped in their own military strength, this was their god, themselves. This is terrible news for Habakkuk, someone worse off is coming, something more wicked, He calls out to God again.

Look at 12-17 through 2:1

Habakkuk is taken back, God is going to use someone more traitorous and sinful to judge the nation. So, he calls out to God again a second time. He recalls what he knows about God in his second complaint to God. The everlasting God, God has been from the beginning to the end, he will always be. The one true God, not like some idols who can’t do anything but the one true God who is eternal. Habakkuk knows the promises of God to his people. He remembers them saying we shall not die. He Habakkuk knows the covenant that God has made to have a people to himself, those who he has raised up and brought forth, those who he has given himself. Habakkuk then looks at God’s holiness. This cry of We shall not die is in the hope for the future of the God’s people.

You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong. Why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he. Habakkuk knows that God’s holiness and righteousness means that in himself he cannot look at evil or wrong, however something isn’t right, If God cannot look at these things, then why is God using people who are worse off than his people as judgment. Then Habakkuk repeats his original question. Why then do you tolerate wrong? Habakkuk then uses this fishing metaphor to try to explain deeper his questions, since God hasn’t answered them yet. The Babylonians pulls up the righteous with a hook, capturing them and then they gather the prisoners together. They are happy in what they have done. They worship their own power and might, they worship themselves. The people that God has created have done all these things. Then by the things that the Babylonians have taken they live in luxury and have food to eat. Is this what is to continue? This cycle? Is this right? Why did you make man to have no ruler to do these things without consequences?

Habakkuk then says I will take my stand at my watch post and station myself on the tower and look out to see what he will say to me and what I will answer concerning my complaint. Habakkuk was going to wait on an answer. He was seeking an answer from God and he was going to station himself as a guard looks for an incoming message about the war, he was waiting on the word of God to come to him.