God, Is It Going To Get Better?

Introduction

When you read Habakkuk, it seems it’s a pessimistic book, but it’s not. I don’t think Habakkuk is a pessimist at all, I believe he’s a realist. But what we find in this final chapter is that Habakkuk goes from being a realist to an optimist!

Habakkuk decides, although everything looks bleak around him, nothing seems positive at all, you know what? He sees a brighter and a better day ahead!

We have spent the last 5 weeks answering questions found in the pages of this wonderful book. We have seen the prophet Habakkuk ask questions like, “God, are you even listening?”, “God, are you sure about that?”, “God, how am I supposed to live in times like these?”, “God, is there any hope?”, and last week, “God, can you send revival?”

Today, we are going to look at the sixth and final question we find in this book, and that is “God, is it going to get better?”

These are all questions that are very relevant to you and I today, and as with the other questions, we will find an answer as we work through this text.

Last week, we looked at verse 1 and 2 of this chapter, and I mentioned that in those verses, Habakkuk made a petition, and it was the only petition found in Habakkuk’s prayer.

Now there is a shift from petition to praise! In this praise, we will take a walk down memory lane of some great moments where God has delivered His children…What we have here is called a theophany…This is an appearance of God…Let’s take a look...

First of all, we see:

1-Praise for the Person of God

Habakkuk 3:3 KJV 1900

3 God came from Teman, And the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, And the earth was full of his praise.

Teman was the southernmost city of Edom. Paran was the wilderness region in the east central part of Sinai. Teman and Paran represent the whole district south of Judah.

What is the point God is trying to make here? Well, first of all, He's showing Habakkuk a map - and He shows, stepping onto the map, Himself, God Almighty, the Holy One.

Habakkuk, at this moment, is seeing, he is picturing God in all His glory, in all His power, being manifested to the nation of Israel who were delivered from Egypt, and who received the law at Mount Sinai.

It's interesting , right in the middle of this verse, there is this word 'Selah'.

God has just said: 'God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran'. In other words: 'Remember, Habakkuk, that your God was their God! That your God was the God who came from Teman and Paran, who took you out of Egypt, out of slavery, out of bondage. He was the God, remember, that delivered you...Selah'.

This word, Selah, is found 70 times in the Psalms and 3 times here in chapter 3 of Habakkuk. It’s not found anywhere else in your Bibles. It means, “to pause and ponder.” When you see it, stop and think about it.

It says in verse 3, the second half: 'His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise'. God is reminding Habakkuk how the children of Israel were delivered from Egypt, and now they are receiving the law of God from the hands of Moses - he is remembering that at that moment in time, when they received the law, glory covered the heavens.

In these verses, Habakkuk remembers God’s glory and judgment on the Egyptians and Canaanites as Israel entered the Promised Land.

Moving on, we see:

2-Praise for the Power of God

Habakkuk 3:4–7 KJV 1900

4 And his brightness was as the light; He had horns coming out of his hand: And there was the hiding of his power. 5 Before him went the pestilence, And burning coals went forth at his feet. 6 He stood, and measured the earth: He beheld, and drove asunder the nations; And the everlasting mountains were scattered, The perpetual hills did bow: His ways are everlasting. 7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: And the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.

In verse 4 it says: 'And his brightness was as the light' - the brightness of God, the holiness of God, was so great, His power was so amazing, you remember that Moses had to cover his face because of the glory that shone like a mirror, because he had seen God!

It’s interesting that Habakkuk recalls the “pestilence” (verse 5) inflicted by God against Israel for their continual sin and rebellion during the exodus.

The emphasis in this passage is not only upon God’s victory, but also upon His sovereignty. This sovereignty includes even the judgment of God’s people.

Theophany and terror are the two words that best describe the picture given us in verses 3–7.

The Lord will come in great splendor and glory, which will be seen everywhere in heaven and on earth. His appearing will be accompanied by pestilence.

His coming shakes the earth like a huge earthquake; everything and everyone will be shaken.

You know what Habakkuk is seeing here? He is seeing history, but also prophecy…Remember, he is a prophet.

He not only saw the promise, but he saw the fulfillment!

You can see the past in how God delivered Israel from Egypt in the Exodus, but listen to me, ya’ll remember going through the book of Revelation…In all this, you can also see how the Lord will return one of these days! It all lines up perfectly!

There’s praise for the Person of God, the Power of God, and then we see:

3-Praise for the Purpose of God

Habakkuk 3:8–11 KJV 1900

8 Was the Lord displeased against the rivers? Was thine anger against the rivers? Was thy wrath against the sea, That thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation? 9 Thy bow was made quite naked, According to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers. 10 The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: The overflowing of the water passed by: The deep uttered his voice, And lifted up his hands on high. 11 The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: At the light of thine arrows they went, And at the shining of thy glittering spear.

In verse 8, Habakkuk makes reference to the exodus from Egypt by way of the Red Sea, where God’s “anger” was displayed “against the rivers,” and His “wrath against the sea,” and He did “ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation.”

He saw how all of the enemies of God were conquered. However, he also looks into the future and sees humanity’s final battle, at Armageddon, where the Lord Jesus will ride His “chariots of salvation” to win the victory over the world, and the devil.

In verse 9, he makes reference to the “bow,” and the “oaths of the tribes.” He is referring to the promises of God given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is reminded that Jehovah is a covenant-keeping God, who will bring to fulfillment every promise He has made.

Remember, again, he’s seeing the past, but also the future! Only God could orchestrate this!

In verse 11, he sees the 2 times, of human history, when the “sun and moon stood still.” The first time was in Joshua 10 during the conquest of Canaan. The second time was at the cross when there was “darkness over all the earth” and the “sun was darkened.”

Let’s read on:

Habakkuk 3:12–15 KJV 1900

12 Thou didst march through the land in indignation, Thou didst thresh the heathen in anger. 13 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, Even for salvation with thine anointed; Thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, By discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah. 14 Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages: They came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: Their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly. 15 Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, Through the heap of great waters.

Habakkuk saw God’s dealing, on behalf of His people, throughout history. However, he also saw God’s dealings, on behalf of His people, in the future. He saw God going “forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed.”

He was indicating that just like God intervened just in time to rescue His people in history, God will also intervene just in time to rescue His people in prophecy.

He saw the Lord Jesus “wound the head out of the house of the wicked.” This is a direct reference to the devil’s crushing blow at Calvary, when the “seed of the woman” “bruised the head” of the devil.

But, it is also a reference to Revelation 13:3 when the “one of the heads” of the beast was “wounded to death.” Ultimately, Habakkuk saw the end of earth’s final battle, at Megiddo, when the Lord Jesus would “walk through the sea with thine horses, through the heap of great waters.”

Habakkuk looked to the past and praised God for how He had delivered His people, but he also looks to the future in praise because God is faithful! Things are going to get better! God wins!

The good news for us today is that if we belong to Jesus, it doesn’t matter how bad things look, it doesn’t matter how perplexed we may be, thank God, no matter what, we are on the winning side!

When you struggle in the Christian life, when you are perplexed, when you are troubled, remember this! We are not fighting to victory, we are fighting from victory! We aren’t victims, we are victors!

Romans 8:37 KJV 1900

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

All of these past events show God’s sure judgment of the wicked and provision for the righteous. Consequently, Habakkuk declares,

Habakkuk 3:16 KJV 1900

16 When I heard, my belly trembled; My lips quivered at the voice: Rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, That I might rest in the day of trouble: When he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.

The Theophany had come and gone. The Heavens had opened to unveil the historic and prophetic revelation of Jesus Christ. However, Habakkuk is now brought back to reality.

Habakkuk showed the proper response of a man under the sovereign power of God. He recognized his own weakness and low standing before this God of all majesty and power.

He still sees a land of wickedness, he sees a land that is going to be totally destroyed by the wicked Chaldeans.

He believed God, but he was scared to death of the coming invasion.

Can a man have faith and be scared at the same time? Oh, listen, I’ve heard it preached, I’ve seen the shirts that say “Faith over fear”, but can a man still have faith, and be scared?

YES! According to the Bible you can...

Habakkuk dreads to see the death and enslavement of his people. He also dreads to see the land so totally devastated, which is sure to come. He prays in verse 16 that he would have rest in the middle of this coming trouble.

Well, we have seen praise for the Person of God, the Power of God, the Purpose of God, but now, as Habakkuk is brought back to reality, we see:

4-Praise because of Faith in God

Habakkuk 3:17–19 KJV 1900

17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, Neither shall fruit be in the vines; The labour of the olive shall fail, And the fields shall yield no meat; The flock shall be cut off from the fold, And there shall be no herd in the stalls: 18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19 The Lord God is my strength, And he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, And he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

He sees the invasion of the Chaldeans. He sees the 70 years of Babylonian captivity. The “fig tree” is the symbol of security and hope. It is always used to depict the entire nation of Israel. In other words, Habakkuk sees the time when the security and hope of Judah will be destroyed.

He sees famine and desolation, he sees destruction.

Sometimes we think, “If God is so great and powerful, how come I am going through a hard time?”

Habakkuk knew this was the wrong question and the wrong attitude. Instead, he said: “I know You are strong and mighty, and if we are in desolate circumstances it is because we deserve it. I will praise You still, and even rejoice in You.”

Habakkuk found his rest in the midst of trouble…You know how? Through praise!

The inward look was bleak. The outward look was bitter. But, the upward look was bright.

Habakkuk stands. He sees. He speaks. He submits. And, finally, He SINGS!

There was no reason to sing, but still he sings. There was no resource of strength, but still he is strong. Why? It is because he realizes that God is his song, his salvation, and his strength.

Conclusion

I remind you that the God we know, love and serve is the God who can still do anything He wants, wills or wishes. The God who stepped out from behind the curtain of nowhere onto the platform of nothing, spoke everything into existence, is the same “yesterday, today and forever.”

The God who parted the waters is the same “yesterday, today and forever.” The God who made the sun and moon stand still is the same “yesterday, today and forever.” The God who met the needs of millions Jews in the wilderness for 40 years, is the same “yesterday, today and forever.”

The God who caused the dead bones in the valley to live again is the same “yesterday, today and forever.” The God who delivered 3 Jewish teenagers from a fiery furnace is the same “yesterday, today and forever.”

The God who ruled the course of nature, hushed the sea to sleep, healed the sick, raised the dead, opened blinded eyes, and rose victorious over death, hell and the grave, is the same “yesterday, today and forever.”

He is not a God confined to the days of the past; nor, is He a God locked into the days of the future. He is the “I AM!” He is what we need, He is Who we need, and He is ALL THAT WE NEED!

So, in answer to Habakkuk’s question, “God, is it going to get better?”

I say to you that God is still on the throne, He’s still in charge, and He’s still in control, we can look ahead to bigger days, better days and brighter days. Thank God, the best is yet to come!

There are some striking parallels between the book of Job and the book of Habakkuk. In both instances the writer questions God’s justice, dialogs with God, and does not receive a specific answer. Yet, the conversation leads to faith.

Always remember, the just shall live by faith!