HABAKKUK | WHY GOD?

As we mentioned last time when we dove into Nahum, the Northern Kingdom of Israel had already been destroyed around 720 BC, so Habakkuk, like Nahum, was writing to the Southern Kingdom of Judah.

The book of Habakkuk can be divided into two primary parts:

Chapters 1-2 are a dialogue between Habakkuk and God

While Chapter 3 is a Song from Habakkuk about God.

He begins his writing in v.1 by describing what he was about to say as a burden.

Some of the minor prophets like Nahum and Malachi begin this way, while other’s begin by simply saying the “Word of the Lord” came to them.

But when Habakkuk says it in v.1 one, a burden is exactly what he means.

And with a heavy heart, Habakkuk begins in v.2 with a prayer to the Lord.

Habakkuk 1:2–4 KJV 1900

2 O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! Even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! 3 Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? For spoiling and violence are before me: And there are that raise up strife and contention. 4 Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: For the wicked doth compass about the righteous; Therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.

In 609 BC, King Josiah was killed in battle.

He had begun his reign when he was only 8 years old

Josiah had been the king who found the Law of the Lord and set about turning Israel’s heart back to God.

2 Chronicles 34:33 KJV 1900

33 And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the Lord their God. And all his days they departed not from following the Lord, the God of their fathers.

Josiah reminded them of the covenant God had made with Israel, when they followed God, there would be blessings.

When they turned from God their would be judgment.

But when Josiah died, his throne was ascended by three sons and a grandson, who turned the nation back to their wicked ways.

It was during this return to idol worship and wickedness, that Habakkuk prayed to God.

But what Habakkuk prayed was not for God to heal his land.

He didn’t pray the God would be longsuffering to Judah.

No, Habakkuk’s prayer was a prayer of frustration.

As he was watching the wickedness of his people all around him, his prayer was, “God, where is your judgment?”

“Why are you letting evil win?”

“Why aren’t you stepping in and destroying the wicked?”

“God, why aren’t you doing what I thought you would?

APPLICATION: Have you ever been there before?

“God, why are you letting wickedness thrive in our nation?”

“God, why didn’t you let my political candidate win?”

“Why are you letting the wicked win in the courtrooms and school boards and colleges?”

Maybe it’s been more personal

“God, why aren’t you healing my loved one?”

“Why aren’t you taking care of my problem?”

“I’ve stayed faithful and done right, why does it feel like I’m the one facing defeat and evil is winning?”

“Why God?”

EXPLANATION: That is exactly where Habakkuk found himself.

And in the rest of this book, we find God’s answers and Habakkuk’s responses to his prayer, “Why God?”

CH.1:5-11, GOD’S PLAN ISN’T OUR PLAN

EXPLANATION: In the remainder of ch.1, God pulls back the veil for Habakkuk to see God’s plan.

And what Habakkuk found was God’s plan wasn’t his plan.

In v.5, God tells Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:5 KJV 1900

5 Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: For I will work a work in your days, Which ye will not believe, though it be told you.

God says, “You aren’t going to believe what I’m going to do.”

Isaiah 55:8–9 KJV 1900

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher than your ways, And my thoughts than your thoughts.

What God tells him He is going to do, leaves Habakkuk stunned.

Habakkuk 1:6 KJV 1900

6 For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, Which shall march through the breadth of the land, To possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.

God tells Habakkuk that He is going to raise up the Chaldeans, another name for Babylon, as judgment upon Israel.

This was a wicked and evil country

In fact God describes them in Habakkuk 1:7

Habakkuk 1:7 KJV 1900

7 They are terrible and dreadful: Their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.

We learn more about exactly what they would from another guy who lived through this coming takeover: Daniel.

Daniel 1:2–4 KJV 1900

2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god. 3 And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes; 4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.

They would take the artifacts out of the conquered nation’s temple and bring them and put them in their temple.

It was a sign that their God’s were superior to the nation they had defeated.

Then they took the brightest young men and they made them Eunuchs.

Without getting too graphic, the stripped them of their manhood so they could control them.

There would be no risk of reproduction only humiliation

Then they were forced to learn and speak in a foreign language

Then they changed their names.

Everything about these young people was destroyed!

APPLICATION: This isn’t the primary point of the message today, but if some of this doesn’t sound familiar, I think you must have your head in the sand.

We live in a world that is trying to confuse our young people and strip them of their God-given gender.

Our identity is being questioned and redefined.

They are changing our language and redefining words and adding new terminology.

Kid’s are so confused today, that 1 in 4 high schoolers identify as LGBTQ.

They are putting litter boxes in bathrooms because kids want to identify as cats and other creatures.

I want to remind you today that 1 Corinthians 14:33

1 Corinthians 14:33 KJV 1900

33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

It’s time that the church stops cowering in a corner and wakes up to the reality that our world is anti-Christ and anti-Christian, and it doesn’t mean we should take up arms, but we can choose to stop being the “silent majority” and speak up!

Maybe if we weren’t so “silent” we wouldn’t be in the mess we are in today!

It’s time some Christians knew where they stand and why they stand, and then choose to take a stand!

That’s why weekends like last weekend are so important because we need to know what we believe and why we believe it.

And when the persecution comes and you need to be able to articulate why you stand where you do, there’s gonna be a lot of Christians wishing they had made it a priority to be a part of weekends like last weekend!

I’m not mad, I’m just saddened by the complacency and apathy of so many Christians, not just in our church, but in churches I get the opportunity to be in all over.

It’s just as Romans 13:11

Romans 13:11 KJV 1900

11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

And I hope that some Christians will wake up to what is happening in our world all around us and start taking a stand for something instead of sitting back and watching our kid’s be captivated and indoctrinated by the world!

EXPLANATION: God told Habakkuk, “Israel has chosen to indulge themselves in sin, so I’m going to allow judgment to come upon them by a nation whose wickedness exceeds their own.”

God was going to answer Habakkuk’s prayer… but that wasn’t the way Habakkuk wanted God to answer.

CH.1:12-17, HABAKKUK DIDN’T LIKE GOD’S PLAN

EXPLANATION: Habakkuk begins to rebuke God’s answer to his prayer!

Habakkuk 1:13 KJV 1900

13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, And canst not look on iniquity: Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, And holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?

“How can you let some one that is even more wicked than us, have victory over us?”

Habakkuk wanted God to stop Judah’s wickedness

Habakkuk wanted God to change the direction of his nation

Habakkuk wanted God to turn his nation back to God

But Habakkuk wanted it done his way…

He wanted God to answer his prayer, but he wanted God to answer in the way he approved.

How could God use this wicked nation to judge the wickedness of his nation?

He didn’t like God’s plan!

APPLICATION: Have you ever struggled with the plan of God?

Maybe you’ve prayed for something, and without even realizing it, God is answering… but it isn’t the way you wanted.

Maybe in your life you don’t like the way something hasn’t happened.

You’re struggling with the cards you’ve been dealt

You just can’t see how something that you perceive to be so bad, could be used to accomplish something good.

Can God really use something we perceive as bad, for good?

ILLUSTRATION: Just ask Joseph!

How could being rejected by your brothers be good?

How could being thrown in a pit be good?

How could be sold into slavery be good?

How could being lied about and throne in prison be good?

How could being forgotten about in that prison be good?

But on that day when Joseph saw his brother kneel before him, he was reminded that while we may not understand God’s plan, we may not approve of God’s plan, but God’s plan is always what is best!

APPLICATION: Like Habakkuk, you may not be able to see how God’s plan is going to work out, but God always does what is best!

CH. 2:1-20, GOD’S GLIMPSE BEHIND THE CURTAIN

EXPLANATION: I love the way chapter 2 begins

Habakkuk 2:1 KJV 1900

1 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, And will watch to see what he will say unto me, And what I shall answer when I am reproved.

I don’t know how much time has passed but Habakkuk has clearly had some time to think about his response to the Lord at the end of chapter 1.

Like a watchman that would stand on the tower looking for trouble coming from a distance, he says I’m watching for what God is going to tell me next.

And the end of the verse reveals his mindset has changed...

God is going to reprove me for the way I responded to his plan.

But God doesn’t reprove Habakkuk.

He doesn’t address Habakkuk’s response to His plan at all.

Instead, He pulls back the veil a little to see God’s bigger plan.

Habakkuk was frustrated that God was going to judge Israel through a more wicked nation that themself.

And rather than scolding or chastising Habakkuk for his struggling in accepting God’s plan, God instead comforts him.

Habakkuk 2:4 KJV 1900

4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: But the just shall live by his faith.

It is a phrase that is found scattered throughout the NT in the writings of the apostle Paul in Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews.

God was telling Habakkuk, I know who the wicked are… and I know who are righteous.

Habakkuk’s frustrations where drawn along national lines… but God could see the righteous on both sides.

And just to ease the mind of Habakkuk about God being unfair in His dealings of judgment, God pulls back the veil to reveal that in His time, He would bring judgment upon Babylon as well!

5 times in chapter 2, God pronounces judgment on Babylon for various actions, saying “Woe unto him”

God saw their extortion in v.6

God saw their cheating of others in v.9

God saw their murder of innocent lives in v.12

God saw their use of alcohol to manipulate and commit sexual wickedness in v.15

God saw their idol worship in v.19

The wickedness of the enemies of Judah had not escaped the eye of the Lord.

God didn’t have to pull back the veil for Habakkuk, but He did it to show him and us, that He knows… and His plan is bigger!

It’s almost as if God is answering Habakkuk’s question: “Why God?”

CH.3:1-19, HABAKKUK’S SONG TO THE LORD

EXPLANATION: As Habakkuk comes to the end of his book, he finishes by writing a song to the Lord.

This was similar to the Psalms, as it was most likely a chapter that would be sung.

Then we come to v.2

Habakkuk 3:2 KJV 1900

2 O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, In the midst of the years make known; In wrath remember mercy.

In one verse Habakkuk tells us why he responded to God the way he did back in chapter 1.

He says, “I have heard thy speech and was afraid.”

When he heard God’s plan, he was terrified.

God’s plan was so outside of what he expected, he didn’t know how to respond.

He was afraid.

APPLICATION: Did you know you can be in the middle of God’s plan and be afraid.

Because when God’s plan doesn’t line up with what we had planned, the uncertainty can leave us terrified.

And fear will lead to us questioning God’s plan.

2 Timothy 1:7 KJV 1900

7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Psalm 56:3 KJV 1900

3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

You see, when the fears of uncertainty come into our life, we can choose to either run from God or run to Him!

You can ask, “Why God are you doing this?” or you can say, “God I’m choosing to trust you through this.”

EXPLANATION: He goes on to say something that is a great lesson to all of us.

He says, “Revive thy work in the midst of the years”

What Habakkuk is saying in this verse is Lord, bring back the way things used to be, when we were right with you!

Then through the rest of the chapter he recalls various times in the history of Israel in which they saw God give victories and deliverance from enemies.

And he wraps it up in v.18-29

Habakkuk 3:18–19 KJV 1900

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.

In this final chapter, Habakkuk writes a song in which he is comforted by the perfect plan of God.

He answers his own question, “Why God” by pointing to God’s past deliverances and trusting in God’s plan.

The name Habakkuk means “One who embraces”

And Habakkuk found that when fear gripped his heart because he didn’t fully understand God’s plan.

When he responded to God pushing back against God’s plan

He found a loving Savior who rather than condemn, instead embraced him.

And gave him a song of comfort.

CONCLUSION

APPLICATION: Friend, are you asking “Why God” today?

People respond all different ways when they are afraid

Some get angry

Some get quiet

Some are paralyzed with insecurity.

Can I tell you from the life of Habakkuk, you can trust God’s plan.

It may not be the way you expected…

Things may not turn our how you hoped

God may be working through unexpected circumstances.

But you can trust Him through it!

God may not pull back the curtain like He did for Habakkuk

But you can be sure, God is working all things together for good!

1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV 1900

12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

One day, when you stand before Him, it’ll all make sense.

So choose today to trust Him, no matter what you are going through!

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