A Faith like Habakkuk's

Keep calm and carry on, while ;pushing deep inside any deep emotion. We might call it faith but really its a self dependent avoidance of dealing properly with reality.

Other extreme - flight - thrown toys out of the pram. Run from the Lord seeking comfort elsewhere.

INTRO

Heart of this book, what does is look like to have faith when we don’t understand. when heat is on, and there isnt a neat answer.

Heart of this book - most well know verse perhaps. Or part of verse.

Habakkuk 2:4 (NIV)

righteous person will live by his faithfulness—

Heres the question.

What should genuine, honest, real faith look like in every day, in ups and downs, in uncertainties and doubts,

Enter Habbakkuk. So relevent - living surrounded by wickedness, struggling to see Justice and strugging to see God’s glory on display. Looks around and see wickedness and corruption not just outside poeple of God but within

SLOW

Habakkuk I more than any other prophet shows us an honest faith. The Honest prophet, who is willing to get in the ring with God.

As Habakkuk starts with this huge question - (on all of our lips) how long O Lord. (next week)

Journey with him through this dialogue as he speaks to God and hears, and see how then his heart responds through it all.

All to come.

Caviats.

I want us to journey with Habakkuk - so we won’t jump to solutions, and there will some aswers we

Despite working through sections - there will be a bit of jumping back and forth.

I want to be honest now and say I’m praying that it will be uncomfortable reading for all of us.

I’m praying by end of series we’ll be rejoicing in hope of the gospel .and closer to God more than now as we start.

todays message as we do a bit of a tour of Habakkuk might be a bit longer

bit of background before we read:

DJ “out of fryijng pan into fire” - Not a light book. But no wonder - Habakkuk lived in dark days

CONTEXT

In the mind of Habakkuk. Imagine, look around. All you see everywhere is society falling apart. You remember a time, or your parents remember a time when society centred around the worship of God. But those days are long gone. And recent history is one of war and division. You’ve seen nation fall apart.

Prophecy written probably around 722BC - after fall of Ninvevah - and after fall of Israel - Northern Kingdom. There is a new world power - Babylon - brutal and ruthless. In Habakkuk named Chaldeans)

You remember the days of Josiah - the great King who brought reform - brought God’s word back to God’s people. Days of revival - but the sun has set. Since then 3 Kings have reigned who did not seek God or his word, and who have led society to lowest Spiritual point. Around all you see is wickedness. Corruption, and threat of war and total destruction.

The OT cycle of sin of people of God reached climax. Only a small rememenant are seeking to be faithful - see why thats important in 2 weeks time.

Habakkuk lived at a time when society was shaken by violence. As Judah and Jerusalem had sunk deeper into disobedience towards God and his requirements, so the fabric of national life had begun to come apart at the seams. The prophet lived and spoke in the inexorable build-up to the invasion of Jusah and ultimate destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians - in the years following the reign of Josiah when Jehoiakin succeeded as King in 609BC.

P203 Davvid Prior context helpful

Contemporaries Jeremiah was weeping

Zephaniah was calling out woes and destruction and impreding doom.

Habakkuk response has a bit of both - but perhaps most clearly shows us what honest faith looks like in difficult time.

Locally we don’t experience physcial war threat. Yet we can identitfy. Spiritual battle in UK is real. Enemy prowls around like a lion, seeking to devour very fabric of society, corrupting moral compass - infecting the church, and even in our own hearts we recognise the daily battle that can leave us in total despair.

So important that we journey with Habakkuk - so that when we face trails we might respond in faith

It’s Habakkuk journey that prophecy is about, and we’ll think about today.

So Habakkuk.

We’re going to read all 3 chapters today, and as we have an introduction to book, we are going to learn about what honest faith looks like.

WORK

As it’s read - why not see what you can spot, or learn about what faith looks like in practice for Habakkuk.

READING

BOOK OVERVIEW

Book layout - 2 complaints from Habakkuk each followed by God’s response, then God gives Habakkuk a vision to which he responds in prayer and worship.

OUtline

1: 1-4

Habbakuk complains about unrighteousness around him - corruption, and God seemingly inactive.

1:5-11

My solution is worse than yours

“children fighting over cookie” - daddy will eat the cookie.

God’s plan for unrighteous Judah - send Babylonians in judgement

1:12-2:1

Can almost see Habakkuks draw drop.

Second complaint - How can God judge wicked Israel by using even wickeder Babylon. How can God use wickedness to solve wickedness.

But as he finishes complaint - see a process - he resolves to wait, and God speaks to Him and his heart first before beginning to answeer his question. then there is answer.

2:2-20

God’s plan for unrighteous babylon and all wickedness, series of woes.

3:1-19

Habakkuks turns to prayer - a prayer for God’s mercy! and adoration - of his faithfulness in past, and resolve to worship

6 Characteristics of faith - Lessons we learn about trusting God when life seems unfair. When justice seems lacking.

1. Faith is honest

Habakkuk 1:2–4 (NIV)

How long, Lord, must I call for help,

but you do not listen?

Or cry out to you, “Violence!”

but you do not save?

Why do you make me look at injustice?

Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?

Habakkuk 1:12–13 NIV

Lord, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, you will never die. You, Lord, have appointed them to execute judgment; you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish. Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?

Lament “passionate grief”

Need to learn to lament.

Tendancy to despair or skip to the good bit. Skip over hard feelings. Avoid lamentation because its painful or uncormfortable or emarrasing. We worry what people will think of us.

World doesn’t teach us to show weakness. Somewhere we’ve been led to believe that emotion is in contradition to faith.

example: When Christian is berieved, think thing they need is bible verse - but sometimes need first to sit in their grief. Death is not natural.

In SAME WAY Wickeness is not natural in that it should upset us.

Someone compared lamenting to learning to play a musical instrument.

“Lament is like a minor key - it isn’t bad, it’s just hard!”

In John: Jesus lamented over Lazarus death even though he would ressusate him.

Matthew 23:37–39 records Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem after declaring woes on the city’s leaders (vv. 1–36). He expresses sorrow that Israel has continually rejected God’s call for repentance in a metaphor that likens the Godhead to a mother hen

Want us to journey with Habakkuk as he CRIES how long, and learn to wait with him. So glimse of gospel. take us to Christ, but won’t get whole good news until week 5.

The difference between grumbling and grappling. Exodus - in desert - when starving, thirsty, when it didnt make sense - grumbled. It wqas lack of faith followed by disobedience. Their confrontation was a cynical rather than believing.

“There has always been this important distinction between bitter cynicism and believing conforontation: one is a denial that refused to believe, the other is a belief that refused to deny; one makes assertions and will not stay for an answer, the other makes assertions and will not move until there is an answer.”

How often is our relationship with God stale/mechanical/transactional - we only go to him when we want something, but we are almost afraid to say whats really on our mind. Feel like we need to come to him with cleaned up version of ourselves.

We easily put on veneer with others, and I wonder if we do same with God - because its easier than the pain of lamenting.

Habakkuk encourages an honest relationship. Real. Learning to lament. Pouring our heart to God, and allowing ourselves to be bothered by wickedness both wickedmess we see around, and the wickedness we see within. and bring us to our knees before God. Only as we do will we know an intimacy with him.

Because as we do we will experience secondly a faith that is intimate.

2. Faith is intimate

What makes Habakkuk so bold?

That he can come to God with complaints?

It’s because he is sure of his relationship with a covenantal Yahweh.

Illustration. The more we know someone, and closer our relationship, more honest we are willing to be.

You don’t speak to anyone else like they way you speak to you parents, or spouse or siblings.

lots of negative ways we can take that. But intimacy, especially in vulnerabilty.

I’ve alwasy struggled with emotion. For a long time unable to express it. Fell into season od depression. No option but to let Laura see it. Sometimes I couldn’t hold back tears. Sometimes I was just low. But you know what I found as I opened up. I have a wife who is compassionate. In that hard season our marriage grew.

What gets in the way of honest relationship with God - we keep him at a distance, either because we don’t know him well enough, or don’t think he knows us.

Habakkuk intimacy with God - clear in v12. Even as he wrestles, look how he describes God.

Habakkuk 1:12 (NIV)

Lord, are you not from everlasting?

My God, my Holy One, you will never die.

What’s first thinh Habakkuk does in struggle, doesnt go off to think of solution of moan with friends ABOUT GOD,

SPEAKS TO GOD in prayer, and not just as distant diety but an intimate friend. God is called “The Lord” Yahweh - 12 times in this prophecy - personal name, emphasises the covenant relationship between God and his people - its the name by which he made himself know to Moses - when called himself “I AM”

It’s this relationship that causes Habakkuk to make personal declaration MY LORD, MY HOLY ONE.

H. recognises his life and identity are inseperably connected with the life and the identity of the Lord. - its a relationship based on grace. Not on any merrit Habakkuk brings but on the Holy, perfect, distinct character and nature of God, and the love he has for his people.

Even in this wrestling match, in his anguish, he is saying to God I am yours and you are mine.

PAUSE SLOW

Where else we see this kind of language. - on on cross - my God my God why have you forsaken me.

In Jesus cry on the cross, we can find the greatest intimacy. For it was through his exile that we were being brought near. Because in his death our seperation was dealt with and in his ressurection our reconciliation was complete - as united to Jesus we are one with the Father.

If Habakkuk could enjoy intimacy with God, how much more can we!

2 books that quote Habakkuk, draw out relationship he has with God and apply to us.

Hebrews 4:15–16 NIV

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Romans 8:15–16 NIV

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

someone said this

“When we are driven to our knees by pressures external and internal, similar to those faced by Habakkuk, we need to examine afresh what God really means to us. In particular , in our experience of being stripped down to fundamentals, we need to ask whether we can look the Lord in the eye and say, ‘my God’.

Whether or not you will come honestly before God will depend on kind of relationship you have with him.

SLOW

Let me ask you this: Do you have a relationship with God based soley on his grace? his unmerrited favour. On that basis will you come before him honestly assured of his loving care?

3. Faith is grounded

How easily our experience can effect our sense of reality. Especially for those of us who wear our hearts on our sleeves, or those who are prone to anxiety. Our experience can overwhelm & get in the way of us seeing things clearly. Can so easily lose our way with our view of God, becomes hazy.

ILLUSTRATE: Electrical grounding (the third wire that no one knows what its for) (ever opened up plug, or light, usually find 3 wires. Red/brown - black/blue, and yellow/yellow and green. - doesn’t seem to do much.

Electrical grounding, otherwise known as earthing, primarily provides a measure of safety against electric shocks by acting as a safety line to redirect electric current in the event of short circuits (short circuit, when electrical current flows through unintended, path).

Grounding is also a way of providing a current return path

What does Habakkuk do in face of the short circuit - when current of world arround him seems to have taken uninteded path, threatening sense of safety. How does he not blow up or melt down? How does his faith survive? He grounds himself in God’s truth - goes back to the source. To who God is - and that becomes his framework as he wrestles with the chaos around him.

Infact it’s this frame work that is the cause of his turmoil. Whatever direction current flows - he knows he must understand it through unchanging nature of the source.

2:12

Are you not from everlasting?

You who are purer eyes than to see evil (13)

Habakkuk ground himself in God’s unchanging character. See how he frames his thoughts. “Are you not from everlasting?”

Habakkuk gounds himself in God’s Holiness and purity - See how he frames his thoughts. “You who are purer that to see evil”

See what he is doing - Lord your answer doesn’t make sense to me - I don’t understand it…why? Because this is what I know about you!

Grounds himself in truth, and when he can’t figure it out, he resolves to wait.

Habakkuk 2:1 NIV

I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.

He is resolute not to be a cynic but a believer. He is resolute to hold onto the true God that he knows, and recognises what he doesnt understand doesnt undermine who God is. So he waits.

PAUSE

Sometimes we are so eager for asnwer, for things to make sense, to fit into a nice neat box, we end up putting God in a box or locking himout all together.

What does it look like to trust God when big questions create a fog around us? When our experience doesn’t match what we think life should be like? When we see injustice, or wickedness prevail, or brokeness prevail?

Ground ourselves on who God is, as revealed by his word.

Either we need to get to know him better, or we need to remind ourselves of truths we already know.

Romans 12:2 NIV

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Whe we don;t have the answers, and even our experience doesn’t match up - speak truth to ourselves.

might feel like world is chaos, but I know God is in control

might feel like things are falling apart - but I know that God is working all things for my ultimate good

might seem God is distant, but I know that he is as close as he has always been.

It might feel like I can’t come to him but I know that nothing can seperate me from his love.

It might feel like Satan is winning, but I know that Jesus has the victory, and is working his purposes out.

What truth about who God is and what he has done do you need to ground yourself in? Where do you need to say to God this is who you are - I don’t understand what I’m going through, but I will wait on you.

4. Faith is patient

(I know I need to grow in patience I just wish God would teach me quickly!)

Honeymoon trip to - Malcesine Monte Baldo cableway.

Increasingly impatient culture. Laura told me this week - the word Secular comes from Latin word that means belonging to generation or age - its all about here and now.

How often we become frustrated with lfie because we struggle to trust in God’s perfect timing. We want heaven now. We don’t see value in waiting. Our view is so small (about us and our little bubble) and short term (what does today need to look like to make me happy).

We want everything tied up in a neat ribbon.

Habakkuk resolves to wait. Whole prophecy takes a breath at the end of his second complaint, we begin to see this turning point. Habakkuk takes a break from the wrestling to.......*BREATHE* breathe.

He knows that God’s response might not come straight away.

(we pray a couple of times and then give up!)

Describes himself like watchman - lonely work of sentury - standing alert to keep watch if anything moves or changes, ready to respond appropriately.

Waiting allows us to stop rushing around and take in the landscape and respond.

illustrate: Argument. In Heat no solution. Just noise. Take a breather - time to reflect cool down - reason, often repentance. See things from a different perspective. see alternative solutions.

Something going on like this with Habakkuk, as he waits for God to answer he isopen to God offering a unexpected answer. Even if its not answer he wants. How often when we pray, and our prayer isn’t answer straight away, but we keep praying, does God do something in our hearts, and what we end up praying for is different from what we started praying for has been asnwered by a greeater appreciation of Gods majesty and creative genious and goodness.

No one would every in right mind pray that prcoess of moving house could be a sanctifying thing.

(buying house - year on market, house we had heart set on finally fell through. Eventually God provided different house. Found out month after moving in that “dream house” house had serious electrical problems, which we never owuld have been able to afford to repair. And more important - that year on the market, we became far less precious over property and more reliant on God.

Most of the time its in the waiting that God is doing the most work in our hearts.

“WE GROW IN FAITH BY LEARNING TO WAIT.

See Habakkuk - as he sees impending destruction at hands of Babylonians, even in the terror - see waht he says:

Habakkuk 3:16 NIV

I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.

I will wait. what is he doing - he is first resolving to trust in God’s timing.

In context the working out of this vision will seem slow - in human terms - but in God’s timing it will surely come and not delay 2v3

God is above and outside of time.

Psalm 90:4 (NIV)

A thousand years in your sight

are like a day that has just gone by,

or like a watch in the night.

“Habakkuk may have set himself to watch and keep watching and to keep on watching, but the prophet’s long vigil is like the twinkling of an eye to God.”

LOTR: A wizard is never late Frodo Baggins, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to.

“It will not delay - history will not miss its appointment. God will fulfil his purposes at the right time, and like when people least expect it.

What is Habakkuk waiting for - ultimately same thing we are - v3 - vision awaits its time - hastens to its end.

We are all waiting for day when God will deal with the bigger problem. Not just this nation or that. But an end to wickedness and injustice - when Jesus the Messiah returns in Glory and will be acknowledged by all as Lord of all. THen comes the end, when Christ delivers the Kingdom to God the Father after destoying every rule and every authortiy and power. For he must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destoryed is death.

We like Habakkuk must wait - but we can wait with confidnece, because at Cross we see this hope made certain.

We are already enjoying our membership of the Kingdom, our victory over death, his power at work in us. Every day inching closer to Glory. But we must wait - trusting in God’s perfect timing, assured by his total reliability.

Habakkuk 3:16 NIV

I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.

resolves to wait for answer to question in v1

Emilia is at stage where she is saying

“Can we be there?”

Trying to teach her pateince, by explaining that its waiting without complainign or becoming angry, by understanding things take as long as they take and it will be worth the wait.

Habakkuk makes a resolve to wait patienty - he is resolving to turst that God know what he is doing.

To do so need humility.

5. Faith is humble

Habakkuks resolve is to trust in face of uncertainty - even when the immediate situation doesn’t make sense.

Habakkuk 3:16 NIV

I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.

Incredible - Habakkuk waits patiently - KNOWING that things are going to get pretty bad!

So often our lamenting turns to bitterness and resentment is because we fail to trust his wisdom. We think we know better.

His waiting involved a humility to trust that God knows better, his thought are higher, and wiser and clearer.

illustration. Imagine your life as a single peice of a jig saw, might be a nice piece. Might be grim. But it would be mad to think we knew everything about jigsaw based on single piece. Or base our view of jigsaw on that piece. Only when we can see whole jigsaw fitted together can we see comprehend its beauty.

How often do we take a teenagers approach to life. Sorry if you are teenager and nothing like this.

Teenager should rule the world - because they know everything.

But in our response to injustive, or suffering, or when things don’t make sense, we turn our backs on God why? because we think we know better. If it doens’t make sense to us, then it God must be wrong.

danger of pride.

Habakkuk waits - but in faith. to see waht the Lord will say. Not accusartoty - see will God’s answe satisfy my thinking. It’s waiting with an open heart to let God give him a fresh mind. We see that by way he reponds in chapter 3.

This kind of humble faith will result in worship.

Do you come to God in struggles, in pain, in honesty lamenting, wrestling, but with humility. Or are you just trying to manipulate God to give you what you want. Will you hold on to God’s perfect wisdom, even when it doesn’t make sense right now, and ask him to show you where you need to hear him, and change you?

6. Faith results in worship

(going to keep this short because week 5 we’ll spend some time on this)

What is the result of Habakkuks honesty - his wrestling, his waiting, his humility?

Is it that he gets the answer he is looking for? Is it that he suddenly understands it all?

No! The result is that he worship’s God anyway!

Habakkuk 3:17–19 NIV

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

There is something incredible here. How often is our praise because of an answer to prayer (not wrong). Thing I feared didn’t happen. Or you brought rescue here. You saved me out of all my trouble. - now.

But here Habakkuk has been brought to a place where he is rejoicing while knowing things are going to get bad.

He is rejoicing though God hasnt answered his complaint with a satisfactory response.

He is rejoicing though it doens’t add up.

We’ll come to the how in more in week 5, but notice his rejoicing is not a denial of reality. Not burying head insand, ignoring all that he is experiencing. It’s a decision to remember who God is and rejoice in Him.

He is rejoicing in who God is in his nature. Because that hasnt changed.

He is rejoicing in who God is to him - because he has decided to trust him. Cognative. (feelings don’t just change - makes decision to worship)

He is rejoicing sure that whatever is about to happen - His life is safe in God’s hands. Clinging to eternity.

And as he makes a decision to trust and worship God - he feels a weight lifted. Not a placebo - it’s the experience of knowing that God is faithful, and leaving things in his hands, and enjoying him in the midst of everything else. Because he is a perfect Father and a safe refuge.

Maybe you are experiencing the “How long O Lord” at the moment. Don’t surpress it or pretend it not painful. Don’t walk away from God. Come to him this morning. Confidently - because Jesus has given you access. boldy because he knows what you are going through, and walks with you in your weakness. Patiently and humble, trusting that he will work all thigns for you good, and one day you will see Him face to face. And this mornig, even if none of it makes sense - worship him - because he is always good, and he is what you need.

Talkking to friend - telling of meeting some tortue victims. Said to him - you talk about God,complain, dimiss

where as we talk to complain to and then worship.

wont experience that in comfort.

Friends is life not making any sense right now. Don’t talk about God, complain about God, dismiss God. Talk to Him. Complain to him, wait on him, trust him, find comfort in him and worship. And you will find he is more than enough to see you through.

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