Majoring in the Minors Part 8 - Habakkuk

One day, while my son Zac and I were out in the country, climbing around in some cliffs, I heard a voice from above me yell, "Hey Dad! Catch me!" I turned around to see Zac joyfully jumping off a rock straight at me. He had jumped and them yelled "Hey Dad!" I became an instant circus act, catching him. We both fell to the ground. For a moment after I caught him I could hardly talk.

When I found my voice again I gasped in exasperation: "Zac! Can you give me one good reason why you did that???"

He responded with remarkable calmness: "Sure...because you're my Dad." His whole assurance was based in the fact that his father was trustworthy. He could live life to the hilt because I could be trusted. Isn't this even more true for a Christian?

Tim Hansel, Holy Sweat, 1987, Word Books Publisher, pp. 46-47.

Background

Name

Habakkuk means: “the one who embraces or clings

God’s judgment

on Judah

Habakkuk clings to God

through the judgment

and destruction

of Judah.

Date

Right before

destruction of

Jerusalem.

Likely 607 BC

Nebuchadnezzar

take over throne in 605

from father Nabopolassar.

First expedition

605 BC

deported 10k

leaders of Jerusalem

to Babylon!

How Long?

Common question

during times of trial.

How much longer?

Prophet - Habakkuk

is asking God.

Habakkuk 1:2–4 (ESV)

O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save?

--

Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise.

--

So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.

First glace,

you might think,

talking about

evil in the world.

V. 3

law is paralyzed

no justice.

Talking about

law of God

in Judah.

All do evil!

Judah filled with

violence

iniquity

destruction

contention

lawlessness

perverted justice

corruption

Wicked Times

God answers...

God’s Judgments

Habakkuk 1:5–8 (ESV)

5 “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.

--

6 For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own.

--

7 They are dreaded and fearsome; their justice and dignity go forth from themselves.

--

8 Their horses are swifter than leopards, more fierce than the evening wolves; their horsemen press proudly on. Their horsemen come from afar; they fly like an eagle swift to devour.

God answers,

You asked how long.

Answer...

not much longer...

about 2 years!!

God will

allow destruction

to come.

Babylon will

come and destroy

Jerusalem.

Habakkuk Asks More Questions

Habakkuk 1:12–13 (HCSB)

Are You not from eternity, Yahweh my God? My Holy One, You will not die. Lord, You appointed them to execute judgment; my Rock, You destined them to punish us.

Your eyes are too pure to look on evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate those who are treacherous? Why are You silent while one who is wicked swallows up one who is more righteous than himself?

Habakkuk is

asking another question.

“I see you will use the

Babylonians to punish us...”

“But if you are punishing us

because of sin...

why would you use a

people more sinful

than we are?”

The people of Judah,

“God’s covenant people”

worshiped false gods.

But the Babylonians

are even more so...

They are going to

praise their God’s

for conquering Judah!

A group of botanists noticed through binoculars a flower of rarity and beauty laying deep in a ravine.  A curious young boy was watching nearby, and the scientists told him they would pay him well if he would agree to be lowered over the cliff to retrieve the flower below. The boy took one long look down and said, “I’ll be back in a minute.” A short time later he returned, followed by a gray-haired man. Approaching the botanist, the boy said, “I’ll go over that cliff and get that flower for you if this man holds the rope. He’s my dad.” (Our Daily Bread, April 8, 1996).

We can go over

any cliff if we

trust our Daddy

Jesus to hold

the rope for us.

Habakkuk Wants an Answer

Habakkuk 2:1 (HCSB)

I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the lookout tower. I will watch to see what He will say to me and what I should reply about my complaint.

Habakkuk feels that

he has a reasonable

complaint to God.

How can you punish us

with a nation more

evil than ourselves.

He wants an answer.

How many times

do you want answers

from God?

How long?

Why?

How is that fair?

Usually,

these are not question.

They are complaints.

The great Christian reformer, Martin Luther, in fact, once spent three days in a black depression over something that had gone wrong. On the third day his wife came downstairs dressed in mourning clothes. “Who’s dead?” he asked her. “God,” she replied. Luther rebuked her, saying, “What do you mean, God is dead? God cannot die.” “Well,” she replied, “the way you’ve been acting I was sure He had!” (James Gallop - Sermon Central).

God Answers Again

God answers

his questioning...

Write This Down

Habakkuk 2:2 (ESV)

And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.

Amazingly,

God rarely answers

our questions.

Here He does.

Pay attention!

Is the Prophecy Delayed?

Habakkuk 2:3 (ESV)

For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.

What is taking

so long???

That was one of

Habakkuk’s questions.

What is taking so long?

God says,

it may look like

the prophecy is delayed.

But don’t worry

it will be fulfilled.

This is a prediction

of coming destruction

of Babylon.

SDABC 4:

“… the LXX reads, “Though he should tarry, wait for him; for he will surely come and will not tarry.”

Who is he?

In this context

it is Nebuchadnezzar.

Paul alludes to this

verse in Hebrews...

But applies it to

prophecy of

2nd Coming.

Hebrews 10:37 (ESV)

For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay;

For those wondering...

Where is God?

What is taking so long?

Where was He when I needed?

Will He ever come?

Will He set things right?

When will the pain stop?

God promises...

“Yet at little while”

“He will come

and not delay”

How long is

“a little while”?

I don’t know.

But when

“He does come.”

“He will not delay.”

In the mean time.

we are stuck with

Habakkuk.

Lots of questions

few answers.

Uncle Oscar was apprehensive about his first airplane ride. His friends, eager to hear how it went, asked if he enjoyed the flight. “Well,” commented Uncle Oscar, “it wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be, but I’ll tell you this. I never did put all my weight down!” (Source Unknown).

That is how

some trust God.

They don’t put

all their weight down...

Faith and Trust

Then God gives

final statements

The answer that

brings an end to all

of Habakkuk’s

questions.

Habakkuk 2:4 (NASB95)

“Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.

Hebrews quotes verse

slightly differently.

Hebrews 10:38 (ESV)

but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

What is God saying?

My followers

“those who are believers”

trust Me even when,

things aren’t going well.”

Those without faith

“proud”

“arrogant”

They think they know

better than God...

God’s invitation

for us today...

Trust Me

In the Trials!

Years ago, Monroe Parker was traveling through South Alabama on one of those hot, sultry Alabama days. He stopped at a watermelon stand, picked out a watermelon, and asked the proprietor how much it cost. "It's $1.10," he replied. Parker dug into his pocket, found only a bill and said, "All I have is a dollar."

"That's ok," the proprietor said, "I'll trust you for it."

"Well, that's mighty nice of you," Parker responded, and picking up the watermelon, started to leave.

"Hey, where are you going?" the man behind the counter demanded.

"I'm going outside to eat my watermelon." "But you forgot to give me the dollar!"

"You said you would trust me for it," Parker called back.

"Yeah, but I meant I would trust you for the dime!"

"Mack," Parker replied, "You were't going to trust me at all. You were just going to take a ten-cent gamble on my integrity!"

Haddon Robinson.

Babylon Will be Judged.

Habakkuk 2:6–7 (ESV)

Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say,

“Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own— for how long?— and loads himself with pledges!”

Will not your debtors suddenly arise, and those awake who will make you tremble? Then you will be spoil for them.

Don’t worry.

they won’t get off

easily...

Woe to the Chaldeans...

(Babylonians)

Rest of chapter

about their destruction.

Hymn of Trust

Chapter 3

a Psalm

a hymn

a song

a poem

God’s deliverance

in the end.

Habakkuk 3:13 (ESV)

You went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked, laying him bare from thigh to neck. Selah

God’s final plans

Salvation.

May seem painful

along the way.

Remember,

What God is accomplishing

is salvation.

This word

Salvation

In Hebrew:

יֵ֣שַׁע

This word

(yeashah)

Sounds like a different word:

Joshua

means savior

Like Greek form of word:

Matthew 1:21 ESV

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Jesus means savior.

That is God’s plan.

To save us.

God may take us

through hard times.

But he is asking

that we trust Him.

His plan is to save us.

The Final Refrain

The final verse

crescendo of song.

Habakkuk 3:17–19 (ESV)

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls,

--

yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

--

God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high laces...

If all is bad,

no God in sight

life is terrible

relationship are bad

health is bad

spiritual health bad

all seems lost...

God is good!!!

Trust Him when dark doubts assail thee,

Trust Him when thy strength is small,

Trust Him when to simply trust Him

Seems the hardest thing of all.

Trust Him, He is ever faithful,

Trust Him, for his will is best,

Trust Him, for the heart of Jesus

Is the only place of rest.

Source Unknown.

Appeal

In the trials:

Trust God.

He knows best.

His time is best.

He will save you.