Habakkuk
Major Lessons From the Minor Prophets • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Habakkuk
Being a perceptive man, Habakkuk knew the kingdom of Judah was rapidly deteriorating. Ever since the death of King Josiah in 609 b.c., his religious reforms had been forgotten and his son and successor Jehoiakim had been leading the nation closer to disaster. As he surveyed the land of Judah, and then watched the international scene, he found himself struggling with some serious problems. But he did the right thing: he took his problems and complaints to the Lord.
1 The prophecy that Habakkuk the prophet received. 2 How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? 3 Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. 4 Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.
Last week my dyslexia was in full force. Micah 8:6 instead of Micah 6:8. So indulge me as I attempt to teach and preach these text semi backwards.
The prophet’s concern (Hab. 1:2–3). Habakkuk’s vocabulary in this chapter indicates that times were difficult and dangerous.
3 Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.
He uses words like: injustice / wrongdoing / destruction / violence /strife / conflict
abounds Hebrew word meaning: It is everywhere and it is rising.
Why, why, why, ?
Questioning God is not a lack of faith it can be a building of a relationship. He is not afraid of your questions.
2 How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?
Or cry out to you - Violence!
In verse 2, the first word cry is “to call for help,” but the second word means “to scream, to cry with a loud voice, to cry with a disturbed heart.” As he prayed about the wickedness in the land, Habakkuk became more and more burdened and wondered why God seemed so indifferent.
God does not get upset when we share our emotions and get loud with Him. Some ppl get upset really quick if you raise your voice. Maybe because they did not grow up around it. “Why is your church and pastor so loud”?
God gave us our emotions and He can withstand and see though our irritate little temper tantrums. Like a parent watching a two year old through a fit on the ground. - Little Johnny will be fine and he does not mean what he is saying.
2 How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?
But you do not listen
Habakkuk prayed that God would do something about the violence, strife, and injustice in the land, but God didn’t seem to be listening?
Have you ever prayed that same prayer to God. Are you listening? Well you are in good company.
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?
Jesus understands because He to prayed similar prayer to ours.
46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
So as believers we can trust that God’s silence is never a sign of indifference or inactivity.
2 How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?
How long - must I call for help
Cities with the Best Police Response Times: Cincinnati, OH: recorded one of the fastest average response times at about 22.2 minutes.
Cities with the Worst Police Response Times: New Orleans, LA: had the slowest response times, averaging a staggering 145.8 minutes.
God answers back… but it might not be the answer you want to hear. - Judah will be punished by Babylon (1:5-11)
Habakkuk’s second complaint: How can a just God us a more sinful people to judge a less sinful ppl?
12 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. 13 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? 14 You have made people like the fish in the sea, like the sea creatures that have no ruler. 15 The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks, he catches them in his net, he gathers them up in his dragnet; and so he rejoices and is glad. 16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, for by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food. 17 Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy? 1 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.
Why then do you tolerate the treacherous - More righteous than themselves.
God Answers: Babylon will be judged as well. (2:2-20)
Habakkuk’s response:
16 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. 17 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,
Will I trust Him… No matter what?
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 19 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.
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord
This is one of the greatest confessions of faith found anywhere in Scripture. Habakkuk has faced the frightening fact that his nation will be invaded by a merciless enemy. The prophet knows that many of the people will go into exile and many will be slain. The land will be ruined, and Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed. Yet he tells God that he will trust Him no matter what happens!
“I will wait patiently on the Lord” (Hab. 3:16). If Habakkuk had depended on his feelings, he would never have made this great confession of faith. If Habakkuk looked ahead, he saw a nation heading for destruction, and that frightened him.
Democracy and freedom is on the line this election! Wait what?
When he looked within, he saw himself trembling with fear, and when he looked around, he saw everything in the economy about to fall apart. But when he looked up by faith, he saw God, and all his fears vanished. To walk by faith means to focus on the greatness and glory of God.