Honesty

Background Information

The Book of Habakkuk written 615-605 BC

The name Habakkuk is derived from the Hebrew verb “embrace.” His name probably means, he who embraces or he who clings. It is an appropriate name for both the prophet and the book because Habakkuk comes to a firm faith through grappling with tough questions. The etymology of the name is not clear, and its form has no parallel in Hebrew. The name is possibly related to the Akkadian khambbaququ (Akkadian: 𒄩𒄠𒁀𒄣𒄣, ḫâmbaququ) the name of a fragrant plant, or the Hebrew root חבק‎, meaning "embrace".

Today’s Scriptures

Habakkuk 1:1-17

Bible Study Synopsis: “Enduring Evil Days: Trusting God Through Turmoil”

In this study, we will explore the powerful message of Habakkuk 1:1-17, where the prophet wrestles with God's apparent silence in the face of injustice and suffering. Through the lens of Habakkuk's plea, we will unpack how to endure hard times by focusing on three key themes: Perception, Patience, and Promises.

1. Perception: We'll discuss how Habakkuk articulates his struggles, revealing the importance of acknowledging our feelings and doubts when facing difficult situations. We will reflect on our own perceptions of God’s presence amid chaos.

2. Patience: As we learn from Habakkuk’s journey, trusting God requires patience. We will examine how to wait on God, leaning on faith when immediate answers are not evident, and how this time of waiting can deepen our relationship with Him.

3. Promises: Finally, we will delve into God’s steadfast promises, examining how Habakkuk ultimately clinging to God's faithfulness assures us that His plans are just and good, even when we cannot see the outcome.

What he saw

Injustice all I see is cruelty and evil men. King Josiah gave hope, but his sons were terrible Ecclesiastes 9“But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him. It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath. This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and foreve…”

vs 2-4 why are you not listening to me, Why are you doing nothing, why do you tolerate this, why are you absent during these times, have you abandoned us? (1870-1910) in North America and Europe things were prosperous for a certain demographic and people, there maybe down years, but the hope was that we would always rebound and get better. However, by the birth of the 20th century people saw WW1, world wide depression, WWII, the Holocaust by 1940 every winter people were starving to death all over Eastern Europe-those were evil times.

People think good times are normal, but that’s not true.

He saw evil times, God not present

What he did

To understand this we have to notice that he did two things:

He was bold - in verse 3 “why do you tolerate wrong…?” in verse 12 he says something worse “oh Lord, are you not infinite?” in Hebrew the construction of the sentence is set up as a rhetorical question. it reads like a punishing statement, you were suppose to be this infinite God, all of that…These are definitely challenges to God

He was honest - He tells God exactly what he thinks and feels

(Never is it an option to stop following God) It never enters into his mind to leave God. He wrestles with God faithfully. People say don’t question God, others believe that if God doesn’t do what we want Him to do so they leave God. Being real with God, Habakkuk speaks his displeasure with God, to God. So no dishonest legalistic communication, or abandonment. Unconditional, faithful, wrestling with God.

Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”

John 4:24 “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.””

Isaiah 40:29–31 “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

What he heard

3. What he heard - God’s rebuttal was I’ll give you what you ask, but you wont understand ( it’s like taking away something from a child and they don’t understand why you’re doing it so they question, and yell, and scream.

What it meant

What it meant - when God says, I’ll be doing a new thing,

God took on flesh to show us that bad things can happen to those in the His will, so that when our evil day comes, we can trust that even if we don’t see or understand the why or how long, we can trust the God of the universe to work the good and the bad for our good. May not happen during our life time, but God is

So lets continue to encourage one another to trust in God’s sovereignty and embrace enduring hope during the evil days, just as Habakkuk did. Together, we will affirm that in hardship, our faith can grow stronger, leading us to a deeper reliance on God’s eternal wisdom and love.

None of us can come to the highest maturity without enduring the summer heat of trials.

Charles Spurgeon