Sermons on Habbakuk

Waiting on God - I will stand and Watch!

Habakkuk 1:12–2:20 “O Lord, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die. O Lord, you have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you have ordained them to punish. Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? You have made men like fish in the sea, like sea creatures that have no ruler. 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. 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. Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy? 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. Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make on plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. “See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous will live by his faith— indeed, wine betrays him; he is arrogant and never at rest. Because he is as greedy as the graved and like death is never satisfied, he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all the peoples. “Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying, “ ‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on?’ Will not your debtors suddenly arise? Will they not wake up and make you tremble? Then you will become their victim. Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you. For you have shed man’s blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them. “Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain to set his nest on high, to escape the clutches of ruin! You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your life. The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it. “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by crime! Has not the LORD Almighty determined that the people’s labour is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing? For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbour's, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies. You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and be exposed! The cup from the LORD’s right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory. The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and your destruction of animals will terrify you. For you have shed man’s blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them. “Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it? Or an image that teaches lies? For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it. But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.” Waiting: Trusting God in Uncertain Times

There are lots of dog lovers in this church so let me start with a story that some of you may have heard before:

In 1850, John Gray moved to Edinburgh in the hope of continuing as his chosen work of a gardener but unfortunately he was unable to find work, so he joined the police force as a night watchmen. To keep him company through the long nights, he would take his small Skye terrier named Bobby with him on his rounds.

John later contracted tuberculosis and died in the winter of 1858; he was buried in Greyfriars Churchyard and his little dog was so devoted to his master that he would not leave his master's grave, except for his regular meals that different locals gave him in the area. On a number of occasions the groundman at the Churchyard tried to evict Bobby, but the dog would not be shifted. Finally, he provided the little dog with a shelter by the grave.

When the City council passed an ordinance that all unlicensed dogs would be destroyed, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, William Chambers, purchased a license for Bobby and had a collar engraved for the little dog.

Until his death fourteen years later, the citizens cared for Bobby while he guarded his master's body. Greyfriars Bobby—died 14th January 1872—aged 16 years, a stroy of loyalty and devotion to his master! If you walk to Greyfriars Kirkyard today, you can't miss the statue that stands across the street. It is a sculpture of Bobby with these words inscribed on the base:

There is something of that Greyfriars Bobby spirit in Habakkuk . This passage is about Waiting on God and it leads to an application of trusting God in uncertain times.

Habakkuk wrestles with the tension of God's sovereignty and the apparent injustices in the world, culminating in a call to wait for God's judgment and restore hope in His timing.

This passage encourages us to remain steadfast in faith despite trials and to trust that God is working for their ultimate good, even when His plans are not immediately evident. It is a reminder to seek patience and to find strength in faith while waiting for God's answers.

In fact waiting on God is a vital aspect of a believer's faith journey. It emphasises the importance of trusting God's wisdom, timing, and justice even when circumstances seem bleak or confusing, and encourages the discipline of persistent prayer and reliance on God’s promises and a trust in God's perfect timing as we await His ultimate plan and purpose to unfold.

BY way of reminder a little on the Background to book:

a. Author, date and background: The name Habakkuk means 'to clasp' or 'embrace'.

The Early Church historian, Jerome said, “He is called 'embrace', either because of his love to the LORD or because he wrestles with God.”

The reality however is that little is known about Habakkuk, though there have been some interesting speculations throughout history including that he was the Shunammite woman's son whom Elisha predicted would be born to the woman who had kindly showed him hospitality consistently over a period of time because he was “a holy man of God”.(c/f 2 Kings 4:16).

Others have suggested that Habakkuk was the 'watchman' of Isaiah 21:6-910 who acted as a “lookout” and said, “Day after day, my lord, I stand on the watchtower; every night I stay at my post. Look, here comes a man in a chariot with a team of horses. And he gives back the answer: ‘Babylon has fallen, has fallen! All the images of its gods lie shattered on the ground!’ ” O my people, crushed on the threshing floor, I tell you what I have heard from the LORD Almighty, from the God of Israel.”

Perhaps one of the most interesting suggestions is from the Apocryphal 'Bel and the Dragon' who links him to Daniel, who was instructed by the Lord to minister to Daniel in the lion's den by a miraculous transportation: “Now there was in Jewry a prophet, called Habakkuk, who had made pottage, and had broken bread in a bowl, and was going into the field for to bring it to the reapers. But the angel of the LORD said unto Habakkuk, ‘Go carry the dinner that thou hast unto Babylon, unto Daniel, who is in the lion's den"(v33,34).

There is some suggestion due to the poetic composition of Chapter 3 that Habakkuk was also a Levite because that Chapter 3, suggests a musical arrangement containing several musical designations (Hab 3:1, 3, 9, 13, 19) which may indicate that he had some responsibility for the temple music, an idea also mentioned in Bel and the Dragon, where Habakkuk is described as “the son of Jesus of the tribe of Levi.”

Whilst much of this is speculative, what we do know about this prophet is that he was a man of deep zeal and conviction: "In this little book we see a man in deadly earnest, wrestling with the mighty problem of 'theodicy' - the divine justice -in a topsy-turvy world"(Stephens-Hodge).

We have no genealogy nor does Habakkuk tell us the date of his prophecies but Hab 1:6-10 hints at a 7th Century BC date because of reference to the 'Babylonians’ and the knowledge of their military reputation.

We know that the Baylonians had defeated the Egyptians under Pharaoh Necho at the battle of Carchemish in 605 BC and that they then marched West from the fords of the Euphrates to subjugate Jehoiakim, of whom Josephus has said: ‘He was unjust and malignant neither holy towards God, nor forbearing towards man.”

If this is the historical period of Habakkuk, then he prophesied during the reigns of Josiah, king of Judah, who was himself defeated by Pharaoh Necho at Megiddo in 609 B.C. c/f 2 Kngs 23v29,30;2 Chron 35v20f), Jehoahaz and then Jehoiakim(609-597 B.C.). He would therefore have been a contemporary of Jeremiah(626-587 B.C.). The fact that Assyria is not in the picture gives us date parameters of 612 BC -(the fall of Nineveh) and 605 B.C.

It is worth noting also by way of the outline of the book that it contains a conversation between Habakkuk and the LORD an can be divided up over 6 sections and in effect this amounts to a Question and Answer session, ending with an “Aha moment!” of judgment when God (and Israel) would get their own back on the nations!

Hab 1:1-4 - Habakkuk asks, 'How long will lawlessness go unpunished?'

Hab 1:5-11 - God replies, 'Even now my instrument of judgement is being amassed to carry out my wrath against the lawless'!

Hab 1:12-17 - Habakkuk questions,'But how can the Chaldeans who are ungodly, fierce and brutal in the extreme be the instrument of divine judgement, when the one whom they serve(i.e. God), is "of purer eyes than to behold evil and cannot look on wickedness?”

Hab 2:1-5 - The LORD responds,'Though this presents a dilemma to you(2v1), it is yet another demonstration of my sovereignty over the nations. Babylon shall be the agents of my wrath, but shall herself be confounded for her pride shall be her downfall.”

Hab 2:6-20 - A taunting song is taken up against the Chaldeans, consisting of 5 woes predicting dire consequences upon them for their brutality(c/f Jehu in 1 Kngs 19:15-17;Hos 1:4 and 'Assyria' in Isa 10:5-11).

Hab 3:1-19 - The 'Psalm of Habakkuk' describing the revelation of God coming in judgement upon the nations and bringing salvation to His people.

I. Habakkuk Wonders and Waits on God Ways! - Habakkuk 1:12-2:1

Last week Andy S took us through the first twelve verses in which Habakkuk asks: “How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?” and this led God to respond: “I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwelling places not their own.”

This answer to Habakkuk's first problem raised another, even greater problem! which amounted to this, why would a good and holy God “tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?”(Hab 2:13)

Habakkuk was even more bewildered than he had been over God's seeming inactivity and silence. He raises a question that has been raised countless times over millenia: why does a good God allow evil and suffering?

As Epicurus the Greek philosopher asked in the 4th Century BC in his famous “trilemma”  “Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.  Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?  Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?”

Habakkuk as a friend of God addresses this problem and is not certain of the answer. As Hab 1:12-13, he had a good theological grounding - He believed in God's eternality. His covenant. His holiness(c/f Ex 15v11;Ps 99:9). His faithfulness. His wrath. His stability. His purity(Ps 5:4,5). He was not an Epicurean sceptic. He understood that God would have His reasons and His plans and purposes would work out but, understanding it and trusting God and waiting on God as it is being worked out, is not at all easy!

Habakkuk's dilemma however is that even though the Israelites had been bad and unfaithful in comparison to the Babylonians they were at least "more righteous"(v13) and therefore God should surely not be using them as the agents of His judgment against Israel!

Habakkuk’s question amounts to this, How can you use such merciless and ruthless aggressors to do a righteous act; to right a wrong? Why would you do this?

And he is not sure God can answer this dilemma and so he says: “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.”(Hab 2v1).

Habakkuk has his “gottcha” moment and then resorts to His watchtower awaiting God's response to this moral dilemma. The practice of resorting to a 'watchtower' was commonly for 'lookout' purposes, just as the watchman stood upon a tower in Jezreel and beheld the company of Jehu approaching(2 Kngs 9v17).

This may mean as Ferdinand Hitzig suggests, that Habakkuk went "to some steep and inaccessible place so that he could be far away from people and alone with his thoughts"(cited from E.J. Young).

But it could simply be a figurative way of saying that "he is thinking of retiring to the inmost recesses of the heart to meditate upon the words of God...By means of this inner reflection and contemplation the prophet prepares himself that he may hear the word of Jehovah"(E.J. Young).

Again to remind you of something Andy S said to us last week, God does not always answer our questions in the way we would like or act in the way we would like and we might not always like what He is doing but we must take it to FATHER!

When we have our WHY? questions we must not be hasty in speech or quick to dismiss the challenges that arise but also as Matthew Henry said: “Those that expect to hear from God must withdraw from the world, and get above it, must raise their attention, fix their thought, study the Scriptures, consult experiences and the experienced, continue instant in prayer, and thus set themselves upon the tower". c/f Ps 73:17;77:6.

And it may be that all e can do when we are confronted with a WHY? questions that seems insurmountable to us is to say as the Psalmist did: "Arise O LORD, plead your own cause"(Ps 74v22).

To leave the question at the door of the Almighty and to trust that He knows what He is doing and will work it out!

1 “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; 2 for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. 3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. 7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;”

Psalm 37:1-7.

II. Habakkuk Writes, Warns and Witnesses to God’s Glory! - Habakkuk 2:2-20.

In answer to Habakkuk’s second dilemma, God gives him a vision

It is a vision which is designed to warn those who can discern its meaning, to 'flee from the wrath to come'(v2 c/f Matt 3:7).

The vision which the prophet is to write in clear and intelligible words “is yet for an appointed time' and 'though it tarries..it will surely come", for God's word is sure (v3 c/f 1 Kings 8:56).

Now this could prove immensely disatisfying to Habakkuk because understandably he wanted God to ‘DO SOMETHING NOW!’ but frustratingly God says, I will do something but NOT YET!,

So Habakkuk must learn patience because if the appointed judgment is to 'tarry', then men of God must learn to 'live by..faith'(v4)!

This verse is the key verse of the chapter! The LORD informs Habakkuk that the unbeliever will remain what he is, even in the knowledge of the coming judgment. Calamities will not convince the unbeliever of the error of his ways.

Conversely, the believer will not lose his faith even when disaster befalls the nation.

Whatever happens the 'just shall live by his faith'.

“The righteous will live by his faith.” - Habakkuk 2:2-20

Little did Habakkuk know that this phrase which he penned at the instruction of Almighty God would become one of the most historically significant statements in the Pauline corpus of literature and would form the basis of the book of Romans, which is to a large extent an exposition of that verse in Romans 1:17.

Little did Habakkuk know that this statement would be historically impactful in Western Christianity leading Martin Luther to nail his 95 theses to the Cathedral door of Wittenburg where Habakkuk 2v4 became a central tenet of the Protestant Reformation, signifying that salvation and righteousness are received through God's grace by faith in Jesus Christ, not through works or merit. This righteousness is Christ's righteousness, imputed to the believer through faith.  and led to a challenge against the prevalent teachings of the Roman Catholic Church regarding salvation and the role of good works and indulgences.

And little did Habakkuk know that arguably one of the greatest evangelists who ever lived, John Wesley was converted on hearing Luther's exposition of this verse and felt his heart 'strangely warmed'. “‘In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given to me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.’ (Wesley’s Journal entry, May 24, 1738).

“The righteous will live by his faith.” May God use this verse again to trigger off in us, spiritual revival that will have a like impact in our day and generation.

What then does it mean to 'live by..faith'?

To answer this we must first discover what faith is! — “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen"(Heb 11v1). In other words it is believing in the promises of God and the Gospel even though we have not received them nor seen them with our eyes.

A person who waits for the word of the LORD to come to pass, is a person who lives by faith - Paul uses the example of Abraham who was told he would have a son with his wife Sarah even though she was barren and he and she were very old. Paul declares: “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” (see Rom 4:3,18-22).

Why is 'faith' necessary?

Because without it you cannot “please God” - “without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Heb 11:6)!

Faith is the key to salvation(Rom 1:17) and it is faith which enables us to persevere in our salvation(Heb 10:38).

“The righteous will live by his faith.” - Like Habakkuk we realise that faith will not allow us to cast away hope but will encourage us to 'hope' in God's word while we wait for the consummation of our salvation.

“The righteous will live by his faith.” - Jessie Brown Pounds was asked by James Henry Fillmore to write some hymns for a book he was publishing and one she contributed wan entitle “Sooner or Later”

Sooner or later the wrong will be righted, Sooner or later the wicked will fail; Sooner or later the dark will be lighted, Sooner or later the good will prevail.

Sooner or later the wrong will be righted - This is a truth that Christians hold to “by faith” and it was something Habakkuk was asked to hold onto as expressed in the “six woes” that would be visited upon the wicked, outlined in Hab 2:5-19.

Regarding Habakkuk's moral dilemma in God's use of the Baylonians as agents of His wrath, God informs Habakkuk that in the future men shall taunt them because they shall come to ruin and those who have been conquered and had their lands plundered by them will see it.(vs 6-8,16).

God pronounces woes against those who build on unjust gains, violence, and idolatry. The assurance is given that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. This point can inspire believers to live righteously and trust in God's ultimate justice and plan, surrendering any idols that compete for His rightful place in our lives.

(i). 'Woe to him who increases what is not his'(v6) - Condemning those who steal and cheat others of what is rightfully theirs!

(ii). 'Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house'(v9) - Condemning those who make a dishonest living at the expense of others in order to achieve 'security' (c/f Isa 47:8;Obad 3;Lk 13:13-21).

(iii). 'Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed'(v12). - Condemning violence and unjust oppression.

(iv). 'Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbour'(v15) - Condemning those who 'supply' alcohol for the purpose of personal gain(c/f drug-pushers, etc).

(v). 'Woe to him who says to wood,'Awake'!(v19) - Condemning idolatry(c/f Isa 40:20;44:9-20;Acts 19:24).

This serves as a reminder of the consequences of human pride and ambition. The oppressors accumulate wealth unlawfully, but their actions are not without consequence. God’s justice prevails.

We need to trust that God sees what is hidden and that He will bring about justice in His time, encouraging us not to put our security in material things.The violence done by the Chaldeans will be repaid because 'all who take the sword will perish by the sword'(Mtt 26v52).

And the lesson for the people of God facing all of their dilemmas and challenges today is that it is not the equivalent of the Babylonians who control our destiny it is the "LORD of hosts'(Hab 2:13).

And He will have the ultimate victory for “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea"(v14;Jer 9:24;Jn 17:3;2 Cor 3:18;4:6; Rev 14:6).

“The righteous will live by his faith.”

Habakkuk must keep his focus firmly fixed on the Lord! - Habakkuk 2:20 “But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.””

He must not fear the Babylonians or their dead idols because the sovereign LORD is "in His holy temple" and He is to be held in reverent fear and awe!!

When judgment comes upon the land, the faithful must not be unsettled but look to the LORD as a refuge in the time of trouble:

Living by faith is a continuous, all-encompassing commitment involving daily trust in God, obedience to His Word, and relying on His character even amidst challenges and unanswered questions. WE LIVE BY FAITH - WE WAIT BY FAITH, WH HOPE IN FAITH - God is for us. no one can be against us!

"Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy, and shall break

In blessings on your head"