Habakkuk: Wrestling with God
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Sermon 1: Wrestling with Injustice
Sermon 1: Wrestling with Injustice
Main Idea:
Don’t leave the faith when God is silent in stead lean in and trust God
Intro:
Have you ever heard the phrase life isn’t fair.
Maybe you have used this phrase before.
I personally like saying that phrase instead of having it told to me to be honest.
But when we hear that it means something didn’t go our way.
Or something is unjust.
Someone got something we felt like we deserved.
Or we got something we felt like we did not deserve.
Maybe we got punished for something.
Maybe we lost a friend, a child, or a parent way to soon.
Maybe you got passed up for job promotion or you lost your job.
I have three kids and anytime something is not equal among the three of them then it is an injustice, it could be food, chores, the proper color of a fork, racing up the stairs— you name it, it has been unfair.
I am sure we all understand this:
And we can even look at it through the lens on a worldly scale.
It would not take us to long to talk about different injustices in our world today.
There are things that just seem unfair; like being born into poverty,
not being born with great genetics,
favoritism or even nepotism that happens at work or on sports teams.
Discrimination
Imbalances in relationships— you have ended up in friend zone or you have lost a friendship based on something that wasn’t your fault.
access to great education
Others are born rich
We can all understand that life is just not fair.
And we can see all of the injustices in the world and sometimes we can make a change.
Other times we are not able to make any changes— and we are helpless because of it.
Over the next 4 weeks this is where we are going to camp out in the book of Habakkuk.
We are going to see what it looks like to Wrestle with God.
This morning we are going to be wrestling with injustice.
My name is Zach Klundt and I am one of the Pastors at Freshwater Church in Jefferson City, MO.
My family; my wife Brittni, and our three kids; Evey, Rosey, and Theo are excited to be hanging out with you guys over the next month.
I am pumped to be here and go through this often over looked book with you all.
As we get ready to go into chapter 1 lets pray for wisdom and discernment as we open up God’s word.
PRAY
As we open up the book of Habakkuk today, anyone who has said or thought that something was unfair— You can relate to Habakkuk.
Habakkuk saw injustice in the world and he went to the only way would could handle his complaint.
The only one would could do anything about it.
God can handle your questions, your doubts and your wrestling.
Let’s read chapter 1 of Habakkuk.
We will start with
1 The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.
Habakkuk was a prophet for the Lord.
His name means to embrace.
He spoke to the nation of Judah on behalf of the Lord.
And what is interesting about Habakkuk as we read this dialogue between Habakkuk and God— it is out of order.
Normally God goes to the his prophet and gives the prophet a message to take to the a certain people group.
Like God coming to Jonah and telling him to go to Nineveh and preach to that nation a message of destruction unless they turn from their ways.
Or Isaiah— who is shown a vision from the Lord, is cleansed and then is sent out by God to go to God’s people.
Habakkuk is not like that:
He does see a revelation to him from God— but it is Habakkuk who makes the first move.
2 How long, O Lord, will I call for help,
And You will not hear?
I cry out to You, “Violence!”
Yet You do not save.
3 Why do You make me see iniquity,
And cause me to look on wickedness?
Yes, destruction and violence are before me;
Strife exists and contention arises.
4 Therefore the law is ignored
And justice is never upheld.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
Therefore justice comes out perverted.
Habakkuk goes to God and tells him about the injustice that is happening to God’s people and God seems to be ignoring it.
Judah was a pretty broken nation at this point and injustice was everywhere, and Habakkuk wants God to intervene and bring salvation.
He even says— You don’t save!
Judah was in disarray and God’s people were wicked and they had moved away from God and were worshiping idols.
Habakkuk makes it sound like God is being passive and just letting violence rise up and wickedness to run rampant.
He opens with this please of HOW LONG WILL I CALL FOR HELP AND CONTINUE TO BE IGNORED.
You are not listening to me God.
This would lead me to believe that this is not the first time Habakkuk has come to God about this.
How long of Lord will I have to keep seeing this.
He keeps seeing injustice and Habakkuk even says— you are making me look at this.
I don’t want to keep seeing how unfair this is and God you are making me look at it.
Habakkuk is really laying it out for God:
He says in verse 3— You are making me look at injustice and you tolerate wrong doing.
All of this is happening right in front of me and there is nothing you are going to do about.
GOD THIS IS SO UNFAIR.
And then Habakkuk turns even more frustrated—
He says— God this is why the Torah— your law is not effective—
He goes as far to say that your Law— those 10 commandants— yeah those are ineffective because of all the wickedness that you are allowing to take place against your people.
Your people are not holding to the law.
and you can sense that in his tone— Habakkuk is not thrilled this is happening, no he is hacked off, he is mad, and frustrated, he is telling God all sorts of things that thinks and feels about God.
I know we can all relate to Habakkuk when life throws us a curveball.
When things seem unfair.
And we run to God and we cry out to him and we are met with silence that can be a difficult place to be.
Illustration of Miscarriage
When we feel like we are screaming into a brick wall and there is nothing coming back— that is a confusing and troubling place to be in.
It can be easy to be just like Habakkuk and wonder is God really good when all of these hard, difficult things are happening.
When evil is in the world, and violence seems to run wild— it can be easy to go to God not with praises but with confusion and disappointment on our tongue.
And we have really good well intended Christians tell us in those moments to just let go and let God.
That this will pass because God is on your side.
That God will make a way.
That God just closed this door— but he opened up a window.
And listen all of those things are true.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t wrestle with the injustice.
It doesn’t mean you have to like it.
It doesn’t mean that you have to be okay with it.
It’s okay to whine about it a bit.
Because when terrible and horrible stuff happens in our life— we can run to our Father who can take your frustration, he can take your questions, he can take your whining.
In the wrestling with God— this doesn’t mean you have lost your faith— it is asking God what the heck is going on.
Many see doubt or even the idea of wrestling with God as bad— And it be if we stay there.
But the best cure for doubt is an increase of faith.
Habakkuk is going — I know you are a good, and just God, but right now— I don’t see it— help my untrained eyes to see.
Don’t leave the faith when God is silent instead lean in and trust God
God can handle you.
God can handle anything you have to say to him.
He is our creator and he knows what you are going through.
In chapter one we have Habakkuk talking to God and then there is this vision where God is talking to Habakkuk.
5 “Look among the nations! Observe!
Be astonished! Wonder!
Because I am doing something in your days—
You would not believe if you were told.
Can you picture Habakkuk right now.
Oh yes!
HECK YES LORD!
Bring the fire—
I knew you would not allow this injustice to happen!
You said I’m going to be blown away!
LORD BLOW ME AWAY!
TELL ME!
6 “For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans,
That fierce and impetuous people
Who march throughout the earth
To seize dwelling places which are not theirs.
Wait what now— you are going to raise up the Chaldeans?!
A little context here— They are not good people.
These would be the Babylonians.
At this point in history when Habakkuk is seeing the injustice—
He is seeing Judah and all the injustices that are happening— And God is telling him— Don’t worry Habakkuk, I got this all figured out.
I am going to raise up your enemies!
They are going to be the next great nation.
And they are only going to grow into one of the strongest empires that lived.
The next few verses will tell you a little bit more about the Chaldean's.
7 “They are dreaded and feared;
Their justice and authority originate with themselves.
8 “Their horses are swifter than leopards
And keener than wolves in the evening.
Their horsemen come galloping,
Their horsemen come from afar;
They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour.
9 “All of them come for violence.
Their horde of faces moves forward.
They collect captives like sand.
10 “They mock at kings
And rulers are a laughing matter to them.
They laugh at every fortress
And heap up rubble to capture it.
11 “Then they will sweep through like the wind and pass on.
But they will be held guilty,
They whose strength is their god.”
God says look— I am going to raise up your enemies and they are coming for you.
They are a fierce nation, with no moral compass.
They serve themselves— they mock kings and other deities.
They are so strong that they mock and make fun of other nations who draw up to defend themselves.
This is not the answer Habakkuk was looking for.
Habakkuk had to be in disbelief when he heard what God was going to do.
And how it had nothing to do with rescuing them.
Habakkuk was hoping for God to bring about salvation but instead— he is bringing judgement.
And why is that?
Because of who Judah had become and what Judah had done— they were not going to receive rescue but rather destruction and judgement.
That God was going to raise up their enemies.
Judah was a nation what had spiraled into sin, idolatry, and wickedness.
That was Habakkuk’s first complaint— He saw the nation and their sinfulness and God was silent and it seemed like He was doing nothing about it.
Habakkuk felt like he was crying out and nobody was home.
He wanted justice and salvation for Judah.
Habakkuk wanted God to move and act and in doing so he built up in his mind how that should look— and it did not look like how God was going to bring about justice.
God brought judgement in order to bring about salvation.
We know that God is a holy God and that he does not tolerate sin.
He hates it.
4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness;
No evil dwells with You.
5 The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes;
You hate all who do iniquity.
6 You destroy those who speak falsehood;
The Lord abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.
We know that this is the character of God.
That he hates evil.
And you can imagine that Habakkuk is wrestling with the character of God, what he knows and believes about God and what he is hearing God say, and we will see Habakkuk wrestle with God’s response in the next couple of verses
Church— God doesn’t make sense to us at times.
Sometimes— God can give such clear direction on where we are to go and what we are to do.
And other times— He can be like— oh you think life is hard right now— about you car doesn’t start tomorrow, and your house burns down.
and that can leave us feeling unseen, unheard, and just lonely.
Instead of salvation— God is going to bring judgement to Judah by rising up the Babylonians.
Judah was down right evil— it is the evil that Habakkuk is talking about— it is not another nations doing this to him— but his own people.
He sees the injustice and he cries out HOW LONG GOD, will this continue.
And when God answers— it is not what he expected.
Have you ever had that before—
I had just finished my Bible degree from Liberty University and I was going for an interview with a pretty large church in Chicago, IL to be a youth pastor and everything went so well— i thought for sure the job was in the bag and then I got that phone call—
You guys know that phone call— where they tell you about all the great things to you have to offer— just buttering you up to then lay down the hammer.
I felt so sure that this is where God placed me.
I thought that this is where God wanted me to be.
Long story short— 2 years letter—I had been hired at a great church and it was going amazing— Loved it there!— and it came out that the church I was interviewing for lost their lead pastor and a ton of others quit all in the same week and they didn’t know if the church was going to survive.
I thought for sure God wanted me to be there.
And I cried out to God and wanted answers as to why— and I was met with— I know this doesn’t make sense now— but it will.
God told Habakkuk— look and be utterly astounded by what I am going to do— you won’t be believe it.
It didn’t sound to amazing to Habakkuk— it actually sounds terrible— But God’s ways are the best.
Church a word of caution this morning— Don’t leave the faith when God is silent instead lean in and trust God
God is always at work.
And what he was doing was behind the scenes work.
He was going to bring justice— in his timing.
And don’t for a second think that God is absent and he doesn’t hear you.
It can feel like that.
Habakkuk felt that, I know I have felt that, and I am sure there are plenty in this room who have felt that as well.
Don’t take God’s silence as God is apathetic.
He is not disinterested, or aloof.
God may just be setting up something that is far greater then you could imagine.
God deeply cares for his people.
If he hadn’t he would have never sent Jesus.
From the fall of man in the garden— there was a groining for God to rescue his people.
And Habakkuk cried out and wanted to see justice come to Judah— for God to straighten out this nation.
Was there not a deeper cry for a savior to come and redeem the world.
Was there not a cry for the injustice of sin that had it’s way— that called for a sacrifice— Sin that I personally did not commit.
It was not I who took the fruit.
It would seem a little unfair— That we get punished—
And before I came to Christ— I would have told you that, it does not seem fair that there will be people who die not knowing Jesus and they will not spend an eternity in heaven but in hell.
That seems unfair.
It seems unfair— until you look at the cost.
While God always would send judgement and redemption whether it was through, Noah, or Moses, or David, or some judge or king.
None of them made it last.
It was only when God did something that you would not believe— that would utterly astound you—
He sent his one and only son to put on flesh— to take off his glory and come to earth to be our savior— to be the greatest and last sacrifice—
He was put on the cross to die for my sin and yours.
So that we could receive eternal life through Christ.
Remember Jesus followed about 400 years of silence.
God was silent and then our savior came.
God was not ignoring his people— he was just setting up something greater.
If you take anything away this morning church let it be that we do not have a passion, nonchalant, in different God,
But a God who cares, who loves and who gives grace over and over again even when we deserve none of it.
Don’t leave the faith when God is silent instead lean in and trust God
So we have Habakkuk’s first cry out to God, then God answers him and now Habakkuk hears God tell him what is coming his way and here is his response.
12 Are You not from everlasting,
O Lord, my God, my Holy One?
We will not die.
You, O Lord, have appointed them to judge;
And You, O Rock, have established them to correct.
13 Your eyes are too pure to approve evil,
And You can not look on wickedness with favor.
Why do You look with favor
On those who deal treacherously?
Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up
Those more righteous than they?
14 Why have You made men like the fish of the sea,
Like creeping things without a ruler over them?
This is what wrestling with God looks like.
Habakkuk knows who God is and he knows that God is good.
He describes him as his Rock— My holy one (only time that is used in scripture)
You are eternal Lord.
Habakkuk says— you are pure— one who does not tolerate evil.
Habakkuk reminds himself of God’s greatness and his character and then he wrestles with what God just told him.
He says— God I know you hate evil— then why are you using this evil nation to judge us.
And why God are you silent about it.
To Habakkuk God was silent while the wicked were not— and they were running wild and free.
Look at how Habakkuk describes them:
15 The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook,
Drag them away with their net,
And gather them together in their fishing net.
Therefore they rejoice and are glad.
16 Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net
and burn incense to their fishing net;
Because through these things their catch is large,
And their food is plentiful.
17 Will they therefore empty their net
And continually slay nations without sparing?
The Chaldean’s do not worship God— Yet God has chosen them to raise up to power and to bring about judgement.
This is not the first time this has happened— where God uses other ruthless nations to carry out judge on His people.
I think of stories of Egypt, the Philistines, The Assyrians, the Moabites and even the— Romans—
28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
God works all things together for his glory.
Don’t leave the faith when hard time hit instead lean in and trust God
Here is the thing Church— when the hard times hit, not if, but when.
When the hard times hit you have a choice—just like Habakkuk.
Habakkuk— cried out to God— asked some hard and really good questions to God.
And upon hearing God’s response— Habakkuk could have said— you know what God that is not my cup of tea.
God that is not how I would have done that.
So, because of that I am out.
He could have pulled a Jonah—
He could have just left and fled.
In the struggles and in the doubts, and the questions— it can be easy to just walk away.
It can be easy to see what God is doing and you may not like it— it may not be what you would do— so you just walk away.
Or you know people who have just walked away from the faith because they stopped wrestling with God.
But there is a choice to make— when we see things that do not make sense— we can go to the only one who knows everything, and trust him fully, trust that he knows the best, that what he does is for the best.
And that is hard especially when we are the ones who are going though it.
But I want to challenge you to keep trusting in the Lord.
Keep trust in God.
Stay in his presence even if it is quiet.
Even if it is just you and your voice asking hard questions and being genuine and real to the creator of all things— God can handle it.
So stay in it.
Don’t walk out in chapter 1.
Habakkuk could have heard this and said— welp that is enough for me God—I’m out.
But as we will see next week— we can get just a sample at the start of chapter 2— Habakkuk elects to wait.
We will look at what it means for us to wrestle in the waiting.
But before we leave this morning I want to give you a couple of things to do the next time you are going through a hard season.
Number 1: Be Honest with God
Number 2: Trust that God hears and He will Act
Number 3: Remind yourself of who God is
Number 4: Know that God is sovereign and his plans may not be our plans
Number 5: Stay in your faith
Don’t leave the faith when God is silent in stead lean in and trust that God is still God and that he is still good.
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