A Biblical Response to Violence

Introduction

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 55

I’m not preaching this sermon because of Charlie Kirk or Iryna (ee-RIH-nuh) Zarutska.

Preaching lab, prophetic genre, ladies’ Bible study, Raahail questions about 2:4

God’s providence, roller coaster events, sobering weight of responsibility

Switch things up. Pray early.

Some familiar with Habakkuk, others not, explain some context

Moses / Joshua like midwives, birthing Promised Land

Later prophets like hospice care team, loss of life and land

Knew Josiah’s reform but endured Jehoiakim’s moral free fall, esp. in first 3-4 years

Josiah’s death at Pharaoh’s hands led to heavy taxes and quarreling strife, violence in the land

Jehoiakim built lavish palaces with unpaid slave labor, and Jeremiah rebuked him for it (ch 22)

Jeremiah also prophesied destruction of Judah. A mob tried to lynch him in front of Jehoiakim, but then someone remembered Hezekiah a godly king had obeyed a prophet like this and been saved. Someone else said, well fine let’s leave Jeremiah, but there’s another prophet like him we could kill instead, Uriah. That guy fled to Egypt, but Jehoiakim sent men to chase him down, bring him back, and Jehoiakim executed him publicly. Jeremiah was barely spared, but the prophets were all persecuted, probably including Habakkuk.

Read Hab 1:2-4.

Likely knew Jeremiah and Daniel as younger men (40-50) in Jerusalem pre-exile, temple court. Older example.

Probably carried out this prophetic ministry within 4-7 years of the exile. Imminent.

Habakkuk is known for questioning God. Also humble and knew when to wait quietly.

Kings, Chronicles combined. 1 & 2 Habakkuk, separated. Jeremiah may have followed suit with Lamentations.

Ch 1: cries out - local (2-4), international (5-11), and divine (12-17)

Ch 2: silent listening

Ch 3: later hymn of praise (temple court)

The main problem in Habakkuk: XXX.

Theological significance: Adam / Eve east. Abram west. Now exile and Israel back east again, undoing Abram.

Proposition

Read Hab 2:1-5. Three ways to live by faith when violent, wicked people seem to prevail. And yes, like Habakkuk, these imperatives are applicable even if you are personally threatened with physical harm or execution.

Seek out God’s Word (1)

Read Hab 2:1.

Action: Stand, station, keep watch. Like a soldier at attention.

Location: Guard post, fortification. Approaching enemy. Lonely position.

Purpose: Read and pray.

Jesus also, on the eve of His great trial went away alone, asking questions of His Father. Matthew 26:41 “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Today, we “keep watch to see what… is the latest on social media.” Not to hear what God says.

I am sure social media usage this past week was off the charts. X Wed, Thu. You’ve got to unplug.

Ancient equivalent: city under siege, the people who gather in the town square crying and shouting. Chaos.

Suddenly, everyone is an expert at everything. Do and say what is right in your own eyes. Every man for himself.

Haven’t they caught him by now? Did you hear that? That was so wrong! Someone needs to fire the security.

Rootin’ tootin’ cowboys. Firing opinions left and right, shooting from the hip.

Barker, “The prophet found that humans want to measure justice in the short term. God is just only if God acts according to our schedule and if God agrees with our evaluation of what is just and what is fair and who is evil and who is not fair…”

He explained, when disaster strikes, God’s presence and God’s Word become insufficient. You want action, a hero.

If you imagine God’s Word as a person trying to talk to you, the way you throw it aside almost cries out, “Why won’t You just do something about all this?” You’re impatient, frustrated. PAUSE.

But sooner or later, life moves on. It’s time to go to work, your child needs you, the chicken’s thawed and it’s time to make dinner. Or you listen to music, scroll some more on your phone. You drown your anxiety in “busyness.” PAUSE.

Why don’t you get up early? Go away alone? Put your phone down and pick up your Bible.

Seek fellowship. Corporate worship. Sound teaching. Wise counsel. Good books.

Living on secular news and social media is like a diet of candy. It might be fun at first, but you need the meat of the word to fill your soul and help you sleep through the night.

Stop being so busy! Stick around long enough to hear the story, but don’t get sucked into the crowd. PAUSE.

Be like Habakkuk. Go wrestle with God privately. Don’t ask hard questions and then avoid hard answers.

And when you go to meet God, be respectful. Yes, Habakkuk lamented evil. Yes, Habakkuk asked questions. But after God doubled down on His answer, Habakkuk did not dare to ask a third time. He knew his place.

In verse 1, Habakkuk watches not only “to see what He will speak to me” but also “how I may respond when I am reproved.”

Habakkuk not guilty, but asked rhetorical questions about God’s justice. Naturally expected “reproof” or rebuttal.

In ch 2, God did exactly that, affirming divine justice was right.

Then in 2:20, Yahweh declared, “Yahweh is in His holy temple. / Let all the earth be silent before Him.”

In 3:16, Habakkuk responded, “In my place I tremble. / Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress.” PAUSE.

Habakkuk waited to frame his response until after he had heard and accepted what God had to say.

Are you ready for God’s Word to shape your opinions? Will you let Him tell you what to do? When you ask God questions, are you prepared to accept His answers? Or are your questions more like taunts and mockery?

Instead, follow Habakkuk’s example. God has invited you into fellowship with Him through Christ.

Be bold enough to ask Him hard questions, but then be humble enough to listen if He has hard answers.

Don’t be like the rich young ruler who asked questions but then left because he didn’t like the answer.

Trust in God’s Promise (2-3)

So when violence strikes, we are to seek out God’s Word. We are tempted to plunge ourselves into worldly media, but we need to remove ourselves from the situation. Turn to the Lord for help in your time of need.

And when you do, then secondly, trust in God’s promises. Read Hab 2:2-3, the beginning of Yahweh’s response.

First, the prophet must write the vision down distinctly, on tablets. Probably the rest of chapter 2 is the vision.

The reading and running are a little bit complicated.

Do runners need to read it while running? Make it big and clear like a billboard?

Does it make everyone who reads it want to run away somewhere? Fear?

Better: an urgent message. Runners needed to memorize. Don’t want to arrive and be questioned.

Why urgent? They were about to be destroyed. God wanted to give hope before it happened.

But there is more at play than mere urgency. In that case, Habakkuk could have spoken to the runner directly.

God’s Word is preserved on tablets, probably clay that would have been fired afterward.

There is an enduring permanence about God’s Word. What God says will surely come to pass.

Our reading, Isaiah 55:11, “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what pleases Me, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”

So there is an appointed time? When? Difficult question. Near and far fulfillment. Single meaning.

The option for near fulfillment is Daniel 5. Belshazzar’s feast.

Gathered a thousand nobles and his royal harem of a family. Great feast with drinking.

Brought out vessels from the temple in Jerusalem. Drank and praised their gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

Miraculous writing on the wall freaked him out. No one could interpret, but Daniel was brought in.

Rebuked Belshazzar for seeing his father Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliation, but without humbling himself.

Same night Darius the Mede sacked the city. While Belshazzar’s men were drunk, the Medes stopped the river flowing into the city and entered the wall through the dry riverbed. Killed them all in their stupor.

Many parallels with the woes in Habakkuk 2:

Creditors and loans (6-8), high interest debt for conquered nations

Nest on high (9-11), built a palace on top of a mountain with slave labor, well-known in ancient literature

Drunkenness and cup (15-17), Yahweh overthrew the Babylonians in their moment of greed

Mute and helpless idols (18-29), mockery of the gods which Belshazzar would praise

However, Habakkuk 2:14 indicates a future event, “For the earth will be filled / With the knowledge of the glory of Yahweh, / As the waters cover the sea.” Parallels with Isaiah 14. Beast of Revelation.

Brings us full circle to Habakkuk 2:3. The appointed time is still far out! Closer than Habakkuk’s day but not yet.

Read Habakkuk 2:3, “For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It pants toward its end, [huffing and puffing] and it will not lie [fail]. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come; it will not delay.” On its way for sure.

Not like people who text “I’m on my way,” but they’re really just scrambling around their house last minute.

This vision is in the car with a full tank of gas and a paycheck. There may be traffic, but he’s going to get there.

This should fill our hearts with hope. When God tells you He will act, He means it!

Do you trust His promise? Can people tell from the way you talk and act that you’re waiting for something good? Or does it look like you are as distraught as everyone else?

Of course, there is a period in violence where first responders are needed. There may be initial shock and loss.

But you also need to be patient. You need to wait like Habakkuk, like every godly man.

Hebrews 10:23–25 LSB

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

It is easier to pass the time when you have good company. When you are weary, seek fellowship.

It is also easier to pass the time when you are busy. Stimulate one another to love and good deeds. Do them!

We are often short-sighted in our desire for justice. Just 100 years ago none of us would have existed.

2 Peter 3:9 LSB

9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some consider slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

Isaiah 55:6–7 LSB

6 Seek Yahweh while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to Yahweh, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.

When Israel left Egypt, Ex 12:38 says, “A foreign multitude also went up with them.” This is your chance to join the movement. If you are confused about which movement to join, just know that this is the real one. Trust me.

Will you call upon the name of the Lord so that you may be saved? Will you repent of your sins and turn to Christ for forgiveness and love? God promises not only escape from judgment but abundance in adoption. He will delight in you, He will love you. You will call Him your God, and He will number you among His people.

2 Peter 3:14–15 LSB

14 Therefore, beloved, since you are looking for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15 and consider the patience of our Lord as salvation…

You cannot make yourself spotless and blameless. How do you hope to solve the world’s problems alone?

God’s long-suffering should lead to repentance, not presumption. Beware!

Acts 3:19 LSB

19 “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;

When you’ve seen gut-wrenching violence, don’t you long for a time of refreshing?

Return to the presence of the Lord. Consider His patience as salvation, or else in pride you will suffer His wrath.

Romans 2:5–6 LSB

5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who will repay to each according to his works:

Wait for God’s Justice (4-5)

Read Hab 2:4-5.

Consider the contrast here. The proud versus the righteous. The wicked versus the humble.

The “proud one” literally means swollen or enlarged. Disproportionate.

Problem of the proud? “His soul is not right within him.” Achilles heel. Guilty conscience.

Characterized by reckless greed, arrogance, and unjust gain. Incorrect. Wonky inside. “That ain’t right.”

Is this true of your life? Is your thought life full of gnawing guilt? Even a seared conscience still knows.

Romans 1:19–20 LSB

19 That which is known about God is evident within [men who suppress the truth]; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, both His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

The only thing worse than watching a man die for the truth is knowing that, deep down inside, you are living for a lie.

Proverbs 15:3 LSB

3 The eyes of Yahweh are in every place, Watching the evil and the good.

Relief for the righteous. Maybe you wonder if God even pays attention or knows. Like the Israelites in Egypt,

Exodus 2:24–25 LSB

24 So God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 And God saw the sons of Israel, and God knew them.

Psalm 34:15 LSB

15 The eyes of Yahweh are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry for help.

In contrast, Yahweh praises the righteous man who lives by his faith.

Grammatically, contrast is clear. Waw-consecutive or self-corrective discourse. This, this, this, but this.

1 Kings 13:18 LSB

18 And he said to him, “I also am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of Yahweh, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’” But he dealt falsely with him.

Sharp contrast between the proud one and the righteous one. God intends to get your attention.

So what do we learn about this righteous one? There is a controversy here about his faith.

“By faith” fronted; also Rom 1:17. I think this is intentional because it shows that life flows from faith.

Two interpretations: faith or faithfulness. Trusting belief or diligent effort.

Rom 1:17, Gal 3:11 - Paul uses it to describe starting justification on the basis of saving faith, trusting belief.

Galatians 3:11 LSB

11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident, for The righteous shall live by faith.”

Heb 10:38 - Author uses it to describe ongoing sanctification on the basis of perseverance, diligent effort.

Hebrews 10:38 LSB

38 But My righteous one shall live by faith, And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him.

Did one of them use our text the wrong way? Principle of single meaning.

Two decisive arguments for “trusting belief” as faith.

In light of the Chaldean invasion, faithful living in society was not the objective, trusting faith in God was.

The near context contrast is with the proud man. One who trusts in himself rather than in God.

However, the use in Hebrews is still consistent with this interpretation.

James says faith without works is dead. Hebrews uses Habakkuk to teach faith without faithfulness is dead.

The necessary fruit of faith, the logical implication. It is consistent with original intent.

Faith in God’s promises is necessary to motivate true obedience to God’s commands.

We can also confirm this by looking backward instead of forward.

These are NT references to OT, but within the OT, there are also references to older OT.

Paul and Hebrews refer back to Habakkuk, but Habakkuk is referring back to Moses.

To be specific, Yahweh here expects the same faith He required of Abraham.

Genesis 15:6 LSB

6 Then he believed in Yahweh; and He counted it to him as righteousness.

How do we know this refers to Abram? Abner Chou points out the Hab 1:6 reference to Chaldeans.

“Chaldeans” is an old, rare term. Mostly we know them as the Babylonians or even Neo-Babylonians.

But where was Abram from? Ur of the Chaldeans. National reset. Only those like Abram would live.

And lastly, how does Habakkuk himself interpret this word from the Lord?

His hymn of faith in chapter 3, and especially verses 16-19 demonstrates believing trust in Yahweh.

Habakkuk does not run out to seek moral reform in the public square, he writes a hymn of faith.

“Faith in God was the key to consistent living, even though violence abounded and justice was perverted (1:2–4). That short statement helps believers to persevere even though God chastens them (1:5–11) and they cannot understand his ways (1:12–17). It provides a solution to the doubt they sometimes feel in His all-wise providence (2:1–3), and helps them to understand his righteous judgments (2:4–20). In the final analysis, faith provides the key to understanding the Lord’s sovereign purpose, and it leads men to worship (3:1–19).” Barber, Hab & Zeph, 36.

Habakkuk’s question is more about what will happen to the wicked than to the righteous, though. God returns to it.

Read Hab 1:5.

Here God confirms that the stone the wicked have rolled will roll back on them.

Renz, “An immoderate, enlarged appetite is a presumptuous desire because it ignores boundaries. It is an appetite that is not moderated by recognition of the need to balance it with the needs and desires of others.”

By his own drunken appetite, he will be betrayed. Uniquely characteristic of Babylon, forced orgies.

Revelation 18:3 “For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her sexual immorality…”

The proud one is as ravenous as the grave, but in the end it will consume him as well.

The gathering of the nations is not a kind thing. He was devouring conquered nations through deportation, relocation, and assimilation. It was the destruction of their national identities.

Summary statement. For the arrogant wicked, all God has to say after this is, “Woe, woe, woe, woe, woe!”

Who are you going to follow? Are you going to live by faith like the righteous or by pride like the wicked?

Will you be faithful in obedience? Will you act consistently with the faith you profess?

Can you trust that God allows evil so that He may bring about greater good?

Romans 12:14–21 LSB

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless, and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep, 16 by being of the same mind toward one another, not being haughty in mind, but associating with the humble. Do not be wise in your own mind. 17 Never paying back evil for evil to anyone, respecting what is good in the sight of all men, 18 if possible, so far as it depends on you, being at peace with all men, 19 never taking your own revenge, beloved—instead leave room for the wrath of God. For it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Just look at that with me and consider all the ways we need to apply these principles.

Conclusion

Three ways to live by faith when violent, wicked people seem to prevail. Know that this is only for a season.

Seek out God’s Word - Resist the temptation to be caught up in the chaos of the masses. Do not follow the crowd. Go alone to seek the Lord through His Word and prayer. Ask hard questions, receive hard answers.

Trust in God’s Promise - Remember that God’s Word will never fail. Even if it takes a long time, it will surely come. In the meantime, we must consider the patience of our Lord as salvation. Seek fellowship, do good works.

Wait for God’s Justice - Trust that God knows what is happening. He is aware of the wicked, and He has planned a fitting destruction for their end. Leave vengeance to the Lord. Seek humility, compassion, peace, and kindness.

We look forward to the day when justice will prevail. Christ will return to reset the world. His kingdom will be glorious. Righteousness and justice will rule. We will reign with him on the earth and then enter paradise.

Psalm 119:49–56 LSB

49 Remember the word to Your slave, In which You have made me wait. 50 This is my comfort in my affliction, That Your word has revived me. 51 The arrogant utterly scoff at me, Yet I do not turn aside from Your law. 52 I have remembered Your judgments from of old, O Yahweh, And comfort myself. 53 Burning indignation has seized me because of the wicked, Who forsake Your law. 54 Your statutes have become my songs In the house of my sojourning. 55 I remember in the night Your name, O Yahweh, So I keep Your law. 56 This has become mine, That I observe Your precepts.

Pray.