The Goodness of God in the Firestorm.

Introduction:

Today, we come to the last of the triad of seventh century BC prophets.

Habakkuk written around 609 BC when the Assyrian empire was fading out and the Babylonian empire was coming to its power.

This book can be broken down rather easily. Habakkuk asks two questions, the Lord answers both, and then it is all followed up with a psalm of praise.

Let’s get right into the first question Habakkuk asks of God.

I. God, why do you not answer my prayers?

Habakkuk 1:1–4 NKJV

1 The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw. 2 O Lord, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You, “Violence!” And You will not save. 3 Why do You show me iniquity, And cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; There is strife, and contention arises. 4 Therefore the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.

Habakkuk is perplexed by the evil he sees around him and that God has been silent regarding it all.

His cry and prayer needs context and knowledge to understand because he is limited at this point in his understanding of God.

God’s answer is not what the prophet expected. God discloses His plan to bring widespread destruction and captivity by the Chaldeans.

Isn’t this like us today?

Have we not cried out to God to bring some semblance of order to the chaos around us?

And this is where we must come to terms with the understanding that God does not think or act as we do.

I remind you once again what Isaiah says -

Isaiah 55:8 NKJV

8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.

I suppose it is like a prayer meeting of the church: some prayers are answered rather quickly, others take longer, and even more are answered differently than expected or, perceived as not answered at all.

There is a belief out there that God answers prayer, but that His answer corresponds to the request, not only that it is answered, but how it is answered.

I believe this to be a huge mistake!

Habbakuk sees the unbridled evil around him and prays to the God of Israel who is just and merciful.

He correctly assumes that God will answer, yet is perplexed by two things:

That God has not yet done anything about it.

That rather than take away the evil he sees, God, brings destruction and captivity.

We should admit, that we also are perplexed when we don’t see God responding to evil the way we expect or have been led to believe.

As we look around us and see evil getting worse all the time, do we not also plead with God in prayer to make it right, to punish the evil doers?

But, what happens to us and our faith when we see God bringing us into widespread judgment and hardship?

Well, we begin to act like Habbakuk.

We wallow in despair and wonder why God does not answer us.

We may even claim that He is unjust!

Yet, don’t we know that He is just and merciful?

Perhaps the reason we feel this way, is because we want God and His grace on our terms and not His.

Punish the unjust and bless the righteous oh God!

But who exactly is righteous?

This brings us to the second question Habakkuk has for God.

II. God, why do you allow the evil ones to trample the good?

Habakkuk 1:13 NKJV

13 … Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours A person more righteous than he?

In his second question to God, the prophet does not understand absolute righteousness, but seems to beg for a human rationale of moral good.

Even today, regardless of how many messages we may hear on this subject, somehow we still at times are at a loss for why God allows this.

But, why do we compare ourselves to sinners?

Why do we not rather compare ourselves to the perfect model, the Lord Jesus Christ?

This was what Habakkuk could not see.

He was deceived into thinking that he was righteous enough to escape all unpleasant situations, because he was comparing himself to the heathen around him.

They, are the ones that deserve judgment!

They are the ones I disdain!

They are problem and I am the beloved, he says.

But what happens when he weighs his thoughts against God’s perfect word and character, rather than the heathen?

He finds himself feeling a lot like Isaiah when he saw the Lord high and lifted up. (Oh woe is me, for I am undone, for I am a man of unclean lips…

You and I may have the righteousness of Christ imputed upon us, but let us never think that we are somehow perfect representatives of holiness in this world.

We are in fact still in sinful human flesh!

Those that are outside the new covenant, are those to whom we are sent.

Those that are lost without Christ, we have been commissioned to reach.

Those that are the worse need the Physician most.

Those that are without hope in this world, broken and marred, sinful and wicked, dirty and putrid, are the old reflections we see in when we look in God’s mirror.

I don’t know why it is that we are constantly justifying ourselves in this world, because our justification is only made by the righteousness of Christ.

We are like the young rich man who asked Jesus, “Good Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” The Lord pointed him to the commandments, which he claimed he kept perfectly. But when Jesus told him if he wanted to be perfect, he needed to sell all he had and give it to the poor and follow Him.

Well, you know the story! He walked away sad, because he had much.

And so you see, the reason we are like that man, is because we are only prepared to go so far with Christ.

It’s as if we have decided, that this is how far I’m prepared to go, and I believe that it’s good enough.

But following Christ means taking up your cross daily!

We do not have the right to stop following, but are commanded to continue following!

Once Habakkuk comes to a better understanding, he asks no more questions, but offers praise to God.

III. An ode to the Most High God.

What changed for this prophet?

I believe he got a glimpse of who God really is.

Habakkuk 3:17–18 NKJV

17 Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls— 18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

Rejoice and Joy both demonstrate emotion and a confidence in the triumph of God and His ways.

Joy, specifically is an emotion that further illustrates itself with exultation or shouting.

In other words, one cannot keep quiet and reserved when the revelation of God’s plan is unfolded, nor can one keep quiet when he is faced with the incredible realization of God’s attributes.

I believe that Habakkuk had an epiphany!

What he didn’t understand before has been made right by his experience with the Most High God.

As I read the gospel accounts of Jesus’ interaction with His disciples, I am at times, painfully aware of their lack of understanding and the Master’s constant redirection of their faith.

I say painfully aware, because I also realize my own frailty regarding my lack of understanding at times.

However, I rely on the Holy Spirit to bring me back to understanding.

Habakkuk had a deep discussion with the LORD and he was more perfectly instructed.

You and I must have that daily discussion through prayer and the word of God, so that we can walk (conduct ourselves) more perfectly before Him.

And when we do, then we will, like Habakkuk, offer up praise, the ode to the Most High God.

However, let us never think that our praise or worship of God is acceptable when we continue to live by the same old thinking.

If Habakkuk had not come to this new realization, he could not properly praise God or offer a Psalm of thanksgiving to Him.

He would have held to the same opinion in his mind which would control his actions.

He would not have offered this beautiful Psalm of praise and confidence in the Most High God. Rather, he would hold to a view of God which is not true.

This to me is essential for us to understand even today!

If we hold to a false concept of God, we will also excuse our sinful thoughts and actions, justifying them before a holy God.

So, in order to offer the sacrifice of praise to God, we acknowledge His true attributes and submit every thought and action to that truth.

Conclusion:

As we close this section of the minor prophets, we should allow the lessons we have seen from these Old Testament books to instruct us in the way we as Christians live out our faith today.

Let us not ask why God does not punish the evil we see today, for we ourselves were participants with them at one time.

Let us not think for a moment that we are somehow better than others, for we are but mere mortals of sinful lineage.

But, let us indeed offer up praise and glory to God the Father who has brought us into His glorious kingdom through His Son and the blood of His covenant.

Let us, be the hands and feet of Jesus right now in this world we live.