Joy and Justice

Habakkuk 1:1–4 NIV

The prophecy that Habakkuk the prophet received. How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.

Introduction: Have you ever asked these question before?

What do we do when....

11 - When We Can’t Find Justice.

Issues including racism, immigration, healthcare reform, sexual assault, and corruption fill the morning headlines and evening news reports. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) reported findings from a recent public opinion poll, that included over 1000 Americans. “Forty-one percent of participants identified as conservative, 31 percent as liberal, and 23 percent as moderate. Respondents were asked about their views on the size of the prison system, mandatory minimums, whether incarceration makes communities safer, how to respond to mental illness and drug addiction within the context of the criminal justice system and including in circumstances involving violence, and what types of policy positions voters seek from their elected officials. The poll shows a remarkable level of agreement between Americans of varying political parties and demographics….91 percent of Americans say that the criminal justice system has problems that need fixing.” (“91 Percent of Americans Support Criminal Justice Reform, ACLU Polling Finds”, November 16, 2017, https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/91-percent-americans-support-criminal-justice-reform-aclu-polling-finds). The majority of Americans recognize that the system is broken, and the believer knows that if we rely on human wisdom there is little reassurance that reform will come quickly or align with God’s truth. So, what does Habakkuk teach us about living without resolution to the injustice all around us?

- Habakkuk - Unique prophet

It is a conversation between Habakkuk and God.

H: Why do you a Just God keep allowing Injustice to occur, and Why don’t you respond to my prayers for Justice?

G: Well I am doing something Astounding, I am allowing a more unjust nation, Babylon, to take over the unjust nations of Assyria, - Babylon is driven by Greed and Power, and destroys other nations for their own purposes.

H: What? God this makes no sense, You are allowing an unjust nation to be your agent of judgement for these other nations of injustice? Why would you do that, and when will all of this injustice end? And further more why must the righteous suffer at the hands of the evil?

G: While, Babylon is being given freedom to be an agent of judgement, I do not approve of Babylon’s injustice, and Babylon too will be held accountable, and ultimately there will be a time when all nations and all injustice will come to an end, but it will not be for a while. There will come a time. In the meantime the unjust will receive injustice, and the Evil will be exposed as being evil, but the Righteous will Live by Faith.

Application: So God uses Unjust Nations to Judge Unjust Nations., In this way Evil will destroy evil, who will destroy evil.

Video of Charles Barkley about Racism.

There is a lot of injustice in our world.

I think in some way our nation is experiencing this. The History of Racism towards Black people, but not just Black people is wrong, and it has been unjust. The killing of unarmed black people by police means of police brutality or police brutality in general is wrong. This creates in people who feel oppressed a tremendous amount of distrust. Looting and Rioting, and targeting police officers, and burning down buildings is wrong. It creates mistrust, and all of this injustice and mistrust is creating an environment where injustice and trust is being multiplied to the point where it apparently seems difficult to identify peaceful protestors with non-peaceful protestors, etc.. And perhaps what God is allowing this in our country to happen in order to expose the injustice amongst us.

We are called to a different path. We like Habakkuk will mourn all of this injustice, and at the same time live a different way.

At the end of this conversation with God, despite knowing that Justice will not ultimately come until mostly likely after his lifetime, and even while deeply troubled over all of the injustice in the world he finds Joy.

Habakkuk 3:17–19 NIV

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

15 - We Still Find Joy in God.

How did Habakkuk find Joy?

Application: Ask God the Tough Questions, The number one means we receive Joy is the presence of God. Yes, God shares with Habakkuk the big picture, but while we find joy in what God has done and will do, we ultimately find Joy in the God who does it and will do it.

Second Chapter 3 leading up to this passage is the final response of Habakkuk to God in their conversation, and It is a Song of Praise. Whereas the book begins with a Lament, it ends in Praise.

He praises God for what he has done - specifically the justice of freeing Israel from Slavery from Egypt, but also the promises he made due on in holding accountable other nations for their injustice. - This establishes the God we find Joy in, does what He says he does, his fulfills his promises.

Second he expresses his Trust that God will rid the world of all injustice as He said he would.

Application Point: Evil is rampant, but God will Prevail.

As Believers in Jesus Christ, we take joy in Jesus and in his presence no matter how bad things are…This same Jesus is the one who fulfills the Promises that God gave to Habakkuk.

- The Gospel’s fulfillment of Habakkuk.

It appears that Jesus was overcome by the evil and injustice in this world, but actually by his death and resurrection Jesus conquers Injustice and establishes justice. Injustice is not overcome by more injustice, but by Christ’s Sacrificial act of love.

Jesus remind us that evil will implode on itself. “Those who live by the sword will die by the sword.” and “the measure in which you judge others, will be the measure in which you will be judged.”

We live in the now, but not yet. Christ’s death and resurrection has established justice for all who believe in him. We will live by Faith in that Good News, in a still unjust world. And we Trust that in the end God’s justice will prevail by sending Christ again to abolish injustice for good.

In the late 2000’s, Zimbabwe was in crisis. The ramifications of the presidential election of Robert Mugabe led to violence against his opposition, including rape, torture, and forced disappearance. The political unrest led to economic collapse, that decimated the national health system, and agricultural sectors. Under the cloak of anonymity, a Zimbabwean pastor-scholar reveals how his experience looks a lot like Habakkuk in the search for justice in a broken land. “In one sense, Christians are just as hungry and angry as everybody else. In another sense, churches have risen up to the mission challenge and have become feeding centers for the poor and a refuge for victims of political violence. In Bulawayo, the second largest city, a number of churches have pulled their resources together to provide health care to thousands of residents who otherwise would go without medical assistance… Pastors are preaching a lot about the sovereignty of God as they try to help their members make sense of the economic and political crisis. The failure of the people's vote to bring about change has helped the church to strongly believe that the sovereign Lord is the only one who can bring change. It's our duty to, among other things, pray as he works. The Zimbabwean church needs to play the prophetic, priestly, and kingly role with both wisdom and gentleness. A divided church is no good when it comes to speaking against injustices and corruption. We need a united voice that upholds God's standard of peace and justice. The church in Zimbabwe must come out of this crisis with its faith intact, purified, and reflecting the glory of Christ Jesus. It will very unfortunate if the church in Zimbabwe comes out of this crisis not believing better, not deeper in theological reflection, and not sharpened for service in any way.” (“Habakkuk in Zimbabwe”, Christianity Today, July 24, 2008, https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/julyweb-only/130-41.0.html). The people of Zimbabwe are no longer under President Mugabe’s leadership, but remain under the direction of the same political party after the election of President Mnangagwa in 2018. Over ten years later, the people of Zimbabwe still live with an unjust system that keeps them from thriving, but it hasn’t thwarted the church. A 2017 Censal Demography Survey reported that 84.1 percent follow a Christian denomination (https://zimbabwe.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/Inter%20Censal%20Demography%20Survey%202017%20Report.pdf).

Conclusion:

Every believer will experience hardship and struggle.

Habakkuk was able to stand firm in the face of difficulty and so can we.

We can find joy in God,

through Honest prayer, joy in his presence, and trusting Jesus in his Gospel and the promises God has made.

We can encourage each other to walk in faith through community.

May it be said for all of us, that when the going gets tough, we can rest as Habakkuk did in a God who is our strength and a hope that transcends circumstance.

Reference the Reformed Confessions: The Reformed Confessions are statements of faith written to clarify the Gospel at times when the Church was in crisis. Heidelberg Chatechism: Q&A 1, 22-23, 49, 51, 79, 86, 129 Belgic Confession: Articles 22 Canons of Dort: Head I, Article 12; Head V, Articles 9-10, 12