Habakkuk 3, Singing in the Rain

Discussion Questions:

1. What are some songs that you sing when you are down?

2. Why do they lift your spirits and encourage you in hard circumstances?

Two of life’s most difficult questions are:

1. Why do the righteous suffer?

2. Why does God often appear to remain silent?

And, in the book of Habakkuk we find those questions, and we see the way that we are to live in light of those questions.

We have mentioned that the theme for our study of the book is “Living by faith in troubled times.”

The final chapter of Habakkuk differs from the preceding chapters in content and in form. The title verse and the final instructions to the director of music take the form of a psalm. The majestic descriptions of the Lord associate the chapter with one of the divisions of the Psalter.

In chapter 3 Habakkuk calls attention to the “remarkable power and majesty of God

Habakkuk’s hymn of praise draws from more than the present day circumstances, He draws on the history of all that God has done.

As I mentioned earlier, the theme of our study has been

Living by faith in troubled times..

and we see in Habakkuk’s hymn on chapter 3 that in our troubled times we look to who God is and what He has done for our comfort and our hope.

The hymn of praise takes into account the entire spectrum of salvation history, from Creation and Exodus to the final revelation of God’s rule and judgment still awaiting fulfillment.”

The hymn is like a collection of images and experiences meant to inspire the present generation to trust and praise God like Moses, Deborah, and David did. There is a song/hymn associated with each of them in the OT.

Unlike other religions, our worship of God is based on what He has done rather than a mystical experience.

Habakkuk 3:2 says, “O LORD, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O LORD, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.”

The prophet based both his confidence and his petition on the work of God in the past, not on a spiritual experience.

For instance, God’s leading the people of Israel out of Egypt provided hope and instilled confidence that God would continue to work in the future.

Like the songs of God’s work and might from old, the song Habakkuk writes leads to the praise and awe of Him through worship. Habakkuk writes of God’s virtues like majesty, strength, grace, etc.

The characteristics or virtues of God are cause for adoration and worship.

The characteristics or virtues of God

1. His Power

Habakkuk 3:2

“O LORD, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O LORD, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.”

The report of God and His work is His power. His power to save, His power to create, Shia power and light over all in creation and even creation itself!

2. His Glory & Splendor (worthy of praise)

Habakkuk 3:3-4

“God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His splendor covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. His brightness was like the light; rays flashed from his hand; and there he veiled his power.”

God is depicted in His glory… as Christ is depicted in the book of Revelation:

Revelation 1:12-16

“[12] Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, [13] and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. [14] The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, [15] his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. [16] In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.”

There is no one else like Him in all of history and eternity!

3. His Wrath

Habakkuk 3:8

“Was your wrath against the rivers, O LORD? Was your anger against the rivers, or your indignation against the sea, when you rode on your horses, on your chariot of salvation?”

- Why would we worship God because of His wrath? - Or how is wrath a virtue?

Because His wrath flows from His justice.

Gods wrath burns against sin, and His wrath is poured out on sin.

It’s the execution of His judgement.

We can trust in His justice

We can trust that He will execute his judgments, and that He will do so with justice.

Even in his work or Salvation, His wrath is on display. As we noted in our study of Nahum, God saves us through the act of judgment, by pouring out the wrath our sin deserves on Christ on the cross.

That leads directly to the other virtues Habakkuk highlights in his hymn…

4. His Mercy and Grace

Habakkuk 3:13, 18-19

Habukkuk 3:!3, “You went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked, laying him bare from thigh to neck. Selah”

Habakkuk 3:18-19 says, “yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength, he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places!”

Gods mercy and His Grace result in the salvation of His people. Grace and mercy flow from Him. He doesn’t find these outside of Himself. He is both a God of wrath and mercy, justice and grace.

There is joy and rejoicing to be found in God because of our salvation.

Consider this,

He is worthy to be praised by all, but He is praised and worshipped by those who are saved.

God is worthy of our worship Worship flows from our salvation

One day every knee will bow and tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord… but that doesn’t mean that every soul will be saved.

It does mean that all will acknowledge Him for who He is, but salvation belongs to those who surrender and depend on Him today. Salvation belongs to those who have received grace and mercy through their faith in Christ.

This truth is a motivation for the sharing and extension of the gospel. Apart from faith in Christ there is no salvation, because there is no salvation apart from the strength of the Lord. This means that it is through faith in the promise of God through Christ that all are saved.

As Paul writes in Romans 10:11-17, “[11] For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” [12] For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. [13] For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” [14] How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? [15] And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” [16] But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” [17] So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

Habakkuk’s worship flows from His faith in God.

Our worship flows from our faith in God.

Living by faith in troubled times means that we trust Him and worship Him in the midst of our trials and struggles.

Like it says in Habakkuk 3:17-19,

“[17] Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, [18] yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. [19] GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.”

Verse 17 is filled with trouble, and yet in verse 18 he says “yet I will rejoice in the Lord!”

Why? Because of salvation, strength, mercy, love, grace, mercy, justice, etc.

And, when we worship it helps us in our time of trouble!

3 Ways worshipping in times of troubles helps our soul:

1. Our worship of God in the midst of our troubles demonstrates His worth and surpassing value.

God is worthy of worship because of who He is. When we worship in our times of trouble we demonstrate that worth to Him, ourselves, and the watching world.

2. Worshipping God in our times of trouble strengthens our faith through the reminder and proclamation of who God is.

In a moment of weakness the proclamation of God’s salvation, love, strength, worth, help, mercy, hope, etc provides strength to our faith. Singing about what He has done for us encourages us in the moment!

3. Worshipping God in our times of trouble aims us and others to the hope we have in Him.

By singing of what He has done, and of who He, is we minister to ourselves and to others while at the same time ascribing worth to the Lord. This means we remind ourselves of the hope that we have in Him. It will not always be like it is in our times of trouble. The same God of majesty and glory is coming for us.

Application:

1. Our songs need to call attention to the remarkable majesty of God.

2. Looking forward to Christ should present in what we sing and what we say in worship.

If we aren’t worshipping through Christ, then we aren’t singing or saying Christianity.