Why Correct Us Like This? Part 2 Habakkuk 1:14-2:1

Why Do You, Why Are You and Why Have You? V.13b-17

1. “Why Do You Look with Favor on those who deal treacherously?” (13b)

ILLUST:

Ezekiel 18:23 NASB95

23 “Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,” declares the Lord God, “rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?

In Ezek 33:11 God makes the same statement to Israel. The question for Habakkuk and us is better asked “why would you have favor on us?”

2. “Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they?” (13c)

NOTE: From the garden to the flood to the tower of Babel, the Abrahamic covenant, the destruction of Sodom, the deliverance from Egypt, wanderings in the wilderness, The defeat of Jericho under Joshua and the other “ite” nations, to the Kings of Israel and Judah, here stands one more prophet saying Why are you silent?

It was Judah who was silent when God had salvation to speak to the nations. They were silent by participating in the idolatry as if God had nothing to say.

The one thing separating Israel from Babylon and us from the world is we know better. We actually understand righteousness yet fail to live by it and worse yet fail to teach it by example.

3. “Why have you made men like the fish of the sea . . .” (14-17)

NOTE: The question is why would you make us like helpless fish with no one to protect us? We have in general mentioned this that when God’s people turn their back on Him people get what they want, a life without God and His protection.

a. “without a ruler”, when the people of God are left without God ruling them they are sitting ducks, open prey. As much as they build their military and trust in their own strength they will be utterly destroyed!

b. “with a hook . . .their net . . . their fishing net . . . they rejoice and are glad . . . they offer a sacrifice to their net and burn incense to their fishing net. . .” (Hab 1:15-16)

NOTE: Their nets, captivity, are their gods. They worship the power and strength of owning which is not theirs and creating their own justice. (Hab. 1:6-7) Their wealth comes from taking what is not theirs.

4. “Will they keep doing this to nation after nation?” V.17

NOTE: Human’s are consumed with the concept of “fairness”. We commit some measly idolatry and you sick a cruel and hostile nation on us. We get drunk one time and get caught and someone else is out there every night a never gets caught. They slaughter, take what’s not theirs, make up their own justice and they get to just keep enjoying their riches and living in luxuary? I have to live paycheck to pay check. Well that’s not FAIR!

HOW LONG ARE THEY GOING TO GET AWAY WITH THIS?

CLOSE:

There is nothing wrong with asking questions even when we are striving to know the character of God.

Why correct us like this? Why look with favor . . ., why are you silent . . ., why have you made us and just kind of left us? In asking the question we will either be humbled or we will become more proud.

ILLUST: When the teacher says, I know that matt was talking but I’m talking to you, I’m addressing your behavior. You can get angry, hate the teacher, and choose to rebel even more or you can accept the truth and say, your right I need to stop talking.

When others do vile things and they do not find themselves in financial struggles, or having to deal with some chronic or terminal disease, and God says i’m using this to show you how very much you need me.

will the other students keep talking? probably! Will those people who do worse things you ever be judged? Yes

But the everlasting God, the Lord, your God, your Holy One, cares about your eternal future, He cares about your character. And even though we don’t understand His means, We faithfully watch and wait because we know He is doing something for our good!