Minor Prophets: Habakkuk 3

Do you ever wonder what on earth God is doing? When you look at our world, God, what are you doing? When you look at our nation, dear God, what are you doing? When you look at our church, dear God, what are you doing?

When we look at our own lives, do we wonder, dear God, what are you doing? it's the question the prophet Habakkuk answered, and that's where we're going today. Dear God, what on earth are you doing? Lessons from the life and times of Habakkuk. Let's pray.

Lord, it's my prayer this day that we will see how you work in this world, that we will better understand it as your people, and having understood better who you are, how you work, what you want us to be about, about being the people you want us to be. Let us be different. Let us be changed so that we can be your light and salt on earth. For it's in Christ's name we pray. Amen.

The world situation is tremendous.

Syria has been the predominant power, and I'm losing sound. You got me there? Syria has been the dominant power. In 612 B.C., Babylon defeated them by capturing their capital, the city of Nineveh. We are just before the Battle of Carchemish, in which the Babylonians will defeat Egypt.

And with these two great battles, the great nation in the world will be the nation of Babylon. And it is in this situation that Habakkuk writes, and has a dialogue with God about which he writes. It's probably about 607 B.C., just before the Great Battle of Carchemish. Here's how the world situation looks. you see Babylonia you know where that is in the world today Iraq right here the Tigris and Euphrates River here's the great nation of Assyria Babylon Babylon has defeated Nineveh captured Nineveh the capital of Assyria and pretty soon there's going to be a battle right here at Carchemish where they defeat the Egyptians and then guess where Babylon is going they're going to Jerusalem They're going to Jerusalem.

They're going to conquer the nation of Judah and capture the city of Jerusalem and destroy the temple. That's yet to come, but God tells Habakkuk, it's coming, it's coming, it's coming. The book of Habakkuk is a book of complaints from one of God's righteous people, Habakkuk, and then the righteous God answering the complaint. the first complaint of Habakkuk is found in chapter 1 so if you'll turn to Habakkuk chapter 1 let me read a couple of verses and then we'll get into this book quickly

Habakkuk chapter 1 the oracle that Habakkuk the prophet received and now here's Habakkuk's complaint how long oh Lord must I call for help but you do not listen must I cry out to you, violence, but you do not save. Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me. There's strife and conflicts abound.

Therefore, the law is paralyzed and justice never prevails. The wicked him in the righteous so that justice is perverted.

We're in the nation of Israel, excuse me, the nation of Judah, the southern kingdom. You remember the nation was divided into Israel, the northern kingdom, and Judah, the southern kingdom. Habakkuk is a prophet to the nation of Judah, the southern kingdom.

so

think are these true of our own day? In the nation of Judah, the people are evil. There is violence. You know the word for violence? Hamas. You heard of Hamas? Violence. There is injustice. There is greed. There is idolatry. Worship of Baal and other gods. Prophets of God are persecuted.

Adultery is rampant. There is stealing. There is murder. The wealthy have all the privileges because they control the courts and pervert justice. There's bribery.

And the children of Abraham, who now live in Judah, have even gone to the point that they are offering as sacrifices to pagan gods their own sons and daughters, literally offering them, slaughtering them as pagan sacrifices. Of course, I'm glad we don't do that.

Or do we? On the altar of unrestrained freedom, will we even sacrifice our sons and daughters as a nation?

The people of Judah have not responded to God's earlier discipline. And so God, when Habakkuk complains that there's injustice in Judah, there's injustice among God's people, there's evil among God's people, God answers him. And he says, you know you're right. And I'm going to do something about it. And here's God's answer in part.

Verse 5. Look at the nations and watch and be utterly amazed, for I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told, I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwelling places not their own. Do you hear God? He says, I'm going to deal with the evil among my own people, but I'm going to deal with it through another people, the Babylonians. The text of Scripture, verse 6, says the Babylonians are ruthless.

Verse 7 says they are feared. Verses 8 to 10 talks about their power. Their strength is their God. The Babylonians were the most feared nation at this time in human history because of their great power. No one could stand up against them.

And God says, I'm going to deal with the evil among my own people through the nation of Babylon. and the Babylonians are going to be my instrument

to bring about justice. I am going to judge my people through the Babylonians and the Babylonians will defeat the nation of Judah, will capture the city of Jerusalem and will destroy the temple. Whew. Better be careful what you complain about. God might do something about it.

Right? Well, this causes Habakkuk to have another complaint. Dear God, what are you thinking? The Babylonians to destroy your people? To exact your judgment on them?

Surely, God, you're not going to do that. Well, God says to Habakkuk, you're too holy, God. Look at verse 13. He says,

He's basically complaining that God would use the Babylonians to exact judgment. He says, God, you're holy, they are unholy. and while Judah is not holy, at least they're more righteous than the Babylonians. So why are you going to take the Babylonians and exact judgment on your people Judah? And secondly, Judah's helpless.

There's no way your people can stand up against the Babylonians. They're going to really destroy your people if you send them, God. Verses 14 and 15, he talks about Judah being like fish in the net, just scooped up, captured. That's what the Babylonians are going to do. And finally, Habakkuk complains, Babylon is so haughty, God.

They look on themselves as if they are gods. Their God is their strength. Are you going to let this people, who is so haughty, come and destroy your people?

Well, God responds again. to the complaints. You understand the complaints, don't you?

He gives him three admonitions. He says, first, God's grace. I can be trusted, Habakkuk. I know what I'm doing. But you be righteous and live by faith.

That's Habakkuk 2.4. Look at verse 4. One of the most famous verses of the Old Testament where God says the righteous will live by his faith. The righteous will live by his faith. In other words, God is saying to Habakkuk, while what it seems to you I'm about to do is not the appropriate thing to do, while what I'm about to do seems very horrible and tragic, the righteous person will live by faith.

In other words, the righteous person will trust me. no matter how things may appear I know better so trust me

and trust that I will bring about what needs to be brought about in the New Testament this verse gets quoted three times I've given you the references there where the New Testament writers keep going back to this statement the righteous will live by faith answer that God gives Habakkuk is, I will be glorified. God begins to pronounce woes on the nation of Babylon. While he is going to let Babylon defeat Judah, God is then going to destroy Babylon. And in that process, he's going to get the glory. God gets the glory because he shows both of judging Judah and then later of judging Babylon, that he is greater than the nations.

He is stronger than the kings. No nation, no king can stand against Almighty God. And when his power is displayed by the fact he can destroy nations and raise up nations, he gets the glory. People have to admit he is Almighty God.

And he says, I'm going to judge Babylon, me. It's going to be a while, but I'm going to judge them. And in the chapter two, God pronounces a number of woes on Babylon. You see in verse, starting at verse six, woe. You see the word woe? Then go down to verse nine, the word woe. Go to verse 12, the word woe. Whenever you see God starting to say, woe, you better be careful. If he starts to pronounce woes on you it means he's upset and he's going to do something about it and he pronounces woes on Babylon for her sins for the theft of property that she will do for her unjust gain for her murder and bloodshed for her violence and for her idolatry and God says because of all of these evils Habakkuk I will judge Babylon so while I know you don't understand exactly why I'm using Babylon, trust me, this unholy nation will be judged by me one day. And the third answer that God gives to Habakkuk is in verse 20. The Lord is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him. In other words, God is wanting Habakkuk to understand that God reigns.

the kings and the nations can do what they please but the Lord reigns in his holy temple and the earth might as well be silent before him because he's going to do what he as king knows needs to be done

it's interesting that God told Habakkuk to write all this down verse 2 the Lord replied Why did God want Habakkuk to write down his answer about what was going to happen to Babylon?

He didn't want the people to forget what he had foretold. So that when it happened, they would understand that God was in control. He said many years before it was going to happen, it came to pass. The people would then have to say the whole earth is filled with the knowledge of the glory of God because he is so powerful. Do you hear the answer?

Do you hear the answer?

Well, chapter 3 is going to be Habakkuk worshiping God after hearing these responses, and we're going to deal with that next week. But I want to give you some lessons for life from our passage for today, from chapters 1 and 2. Here's lesson for life number one.

Beware God sees and hears.

Habakkuk didn't think God was listening or watching or paying attention. Folks, he sees everything. He hears everything. He knows everything. And even when we think he is silent and unresponsive, he knows what's going on.

He knows what's going on. That can strike a little fear into us, right? He sees everything we do. we say. He knows where you were last night.

And the Saturday night before that. And the Saturday night before that. He heard every word you said to your spouse last night.

And every word you spoke to your children, he hears. Let's don't think he does not. Lesson for life number two. We should not repeat the failures of our spiritual ancestors or presume on God's mercy. It seems like God's people make the same mistakes over and over and over and over again. One reason the book is written for us is so we can avoid some of these mistakes. Let's don't be like the spiritual ancestors in Habakkuk's day who got caught up in greed, who got caught up in things that were anti-God, who would even sacrifice their children in pagan worship, who did whatever they wanted to do because they just wanted to do it.

They didn't give a rip what God said. Are we ever like that?

beware just because God hasn't yet judged you apart from repentance and faith in Christ judgment is coming folks don't presume on God's mercy we should not presume on his mercy individually we should not presume on his mercy as a church we should not presume on his mercy as a nation third lesson tragic events may be God's wake-up call for his people or for a nation

Vietnam, Oklahoma City bombing, Al Qaeda, the Twin Towers.

Could these be a wake-up call for the nation? We have to be careful. We don't always understand why events occur. but one thing we need to at least step back and ask is are tragic events that befall our nation

a warning from God? To say absolutely no, I think, is to presume something we can't presume. I was in Ethiopia the last couple of weeks. That nation had its first great famine in 1973. And one of the leaders of the church there said, I believe there was a reason the famine hit Ethiopia at that time.

There are three reasons. Number one, the government was persecuting evangelical Christians, arresting people who were meeting to worship and read the scriptures. I believe God judged the nation for that. Number two, Ethiopia broke its historic ties with the nation of Israel for a period of time, starting in 1972. Historically, Ethiopia and Israel had been very close, but in 72 the king signed an agreement that broke those ties, those close ties with Israel.

And thirdly, the king, Haile Selassie, went on a trip, 1972, and the people were calling him a god in the country he visited. When he was asked about it, instead of saying unequivocally, I am no god, there is only one god, he reigns in heaven, Haile Selassie says you shouldn't criticize people when they're trying to give you praise.

and the person believes famine came because of that you know again let's beware god does use tragic events to warn us how about in your own life

again we don't always know the purpose difficult things can happen in our lives for many reasons not necessarily as god's judgment but difficult things can happen in our life as a way to wake us up, God's megaphone. I lost my son Joshua, I think, in part because my heart was far from God, and God used that as a wake-up call. Have you suffered a severe illness? Have you had a loved one who has suffered a severe illness? Has there been a tragic death?

How about has there been a job loss? Has a child been ill? Have you lost a child? again it is not necessarily a judgment of God but sometimes it is God's way of getting us to pay attention when our hearts are far far far from him so if you suffer difficulty or tragedy I suggest step back examine your heart and mind before God and see are you walking with him are you not Acts, God is working, but on his own schedule.

I want God to hurry up and get things taken care of. But God, I think largely because he's merciful, often moves slowly. He's very patient. The children of Israel have been rebelling against him for over 800 years since he took them out of Egypt and took them to the promised land. and it was over 800 years before the nation of Judah would finally fall to the Babylonians.

They had had kings for 400 years in Judah, and most of these kings had been evil kings, and God had been patient and didn't bring final judgment until the Babylonians defeated them in 586 B.C. But just because God moves slowly doesn't mean he's not moving. He's moving, folks. He's always working, but it's his schedule, not our schedule. fifthly while God will get the glory to which he is entitled it makes a difference whether we are part of the praise team or not if none of us will praise the Lord God Almighty he can make the rocks sing his praise he's going to get his glory one way or another ultimately but it makes a difference if I'm singing his praises or I'm not I want to be on the praise team I want to be singing And so often the people of God have not been part of the praise team and giving God the glory to which he is due.

Sometimes it's because they were afraid. The children of Israel were afraid to go into the promised land and take it initially because the giants were there. It was going to be a difficult battle. So they shrank back in fear. And God didn't get the glory of conquering the nation with a weak people because the people shrank back.

God doesn't get the glory through us because we're bound by our traditions. Remember the Pharisees? Oh, we don't heal on the Sabbath. Please don't let us see God's glory on the Sabbath. They were bound in their traditions.

And sometimes God doesn't see glory through us because we are bound by our traditions. Traditions of men that keep us from giving him the glory to which he's entitled. Sometimes he doesn't get glory through us time. We're so busy, so caught up, rushing about with our schedules. We never pause to give God the glory to praise him, to worship him, to pray to him, to read our scriptures, to do those things that give him glory through us. And sometimes it's just plain old pride. You know, we just don't want to let loose and praise Jesus. Right? Right? Huh? For, you know, God forbid that somebody should should really let loose and praise Jesus in Greer First Baptist Church. And most of us hold back because we don't want to look foolish. We don't look prideful. You know, we don't want to be like David, you know, who danced before the Lord and his wife was fussing at him. You look like a fool out there dancing in front of Jesus and before the Lord. What would the people think?

David said, I don't care what they think because I had my eyes on the Lord.

Let's not be so prideful that we won't give him the glory. I missed something when I just said that, folks. I've been in Ethiopia for a while. You say Jesus is Lord. Jesus get a no.

Everybody shouts. Amen. Jesus get a no. Amen. Jesus get a no.

Amen. And some have said, well, that's just cultural. You know, that's just the way they are. They're more expressive. You know what I think it is?

I think it's theological. They know what it means when we say Jesus is Lord. They know it means he's king of kings. rules over the nations they know it means he rules over the universe and when they hear jesus is lord it moves them and we're so bound up in our traditions in our culture that we cannot even break loose and praise him when we say jesus is lord it's not just cultural folks it's theological i'm telling you it's not just cultural it's theological dear god break through our culture

Two more. Trust him always, every day, in every way. Some of you are going through some dark moments now. Some of you are about to face some. My heart bleeds for you.

You don't know how many times I have been in prayer and tears because I know somebody in the class is hurting.

But don't doubt him in the darkness. Trust him. And lastly, hold your tongue. God is king. He's the potter.

We're the clay. Don't curse God. Don't presume on God. He's the king. Let me pray.

Lord, help us to see your glory, to be more of what you want us to be. I pray particularly where there is pride of heart among us that you will break it down that we will be willing to submit before you I think Lord this is the biggest stumbling block we have as believers particularly in the west we just can't let go of that pride

that desire to look good in the eyes of men I pray that we will desire to look good in your eyes may we desire to be your people us to be your people. May we be willing to shout your praises. May we be willing to sing your praises. May we be willing to talk about Jesus Christ to others. May be willing to pray out loud. May we say amen. May we lift hands. May we do whatever to sing your praises.

Help us not to be bound. Unleash us by the Spirit in our hearts. Unleash us to be all that you want us to be. I pray that you will not let us stay the same. Let us not go back to the slavery of Egypt.

but let us go to the promised land. I pray this in Christ's name. Amen.