Sermon Tone Analysis

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Anger
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*The End of Injustice*
051-00751                                                                           Habakkuk 1:1-11
 
I.
During the Revolutionary War, a loyalist spy appeared at the headquarters of *Hessian commander Colonel Johann Rall*, carrying an urgent message.
General George Washington and his Continental army had secretly crossed the Delaware River that morning and were advancing on Trenton, New Jersey where the Hessians were encamped.
*The spy was denied an audience with the commander and instead wrote his message on a piece of paper*.
A porter took the note to the Hessian colonel, but because Rall was involved in a poker game he stuffed the unread note into his pocket*.
When the guards at the Hessian camp began firing their muskets in a futile attempt to stop Washington’s army, Rall was still playing cards.*
Without time to organize, the Hessian army was captured.
The battle occurred the day after Christmas, 1776.
It was our first major victory of the war.
A. I would think that the Hessian army would be a bit angered with their commander.
1.
He ignored the message that would have prepared them for battle.
2.
He was more interested in his card game than in the war.
B. Such apathy also seems prevalent in our world today.
1.
In New York City a mailman, shot by a sniper, is ordered from a building lobby because he is dripping blood.
2. In Oklahoma City a woman gives birth unexpectedly—on a city sidewalk.
Bystanders turn their faces.
A taxi driver looks, then speeds away.
A nearby hotel refuses a blanket.
3.
In Dayton, Ohio, a dozen people see a woman drive her car into the Miami River.
They watch indifferently as the woman climbs on the car’s roof and screams that she can’t swim.
The woman drowns.
4. So many incidents like this have happened that the Chicago Sun-Times library now has a special file tabbed “Apathy.”
C. We may have become indifferent to the apathy all around; desensitized to it.
1.
At least until we are the object of the apathy.
2. Chuck Swindol told of a friend who was *a high school teacher*.
He was assigned to teach a course filled with students who did not want to learn.
In fact, *it was one of those classes where you had to arrive very early to get a back seat*.
A couple of boys got there so late, they were stuck on the front row.
No one cared what the subject was.
The teacher finally got fed up with their apathy.
He grabbed a piece of chalk, whirled around to the chalkboard and began to slash away in big, foot-high letters*, “**A-P-A-T-H-Y!**” *He underlined it twice, then slammed an exclamation point on it that broke the chalk as he hammered it against the board.
One of the less brilliant students up front frowned as he struggled to read the word.
Unable to pronounce it, he tilted his head to one side as he started spelling it aloud then mispronounced it.
Then he leaned over and muttered to his buddy, *“**What in the world is ‘a-paythee’?**”*
His friend yawned back with a sigh, “Who cares?” —Charles R. Swindoll, /Living on the Ragged Edge/
D. But what if the one who we believe to be apathetic, indifferent, is God?
1. Haven’t we all at one time or another felt that God was just not listening?
2. Haven’t we all wondered if God really cares?
3.
And do we not get frustrated that peace on earth, good will toward humankind is just not happening?
a) Jesus was born about two thousand years ago when this was the promise he brought.
b) Why has it taken so long?
What is God doing?
Why does he ignore the prayers of the weak, the oppressed, the poor, and the insignificant?
Why does he allow injustice, violence, war?
How can he stand to see the apathy in our world?
c) This is one of the classic arguments against the existence of God: either he is injust himself, or he doesn’t care, or he is incapable of doing anything about it.
d) Such was the frustration of the prophet Habakkuk.
II.
The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet received.
Or more accurately translated: The burden which Habakkuk the prophet saw.
A. There is good reason for the difference in translation.
1.
I don’t want you to think I am changing things at my own whim.
2. Among many who translate the passage this way is John Calvin.
3. Without giving you all the boring details of a language that is long past, the word translated “oracle” comes from a word normally meaning “burden.”
4.
And in every case in the Old Testament when this word appears it refers to some burdensome vision or word of a prophet.
B. Habakkuk then says a prayer to God expressing his frustration.
1.
This was a private prayer.
Habakkuk is justified in freely expressing the depths of his heart before God as we are told to do the same.
2. In this prayer, Habakkuk describes what the burden was that he saw.
a) It is the sad state of God’s people in Israel.
b) It is the injustice of wickedness, violence, ruin, strife, and contention.
c) It is not far from a description of our world today.
d) The only difference is that these perpetrators of injustice are God’s chosen people, God’s covenant people, God’s cherished people.
e) The closest comparisons to us are those who claim to be Christian and who cheat, steal, defraud, divide, and violate the faith of those committed to God and his order for life.
3.
And the effect then, and now, of such heinous behavior is devastating.
a) The law of God is paralyzed.
It has no power or meaning.
So many abuses and perversions of the first and second commandments to love God and neighbor make everyone skeptics and distrustful which is the opposite of the commands.
b) Justice does not prevail.
Today it is not totally gone but true justice generally surprises us and those who call for justice on behalf of all people, especially the poor and oppressed, are attacked by principles of self-interest and fear of socialism.
c) The wicked surround the righteous.
In other words, the just are outnumbered and manipulated by the unjust.
4.
This is the burden Habakkuk felt for himself, the people of God, and God’s own reputation and glory.
a) So Habakkuk makes his plea to God.
b) How long do the righteous have to put up with such evil?
c) How long will you shut your eyes to the injustice?
d) How long do we have to cry out to you to do something?
e) Are you listening?
Do you care?
Can’t you deliver us?
III.
And God does give Habakkuk an answer to his prayer.
A. He does not chide Habakkuk for what we might perceive as a moment of doubt or a lack of faith.
1.
He says, “Look, watch, and be amazed.”
2. Ooooo!
Something’s gonna happen!
3. It’s something God’s gonna do so it must be pretty good!
4. Be patient, watch and you will be dumbfounded, flabbergasted, completely bowled over.
B.
Here is what God says he’s gonna do.
1. I’m raising up the Babylonians.
a) Wait a minute!
The Babylonians?
These are the most feared, ruthless, powerful, violent and ungodly people in the world.
b) The Babylonians deride kings and scoff at rulers.
They laugh at a city’s defenses, they are so overwhelmingly powerful.
c) These guys are even worse that your own people.
d) We may be in a mess, but not that big of a mess.
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