Habakkuk Week 3 - The uncomfortable truth
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Habakkuk 3
Habakkuk 3
It’s not fair!
its not fair example (light)
deeper feeling: What do bad things happen to good people. Why do good things happen to bad people.
Illustrate/story
seeing others do so well
Facing illness/trials - why me.
(had in mind 3-4 part series, but 5 weeks gives time to slow down in the breath of chapter 2. While he waits. He grows.
Lesson for us.
its this:
Live by faith and not self righteousness.
Live by faith and not self righteousness.
Habakkuks words. why does God do nothing while righteous suffer.
That was question in
Habakkuk 1:
Therefore the law is paralyzed,
and justice never prevails.
The wicked hem in the righteous,
so that justice is perverted.
directed at wickedness he sees within own people - God when will you act.
Second complaint is ramped up, but suddenly isn’t so concerned about own people but the evil out there.
Your eyes are too pure to look on evil;
you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
Why then do you tolerate the treacherous?
Why are you silent while the wicked
swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
Really he is saying - how can this be the answer. They are even worse. He looks at Babylonians and their violence and cruelty and domination.
v14-15
v16 describes their idolatry - worship their power, their ability to capture and make themselves rich
What is God going to do about the wicked. Fair question. But he will have to wait. And so will we.
I’m convined that there is something we must understand if we are going to respond rightly to God dealing with wickedness.
In breath of chapter 2- As Habakkuk waits, something shifts. See how he moves from complaint to prayer asking for mercy
Behind every question is a heart’s direction.
Whats for dinner
Whats the heart behind “its not fair”
A warning and a remedy.
First then the warning
A warning against self- righteousness
A warning against self- righteousness
Often our words expose things about us that we might not have realised.
As Habakkuk raises his complaint he also exposes a belief about himself and people of Israel.
As Habakkuk pours out his heart, his anquish - there is so much about his faith that we need to learn from. Yet I’m also convinced that between the end of chapter 1 and v4 of chapter 2 God is exposing a heart problem - in what he believes about nature of people.
Ambiguity of direction of v4.
“See, the enemy is puffed up;
his desires are not upright—
but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness —
(how many of us know 2nd half of verse and not first)
Is there a hint of warning and word of challenge perhaps to his own people and to Habakkuk himself
Exegesis:
Best way to make sense of Habakkuk is
v1-4 are a complaint regarding his own people an
v12-17 are complaint regarding Babylonians
Few phrases that give something of Habakkuk view on morality away.
v4. Wicked surround the righteous (could be refering to faithful)
But escalates in v13
See danger. What is wrong in what Habakkuk says - Habakkuk assumes a competence to make judgment on wickedness. However wicked his people are - they are more righteous than the Babylonians.
Behind question why do bad things happen to good peopel. Heart that says I deserve better.
SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS
There is a hint of moral superiority. Deep down that Habakkuk and God’s people are better than Babylonians. Someone who is self rigtheous is someone who is confident in their own righteousness - that is their own ability,performance, merit, character to make them right before God. Result is that person see themselves as morally superior to those around.
illustration
Measuring stick. Good and bad.
Straight away - try to resist but put yourself on there.
What he does is what human do all the time. We make judgememt about ourselves compared to others. And we usally measure ourselves either against someone slightly worse or someone slighly better.
At heart - what are we saying - we deserve better than this.
Deep is belief that we bring something to the table - some goodness, some performance, something to earn God’s favour. So when chips don’t fall our way, God “it’s not fair”
Sometimes things happen and they hurt. And not our fault. Good to be honest and lament and cry out to God, and question. But I think there is a danger for us when we start to say “I don’t deserve this”. The is an assertion before God about what we are entitled to.
Prepare to be made uncomfortable. Let’s just dig into Habakkuk’s assertion
Habakkuk says
Your eyes are too pure to look on evil;
you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
Why then do you tolerate the treacherous?
Why are you silent while the wicked
swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
Are they though. Are Babylon more unrighteous than God’s people?
If you know your OT. Think of a whole book of OT where God’s people remained faithful. Even the best of them - Abraham - adulter
Moses
David
Solomon
Heres the thing:
Babylon had no knowledge of God, - no wonder their world was chaos and worldview was evil.
But God had revealed himself to his people, and given them the law. Yet.
Since Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden, from the very conception of God’s people in the calling of Abraham, between mircaulous events of Moses day, and even intertwined in the faith journey of Joshau, and the ups and downs of judges, even to the OT high point of King Solomon - throughout what do we see. Continual rebellion and faithlessness by God’s people. The don’t just fail to be a light to the nations, but so often the become just like the nations!
Why -
the heart of the human problem is a problem with the human heart.
v4 God gives 2 catergories of peope. Proud and the faithful
Here it is the uncomfortable truth. Romans 3:10-12
As it is written:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”
illustrate - measure of goodness
Here’s problem. We like to measure ourselves like this.
If I can make it to certian line - God will accept me. Things will go my way.
But got the wrong yard stick.
Illustrate with merging all people to one small dot and God way above.
Bar is up there. Keep the law.
but before God no one meets the bar. Why because we all have the same heart condition. Sin.
Shove of God, Im in charge, not you.
Pride is heart of it.
Desire for independence. Desire for autonomy. Desire to rule ourselves. Desire that comes from our connection with first people - Adam and Eve.
How do we become self righteous?
we don’t grasps God’s Holiness
we dom’t grasp our sinfulness.
steal from a cat, steal from human. Sentance is rightly different because by virtue of humanity offence against human life is higher. Our offence is against infinate God.
Means this. It’s going to get more incomfortable.
Those Babyloanins that Habakkuk is complaining about - same heart problem. and unlike Habakkuk and his people who have history of God’s power and word, and have his law - who should know better, Babylonians have no notion of right and wrong.
Hear is the uncomfortable truth. Think of the voilest offender, the worst of the worst. By nature you have the same heart - just wrapped in a culturally more acceptable body.
Without remedy - outside grace of God - None of us can acurately say - I would never do that. really. If you grew up the way they grew up. IN the culure they knew, with surrounding they had.
It’s why Jesus uses extreme language when he says if you hate your brother. Or if look at a women.
sinful nature lies within us.
Illustration - some friends invite you to their new house for housewarming. Satnav - you’ve arrive at your destination. So you sit back in the seat of the car, and content with your ability you remain in the car for the rest of the evening.
One of the biggest things that gets in the way of us growing in the Christian life is because deep down we think we have arrived. We become complacent. No one would claim to be perfect. But I’m pretty good. Don’t swear, don’t hurt people, not addicted to anything. A few bad habits but sure who hasn’t. See the danger.
Life is going well so we must be alright.
Then when life goes bad we say God what are you doing??
How often do you confess your sins before God? When was the last time you acknowledged specifically that you are a sinner?
Do you ever look around and see unbelieving friends doing well, and think “why do they get it all?”
When going throug hard things have you every said to God “I don’t deserve this”
Do we tend to excuse ourselves - and always make problem out there rather than in here? (heart)
When was last time you said sorry? Does it come easily?
Are their sins you dismiss as bad habits, - white lie, gossip, odd night on the drink, unhelpful tv program, second look at that women in the street.
Offence against Holy God. All out of heart that wants to rule.
Could these be symptoms of a heart that deep down is trusting in your own goodness before God?
Reader beware.
So then what do we do?
Remedy Live by faith not self righteousness
Remedy Live by faith not self righteousness
As Habakkuk waits for God to respond. Something is working in him. And as he hears God’s response it more. chapter 1 complains. chapter 2 waits, listens, chapters 3. prayers - what is his prayer -
Lord, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.
Repeat them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy.
And it’s mercy that is at the heart of God’s remedy.
v4.
two ways to live.
Pride - self sufficiency.
Faith - the righteous shall live by what? their works? their ability to keep the law? their good nature? Faith.
illustration - self help gurus. Life coach.
If we were bascially good. ANd just needed to buck up our ideas - wouldn’t God have sent a self help guru. Jesus would have said follow my example.
Would have said -t he works of God are this - and reeled of the list.
But OT is story of humanities in ability to obey God.
This is where we come to the heart of matter.
God sees problem - in his soverignty - because he is bigger than us - because hs is in control - he works all thigns for good what he does is better than Habakkuk could ask or imagine. In judgement he sends his exposes total inability of people to keep law, and their utter need of him. But in the exile that followed he kept a rememnant and from that line would come the answer.
We are to trust in the one who is righteous.
Years late. From David’s line. As promised God would install a King forever. Who would lead his people in righteousness and justice. Jesus the perfect sinless Son of God. Staggering news of the gospel - is that the only one ever worthy of standing in judgement. The only one who could call himself truly good.
The only one to meet the bar worthy of entering the presence of the Fasther - left his glory to come into this world - so that he might live the life we might life. tempted in every way yet without sin. He did not come in judgement but in mercy. And as he endured shame that should have been ours, and God’s wrath on the cross - he becomes our permenant sacrifice.
In OT God by his grace had chosen a people. - but in order for them to enjoy relationship with God - price was blood. So that sin could be dealt with. Sacrifice again and again and again.
But in gospel Jesus enters as a once and for all sacrifice.
Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Whats the remedy to self righteousness?
The gospel of grace.
As we look upon Holy God - revealed to us in his Son. and see him there on cross - exposes our depravity. This is what it took to deal with our sin. ANd what do we do fall on our knees and say mercy.
2 things happen to use as we gaze upon the cross
1) At the cross we see a true reflection of ourselves.
SO often we like to see only our instagram version. (not as bad as I say I am)
But Cross holds up the mirror - no filter - no make up, - show us the depth of our sin - utter depravity before Holy God. But also shows us his grace.
2) At the cross we are reminded that he has given us his rightesouness.
Rico Tice famously said
“We are more sinful that we could ever imagine but more loved that we could ever dream”
MERCY.
MERCY IS THE REMEDY TO SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS. GOD’s not giving us what we do deserve, but instead sending his own son. GRACE - underserved kindness to hellbounds inners, as he takes those who were enmies and makes them Sons and daughters.
Illustration.
Son runs away from home. At first get freedom. Gets up to mischief. Jumps around in the mud. Steals some food, breaks a window. thrill. But then shame. and soon cold. dirty.filthy inside and out. Father who has been out looking for him finds him - takes off his dirty clothes and puts his clean coat over his shoulders. Far too big - but Son is loved, warm. Dirty clothes exchanged for clean ones.
How do we recieve it - faith. Trust. Dependence. Coming to him with empty hands and open hearts. Bringing nothing but our sin.
As we put our hope soley in Jesus - his life death and ressurection. in his purity, in his goodness, in his righteousness. What he does for us is astounding. He takes of our sin and puts on us his righteousness. So that we might stand before God justified. Accepted. Right in his sight.
And this is how we are to go on in Christian life. Putting of sin as those clothed in the righteousness of Christ, by power of Spirit.
I think where self righteousnes sneaks in is this. We start of in Christian life amazed by his grace. But then we go back to the scales. measuring ourselves against others. And either we are doing well and become complacent. or we are struggling and either despair or try a bit harder.
So we think Christian life looks like this,
Diagram - graph
When actual fact - they way we grow in Christian life is the way we start. By being continually alarmed by our own sin and continually overwhelmed by his grace.
Diagram m- cross gets bigger.
Grace is not ABC of Christian life but A-Z
Starts with mercy.
The uncomfortable truth. The same sinful heart lies in you as in the mass murdery, the rapest, disctator, violest offender you can think of - just wrapaped in a different culturally formed life, and redeemed only by the blood of Jesus.
And if you can’t embrace that, you haven’t understood the depth of your sin or the beaty of grace. total depravity.
But when we do get that. When we grasp and rejoice and filled with joy - His Spirit uses this to transform us - that we grow into the righteousness that he has clothed us in.
SO then how do we keep growing in faith and in righteousness?
Recgonise, (who God is) repent, rejoice, repeat
I was… these traits still lie within me.
but by your blood I am redeemed. I am justified. I am right in your sight. I am forgiven. I am cherished. I am loved. I am welcome. I am accepted. I am safe. I am changed. I am alive. I am a new creation.
Let the cross get bigger.
. ANd as cross gets bigger. As we become more aware of his Holiness and our sinfulness, more aware of the chasm that lay before us- we become more in awe of the cross and the bauty of our Saviour and so captivated are we that out of our hearts will come a response of loving obedience. So we will become better but never boastful. More holy buy not holier than thou.
Christian life should be a permenant cycle of repentance followed by rejoicing.
Think of it another way. Continual reorientation of the heart. Defined by Jesus.
Application
Spend some time in quiet confession followed by public?
What if I know I’m sinful but can’t see my own sin.
Pray
Ask - spouse. THey will tell you very easily (and gently!) Friends. How do you respond when things dont go your way. When late. When critized, bored, stressed.
Love God with all heart and soul and mind - lvoe your neighbour as yourselves. Hows that goign?
Maybe seeing your sin isnt the problem, but seeing anything else. Maybe look around and just feel like rubbish.
Come to the cross. Let Jesus define your identity and worth and not Satan and his accusation.
Might mean dealing with pride. Accepting the forgiveness that Jesus has paid for.
Maybe you too need to talk to someone - tell them how you are feeling and let them reassure you of his love.
Here is my contention. How do we look at the wickedness we see? Should we there not get angry and grief over it? Not what Im saying. What I’m convinced of though is this. When we see wickedness around we should grieve over it - be angered by it - but only as we recognise the wickedness within, that save from grace of God, and his rescue, and his power to transform - we ware amougst the scoffers.
And therefore should make us like Habakkuk cry out for mercy long before we cry out for justice!
Live by faith rather than self righteousness.
Next week we’ll be seeing God’s response to wickedness.
But if we are going to respond rightly, we need to see our own wickedness. Our own depravity before God. Our debt that we cannot pay. And we need to see his mercy and grace to us.
TIME OF QUIET CONFESSION
PUBLIC CONFESSION
.
NOTES
As we respond in lament and grief to the wickedness around us - we MUST NOT LED IT PRODUCE IN US SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS - as if we by our own merrit of better. Only by grace of God. Only by his mercy. Look where Habakkuk lands in chapter 3 v2.
response - gratitude for mercy
plea for mercy
prayer for sinners
freedom of forgiveness for those who wronged us
Remember that truth last week - that nothing can thwart God’s plans or purposes- that applies to your salvation too. To your redeption. To your recieving of mercy. Bask in it.
Habakkuk expresses his horror that God should use those who worship their own strenght to punish “Jehovah worshippers”
But Habakkuk has just made a really good argument. I will take my stand at my watchpost.
Clavin: Watchpost and tower is the recess of his own mind - what he has learned. Remembers God’s promises. Hopefully simply remembering that God’s word cannot be broken.
The Lord answers and the answer is deflating. v3
v4 like a side note - but perhaps directed at Habakkuk. He should not get puffed up. He should live by faith.
No one is justified by the law.
Law is no paralysed - it has done its work. condemmed you who can’t keep it.
Ulitimate justice is never perverted.
This time coming in form of Caldean army. awaits its appointed time.
Pride and self righteousness - stuck in the middle with you - deaths song.
Here is the big picture
We are unrighteous, they are unrighteouss, we are all unrighteous, there is no escape, there is nothing left to argue, and all I can say now is in chapter 3
Now resigned to accept the Lord’s plan
Calvin - becomes a national prayer for people of God in exile and today for the church.
This prayer contains so much hope. Ray of hope for people with nothing left.
No self security
No self righteousness
Lord will trample on whom he will trample, have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and will save who he will save.
Everything we know crumbles v7-9
But see in this prayer, that enemy both from within and from without is going to be defeated.
Live by faith rather than by selfrighteousness
Back up for why this is heart - way NT uses Habbakuk
In Romans and Galatations its used in relation to justification by faith alone, and linked to Genesis 15:6
My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought— My sin, not in part, but the whole, Is nailed to His Cross, and I bear it no more; Praise the Lord oh my soul praise the Lord.
Loaded fries - potato isnt unhealthy until you chuck a load of stuff on it.
The hot potato - Why is everythiung such a mess.
stuff - I deserve better.