Sermon Tone Analysis

*Habakkuk.*

*God's ways are not our ways: *Habakkuk had a problem: how could יהוה allow evil to continue?

*[OHP]* Then יהוה gave His answer: He would judge evil using the Babylonians.

Habakkuk cried to יהוה, and יהוה answered.

It is wonderful that God hears and answers, He responds to our cry.

But when He speaks it takes us by surprise, it is hardly ever what we would expect or what we would have worked out (cf. v.5) – if it were, God would be like man – and He is not!

יהוה answered Habakkuk and Habakkuk didn't like it, this was not the answer that Habakkuk expected.

He had a problem: "How could יהוה allow evil to continue?"

but to him the solution was worse than the problem!

He took exception to this solution, so he went back to יהוה with his complaint* [read 1:12-2:1]*.

So it is like a dialogue: Habakkuk speaks to יהוה and יהוה replies, then Habakkuk speaks to יהוה again.

But why was this answer so unexpected?* [OHP] *What was so terrible about this answer?

What was so shocking?

יהוה has always judged evil in His people and used other nations to do it – so why did Habakkuk get so upset by this answer?

A prophecy of judgement doesn't seem that unusual to us.

What was Habakkuk's problem?

He'd cried to יהוה out for judgement and justice, and יהוה agreed.

Now that יהוה is going to do something about it, he complains!

What was Habakkuk's problem? יהוה reveals to Habakkuk that he is rousing/ the Babylonians /to wreak his judgement on Judah.

It is an astonishing turn of events.

The key is that it was the/ Babylonians/.

It was the fact that יהוה was using the /Babylonians/ as His instrument of judgement that Habakkuk found so disturbing.

Habakkuk was appalled, because he knew about the cruelty and wickedness of the Chaldeans.

What concerned him was יהוה's character.

How could a holy God use such an unholy nation whose actions would be so indiscriminate that men more righteous than they would be swallowed up?

It all goes back to Habakkuk's righteous soul, his sense of justice – how could a just God allow someone worse to punish those better than themselves?

This is not what Habakkuk expected from a holy and just God.

You know... יהוה's answer is seldom what we would expect *–* Habakkuk didn't like יהוה's answer.

We seldom do.

יהוה's answer is not what we expect.

Whenever God speaks it is utterly other – not what I would have worked out.

יהוה can totally change your way of thinking with one question, cut through all your ideas with one statement.

God doesn't do things the way we do.

Habakkuk asks a second question.

How can God possibly use the forces of evil to carry out his holy judgements?

How can He watch people being treated like fish in a net?

Especially when those who gleefully catch the fish not only live in luxury, but worship the net that gives them success.

Convinced of the righteousness of his complaint, Habakkuk stationed himself and waited for יהוה’s reply.

Habakkuk stations himself before God like a watchman (2:1), to await his word.

He is rewarded with the assurance that God is working out his purpose.

יהוה* is too pure to even look at evil* – v.12 Habbakuk knew יהוה!

Knew his God - יהוה was his personal God (note "my".

He knew יהוה's character and nature – his prayer to Him is based on His unchanging character: His purity, His eternity, His sovereignty, His justice, His holiness, His righteousness.

Habakkuk was in relationship with יהוה: he spoke to Him, was utterly open and honest about how he felt, and was fully assured that יהוה would respond and speak back to him.

There is an intimacy with that is characteristic of the prophet and intercessor.

*v.13 *- Habakkuk knew His Lord.

From his personal relationship *knew* His nature and character.

He knew יהוה was holy!

Pure! יהוה could not tolerate sin, can’t even look upon wickedness - for even to behold it would sully His purity.

Even to look upon wickedness defiles.

יהוה* IS HOLY! *יהוה* IS PURE!* How, in our concept of Him in His grace and mercy, we have compromised His absolute purity, holiness, righteousness and utter separation from all that is evil.

We don’t know יהוה at all!

Not like Habakkuk did!

Yet with this absolute righteousness, purity and justice there seemed to be an inconsistency with allowing the wicked to devour those more righteous than themselves.

Habakkuk had a theological dilemma, a paradox - but the one thing he /did not do/ was to abandon his concept of a holy righteous God.

He could not reconcile it so he cried to the LORD about this dilemma but he did not abandon the God he knew and what he knew to be true of His nature.

He did not compromise his concept of God to make it fit in with the world situation he saw - unlike many "Christians" today.

יהוה is who He is!

That is fixed, inviolable!

If that brings you to an impasse, a logical, moral, spiritual inconsistency; then go to יהוה in prayer for the solution - don’t alter your concept of who He is, or alter your theology that is based on the Scriptures - to do so is to create a god after your own design (a la liberal, prosperity teachers etc.).

How can a holy and just God allow the wicked to triumph over the righteous?

Does this mean that God is not just?

Does this mean יהוה is allowing wickedness to triumph?

This is a real theological dilemma.

*What about the wicked instruments of judgement?*

A just God judges His people, but what about those He uses to do the judging?

*Past* Let's look at the past, the context of Habakkuk's day: *v.12 *- Having received יהוה’s reply to his complaint against the evil in Judah, Habakkuk is even more outraged that some nation even more wicked than Judah can be allowed to punish them - that doesn’t seem like justice!

How can the unrighteous be allowed to punish those more righteous than themselves?

Habakkuk knew of the Babylonians, their reputation for brutality and glorying in violence had reached him.

Habakkuk was given a picture of the coming judgement - it seemed to him that Judah would be exterminated!

Yet this could not be, because the eternal God had promised.

So Habakkuk knew from the Word of יהוה that "we will not die".

יהוה is eternal!

He knows the end from the beginning - how things will turn out.

He had made an everlasting covenant with Abraham and Israel.

True יהוה had appointed Babylon to judge them, to punish them, but there could not be total annihilation - יהוה was their Rock - a foundation that would not fail them despite the structure built on it being severely shaken in the day of judgement (cf.

Heb 12:22-29).

Although יהוה is Almighty, Eternal; Habakkuk knew Him personally, was in close relationship.

This personal knowledge, that provided Habakkuk with assurance of salvation, faith in God’s promises and mercy to His own.

Despite judgement, there would be mercy (cf.

3:2).

"We will not die" – Habakkuk knew that יהוה 's purposes centred in His people, He had made an eternal covenant with Abraham, a promise that could not be annulled – therefore the Jews could not be wiped out altogether despite the judgement that He would execute through the Babylonians.

You cannot wipe out the Jews – Haman tried, so did Hitler – but they did not succeed.

יהוה is from everlasting, so the continued existence of His people is assured.

He appointed the Babylonians to correct them and judge them, but יהוה would never abandon them.

Habakkuk knew that יהוה could not allow this and he interceded with יהוה on this premise.

But יהוה was silent!

How could He stand back and do nothing?

*v.14,15 - *The ruthless savagery of the Chaldean is pictured.

Like a fisherman with rod and net, the Babylonian sat beside a pond which God had abundantly stocked with human fish.

Pulling up fish after fish, and eating to heart’s content, he dumped out the surplus on the bank to die.

How long would this outrage of waste of human life go on and this brutality go unchecked by God’s righteous intervention?

The earth swarms with people just as the sea does with fish.

יהוה has made a sea of humanity - millions of individuals - weak and helpless in themselves - there for the picking for anyone who has organisation and leadership ability.

Without a ruler to co-ordinate individuals’ weakness into combined strength of unity man is easy prey.

Babylon (human authority and government, man-made empire, human co-operation and organisation into power) had co-ordinated its men into an invincible united fighting force - the individuals of the surrounding nations, with no effective ruler, were her’s for the taking.

That is how it will be with anti-christ at the end – he will rule over and bring order to the mass of directionless humanity.

V.15 - These helpless fish of the men of the nations are caught one by one by the Babylonians - he hooks them, catches them in his net and rejoices in his conquest, subjugating his fellow man.

He feels no conscience or remorse but rather delights in war and military conquest simply for its own sake.

This was no nation executing careful judgement on יהוה’s behalf - this was a wicked nation who gloried in violence, taking delight in the destruction of human life.

Habakkuk was outraged!