Sermon Tone Analysis

*Habakkuk 2:1-5.*

When I started this series on Habakkuk, Cynthia spoke to me after the message and said, “You know, Habakkuk is a book that the Jehovah’s Witnesses never use?” Cynthia came out of the JWs – the reason suddenly hit me – it is a verse we will read today, the most well-known verse in Habakkuk – anyone know it?

“The just shall live by faith” – the battle-cry of the reformation.

It cuts completely through the doctrine of salvation by works.

So let’s read this famous passage and look at it in the context of Habakkuk’s day before we apply it – next time we will spend a bit of time at looking at verse four in isolation.

*[Read 2:1-5]* Remember where we had come to?

Habakkuk was having a dialogue with יהוה.

[OHP] Q1~/ How can יהוה allow evil to continue?

A1~/ Sin will be judged.

Q2~/ How can יהוה allow justice to be executed by the wicked?

A2~/ יהוה knows their evil and they will be judged too.

So here we have Habakkuk on his watchtower looking for a vision, revelation from יהוה that will answer his complaint.

Habakkuk expected to be reproved for being so audacious as to question יהוה ‘s ways and expected that he would have to defend himself and answer back to יהוה.

In fact he never did – except in praise of the wonder of יהוה‘s ways.

But answer Him יהוה did!

Hallelujah! יהוה answers our genuine cry.

For the second time יהוה answered his complaint.

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

יהוה* goes on record [v.1,2]* - Habakkuk spoke to יהוה, laid his complaint before Him, then waited for His reply.

He fully expected Him to answer.

How often we pray and ask, then go on with our living without waiting for יהוה’s response - perhaps we don’t really expect Him to! (cf.

*Psalm 5:1-3* /Give ear to my words, Oh /יהוה/,// consider my groaning.

Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, for to You I pray.

In the morning, Oh /יהוה/,// You will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.

/*Jeremiah 42:4**,7* /Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard you.

Behold, I am going to pray to /יהוה/ your God in accordance with your words; and I will tell you the whole message which /יהוה/will answer you.

I will not keep back a word from you.” 7 Now at the end of ten days the word of /יהוה/ came to Jeremiah/.).

*יהוה** answers*!

Hallelujah!

The reply came to Habakkuk.

יהוה spoke! - absolutely authoritative, unquestionable, imperative.

He did not discuss the issue with Habakkuk, but gave him orders, commanded him what to do.

How different to the wishy-washy, anaemic, unimpressive utterances that are attributed to the LORD today.

We don’t recognize His voice at all because we do not truly know Him.

Habakkuk was told to write down the revelation that יהוה was giving him - it was to be "for the record", was recorded for posterity, written so that it could not be altered or be varied by interpretation, or questioned.

It may seem that Babylon was prevailing, that man gets his way – but יהוה has gone on record! His word stands.

This is the Divine verdict that man’s might and enterprise will not prevail.

Judgement will come and justice will be carried out.

It may seem like it is never happening but the written record of what God is going to do stands.

Don’t get discouraged by the wicked and unjust seeming to prevail.

יהוה has gone on record – we need to remind ourselves of what He says the end and outcome will be.

יהוה revealed what was going to happen in the future when Babylon (man’s empire made by human effort, cooperation and enterprise) would be judged.

He did so in order that His faithful ones may be warned and escape - "so that the one who reads it may /flee/" (cf.

*Zechariah 14:3-5** */Then /יהוה/ // will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle.

In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.

You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah.

Then /יהוה/,// my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him! /*Matthew 24:16-20*/ those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains; Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house.

Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.

But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath/.).

There is coming a time of great judgement upon man and his man-made gods and human efforts, cooperation and enterprise (v.5-17; 3:3-16) but God’s faithful people are warned before hand by the written word of יהוה through His prophets.

[The NIV reads "so that a herald may run with it" - written down so that messengers could carry יהוה’s message throughout the land to warn them].

*Justice is coming soon [v.3]* - The revelation was written down because it is future.

It may seem that it is never going to be fulfilled.

But its fulfilment is assured - it awaits its specific appointed time - the end time ("it speaks of the end" NIV).

Habakkuk had asked “how long?” (cf.

1:2, 17) would it go on forever?

– it seemed that injustice was prevailing that there would never be an end to wickedness.

He was assured of יהוה‘s purity and righteousness but it seemed that God was being very slow to do anything.

Have you ever felt that?

Why doesn’t God do something?

Have you ever been impatient?

But God is going to act and He is not slow about it [*2 Peter 3:9**,10*/ The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance./].

There is a day appointed for יהוה’s judgement upon the whole human system (human government and empire building) - Babylon.

This prophecy of the destruction of Babylon and man’s efforts, enterprise and gods is *CERTAIN* - its fulfilment is ASSURED.

It may seem that the unrighteous prosper, that man’s underhanded schemes work and profit but יהוה here gives total assurance that this appointed judgement will take place.

It will not prove false, it hastens toward the goal, it will not fail, it will /certainly /come.

It may tarry, seem to take forever, but wait expectantly for it - for its fulfilment is most definite, totally certain.

Don’t give up hope, keep expecting, waiting eagerly for יהוה’s coming when He will judge the world in righteousness (cf.

*Psalm 96:13* יהוה /is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness.).

/Certain judgement is on the way for all the works of man, it is hastening to fulfilment, nothing can prevent its coming about.

The faithful are warned, the foolish take no heed and will be destroyed.

We need to wait expectantly Jesus is coming soon!

[*James 5:7**,8*/ //Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.

The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains.

You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near./]

The promise will be fulfilled and in His time God will do it rapidly.

We can apply this verse to promises that the LORD has given us – It was very precious to me when I was praying earnestly for revival but we must be careful that we do not misapply it [Christina] – it only applies to that which יהוה has said that He will do.

Supremely this applies to Jesus’ coming to judge the world – it is coming soon!

Three times in the last few verses of Revelation 22 Jesus says that He is /coming quickly/ [*Revelation 22:12* /Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done./].

When יהוה acts, He will do so speedily.

Things will come to a rapid fulfilment (cf.

*Isaiah 60:22* /“The smallest one will become a clan, and the least one a mighty nation.

I, /יהוה/,// will hasten it in its time.”//)/

*The righteous, not the proud will prevail [v.4]* - יהוה told Habakkuk to carefully and accurately record the revelation that He was about to give for future posterity.

The fulfilment was certain although the wait may seem long.

Now the message, prophesying His future judgement on Babylon (man and his enterprise and efforts) is given.

"He" is "Babylon", or the empire of man, human organized society that has rejected יהוה.

Man’s basic flaw is *PRIDE*!

That is the root behind all sin - an inflated concept of his own value and importance - thus his world is man~/self centred rather than Christ centred.

Man’s pride doesn’t want to be dependent upon another - so he does things by his own plans and schemes (cf.

v.10); builds his own empire (cf.

v.5), amasses material goods for himself (cf.

v.6); builds, organizes - all by his own efforts and ability.

His arrogance considers himself superior and more important to others so he gains for himself at the expense of others - he has no regard for the welfare of others (cf.

v.7-13).

What he worships is what he himself has made (cf.

v.18,19).

It is all *man’s* doing and originates in *man* - *man* is the centre.