Habakkuk 1:12-2:3, Makeing sense
Habakkuk 1:12-23:3
April 12, 2007
Intro: It’s 600 years before the birth of Christ, Judah has been very far from God, But revival has come into the land. Revival has now faded and the heart of Judah is as far has it has ever been from God.\
> A Christian concept: Matthew 12:43-45
a- See there was Revival BUT no Restoration of
heart back to God.
A- God has told the Prophet Habakkuk that judgment is
coming in the form of Babylonians.
1- Habakkuk is having a hard time understanding, wrapping his theological mind around all that God is telling Him.
- Really the Prophet Ponders; Lord as I look at the world and the events of the world WHERE ARE YOU IN ALL OF THIS???
Chapter 1 = The Prophet WONDERS and WRESTLES.
Chapter 2 = The Prophet WATCHES and WAITS.
Chapter 3 = The Prophet WORSHIPS and WITNESSES.
B- Last week we saw four realities of our Christian life in
relationship to the events of our day:
Ø WE SAW THAT THERE ARE: Things we just don’t know,
Things we just won’t know, Things we just should know,
AND THEN THINGS WE DO KNOW.
Romans 8:28, And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
1- I need to view the events of today seasoned by my faith in the future.
a- We then closed with a little His/story lesson:
#1- History is under the control of God.
#2- History follows the course of God’s divine plan.
#3- History follows the course of God’s divine time table.
#4- History is tied into God’s plan for His kingdom.
- All’s well that ends well:
* And regardless of what is going on
today It all ends well for the one who
puts his faith in Christ.
Ø Now the Prophet comes to a new dilemma when blending: FAITH, God’s dealings (correction) with His people, and God’s using the world to accomplish this.
A- Tonight we look at the problem of reconciling God’s actions with what we know of God’s moral standards.
1- It would be as if I told you I have a prophecy from God that, since the church has lost its salt, God is going to destroy America and use Islam to do so.
a- Your 1st thought would be:
- As bad as the church today is WE’RE NOT
AS BAD AS THEM.
· Suicide bombers, cutting off heads, killing innocent people.
- Maybe an unbeliever at work’s been promoted, Sickness, Death, Prosperous.
· Why do the unbelievers have it so good whild we miss out???
b- If this is how you would respond, you’re in the same boat as Habakkuk.
Habakkuk 1:13, You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours A person more righteous than he?
Ø If this is you then I have a 4 step program that will help you make sense of it all.
A- Borrowed from Martyn Lloyd-Jones (England & WWll)
#1- The 1st thing to do when face with FEAR, FRUSTRATION, and
CONFUSION is STOP TO THINK.
A- It’s why God gave you a brain.
1- There is no one text in this book BECAUSE it’s really
the context of the whole thing.
a- The Prophet starts out confused, void of
understanding, and struggles.
- BUT really this whole book is his thought
process on the matter of the ungodly
prevailing over the godly.
1 Corinthians 14:33, For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
b- Our tendency is to lash out in some manner as if
that has ever changed anything.
- And in the events of a Christian life it’s
not about things changing BUT me
conforming.
James 1:19, So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
2- When we’re speaking without thinking we:
a- Fan the flames of our lack of faith.
b- We blur the reality of our guilt
3- What we should be doing is SHUT-UP and SORT-OUT.
Look at the results the Prophet got: Read 3:17-18
#2- The next thing to do when face with FEAR, FRUSTRATION,
and CONFUSION is REVISIT BASIC PRINCIPLES.
Habakkuk 1:12, Are You not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. …
A- And what I mean here is the most basic of principles.
Genesis 1:1, In the beginning God…
1- What the Prophet looks at is God and who God is.
a- OF all that God is He is most of all HOLY.
Isaiah 6:3, And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!”
Revelation 4:8, The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
2- If you remind yourself of what you know AND the basis of why you know what you know.
a- You then gain a proper perspective and then principles for resolving your dilemma.
- SO what we know: The god’s of the heathen
are idols of stone and wood.
- Our Holy God is the God who is!
* He will not die, He will not change, as
our God is Good our God is good all
the time.
Read Job 23
#3- The next thing to do when face with FEAR, FRUSTRATION,
and CONFUSION is APPLY THESE PRINCIPLS TO YOUR
PROBLEMS.
Habakkuk 1:12, Are You not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, You have appointed them for (to exacute) judgment; O Rock, You have marked them for (the purpose of) correction.
A- You will only see the context of your problem when you
see it through the text of God.
1- SO the problem: The Babylonians are going to come in a destroy Judah.
a- But I know that God is Holy, good, and true.
- So he understands the end of the
Babylonians and purpose for their being.
Romans 8:28, And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
B- SO “WE KNOW” that:
1- God has no evil intent towards His people (contrary)
2- The events of life do not occur by mere chance BUT are orchestrated by God.
3- AND THE INVASION IS COMING (Babylon)
a- So then the Babylonians of life must be a tool in God’s hand for CORRECTION and PURIFICATION.
Habakkuk 1:12, Are You not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, You have appointed them for (to exacute) judgment; O Rock, You have marked them for (the purpose of) correction.
Ø Now what happens after you go through this progression of: STOPPING TO THINK, REVISITING BASIC PRINCIPLES, and APPLYING THESE PRINCIPLS TO YOUR PROBLEMS?
A- That’s what seems to be happening to the Prophet here:
Read Verses 13-17
1- He cant’ come to terms with God’s whole Process, the details of His Plan, or the means of His Purpose.
a- IN THIS CASE: Why is God using a nation that is more evil that Judah to punish them.
- Isn’t Babylon more deserving of judgment?
* WHAT DO WE DO KNOW???
#4- SEE sometimes when face with FEAR, FRUSTRATION,
and CONFUSION you’re not going to understand nor will
you be able to comprehend AND IT’S AT THIS POINT THAT
YOU COMMIT THE PROBLEM TO GOD IN FAITH.
Read Verses 1-4
A- NOTICE what the Prophet does as he waits on God in
Faith.
#1- He 1s detaches himself from the issue.
Read Verse 1
1- What do we tend to do???
a- Take possession of the problem and own it.
- Like a new born we’ll show it to every one,
talk to everyone about it, and carry it
around and even nurse it.
2- What we need to do is take it to God and leave it with Him.
a- Not telling Him how to deal with it but to simply seek His solution.
#2- Next the Prophet ECPECTS AN ANSWER FROM GOD.
Habakkuk 2:1, I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected.
A- The only way to hear from God is to be in the range of His word.
1- The only way to be in the range of His word is to have your nose in His book.
a- WARRNING do not be a seeker of signs.
#3- Be persistent in your expectation.
Read Verses 2-4
Little faith will bring you to heaven.
Large faith will bring heaven to you.
Habakkuk 1:12-23:3
April 12, 2007
Matthew 12:43-45
Romans 8:28
1 Corinthians 14:33
James 1:19
Genesis 1:1
Isaiah 6:3
Revelation 4:8
Job 23
Romans 8:28