You CAN trust in God...

The Twelve: God has spoken!

The Book of Habakkuk

Corporately, as a body, we need be growing toward these things: 

A high view of God,

Understanding the sufficiency of His Word,

Growing in the hope of His gospel, and

Experiencing the joy of His church.

As you read through Habakkuk, keep in mind that: 

• Habakkuk is a thinker

In the midst of what’s going on - what Habakkuk came to God with, God’s answer, Habakkuk’s response, and again, God answers, we see in Habakkuk someone who really thinks through things. 

–> Always remember: The Centrality of Christ <–

because it’s here in this book.

The Minor Prophets emphasize:

1. The Sovereignty of God

2. The Holiness of God

3. The Love of God 

As in all of the minor prophets, we clearly see all three of these in Habakkuk.

The Overall Message of Habakkuk: 

In the midst of chaos & evil - you can trust in God

In the formal, literary sense - what we have here is a record of a conversation with God.

Now it wasn’t Habakkuk and God sitting down over coffee and having this conversation. 

It was spread out a little more than that - he carefully crafted what he wanted to ask or say. 

Also, there’s something unique in Habakkuk. In the other minor prophets we’ve looked at, the prophets have come to the people with a message from God - God speaking to His people through His prophets. 

Here, however, Habakkuk is coming to God to speak for the people.

The other prophets make bold declarations – Habakkuk makes inquiry.

Remember that as King of Judah, Josiah had not only attacked pagan idolatry, but had led the people to renew their commitment to God. Then, Jehoiakim came and had turned the nation away from God again. It would seem that Habakkuk was frustrated with this different direction and had been praying for revival.

• We have the classic question here in Habakkuk - how can such bad things happen to good people? God’s people?

We all want to be happy, right? Habakkuk is a prophet who doesn’t appear to be happy. 

1. Habakkuk’s Complaint

• An Honest Question

How can I be happy when it seems that God doesn’t care?

We have a tendency to start doubting God as soon as He stops doing things like what we think He should.

We get nervous, upset, and maybe start complaining. But we need to see these things as things God is using to accomplish His purposes. We’re so prone to idolatry. To putting our trust in our stuff. In our prosperity. In our 401K, in our job, in our government, in our president, in our military...

Instead of trusting in God Himself!

2. The Lord’s Answer

God answers - I’m going to send the Babylonians to be my arm of punishment for the sins of Israel.

Habakkuk is perplexed - confused. Um.... the Babylonians? They’re evil people, they’re not holy. THEY are going to be the punishers? What?!?!?

• How can you use the even-more-wicked Babylonians?

When God answers this question - we’ll be at the heart of Habakkuk.

• Four History Lessons from the first Two Chapters

1. History is under God’s Control (1:5-6)

It wasn’t the Chaldeans military power that got them where they were. It was God.

2. History follows God’s plan 

The events of history are not accidents, 

3. History follows God’s Schedule

We’re on God’s schedule. He’s not checking our schedules.

4. History Revolves around God’s Kingdom

The key to the history of the world is the kingdom of God. Other nations matter only relevant in how they interact with God’s people.

When you see surprising (or upsetting) things happening in the world, don’t be bothered or question God, instead ask - “How does this relate to the Kingdom of God?”

Better yet, ask:

• “What is there in me that needs to be corrected? Where have I gone wrong?”

3. Another Question, and a a Right Response

Habakkuk backed up, thought about who God was, and trusted Him.

If God is sovereign, this invasion isn’t just chance

If God is sovereign, their victory must be for the good of God’s people.

• There’s definitely thinking going on in Habakkuk’s mind.

4. The Central Truth

2:4 – “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith. 

This is quite possibly the great central text of the entire Bible.

• The righteous shall live by his faith

If you understand this, you understand the gospel.

• Righteousness

In ourselves, we are not righteous. 

So how do we get this righteousness that we so desperately need and is apparently freely given?

• Faith

Faith is believing God and acting on that belief.

In Hebrews, all of the heroes of the Hall of Faith - demonstrated their faith through deeds. 

The deeds didn’t save them - they were demonstrations of their faith.

• Live (or Life)

The righteous will [continuously] LIVE by faith.  24-7-365

It’s by faith that the Justified one will live.

Next, Babylon is described.  

2:19 points to their idolatry. Their worship of these non-gods.

Then it takes this dramatic pause in

2:20 – But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.” 

This is about “being silent,” or “reverent”

It’s about being quiet in expectancy.  Our God isn’t silent like the pagan gods. Our God speaks! He’s real!!!!

So close your mouth and open your ears, because the real God will speak through His Word.

Mark Dever: If you’re not spending time reading and studying your Bible regularly - what are you spending your life doing? You’re doing something. 

5. The Prayer

Practical elements that should pervade your prayer life.

• Approach with Humility

We cannot succeed if we think that we deserve to be able to speak to God. We are a people who have an entitlement mindset. We do not deserve to be heard. But because of the Love of God. Because of what Christ has done. All of God’s children can come confidently (yet in humility) before their loving Father with all of their concerns. Pains. Joys. 

• When Habakkuk turned his attention from Himself, from His people and turned toward God - there was a significant change.

• Approach in Worship and Adoration

Stand in awe of what He has done.

He began:

You’re probably familiar with the “ACTS” acrostic. 

Adoration

Confession

Thanksgiving

Supplication

Adoration is first - but how often do we fly through Adoration quickly, so we can get to our long list of things to pray for? Stop there - spend some time there.

• Approach with God’s Will in the forefront

It’s all too easy to want our own will. But he asks for God’s work and God’s renown to be revived.

This word “revive” - it’s not a “remodel” kind of word. Put on a fresh coat of paint. Sand and re-paint things. Bring in some new carpet and new furniture. 

It means to make alive. The people were spiritually dead. He’s asking for them to be made alive by God’s Spirit.

• Ask for renewal in the midst of bad times.

When you think about it - many of the “great revivals” did happen in the midst of bad times. 

• Ask for Mercy

In Luke 18, what does the “justified man pray? - Lord be merciful to me, a sinner!

• The Conclusion: Victory!

As believers in Jesus Christ - we should approach everything with joy. 

God is sovereign. God is in control. You can have a deep, abiding joy because of what God has done.

Remember in the darkness, what you learned in the light. (from “Jesus is Better” Caleb & Sol)

• He remembers the faithfulness of God. 

(And all before the New Testament!)

Verses 17-18 – Though the fig tree should not blossom, 

nor fruit be on the vines, 

the produce of the olive fail 

and the fields yield no food, 

the flock be cut off from the fold 

and there be no herd in the stalls, 

¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the Lord; 

I will take joy in the God of my salvation. 

Wow! 

Habakkuk wasn’t afraid of anything because His God was greater than all of that. 

• Here is a high view of God

When we have this right view of God, we can look at whatever is going on in our lives through the right lens.

And rejoice in the Lord. Taking joy in the God of our salvation.

Reflection Questions:

• Where are you looking for happiness?

You’ll only find it in the person and work Christ. You’ll only find it in the Gospel.

• If we can see God’s hand in the history of the Bible, why don’t we follow that path forward to the history that’s unfolding today, right in front of us?

Are you more focused on your own situation, or on God’s plan, purpose, and schedule?

• Do you contemplate the glory of God?

Or are you all about the glory of me? Because it’s one or the other.

How are you pointing to God with the details of your life?

• “What is there in me that needs to be corrected? Where have I gone wrong?”

• The Prayer Question

Charles Spurgeon says “Prayerless souls are Christless souls”

Do you have both informal and formal prayer in your life?

And finally, do you understand what it means when it says

• The righteous shall live by his faith

You should be growing in your understanding of righteousness, faith, and living it.