Habakkuk: When God Seems Unfair Series

A. If you could have a sit-down with God and converse with Him one-on-one, what would you talk about it?

1. Would you talk to Him about your FAMILY, your JOB, your HEALTH PROBLEMS, your NEIGHBOR

down the street who has WILD PARTIES every Saturday night?

2. It could be that you’re hoping for some DIVINE insight into the NUMBERS of the next POWERBALL

JACKPOT.

3. Maybe you’d like to talk to Him about WORLD AFFAIRS: the rise of the Islamic Religion in the world,

the BRUTALITY of ISIS, the increased ATTACKS on Christianity.

4. And I think it’s safe to say that there would be a lot of QUESTIONS about the upcoming ELECTION and our CHOICES for PRESIDENT.

B. The Prophet Habakkuk got that SIT-DOWN with God, and he had a lot of things on his mind to talk about.

1. Unlike the other Minor Prophets who addressed the NATIONS on behalf of God, Habakkuk is

addressing God on behalf of the Nation of Judah.

COMMENT:

He is deeply concerned about the SPIRITUAL DECLINE and MORAL DECAY of the people of Judah. WICKEDNESS, IMMORALTY, CRUELTY, IDOLATRY are rampant throughout the nation, and especially in Jerusalem. All the PROPHETS before him poured their hearts out preaching

REPENTANCE, but no one seemed to listen.

Finally, Habakkuk has had it with the Nation of Judah and personally asks God what is He going to do about it? But when God tells him what His PLANS are, that concerns Habakkuk even more.

2. Habakkuk was written around 612-606 BC.

COMMENT:

He had just witnessed the FALL of the powerful nation of Assyria at the hands of the Babylonian army. And now the Chaldeans (Babylon) was gaining more strength as they started out on a CONQUEST to Western Asia, destroying nation after nation and taking its people CAPTIVE. Habakkuk is told by God they were also coming to PUNISH Judah for their WICKEDNESS, and this news greatly DISTURBED him. So Habakkuk has a back and forth CONVERSATION with God about his CONCERNS.

3. Habakkuk’s name means: “EMBRACED” (“One who takes another to his heart”)

C. Social Media, for better or for worse, has given us great insight into how people feel about LIFE.

1. Overwhelmingly, many Christians, if not most, feel like they are under ATTACK, even by our own

GOVERNMENT at times.

COMMENT:

I have read POSTS and SHARES in FACEBOOK from Christians all over America who are FRUSTRATED and ANGRY with the DIRECTION they perceive our COUNTRY as going, and they don’t understand why God seemingly sits back DOING NOTHING about it. Or, if this is God DOING SOMETHING about it, they certainly don’t LIKE IT and thinks He needs to do something DIFFERENT. (HAVE YOU BEEN THERE?)

2. Rewind 2600 years to the book of Habakkuk, and we realize those same FRUSTRATIONS were expressed even back then resulting in two common CONCERNS about God still prevalent today:

MESSAGE:

I. WHY ISN’T GOD DOING ANYTHING?

A. Have you ever asked that question before? “God are you going to do anything about this?”

1. Habakkuk certainly does in no uncertain terms- 1:2-4 (READ)

a. I don’t think this is the first time the prophet has had this conversation with God.

COMMENT:

Undoubtedly he has lifted his NATION up in PRAYER many times. But instead of seeing the people of Judah getting BETTER, they have gotten WORSE. Instead of seeing them REPENT

and RETURN to God, they have turned FURTHER AWAY from Him.

b. I have PRAYED similar PRAYERS before, haven’t you?

COMMENT:

As I look at the decline of Christianity in America, my heart breaks. Unless God does something about it, my GRANDCHILDREN are going to grow up in an America that no longer RESPECTS God’s Word, an America who believes that there is no longer any ABSOLUTES, an America who is ASHAMED to even mention the name “Jesus Christ”. I PRAY often for this great COUNTRY of ours, and for the church of Jesus Christ to stand firm and contend for the faith.

2. What I really like about Habakkuk’s PRAYER is that he feels FREE to be HONEST with God and

just POUR out his heart before Him.

a. Family, God can handle our RAW EMOTIONS and our RAW THOUGHTS.

COMMENT:

It is okay to ask God what is going on. It is appropriate to turn to God in prayer and tell him that we do not understand. There are many events in my life that I could say, “God I don’t get this! I just don’t understand what’s happening.”

b. But there is an important aspect of Habakkuk’s faith that we must not overlook. Instead of WALKING AWAY from God because he doesn’t like what’s going on, Habakkuk TALKS to

Him about it.

COMMENT:

So often getting angry and leaving God is the response that occurs when TRIALS and DISAPPOINTMENT crush our lives. Rather than give up on God, TALK to Him. Tell Him what’s on your HEART. God already knows it all anyway, so just be HONEST with Him.