A Seeing Faith Series

A SEEING FAITH

Habakkuk 2:1-20

S: Understanding God

Th: Where is God when things go wrong?

Pr: WE CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE IN GOD.

?: Why?

KW: Explanations

TS: We will find in our study three explanations of why we can have confidence in God.

The ____ explanation of why we can have confidence in God is He is…

I. MERCIFUL (4)

II. MORAL (14 [5-19])

III. MAJESTIC (20)

RMBC 17 February 02 AM

INTRODUCTION:

When you ask a question, what do you want?

I know what I want.

I want an answer!

Not only that, I am so fussy that I like to have the right answer as well.

ILL Notebook: Answer (Family Feud)

Many of us have seen the TV game show, “Family Feud.” Here are some actual, but not so good, answers from contestants who have appeared on that game show:

Name something a blind person might use: a sword

Name a bird with a long neck: a penguin

Name something that floats in the bath: water

Name a number you have to memorize: 7

Name something that flies that doesn’t have an engine: dishes

Name a famous bridge: the bridge over troubled waters

Name a continent: Italy

Name an animal you might see at the zoo: a dog

Name a kind of ache: a pancake

and, finally…

Name a part of the body beginning with ’N’: knee

TRANSITION:

When we were introduced to Habakkuk last week, we discovered that he was looking for an answer from God.

As he watches the faithlessness of his homeland, he wonders why God doesn’t change it.

So, Habakkuk complains about God’s seeming lack of concern

But…

1. Context: When Habakkuk complains about God’s inactivity, God gives him an answer that distresses him even more.

God says He is going to send the wicked nation of Babylon as an instrument of judgment.

This is not the answer Habakkuk was looking for.

In fact, he finds it hard to believe that God would use an even more sinful and evil people to establish His righteousness.

For Habakkuk, this seems inconsistent.

It doesn’t make sense.

But he doesn’t give up on God.

2. Habakkuk learns to wait on God when he does not understand him (1, Proverbs 3:5).

He says:

I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.

The watch is a military term.

Habakkuk considers himself a watchman that looks far off.

He is getting on the ramparts, the high places, to get a better perspective.

At this point, he is reserving any more comment until he understands.

For, as confusing as he thought God’s inactivity was, His proposed activity is even more confusing.

So Habakkuk has come to the conclusion that not all workings of God can be understood by our own reasoning.

He would agree with Solomon when he wrote:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…

Habakkuk has moved to the towers to get himself above and away from the distractions.

He is no longer talking; instead he is listening.

He is no longer arguing; instead he is submitting.

So…

3. God responds to Habakkuk’s wait with the instruction to write (2-3).

Then the LORD replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”

God wants this answer to be permanently recorded, because future generations are going to need it.

God says, “Mark my words! Mark it down!”

His last statement is interesting for He says literally, “Though it delay…it will not delay.”

And it simply means this.

Though the timing is not ours…it is not a delay in God’s timing.

What seems like a delay to us, is not to Him.

He is in control.

These are not random circumstances.

So Habakkuk becomes convinced that…

4. WE CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE IN GOD.

So, as we continue our consideration of the prophet of Habakkuk…

5. We will find in our study three explanations of why we can have confidence in God.

OUR STUDY:

I. The first explanation of why we can have confidence in God is He is MERCIFUL (4).

“See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright—but the righteous will live by his faith…”

God gives a contrast here.

Babylon thinks that they are powerful, but in reality they are foolish.

For…

1. God wants us living by faith.

It is not what you do that puts you in right standing with God.