I Don't Understand Series

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON? A SERIES FROM HABAKKUK

God, I Don’t Understand

Habakkuk 1:2-11

INTRODUCTION:

A. Have you watched the news lately? It would seem that things are in terrible shape.

1. Our society is in terrible shape

a. Greedy mortgage companies have put our economy in a tail spin

b. Crooked company executives are skimming money and accepting high dollar bonuses, while at the same time tubing the company, tanking retirement accounts of their workers and absolving from any wrong doing.

c. Politicians committing all mannor of moral grievances while at the same time proclaiming their innocence

d. Gang wars, shootings, and violence

e. Homicides, thefts, muggings and rapes

f. To say nothing about abortions, homosexuality, and euthanasia, terrorism and war

g. Everywhere you look, every paper you read, every news broadcast you hear we are forced look upon violence, iniquity, spoiling, wrong doing and lack of justice!

2. And if that is not bad enough we look at the outward visible church

a. Priests and pastors committing acts of child molestation and being involved in pornography

b. Men and women leaving their spouses and children for others

c. Husbands who do violence to their homes: physically, and spiritually

d. Members who are more interested in the entertainment, sports and things of the world than God

e. Greed, selfishness, and individualism abound destroying the unity of the church and giving rise to factions, confusion, and apathy

f. Seemingly, everywhere you look: violence, iniquity, spoiling, wrong doing and lack of justice!

B. Does this sound familiar? It should, if you have read Habakkuk 1.

1. That was his lot in life – not much different from ours

2. And because the circumstances were not much different we could expect to hear the same questions – and we do.

3. Listen, O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth. Hab 1:2-4

4. Narrowing it down to one sentence: God, I don’t understand!

C. Do you ever feel this way?

1. I know I do.

2. I bring this to our attention to show you how relevant God’s word is, in general, and Habakkuk specifically!

3. To really bring this to bare, I want to look at Habakkuk 1:2-11 and see:

a. The Situation

b. The Solution

c. And The Significance

4. May God grow our faith and endurance as we listen to His conversation with Habakkuk.

PRAY

Lets begin by taking a look at

I. THE SITUATION – as we look at the situation it begins with

A. A Complaint - Habakkuk 1:2-3a O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance?

1. As you can hear, Habakkuk lived in a time of moral and national decadence throughout Judah.

2. At one time it seemed as if Judah would move toward God as king Josiah came to power in 640BC – but that was short lived – when He died in battle against the Egyptians in 609, the reformation died with him.

3. The next four kings of Judah all did evil – the final three were in the time period of Habakkuk 609-589, a total of 20 years

4. No doubt a great portion of this time Habakkuk saw the wickedness of the people and prayed for God’s intervention

5. O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance?

6. God I don’t understand why You don’t answer my prayer! Ever feel this way?

B. What was the cause of Habakkuk’s consternation?

1. It is written for us in Hab 1:3b-4…for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.

2. Habakkuk’s Complaints came because he saw so much injustice in Judah – in God’s people

3. Spoiling (someone taking, by force what is not theirs), violence (murder rape, etc), strife (quarreling, disputing, law suits) & contention (discord & brawling)

4. Because of all this, the law (God’s law – the Torah) was made of none effect and righteous judgment was nowhere to be found.