We hardly hear a sermon preached on Habakkuk, which has only 3 chapters, but we do have some popular verses from this book –
• 2:4 “The righteous will live by his faith” (quoted a few times in NT),
• 2:20 “The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him”, we sings in the Chinese Service every Sunday, and
• 3:17-18 “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, through there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour.”
Israel has fallen and Habakkuk ministers in Judah and struggles with the problem of evil in his days. The Assyrians have just fallen to the Babylonians.
• He saw too much of violence and atrocities, and was frustrated at the apparent inaction of God.
We struggle with that too. This book helps us answer similar frustrations that we have today in our own experience:
(1) When God is not doing anything, and we expect Him to.
(2) When God does things in ways we cannot accept.
We will learn from Habakkuk how we can continue to put our hope in God and trust Him, despite these struggles.
• [Read Habakkuk 1:1-11] The structure is simple – Habakkuk complains to God, God answers him, he launches into a second complaint, God replies and then he responds with a song of worship.
(1) HOPE IN GOD, EVEN WHEN HE IS NOT DOING ANYTHING
What makes this book unusual is that it’s about a debate between the prophet and God. You can say Habakkuk was arguing with God.
• Some may feel this is inappropriate, but it is better to debate with God than to ignore Him, to deal with the issues than to pretend that nothing is wrong.
• To question God shows that we are serious, that we still believe Him to be real and who cares about what is happening in our lives.
• In fact, those who do not challenge God may have given up on Him or worst, decided to disbelief Him. It is a sign of apathy.
Habakkuk asks in 1:2 “How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?”
• Sound familiar? That’s what we would say.
• Apparently Habakkuk has seen injustice for too long. He has been asking for answers for quite some time now, to issue such a complaint.
• It is difficult when we do not have an answer. We prayed and nothing happens. We waited and nothing has changed.
But nothing stops us from coming to God with our complaints and questions.
• We can pour out your heart to God without fear. The Psalmists do that often – 1/3 of the Psalms are laments – expressing frustrations, disappointments and even anger towards God.
• You don’t have to get to the right mood or say the right words. You don’t even need to pretend they are not there.
In the past, I have this sense of ‘respect’ for God and didn’t want to tell Him off – trying to be nice and courteous – so I ‘hide’ my discontent, my frustration and anger.
I’ve learnt over the years that this is not healthy to our soul, and it is foolish.
God already knows the state of my soul. When I pour out my heart to Him, I am not telling God anything new. By telling Him all that I am grappling with, God heals me and bring me to a deeper understanding of His character and His ways. It builds intimacy, rather than destroying it.
You can be completely open and honest before God. You don’t need to pretend the frustration or anger is not there. Philip Yancey says the real prayer that God listens to could very well be the unspoken words in your heart.
God answers Habakkuk, not rebuke him. He reveals a plan. God always has a plan.
• Even if He is not doing anything, you can put your hope in God because He has a plan.
GOD WILL ANSWER. According to Scriptures, we can safely say, God always answer.
• It’s just that sometimes, that answer comes in the form of a silent wait.
• To us, a wait is not an answer, but to God, it is. Remaining status quo can be an answer – just like telling a child in a shopping mall, “just stay where you are, don’t go anywhere, or don’t do anything, and I’ll come to get you.”
Sometimes, the best thing you can do is to do nothing, just wait.
• Psalm 37:7 “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”
• Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God.”
Time does not work against God. It works against us – we rush for time, we fight against time, we try to beat the clock.
• Time however is a tool God uses - very much – and to His advantage.
I’ve found over the years that silent wait is beneficial to me. Imagine God granting us instant gratification each time we ask for something, like a vending machine. I wonder if I can really know Him that way, or simply see Him as a Dispenser of goods.
The silence often draws me to Him – I come asking why, when, what is your plan? Like a child nagging his parent for something he wants. Through the whole experience, you get to know Him, His will, His character, His way of doing things.
God answers Habakkuk, “I am going to do something in your days” (1:5). In fact, I’m doing something so astonishing “that you would not believe, even if you were told”.
• That probably explains why God didn’t reveal it to him earlier – he was not ready to receive it. “Even if you tell you, you would not understand.”
• God’s plan is to discipline Judah by sending the Babylonians to conquer it!
• 1:5 “Look at the nations and watch – and be utterly amazed.” The Babylonians had just defeated the Assyrians, and the Lord is going to use them against Judah.
This revelation really shocked Habakkuk. It was not something he was expecting!
• Does God hear? Yes. Does God answer? Yes. Is He concerned about injustice? Yes. Can He do anything? Yes. Will He do it? Yes.
• How? And that shocked the prophet. Habakkuk cannot accept God’s way of resolving the issue. [Read Hab 1:12-13]
How can you allow “the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves” (cf. 1:13)?
• Habakkuk reacted immediately with a 2nd complaint (1:12ff.) - How can you do this? This is a bad plan! These Babylonians are worse than us.
• There will be times when you disagree with what God said and cannot accept what God has planned. What are you going to do?
(2) TRUST IN GOD, EVEN WHEN YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND HIS WAY
If you have a way, you will not seek Him. If you can do it, you would not need Him. Our only option is to TRUST Him.
In all good relationships, there is TRUST. And in all good relationships, we give one another some SPACE – private space, personal space.
• In a sense, to trust God is to give Him such a space, to do what He knows is best and right and good, for your life?
• Even if we do not understand, can we trust Him enough not to put any expectations on Him? Can we not put God in our mould or limit Him with our own understanding?
• Martin Luther: “When we try to dictate to God the time, place, and manner for Him to act, we are testing Him. We’re trying to see if He will really do it. Doing that is putting limits on God and trying to make him do what we want. It’s nothing less than trying to deprive God of His divinity. We must realize that God is free – not subject to any limitations. He must dictate to us the place, manner, and the time.”
God’s answer to Habakkuk’s 2nd complaint was not to explain to him the reason, but assure him that His plan will be well executed.
• 2:3 “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 don’t always explain, but He assures. “Don’t worry Habakkuk, I will surely right every wrong in its time. Trust me; I will do it correctly and perfectly.”
God went on to issue 5 ‘WOE TO THEM’ statements (vv.6, 9, 12, 15 and 19) - all characteristics of the Babylonian empire.
• History has proven them to be true. No human empire or power can withstand God’s judgement, not the Babylonians, the Persians, or the Roman Empire. Or the colonial empires of Britain, Spain, and Belgium.
• Nothing and no one can thwart God’s divine will and purpose.
• This is the reason why we can TRUST HIM even though we do not fully understand or agree with His ways.
(3) WORSHIP GOD, BY HOLDING ON TO WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT HIM
Habakkuk was moved to compose a song of praise in Chapter 3
• (3:1 likely a musical term, and ending with ‘for the director of music’. Habakkuk might be a Levite who leads in songs.)
• It’s a declaration that he is willing to trust God in all of His dealings with them.
• He reminds himself of what God has done in the past and praises God for His faithfulness and goodness.
• Hab 3:17-18 “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18YET I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Saviour.”
Habakkuk is not trying to be optimistic. The challenges are there, but he is WILLING to trust God and put his hope in God. He CHOOSES to live with this HOPE and expresses that in the WORSHIP of God.
• God changes everything. God changes his outlook.
• This is what we must do when we overwhelmed – when we feel that God is not doing anything, not responding to our prayers, not acting in ways that we expects.
• Hold on to what you ALREADY KNOW about Him. Look at what God HAS DONE for you in the past. On that basis, worship Him by faith!
• God assures you that everything will turn out right!
