Triumphant: - having won a battle or contest; victorious. Feeling or expressing jubilation after having won a victory or mastered a difficulty. Triumphant faith is a actually a transition from faith to joy, from faith to praise.
However Triumphant Faith is different - Triumphant faith is the result of going from tested faith – putting faith into action – living by faith – to expressing Joy. Triumphant faith is not instant faith; sometimes it takes a long time, but it always wins in the long run. Triumphant Faith is not having won the battle yet, it is not yet been victorious yet in the midst of the battle, storm, struggle, or war you can YET PRAISE GOD because you know without a shadow of doubt that you will win, because you understand that all thing work for good to them who are the called according to His purpose.
The Transition to Triumphant Faith Habakkuk 3 is the prophet’s prayer of faith. This prayer concludes the Book of Habakkuk.
PRAYER: -
SCRIPTURE: - Habakkuk 3:1-19.
OPENING:- Habakkuk is a picture of a man of God who was struggling with human emotions and frustration at God for allowing evil to dominate what was supposed to be a righteous nation. However, he determined to accept God’s will and live by faith through the circumstances God would send in punishment for apostasy. He asked God to revive His work among the people. He recognized that God’s purposes in world events center on the plan of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Habakkuk opened his prayer by confessing his human fear of the coming events Habakkuk 3:2 says “O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy”. Yet he did not charge God with injustice even though he struggled to understand the purposes of God.
Habakkuk started out by questioning God’s justice. Now he is blown away at the invincible, unstoppable, awesome justice of God, and so chapter 3 is a prayer, in faith, asking God to remember mercy, and save his people as he punishes their enemies. He is now convinced that God will repay Babylon; he now has triumphant faith; so, he prays for deliverance for God’s people.
The question is now how did Habakkuk get from a place of confusion and worry and fear to a place of triumphant faith where in the midst of trials and tribulation, when nothing around him has changed, yet he is able to have confidence and joy? The people were still mocking God, violence still filled the streets, and the Babylonians were still going to attack Jerusalem and take them into captivity.
Outwardly, everything was still as messed up as it was at the very beginning when he questioned God. Nothing visible changed, but something changed inside of Habakkuk. He transitioned from questioning God to rejoicing and praising God despite what was going on. How did that happen? How did Habakkuk go from Tested Faith to eventually Triumphant Faith.
TEXT:- At the end of chapter 2, God’s revelation is done and there is a break before chapter 3 we do not know for sure how much time has passed. However; Habakkuk is silenced - he is literally awe struck at the awesome justice of God - He has literally blown Habakkuk mind. Once Habakkuk finally regains his voice, we get to his response.
In verses 3–15, his praise takes the form of celebrating the justice and power of God as a divine warrior who goes out and fights on behalf of his people. He rules over nature. God marches toward the enemy of His people like an unstoppable army approaches battle (verse 6). He has his horses and chariot of salvation (verse 8). He is the divine warrior, with bow and arrows and spear (verses 9, 11). He threshes the nations (verse 12) meaning he will separate the righteous from the unrighteous. Habakkuk realizes He is the same God in Moses’s day, Joshua’s day, and David’s day and He is the same in his day and WATCH THIS He is the same today – Hebrews 13:8 says “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever”.
Then in this grandiose vision of God as the divine warrior, there’s the turn of mercy for his people in verse 13 says “Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah”.
God revealed his justice in chapter 2, and now, acknowledging that, and renewed in his faith, Habakkuk is pleading for mercy, for salvation verses 13 and 18.
The vision of God as the divine warrior, fighting for his people, against their enemies culminates in verse 15 “You trampled the sea with your horses, the surging of mighty waters”; Habakkuk then finishes with what some commentators states is one of the most beautiful and powerful affirmations of faith in all the Bible (along with perhaps Job 19:25 and Romans 8:31–39 and 2 Timothy 1:12) in verses 16–19.
Remember God said in 2:3, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry” . Now Habakkuk says in 3:16 “When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops”.
Before, he was fearful and his faith was thin. He was impatient. Now he is confident and walking by faith — faith that God will administer his perfect justice in his perfect timing. He is patient.
The heart of what God commended in chapter two was verse 4 says “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith”
Habakkuk came to understand and learned how to live by faith especially when trying times come. When all around your soul is giving way, and your natural patience is fried, this is the moment for true triumphant faith. This is the time to do as the song we used to sing says “I will trust in Lord till I die, I will stay on the battlefield”. I will lean and depend upon Him and trust His perfect timing.
Then, in verses 17–18, we have this amazing expression of his faith — the faith commended in 2:4 and now lived out in 3:17–18.
“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”.
Habakkuk now joyfully submits to the sovereign hand and plan of God. One commentator said these last three verses 3:17–19 is “the most beautiful spirit of submission found anywhere in Scripture.” He embraces the coming exile and its utter destruction and famine. Because his faithis renewed in God, he can face the worst temporary pains and losses, knowing that God will rescue him eternally in the end.
He began disoriented and devastated, fearful and faithless. And he took it to God, and God in his mercy showed himself to Habakkuk. Now Habakkuk walks in faith and patience, and perhaps most amazingly: joy. “yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”
And joy leads to song. The book’s final verse reads, “To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.” Habakkuk has ended in song! He has caught a glimpse of the glory of God, and despite the certain suffering that looms on the horizon, he knows that this God will be enough for him.
Habakkuk learns, like Job, that “no matter how difficult conditions might become, he must continue to believe, continue to trust the promises of God.
Habakkuk learns to sing praise, not just in good times, but in great calamity.
For God’s people — for those who are justified by faith — hardship is not the end of the story. It never ends in pain for the people of God. It never ends in darkness. It never ends in trouble. Devastation never has the last word.
Six hundred years before Christ, God gave Habakkuk a glimpse into the truth he would make so plain on a bloody cross and with an empty tomb: when times are darkest, God is ready to shine his brightest. So, in the most trying times, trusting God enables us to live with patience and joy.
On this side of the cross, how much more than Habakkuk can we say in our most trying of times, — without minimizing the agony or repressing the pain — “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”
We looked at Habakkuk 3:18 “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” When trouble comes and looks as if it’s there to stay, you don’t have to despair or be discouraged. You don’t have to fold your hands and quit. You can rejoice in the Lord, the God of your salvation.
God has provided salvation for us, both spiritually and naturally. Because of Jesus, we have eternal salvation, or eternal life. We are saved spiritually from eternal death and separation from God. But the salvation He has provided also includes our safety, preservation, deliverance, wholeness, and soundness in the natural.
However, verse 19 is the culmination and the catapult of his faith into Triumphant Faith.
Verse 19: “The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments”.
This is why Habakkuk can rejoice in the midst of the terrible suffering he foresees. Consider three questions that arise as we try to understand what he is saying: Why does he say his feet are made like those of a deer? What is implied by “high places”? And what does he mean by He “makes me walk”?
“He has made my feet like the feet of a deer”. They would climb to the uppermost crags and run over rock fields as easily as we would run on the beach.
Because of their feet – their tough, cloven hooves. These hooves aren’t hurt by sharp rocks, but are able to grip even small outcrops. God designed their feet for climbing. They don’t slip. They don’t fall.
Habakkuk uses the word for the female deer, not the male, to make this point. The female deer too is able to climb to the highest heights, to run over rocky fields, because of her special feet.
So Habakkuk rejoices that his feet are made like deer’s feet, designed by God to travel over the most difficult ground.
“Makes me walk on my high places” “He leads me to these high places; He makes me go there even though I don’t want to.” “He enables me to walk on places I could not go without his help.”
And that is why he is joyful! God led him to this very spot. And though there is pain and difficulty here, he knows that God will either rescue him from the danger or allow him to die. But even death is controlled by God, and only will come about if God so directs.
If the prophet Habakkuk were here today, he might say to you in more modern language, “Look, it’s been a bad year. Covid-19 has spread through the land, the world has basically shut down, death has gripped and ripped its way through our lives like never before. Some people have lost their jobs, food has been scarce, prices have risen through the roof. No doubt you are fearful and think you might lose everything, and your is uncertain. But this is not the end for you. God hasn’t changed, and He wants to see you through. So, rejoice in Him. Rejoice now—rejoice forever!”
When you encounter troubles, tests, and trials, remember this: You’re just passing through this thing. Don’t stop going through, don’t try to take up residence in this mess. Just keep on walking, rejoicing in the God of your salvation! Psalm 23:4 says, “Yea, though I walk THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me”.
Jesus is coming back. Times are getting tougher. I don't personally believe that the Church will experience the Tribulation however we can expect things to become more difficult in the days ahead. The world is becoming more sinful and developing more of a distain for God and anything Holy and we cannot expect this to become better if we believe and understand Bible prophecy. Yet at the same time we who live by faith should have the greatest hope and expectation of all... For God has an amazing plan! The darkness is for a limited time and the night will be replaced by the dawning of a new day. It will be a day in which righteousness rules, for the King of Righteousness will return to reclaim His kingdom!
Like the words of this song that has taken on a whole new meaning for me
My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus' blood and righteousness I dare not trust the sweetest frame But wholly lean on Jesus' name
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand All other ground is sinking sand
When He shall come with trumpet sound O may I then in Him be found Dressed in His righteousness alone Faultless to stand before the throne
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand All other ground is sinking sand
Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
