1. The challenge to faithfulness even when things don’t go our way.
2. Habakkuk 3:16-19
16 I hear, and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound; rottenness enters into my bones; my legs tremble beneath me. Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us.
17 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.
19 GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places.
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.
3. David Barton wrote an article about the background and commemoration of the “Boston Massacre” (Founders’ Bible, Brad Cummings and Lane Wubbels, Gen Editors (Newburg Park, CA: Shiloh Publishing, 2012), pp. 1371-1374); Note some of the highlights:
a. Boston was established in 1630 – people lived peaceful lives focuses on family; church; community – good relations with Indian tribes of the area; self-governing – elected their own leaders in church and state; until 1765.
b. Rise of King George III brought in Colonial micromanagement of the Monarchy
• King appointed tyrannical governors who began limiting freedoms [Sound familiar? CA; NY; MI; etc.
• British agents and agencies sprang up to regulate the daily activities of the people [us?]
• Religious Freedom was threatened – King wanted to appoint Anglican Bishop over America, forcing all of the colonies into the Church of England or be guilty of treason (clergy tax)
• New taxes on commodities and services whether they wanted/used them or not [no voice]
c. Boston was about 20,000 in population and began objecting
• God-fearing, law-abiding people
• Their objections: This violated the British Traditions, Law, Bill of Rights
• King’s response was to send 4000 seasoned troops to Boston to intimidate and censor the people. [Brown Shirts; Antifa; BLM; et al
“When you tear out a man's tongue, you are not proving him a liar, you're only telling the world that you fear what he might say.” George R.R. Martin, A Clash of Kings (NY: Bantam Books, 1999), p. 229.
• Coercive acts to disband colonial juries; replaced elected officials with unelected, officials appointed by the King; Boarded Troops in American Homes by force; considered one of the Intolerable Acts [Reason for third amendment to the Constitution: No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
d. Parallel to 2 Chronicles 10 and the beginning of the reign of Rehoboam:
• Old Advisors – lift taxes (2 Chronicles 10:7)
• Younger Advisors – Add to the burden (2 Chronicles 10:14)
• Rehoboam listened to the younger and split the kingdom
e. Mounting Tensions
• February 22, 1770 – rising tensions; British fired into a crowd, killing a child
• March 5, 1770 – Teens insult British soldiers and one of them clouts a teen with his rifle butt; 200 Bostonians gathered and attacked soldiers throwing snowballs and sticks; British fire into the crowd, killing five. This became a rallying point for Americans
• Annual commemoration of the Boston Massacre – John Hancock gave the address in 1774 (British retaliation was approaching shortly after Boston Tea Party – December 16, 1773)
• Last paragraph of Hancock’s address to the crowd:
I have the most animating confidence that the present noble struggle for liberty will terminate gloriously for America. And let us play the man for our God, and for the cities of our God; while we are using the means in our power, let us humbly commit our righteous cause to the great Lord of the Universe, [Psalm 37:5] who loveth righteousness and hateth iniquity. [Hebrews 1:9] And having secured the approbation of our hearts, by a faithful and unwearied discharge of our duty to our country, let us joyfully leave our concerns in the hands of him [1 Peter 5:7] who raiseth up and pulleth down the empires and kingdoms of the world as he pleases; [Daniel 2:21] and with cheerful submission to his sovereign will, [Job 22:21] devoutly say: "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the field shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet we will rejoice in the Lord, we will joy in the God of our salvation." [Habakkuk 3:17-18] [John Hancock Boston Massacre Oration - March 5, 1774 (revolutionary-war-and-beyond.com)] An Oration; Delivered March 5, 1774, at the Request of the Inhabitants of the Town of Boston To Commemorate the Bloody Tragedy of the Fifth of March 1770. by the Honorable John Hancock, Esq (FB&C Limited, 2018).
o Recounted favorable relations with Great Britain
o Contrasted relations since King George III’s coronation in 1760
o Closed by telling the people to be optimistic and trust God no matter how gloomy things may be – Used Habakkuk 3:17-19.
4. So, what do we do in our world of Good vs. Evil, especially when Evil seems to be winning?
I. Trust the Wisdom of God
A. God Is Obviously Beyond Us – Romans 11:33
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
1. Job’s Justifications and Elihu’s Rebukes (Job 31-37)
2. God’s Questions (Job 38) – Job 38:2-4
2 “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Dress for action[a] like a man;I will question you, and you make it known to me. 4 “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding.
B. Wisdom seen in Christ – 1 Corinthians 3:20-25
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach[b] to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
Remember this: “Knowledge is the act of KNOWING and Wisdom is the act of DOING.”
George Washington Carver was one of our great scientists, and he often prayed, addressing God as “Mr. Creator.” One night he walked out into the woods and prayed, “Mr. Creator, why did you make the universe?” He listened, and this is what he heard: “Little man, that question is too big for you. Try another!” The next night he walked into the woods and prayed, “Mr. Creator, why did you make man [meaning, the human race]?” He listened and he heard this: “Little man, that question is still too big for you. Try another!”
The third night he went into the woods and prayed, “Mr. Creator, why did you make the peanut?” This is what he heard: “Little man, that question is just your size. You listen and I will teach you.” And you may know that George Washington Carver invented some three hundred ways to use the peanut. [Richard J. Foster. Journey into Meditative Prayer (Downers Grove, IL: Intervarsity Press, 2011), p. 84]
II. Trust in the Love of God
A. God’s MO – LOVE – 1 John 4:8 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
The love of God is one of the great realities of the universe, a pillar upon which the hope of the world rests. But it is a personal, intimate thing too. God does not love populations, He loves people. He loves not masses, but men. ~ AW Tozer
B. God’s Requirement – LOVE – John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
C. Our Motivation – 1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us.
III. Trust in the Guidance of God
A. We Need Outside Help – Jeremiah 10:23 I know, O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.
Erik Weihenmeyer has led a remarkable life. He is the first blind person to reach the summit of Mt. Everest (2001). In 2008, he climbed his seventh summit, highest peak on each continent. He has written books and produced a film of some of his accomplishments entitled, “Farther Than the Eye Can See.” Erik has been able to walk by faith, not by sight. He has achieved what many others could not in spite of his blindness – or maybe because of it. He has not seen the dangers of the climbs – nor the spectacular sites. His companions were his eyes and directed his steps to the goal.
B. Waiting on God’s Guidance Is Action, Not Delay
1. Veyahavta (Deuteronomy 6:6-9) – is ALL the time – no exceptions
2. Prayer – actively waiting on answers (Matthew 7:7) [Active Listening Vs. Passive – Full attention; Don’t Interrupt; Don’t fear Silence; Don’t Pass judgment or offer advice Active Listening: 8 Ways to Do It (healthline.com)
3. Observation in Anticipation of Acting – 3 Hebrews Boys; Daniel and Prayer
C. God Gives Strength – Habakkuk 3:17-18
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. 19 GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places.
1. He may remove the problem, He may not
2. Results are HIS
When asked why he never seemed discouraged or depressed over championing the unpopular fight against slavery, John Quincy Adams replied: Duty is ours; results are God's. [William J. Federer. American Quotations (St. Louis, MO: Amerisearch, Inc., 2013), p. 951.]
1. MercyMe – “Even If” (Lifer Album, 2017) – Chorus:
I know You’re able and I know You can//Save through the fire with Your mighty hand//But even if You don’t//My hope is You alone
2. “Even If” is a reminder that in difficult situations God is worthy Before-During-After those circumstances
3. A Rabbi was once told that he would not have part in the world to come. He began to dance with tears of joy. One of his disciples asked how he could be happy when losing out on the world to come. He said, “Now I can serve Him for who He is, not for what I can receive.”
