The BLINDNESS In MISINTERPRETING GOD’s WAY--VI
—Habakkuk 1:10-11(:5-11)
Attention:
A girl asked a her boyfriend if he thought she was pretty. He said... ‘No.’
She asked him if he would want to be with her forever ... & he said ‘No.’
She then asked him if she were to leave would he cry, & once again he replied with a ‘No.’
She had heard enough. As she walked away, tears streaming down her face the boy grabbed her arm & said:
You're not pretty, you're beautiful. I don't want to be with you forever, I NEED to be with you forever. And I wouldn't cry if you walked away...I'd die.
People can actually misinterpret vital things in their lives....
And likewise, misinterpreting ‘God’s way’, devastatingly blinds a person to the true significance of God’s intentions—they are blinded to the absolute perfections of His actions, the perfections of His inactions, & the perfections of His heart.
So when anyone misinterprets ‘God’s ways’, they paint an inaccurate picture of God for themselves & others, & so they ‘naturally’ bring great distress to their life & to the lives of others.
Need:
*When people misinterpret God’s ways, they find reason to blame God.
Those who misinterpret God’s ways, are not concerned with applying God’s revelation—written & otherwise— to their lives. They neglect fellowship with believers. They neglect the call to personal godly righteousness. They leave their own God-ordained giftedness, untended.
•Such Christians neglect the seriousness & necessity of maintaining a close relationship with believers thru the local & global Church.
•Those who misinterpret God’s ways, find themselves disenchanted with God, with the Church at large, & of course, with the local church!
People who misinterpret God’s way, have ‘the audacity’ to think God is uninvolved, impersonal, as well as, vindictive, impulsive, & illogical!
*Whereas people who correctly interpret God’s actions, live & share the peace & abundant blessings that are shared among Citizens of the Kingdom of God, thru Christ Jesus, by personal faith.
Quick history:
Following King Solomon’s reign as king of Israel, Israel became split into two kingdoms...The ‘Northern kingdom’ called ‘Israel’, & the ‘Southern Kingdom’ called ‘Judah.’
‘The Northern Kingdom of Israel’ immediately broke from serving YHWH as their God. So God brought the Assyrian armies upon them to scatter & humiliate them.
At the time of Habbakkuk’s writing, the largely governing population of the ‘Northern Kingdom’ had long been conquered by the pagan Assyrians(100+ years), who had forceably exiled ‘The Northern Kingdom’ into various land areas under Assyrian control. And likewise, certain of the populations of other nations whom the Assyrians had conquered, were forceably planted within the Kingdom of Israel, which Assyria then controlled. The purpose was to wrest control away from the conquered inhabitants & assimilate them into Assyrian society.
At the time of Habbakkuk’s writing, ‘Judah’ ALSO had broken from serving YHWH-God! They had not learned from ‘the Northern Kingdom’s’ example! And so Judah as well, was about to be severely punished, but thru the currently reigning pagan Kingdom of the Babylonians(who were considered Chaldeans(1:6)), particularly under King Nebuchadnezzar. Those whom the Babylonians conquered were, in like manner as the Assyrians, exiled, repopulated, & assimilated.
So even we, God’s people, Christians, having had the payment for mankind’s sin accomplished by the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ...And having the Holy Spirit of God permanently indwelling them, are expected to grasp & live our lives with solemn seriousness!
And that leads us to wrestle ‘victoriously’ with the intricacies of, & the doctrinal realities associated with, God’s Good News in Christ, AKA--The Gospel!
The BLINDNESS In MISINTERPRETING GOD’s WAY--VI
—Habakkuk 1:10-11(:5-11)
For some weeks now, in our examination of the prophecy of Habakkuk, we have been in chapter 1. And so far, in verses :5-11, we have found that:
Misinterpreting God’s way, blinds you to...
1. A SUFFOCATING INSULATION(:5)
-&-
2. The EXTREME REACH Of GOD’s COMPASSION(:6a)
And we began to look at Habakkuk’s presentation of:
3A. The COST & CASUALTY Of RESCUE(:6b-11)[part-1--:6b-c]
3B. The COST & CASUALTY Of RESCUE(:6b-11)[part-2--:7-9]
TODAY, we’ll conclude our look into The COST & CASUALTY Of RESCUE(:6b-11), by delving into our third installment of those verses, specifically dealing with verses, :10-11.>.>.>.>.>.>.>
:10a—“They scoff at kings, And princes are scorned by them...”
The Chaldeans(:6)/Babylonians are not swayed by any supposed power wielded by either “kings” or “princes”, regardless of the nation they might attack.
“Princes” would be those in direct lineage to the king. “Princes” would have direct influence thru their father the King, in the workings of the kingdom under whichever King might be in power.
These Chaldeans completely disregard such commonly accepted social norms, such as a fearful regard for those of royalty & the positions those ‘royals’ would hold in a land.
“Scoff/Mock/Deride”—olq kaw-las’—Hithpael(reflexive/reciprocal) Imperfect 3rd Masc. Sing.—1) To mock, scoff—1b) (Hithpael)--To mock, deride, make fun of. Strong—To disparage, i.e. Ridicule; a primitive root. Used 4X--2Kgs. 2:23; Ezek. 16:31; Ezek. 22:5; Hab 1:10.
“Scorned/A Laughing Matter/Scoff/Scorn”—qxsm mis-khawk’—Noun Masc.—1) Object of derision. Strong—A laughing-stock. Used 1X--Hab. 1:10.?From—Mwuxv Shakh-ats-om'—Proudly; Shachatsom, a place in Palestine; from the same as--Uxv shakh'-ats—Haughtiness(as evinced by the attitude); from an unused root apparently meaning--To strut.
:10b—“They deride every stronghold, For they heap up earthen mounds & seize it.”
Any “stronghold” a nation might trust in, the Chaldeans/Babylonians see as nothing more than a bump-in-the-road to easily navigate! Thus they openly mock(“deride”) their adversaries...including Judah!
•And it is God’s intent to bring such “derision” upon the people of Judah, because Judah is treacherous!...Judah has ‘laughed at’ YHWH-God’s care for them!
•2Cor. 10:3-5—“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments & every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”
The Chaldeans/Babylonians do not hesitate to “heap up” “earthen” ‘siege’ “mounds” in order to “seize” any walled-city &/or protected nation with it’s people. And they have no qualms/misgivings about adding Judah to the peoples they conquer!
?Have YOU invented ‘unjustifiable’ ways, ‘finagled’ ways, maybe unconsciously, of overcoming God’s strongholds, that He has set up & ‘ways’ that He has determined as right?
“Deride”—qxs saw-khak'—Qal Imperfect 3rd Masc. Sing.—1) To laugh, play, mock—1a) (Qal)--1a1) To laugh (usually in contempt or derision), 1a2) To [make]sport, [or]play[of]. Strong—To laugh(in pleasure or detraction); by implication--To play; a primitive root. Used 36X.
:11—“Then his mind changes, & he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god.”
“Then” refers to the previous actions described in the text. Those actions are those willingly taken by the Chaldeans/Babylonians against their adversaries.
*This verse may ‘appear’ confusing if you compare translations.
•The Hebrew word here translated by the KJV & NKJV as “mind”, is xwr—most often translated as: “Spirit, Wind, or Breath.”
•Also the word here translated by the NKJV as “transgresses”, is rbe—usually translated as: “Pass, Go, or Cross over, thru, by, or beyond.”
•Hence the NASB95s—“...they will sweep through like the wind & pass on.”...& the NIVs—“...they sweep past like the wind & go on...”...
The Chaldeans/Babylonians thereby “transgress” or “pass over/on.”
But in so doing, they “commit offense” against God’s design for them. They take advantage of God’s design as an instrument of chastisement against Judah.
•The “offense” against God & His design, that the Chaldeans/Babylonians “commit”, is that they “ascribe/impute” the “power/strength” that they wield, to their own false “god.” And so they act by their false-god’s direction, & so they go beyond God’s intent for them!
Despite their being used by God, the Chaldeans/Babylonians trust & act thru the worldly & demonic power of their false gods!...And so, the Babylonians, will be ‘overzealous’ toward Judah’s destruction, by operating in their own flesh-driven manner. And by those self-made decisions, the Chaldeans/Babylonians themselves will be deserving of destruction by God!
?How does the Chaldean’s/Babylonian’s trust in themselves, speak to YOUR “transgression” against God?
Argumentation:
Num. 15:31-35—‘Because he has despised the word of the LORD, & has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt shall be upon him.’” Now while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses & Aaron, & to all the congregation. They put him under guard, because it had not been explained what should be done to him. Then the LORD said to Moses, “The man must surely be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.”
Prov. 1:20-30—“Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares. She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words: “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge. Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. Because I have called & you refused, I have stretched out my hand & no one regarded, Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress & anguish come upon you. “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD, They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke.”
?Have you ever known someone who said,...or maybe you-yourself have said, “I know ‘THIS’ is what God says, BUT I’m going to do ‘THAT other thing’ instead?...‘He’ll forgive me.’
•!I offer you a caution here...!DO NOT EVER PRESUME UPON or take advantage of God! NOR suppose that taking God’s forgiveness for granted is acceptable!
Mat. 23:23-28—“Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees[spiritual leadership of Israel], hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint & anise & cummin, & have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice & mercy & faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat & swallow a camel! Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup & dish, but inside they are full of extortion & self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup & dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones & all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy & lawlessness.”
YET God’s people must operate in the presence of such blindness & hypocrisy:
Mat. 13:24-30—“Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came & sowed tares among the wheat & went his way. But when the grain had sprouted & produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came & said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ “He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go & gather them up?’ “But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, & at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares & bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
Illustration:[UNUSED]
?After being away on business, Tim thought it would be nice to bring his wife ? a little gift. “How about some perfume?” he asked the cosmetics clerk. She showed him a bottle costing $250.00.
“That's a bit much,” said Tim. So she returned with a smaller bottle for $100.00.
Tim fidgeted & said, “That’s way more than I wanted to pay.”
Growing annoyed, the clerk brought out a tiny $35.00 bottle.
“That's still quite a bit,” Tim complained.
“What I mean,” said Tim, “is I'd like to see something really cheap.”
*The clerk handed him a mirror.
?Evidently, it would take a great deal, to ‘rescue’ ‘Tim’ from his ‘cheapness’!
?The COST & CASUALTY Of RESCUE?
*When God’s people step out of God’s will, it makes it ‘dangerously difficult’ for them & everyone around them!
In regard to the Judah of Habakkuk’s day, a nation with an opposing & detrimental morality & mores(môraz), will take Judah to task, to Judah’s detriment, for their(Judah’s) failure to honor God!
Application:
?Do YOU see The COST & CASUALTY Of RESCUE, needed to bring a proper interpretation & application of ‘God’s way’?
?Do YOU have an unwarranted frustration with ‘God’s way’?
?What is the COST & CASUALTY Of YOUR RESCUE?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Recall the girl’s misinterpretation of her boyfriend’s answers.
You’re not pretty, you're beautiful. I don't want to be with you forever, I NEED to be with you forever. And I wouldn't cry if you walked away...I'd die.
People can actually misinterpret vital things....
God has something better in store for you, as a result of His ‘rescue’ attempts!
Misinterpreting ‘God’s way’, blinds a person to the true significance of God’s perfectly loving intentions thru Christ.
?Why do you believe what you believe? Is it sentiment, or practicality alone, OR rather do you do as God’s written word directs & as God’s Holy Spirit leads?—?What Would Jesus Do?
Secular movies 'poke fun' at that question, simply because they do not know the power that is in a saving relationship with Christ Jesus!
Action:
Misinterpreting God’s way, blinds you to...
3C. The COST & CASUALTY Of RESCUE(:6b-11)[part-3--:10-11]
1. A SUFFOCATING INSULATION(:5)
2. The EXTREME REACH Of GOD’s COMPASSION(:6a)
3B. The COST & CASUALTY Of RESCUE(:6b-11)[part-1--:6b-c]
3A. The COST & CASUALTY Of RESCUE(:6b-11)[part-2--:7-9]
Presented 08/31/2025 am to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Rd.
Bennettsville, SC 29512
