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The Punishing Rod Part 1 Series
Contributed by Chris Swanson on Feb 16, 2024 (message contributor)
Summary: This is faith grappling with a problem. Habakkuk took his problem to God.
Part One
When Habakkuk was disturbed, he brought his interests straightforwardly to God. In the wake of accepting God's responses, he then, at that point, reacted with a supplication of faith. Habakkuk's model is one that ought to support us as we battle to move from uncertainty to faith. We do not need to be hesitant to pose inquiries of God. The issue is not with God's methodologies; however, it is with our restricted comprehension of him.
First question: 1:1-4
Habakkuk lived in Judah during the rule of Jehoiakim (2 Kings 23:36-24:5). He had prophesied between the fall of Nineveh (the capital of Assyria) in 612 B.C. and Judah’s invasion in 589 B.C. With Assyria in confusion, Babylon was turning into the predominant politically influential nation. This book records the exchange with God concerning the inquiries, "For what reason does God regularly appear to be apathetic with the evil that is happening? And for what reason do the those that are evil appeared to go unpunished? While other prophetic books carried God's Word to the individuals, this book carried the individuals' inquiries to God.
Habakkuk was disheartened and distraught by the defilement and corruption that he saw around him. Accordingly, he spilled his guts out to God, in other words, Habakkuk cried out. Today bad the rampant injustice is as yet uncontrolled, but we ought not allow our anxiety to make us question God or go against him. All things being equal, we ought to consider the message that God provided for Habakkuk and perceive God's long-range big picture of his plans. We ought to understand that what God is doing is correct, regardless of whether we comprehend the reason as to why he functions as he does.
First answer: 1:5-11
God reacts to Habakkuk's various forms of feedback by expressing that he will yet do staggering demonstrations that will extol himself. At the point when conditions around us become practically terrible, we keep thinking about whether God has failed to remember us. Yet, recall, that he is in charge. God has an arrangement and will pass judgment on criminals in his time. Assuming we are really modest, we will actually want to acknowledge his responses and anticipate his planning.
God told the occupants of Jerusalem that they would be shocked at what he was going to do. Individuals would see a progression of unimaginable occasions. First of all, their own autonomous and prosperous realm, Judah, would become a vassal country. Furthermore, Egypt, a country that had been a politically influential nation for quite a long time, would be squashed practically overnight. Thirdly, Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian Empire, would be totally scoured that the individuals would fail to remember where it had been. Then finally, the Chaldeans (Babylonians) would ascend into control. However, these words were without a doubt dumbfounding, and the people saw them come to fruition during their lifetime.
The Chaldeans (Babylonians), who lived northwest of the Persian Gulf, made a quick ascent to controlling the known world around 630 B.C. They started to champion themselves against the Assyrian Empire, and by 605 B.C. They had vanquished Assyria to turn into the most grounded force to be reckoned with. Yet, they were just about as underhanded and wicked as the Assyrians, for they wanted to gather hostages (1:9), they were pleased with their fighting strategies (1:10), and they confided in their godlike objects and military strength (1:11).
Babylon was glad for its military may, its procedures, its armed forces, and its weapons. Without really considering humankind, the armed forces got back wealth, goods, slaves, and recognition from the countries that they looted. Such is the embodiment of worshipful admiration, asking the divine beings that we make to assist us with getting all that we need. The substance of Christianity is asking the God who made all of us, to assist us with giving everything that we can in support of him. The objective of excessive admiration is self-wonder, the point of Christianity is God's greatness.