Habakkuk: The Righteous Live by Faith

Pastor Micah Colbert

Transcript

You can follow along on the screen as well. Why do you make me see iniquity? And
why do you idly look at wrong destruction and violence are before me strife and
contention arise. So the law is paralyzed. And justice never goes forth. For the
wicked surround the righteous. So justice goes forth. perverted Father as we
open up your word this morning. I pray that you would minister your grace to
your people. Lord thank you for this book and desperate need that we have for
its message. So Lord I pray that its message would be clear. And that we would
embrace it by faith. But we thank you that you are a God who welcomes us to
bring our burdens and struggles before your throne of grace to find grace and
help in time of need. So encourage and strengthen your people as a result of our
time together in your word this morning. We pray this that Jesus may be
glorified. Amen. Lord why? It's a question that we've all asked. Lord why is
life so hard? Why aren't you blessing me? Why did you allow this pain this hurt
this evil thing to happen in my life? Lord why haven't you answered my prayers?
Why can't I feel your presence? Lord why do you seem so distant in my time of
pain and suffering? The question Lord why is not necessarily a sign of weak
faith. In fact as we'll see here in this book. It's an essential part of
strengthening a mature rich faith. Because in our brokenness. And we're surely
broken in our frustrations and despair the Lord invites us. to come to him.
Because Lord why is part of honest prayer and wrestling with God in the midst of
suffering and so we come to the book of Abakkuk and we see a prophet who is
wrestling with this very question. And so as we follow his journey this morning,
here's the great truth that we'll see that emerges from this great book. God
calls us to trust him. Even when we don't understand what he's doing. God calls
us to trust him even when we don't understand what he's doing and we see this
truth being developed first in chapters 1 and 2 where we see the struggle of
faith and then chapter 3 where we see the submission of faith. So let's begin
chapters 1 and 2 the struggle of faith. These chapters are really a dialogue
between Abakkuk and God and we see two cycles of the prophet praying and God
responding cycle 1 begins in verses 2 and ends in verse 11. I'll read the
section again. Oh Lord. How long shall I cry for help and you will not hear or
cry to you violence and you will not save. Why do you make me see iniquity? Why
do you idly look at wrong destruction and violence are before me strife and
contention arise. So the law is paralyzed and justice never goes forth for the
wicked surround the righteous. So the justice goes forth perverted a little
context as we begin Habakkuk is ministering during a very political tumultuous
time as well as a very spiritually troubling era in the life of God's people
politically. There's a major power shift that is taking place on the global
system Syria is on the down and the ruthless Babylonians the Chaldeans are on
rise spiritually the southern kingdom has been in steady decline and in fact
will be taken into captivity as a judgment shortly after the writing of this
book. So this is not an ideal time in which Habakkuk is living or ministry and
so we see the prophet crying out to God as he sees the injustice of God's
people. He says Lord. Why? Lord. How long you're not hearing me you're not
answering my prayer. Can't you see what is happening to your people?
Everything's going wrong. No justice the wicked are having their way. Why aren't
you doing anything about it? When we read this prayer, there is no pretense here
whatsoever. He's not suppressing his emotions in the name of being a good
Christian. You know, we've heard this before. Well, you know, I know things are
bad. I just got to deal with it after all things work together for good. That's
not what's going on here. He's angry. He's confused. He's frustrated. This is a
prayer of lament. It's real. It's raw. It's emotionally honest. Let's be clear
here. There's a big difference between the biblical lament that we see here and
mere self-pity. Self-pity is simply wallowing in despair. It's a it's a way of
simply taking the trials and the struggles and just relating it all to self. But
biblical lament is God word grieving. It's a struggle to process evil in faith.
Notice he says, oh Lord. He doesn't just simply say God of the generic sense. He
cries out to the Lord, the Covenant keeping faithful God, the one who has made
promises to his people, the one that he trusts. He's turning to the Lord for
answers as he struggles processing. What is going on around him? Lord, why Lord?
How long don't you see don't you care? Well, notice the Lord's answer in verses
5 through 11. The Lord responds by saying look among the nations and see wonder
and be astounded for I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe
if I told for behold. I am raising up the Caledonians that bitter and hasty
nation. March through the breath of the earth to seize dwellings not their own.
They are dreaded fearsome their justice and dignity go forth from themselves.
Their horses are swifter than leopards more fierce in the evening wolves. Their
horsemen press on proudly. Their horsemen come from afar. They fly like an eagle
swift to devour. They all come for violence all their faces forward. They gather
captives like sand at Kings. They scoff at rulers. They laugh they laugh at
every fortress for the pile up earth and take it. And they sweep by like the
wind and go on guilty men whose might is their own God. Not the response the
prophet was looking for God says I see I know and I am at work. But what I'm
about to do is not going to make any sense to you whatsoever. I'm going to raise
up an evil corrupt pagan nation and they will bring judgment on my people notice
how the prophet describes them. He says they're dreaded their fearsome their
proud. They're not intimidated or afraid of anyone or anything. And they're just
going to sweep right through the nation's bringing destruction and Havoc
wherever they go. Their God is their might and it seems like no one. Can stop
them. That was truly unbelievable for the prophet Habakkuk. How could a good God
use evil to punish his people? And Habakkuk had no mental or theological
categories for God doing something like that. And so the second cycle begins
notice the prophets prayer in chapter 1 verse 12 really through chapter 2 verse
1. Habakkuk says Are you not from everlasting? Oh Lord my God my holy one we
shall not die. Oh Lord you've ordained them as a judgment and you a rock have
established them for a proof you who are of pure eyes and to see evil and cannot
look at wrong. Why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the
wicked swallows up a man more righteous than he you make mankind like the fish
of the sea like crawling things that have no ruler. He brings all of them up
with a hook he drags them out with his net he gathers them in his dragnet so
that he rejoices and glad. Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes
offerings to his dragnet for by them he lives in luxury and his food is rich is
he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing Nations forever. I
will take my stand at my watch post and station myself on the tower and look out
to see what he will say to me and what I will answer concerning my complaint.
The prophet begins by affirming or rehearsing key theological truths not in
abstract but in the context of covenant love and relationship. He says oh Lord
my God. My holy one. He affirms the right truth but here is the struggle that
he's facing how can these things be true about my God in relation to what's
going on around me how does the truth translate over to what I'm seeing and
experiencing I mean if he's pure and holy then why doesn't he act in judgment
when sinners flagrantly violate his ways. If you promise to preserve and protect
us then why is he allowing us to be treated inhumanely like fish being dragged
up from the sea. If his kingdom rules over all and he will not share his glory
with another then why is he allowing evil people to flex their power over the
nations without being punished. If God is who he claims to be why could this
possibly be happening? And before we come down on Habakkuk. Isn't that our
struggle as well? Aren't there times when it seems like there's a discrepancy
between what we know to be true of God and the struggles that we're facing in
life. And in those times there's really only one of two ways to respond. We
either begin to interpret God through the lenses of our struggle which leads to
bitterness and unbelief. Or we begin to interpret the struggle through the
lenses of who God is. And what he has done for us in Christ which empowers us to
persevere in faith. Which lens will you choose to look at your life through? So
in 2 1 he says this I will take my stand I will wait. And hear what the Lord
says. So beginning in 2 chapter 2 verse 2 all the way through verse 20 we see
God's response. The Lord answered me write division make it plain on tablets so
he may run who reads it. For still division awaits its appointed time it hastens
to the end it will not lie. If it seems slow. Wait for it. It will surely come
it will not delay. Behold his soul is puffed up it is not upright within him.
But the righteous shall live by his faith. Moreover wine is a traitor an
arrogant man who is never at rest his greed is as wide as shield like death he
never has enough he gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all
peoples will stop there. Notice the patience and the kindness of God in his
response to the struggling prophet. He doesn't directly rebuke him. As a
psalmist says he knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust as a father
shows compassion. To his children so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear
him and so he tells the prophet right division down. It's going to take time. It
won't happen according to your timetable, but don't worry. I will judge I will
bring down the proud I will bring down the enemies of my people the proud here
are described in verse 5 is those who are puffed up who are restless who are
deceived by pleasure and power and they seem like they're having their way. But
their demise is inevitable. Now granted the judgment seems slow at times. It
seems like it's delayed and what is God ask us to do? Wait. Wait. The single
common hardest thing God asks his people to do. Is to wait. To wait means to
submit to lay down our plan to lay down our agenda. Trust him and hope. And as
we wait verse 4 reminds us our waiting is not in vain. For the righteous live.
By faith. Faith is not some kind of vague belief. It's a deep dependence. It's a
trust. It's a reliance. It's a hope and a looking to the Lord standing on his
promises. It's a hope that leads us to action to submission as we're going to
see later in the book a hope that leads us to steadfast secure joy. This really
is the central truth to the entire book, but it's also that which summarizes the
entire life of the Christian as well. This truth is picked up in the New
Testament numerous times as the writers speak of all aspects of our salvation
according to Romans and Galatians. We read that we have eternal life as we in
faith repent and look to Jesus for salvation from sin. In Hebrews 10, we see
that God calls his people not to shrink back in unbelief or doubt when trials
and sufferings come but to persevere and endure living by faith as we lay hold
and cling to the promises of God. Friend, this is how we live not just how we
were saved. It's how we live day by day by day by day the righteous live by his
faith as we wait. And look to him. To be faithful to his promises. And so the
vision that is articulated in verses 6 through verse 20. There are five woes
that we read here two cycles of woes concluding with a statement about the
Sovereign Majesty and glory of God the first well in verses 6 through 8 he says
shall not all of these who once were captive take up their taunt against him
Babylon was scoffing and riddles for him and say to him woe to him who heaps up
what is not his own for how long and loads himself with pledges will not your
debtors suddenly arise and those awake who will make you tremble then you will
be spoiled for them. Because you have plundered many nations all the remnant of
the people shall plunder you for the blood of man and violence to the earth the
cities and all who dwell in them. In essence, he's saying listen you terrorized
the nation's you ruthlessly robbed and plundered the people's but now. You will
be plundered. God will right the wrongs verses 9 through 11 the second woe woe
to him who gets evil game for his house to set his nest on high to be safe from
the reach of harm you devised shame for your house by cutting off many peoples
you have forfeited your life for the stone will cry out from the wall and the
beam from the woodwork respond. He's saying you thought that you were somehow
above danger like the Eagles nest safe from the reach of harm. But you're going
down you built your kingdom brick by brick on violence and now those very stones
are crying out against you. Notice the third woe in verses 12 to 14 which ends
the first cycle woe to him who build the town with blood and found a city on
iniquity behold is it not from the Lord of hosts the people labor merely for
fire and Nations weary themselves for nothing. For the earth will be filled with
the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. He says here
you built your cities you exalted your glory with money game for murder and
robbery. But all that work all that labor was in vain you wearied yourself for
nothing because the Lord of hosts that name means the God of armies the one who
sovereignly rules over all spiritual and earthly powers. He will make all of
your games. Turn into ashes. And he concludes his first cycle of woes with this
awesome truth verse 14 for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the
glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Here's why we can be confident
that God will bring final and full judgment. On the enemies of God's people.
God's mission will triumph. We don't have to wonder how this is all going to end
because the glory of God will be known and it will be celebrated in all the
earth in all the earth. He says as the waters cover the sea the idea there is
all-consuming all-encompassing nothing no one outside of its life giving
presents waters cover the sea that seems kind of a strange way of putting it we
might put it this way as the syrup covers the pancake. You know what I'm talking
about like those flapjacks if you were in the South at any point in your life
which hopefully you have those flapjacks from Waffle House and you put the syrup
on it and you don't just dab it some of you are dabbers I'm talking you pump it
in it's the kind that makes you smile and gives you an early onset of diabetes.
It's just full and there's no nook or cranny that somehow outside of that sweet
syrup. In the same way there's going to be no space on this earth where the
glory of the Lord won't sweeten it. It's going to be a beautiful beautiful
thing. Now you say well when's that going to take place revelation 21 reminds us
of that day and revelation 21 John sees the vision he sees this promise coming
to fruition he says I saw the new heaven and the new earth for the first heaven
and the first earth had passed away and the sea was no more. I saw the Holy City
New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God prepared as a bride adorn for
her husband and I heard a loud voice from heaven saying behold I love this beat
the dwelling place of God is with me he will dwell with them they will be his
people and God himself will be with them as their God he will wipe away every
tear from their eyes all the disappointments all the heartache is going to be
gone. God himself will wipe it all away. Neither shall there be mourning or
crying or pain anymore for the former things have passed away. No more tears. No
more sorrows no more heartache. Everything that we believe will give way to
sight. I know some of you are struggling. And you feel like God isn't hearing
your prayers and you may feel as if you are just drowning in a sea of
disappointment and discouragement and there's just no hope in sight. The earth
will be filled with his glory and you will know it and you will experience it.
If you know Christ that is your hope so keep trusting in him even when it seems
like life doesn't make sense. The second cycle begins in verse 15. He says woe
to him who makes his neighbors drink pour out your wrath and make them drunk in
order to gaze at their nakedness. You will have your fill of shame instead of
glory drink yourself and show your uncircumcision the cup in the Lord's right
hand will come around to you and utter shame will come upon your glory the
violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you as well the destruction of the beast
that terrified them the blood of man and violence to the cities the cities and
all who dwell in them. He said you made the nation's real and stagger like
drunks and then you gloated over their nakedness and shame but now you're going
to be put to shame you drunk down God's judgment on yourself you will stagger
you will fall. You cut down the forests of Lebanon and now you will be cut down
you terrified the wild animals and now terror will strike you because of your
murdering and violence. Be not deceived God is not mocked we come to the final
woe versus 18 through 20. What prophet is an idol when it's maker has shaped it
a metal image a teacher of lies for its maker trust in his own creation. When he
makes speechless idols woe to him who says to a wooden thing awake to a silent
stone arise can this teach behold it's overlay with gold and silver there's no
breath at all in it but the Lord is in his Holy Temple. But all the earth keep
silent before him. This final woe ends with this great theological truth that it
is the Lord not idols not you not anything or anyone he's the one who sits on
the throne infinitely powerful infinitely wise infinitely good he knows the best
way to accomplish the best purposes. Doesn't need our counsel doesn't need our
approval doesn't need our help an absolute Sovereign Majesty he rules and reigns
from his holy dwelling place on high so be silent and submit. God response ends
right there. That's not just the end of God respond, but that's really the
turning point. For Habakkuk this is where the struggle of faith gives way to the
submission. of faith. Beginning in chapter 3 we read a prayer of Habakkuk the
prophet according to Shigayanov. Hopefully we pronounce that quasi right this
was a prayer that was meant to be sung by the nation of Israel to strengthen
their faith in times of struggle by encouraging them to remember and rehearse
God's mighty acts of Redemption. Here's a big turning point in Habakkuk and in
the life of God's people. I'll read what the prophet remembers in verses 2
through 15 and then we'll comment on it. He says oh Lord I have heard the report
of you and your work oh Lord do I fear in the midst of the years revive it in
the midst of the years make it known in wrath remember mercy. God came down from
Teman and the Holy One from Mount Peron his splendor covered the heavens and the
earth was full of his praise. His brightness was like the light raised flash
from his hand and there he veiled his power before him went pestilence and
plague followed at his heels. He stood and measured the earth. He looked and
shook the nation's and the eternal mountains were scattered the everlasting Hill
sank low his worthy everlasting ways I saw the tents of cushion and affliction
and the curtains of the land of Midian and tremble was your wrath against the
rivers oh Lord was your anger against the rivers or your indignation against the
sea when you rode on your horses on your chariot of salvation you stripped the
sheath from your bow calling for many arrows Silla you split the earth with
rivers the mountain saw you and ride the raging waters swept on the deep gave
forth its voice it lifted its hands on high the sun and the moon's fit still in
their place at the light of your arrows as they sped at the flash of your
glittering spear you marched through the earth in fear you threshed the nation's
anger you went out for the salvation of your people for the anointed of yours
for the salvation of your anointed you crushed the head of the house of the
wicked laying him bare from thigh to neck. Pierce with his own arrows the head
of the Warriors who came like a whirlwind to scatter me rejoicing as if to
devour the poor in secret you trampled the sea with your horses the surging of
mighty waters. The prayer begins with a plea for mercy Lord Covenant keeping
faithful God he says look you worked in the past a great salvation for your
people and even as we rightfully experience your judgment show us mercy and save
us again. So he begins to rehearse then what God did to redeem and save his
people that we read of in the Exodus account he says I see God moving across the
desert from Mount Sinai from Timon and Peron his brilliant splendor fills the
earth and sky his glory fills the heavens the earth is full of his glory he
shakes the nations he scatters the mountains he levels the hills nothing no one
can resist his power for his ways are everlasting. The nations that he was about
to conquer Cush and Midian they're in fear for who can stand before this God.
The sea in the river rivers which symbolizes the nations that are hostile to the
people of God. They don't stand a chance when God comes down in his wrath the
mountains whose power and majesty seem unmovable shake and tremble the sun and
the moon stand still we're calling God answering the prayer of Joshua in his
critical battle against the Amorites. We see God the warrior the sovereign
warrior marching across the land in awesome anger and trampling down all of his
enemies as he saves his chosen people he crushes the head of the wicked and he
lays bare their bones from head to toe with his own weapons. He destroys those
who come out like a whirlwind against his people thinking that they would be an
easy pray. Here's the key to understanding verses 3 through 15. The prophet is
not merely rehearsing God's works of redemption in the past. He's also
envisioning what God will do to redeem and save his people in the future. And in
this way the Exodus and the conquest become a paradigm or a picture of what God
will do to judge his enemies and redeem his people in the future. So the Exodus
in that sense pictures a greater conquest and a greater salvation. They find
this ultimate fulfillment in the Lord Jesus the conquering king who through his
death conquers death through his resurrection. He saves us from our greatest
enemy liberating us from sin death and hell and through his return he ushers us
into a greater promised land where his presence and blessing will dwell with us
forever. And so as the prophet both rehearses and anticipates what God will do
he concludes with this response in verse 16 and then in verses 17 through 19.
Verse 16 he says 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. 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 yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will take joy in the God of
my salvation. God the Lord is my strength. He makes my feet like the deers. He
makes me tread on my high places. The choir master with stringed instruments. In
this response notice his faith-filled thinking and faith-filled choices in verse
16. He acknowledges that he's going to be afraid. He doesn't deny that he knows
trouble is coming and trouble will come. Yet he says I will wait in hope. I will
wait in faith for God to right the wrongs for God to fulfill his promises. Even
if. Everything around me crumbles. Notice the decision I will rejoice in the
Lord. I will take joy in the God of my salvation. Why? Because God the almighty.
The Lord who keeps his promises. He is my strength. Not my circumstances. Not my
resolve. Not my resources. God the Lord. He makes my feet like the deers the
idea there is graceful stability over any and all terrain any and all
circumstances absolute sure footing because of the grace and mercies and
character and promises of God. Regardless of what is going on the prophet says.
I'm going to live by faith. Now this morning. I don't know what you're
struggling with. I do know that we all carry burdens every one of us. You're not
alone in your struggles never believe that lie. All of us have expectations that
have gone and will go on that. We all have sorrows. We all have disappointments.
We all ask why? And all of us have had dreams that have died a very brutal
death. And we endorse seasons of Divine Silence in the midst of our painful
struggles. That's you that's me. But here's the good news the Lord the God of
our salvation who redeems and rescues and shows us his love in Christ invites us
to come to him and find grace and help in our time of need. The struggle of
faith will only give way to the submission of faith when we learn to see and
respond and process life. God word perspective. So here's what Habakkuk is all
about. Here's the challenge for you and me this morning God calls us to trust
him. Even when we don't understand what he's doing. Let's pray. Lord, I thank
you that you are our God sovereignly ruling and reigning that you are the God of
infinite mercy and grace. And Lord, I thank you for the promise that we have
that the earth will be filled with your glory that you rule and reign over all.
But the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our God and you will
wipe away every sorrow. Every disappointment and discouragement Lord like
Habakkuk we often ask why? For administer your grace to us and we thank you.
Thank you that you have through this book. So Lord, I pray that we would learn
to trust you. Even when life doesn't make sense for your glory for our good we
ask this through your son Jesus. Amen. You