Habakkuk Asks God Questions.

 

I just finished listening to a sermon by Tim Keller on the book of Habakkuk chapter 1. He spoke this in 2009, after the 2008 crash of Wall Street. Many people lost their jobs at this time. It had become a hard time for almost everyone. As I was listening, I thought it could be a sermon preached for today.

The people of Israel had become wicked. They were even doing more evil than the countries that surrounded them. God had sent them many prophets, but they would not listen to them.

Habakkuk was a prophet of God at this time and his book opens with him asking God,

“O 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,
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.”

I would say destruction, violence, strife and contention is the order of the day in our world and in our own country. Americans have become two sets of people who argue continually and some become violent and kill. There are record mass shootings, the rule of law is threatened and of course when you think about justice, it is sorely missing.

Habakkuk wanted to know why God wasn’t doing anything to stop it. Where was he? God answered him by telling him the Babylonians would be coming to take the country of Israel by war. Their goal was to rule the known world, which they did.

Habakkuk didn’t like to hear that and asked if they would all be destroyed. He said, “Are we like fish to be caught and killed?” He decided to wait and watch for God’s answer.

The answer is interesting, because God tells him to get pen and paper and write down what he says. He tells Habakkuk what he is saying is going to happen in the far future and the end of time. I know God’s answer is a lot to read, but it is also vitally important if a person wants to know what the Lord’s will is for people. He wants people to have love, justice and generosity, but what he describes of the world is the opposite of that.

God is saying that at times he must put an end to evil, in Habakkuk’s time and in ours. It’s because there is too much evil and too many people are being harmed. At the end of time, I think it will be a necessity because the world is dying from global warming. He will come to rescue those who believe in him.

I’m just going to copy and paste Chapter 2 of Habbakuk.

Then the LORD said to me,

“Write my answer plainly on tablets,

so that a runner can carry the correct message to others.

This vision is for a future time.

It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled.

If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently,

for it will surely take place.

It will not be delayed.

 “Look at the proud!

They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked.

But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.

Wealth is treacherous,

and the arrogant are never at rest.

They open their mouths as wide as the grave,

and like death, they are never satisfied.

In their greed they have gathered up many nations

and swallowed many peoples.

 “But soon their captives will taunt them.

They will mock them, saying,

‘What sorrow awaits you thieves!

Now you will get what you deserve!

You’ve become rich by extortion,

but how much longer can this go on?’

Suddenly, your debtors will take action.

They will turn on you and take all you have,

while you stand trembling and helpless.

Because you have plundered many nations,

now all the survivors will plunder you.

You committed murder throughout the countryside

and filled the towns with violence.

 “What sorrow awaits you who build big houses

with money gained dishonestly!

You believe your wealth will buy security,

putting your family’s nest beyond the reach of danger.

But by the murders you committed,

you have shamed your name and forfeited your lives.

The very stones in the walls cry out against you,

and the beams in the ceilings echo the complaint.

 “What sorrow awaits you who build cities

with money gained through murder and corruption!

Has not the LORD of Heaven’s Armies promised

that the wealth of nations will turn to ashes?

They work so hard,

but all in vain!

For as the waters fill the sea,

the earth will be filled with an awareness

of the glory of the LORD.

 “What sorrow awaits you who make your neighbors drunk!

You force your cup on them

so you can gloat over their shameful nakedness.

But soon it will be your turn to be disgraced.

Come, drink and be exposed!

Drink from the cup of the LORD’s judgment,

and all your glory will be turned to shame.

You cut down the forests of Lebanon.

Now you will be cut down.

You destroyed the wild animals,

so now their terror will be yours.

You committed murder throughout the countryside

and filled the towns with violence.

     “What good is an idol carved by man,

or a cast image that deceives you?

How foolish to trust in your own creation—

a god that can’t even talk!

What sorrow awaits you who say to wooden idols,

‘Wake up and save us!’

To speechless stone images you say,

‘Rise up and teach us!’

Can an idol tell you what to do?

They may be overlaid with gold and silver,

but they are lifeless inside.

       But the LORD is in his holy Temple.

Let all the earth be silent before him.”

 

At the end of his book in Chapter 3, Habakkuk accepts all that God has said. He finishes with a paragraph filled with faith:

 

“Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,

and there are no grapes on the vines;

even though the olive crop fails,

and the fields lie empty and barren;

even though the flocks die in the fields,

and the cattle barns are empty,

yet I will rejoice in the LORD!

I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!

The Sovereign LORD is my strength!

He makes me as surefooted as a deer,

able to tread upon the heights.”

 

If the time of the end of the world happens while we are here, this is the attitude we must have if we want to be saved from this world of sin. We see the sin in the news every day. Everyone must choose who they want to follow, God or Man. Do we want the things of this world which will ultimately be destroyed? Do we want to do anything we can to have wealth, status and power? These are the people who ignore or use the poor for their own ends. These are the people who start wars in order to make money. These are the people who fight against the poor to have a living wage. They buy up land, apartment buildings and houses and then ask exorbitant prices so they increase the homeless population. Do you want to align with such people? This is what the Lord is asking all of us. He has left that choice to us, he cannot force anyone to turn to him and with his strength, become a good person.

 

If you would like to listen to Tim Keller’s sermon, you can find it here.

Why Does God Do Nothing? - Gospel in Life

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Global Warming and God.

 

Because many people can see global warming is killing the planet, I feel compelled to tell people about the words of God who has warned us of this for thousands of years. He spoke through different men who wrote down what he said.

Jesus warns us of what will happen at the end of time, he said, “For at that time there will be great tribulation, unmatched from the beginning of the world until now, and never to be seen again. If those days had not been cut short, nobody would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short.”

“At that time, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders that would deceive even the elect, if that were possible. See, I have told you in advance.”

“So, if they tell you, ‘There He (Jesus or the Messiah) is in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days:

‘The sun will be darkened,

and the moon will not give its light;

the stars will fall from the sky,

and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”

“At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branches become tender and sprout leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you will know that He is near, right at the door. Matthew chapter 24.

Isaiah writes, “The earth mourns and withers;
the world languishes and withers;
the highest people of the earth languish.

The earth lies defiled
under its inhabitants;
for they have transgressed the laws,
violated the statutes,
broken the everlasting covenant.

Therefore, a curse devours the earth,
and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt;
therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched,
and few men are left.”   Isaiah 24:4-6

Jesus said, “On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”   Luke 21:25-28

Peter wrote, “But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.”

“Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness 12as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt in the heat.  But in keeping with God’s promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”   2 Peter 3:4-6

God says, “I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and glorious Day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”   Acts 2:19-21  I would say the sun turned to darkness is because of the smoke of fires and the moon looks like blood when there are massive fires.

Isaiah writes, “And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falls off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.”   Isaiah 34:4

 

All through the Bible, God warns us against sinning and asks us to repent and come to him. All through each person’s life, God speaks to them in their conscience. He works year after year on stubborn hearts, not wanting to give up. But he also gave us free choice. We can go to him for help and salvation or we can say, “No thanks. I want to live my life my way.”

The Lord says, “For I take no pleasure in anyone’s death, declares the Lord GOD. So repent and live!   Ezekiel 18:32

“As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?”   Ezekiel 33:11

I gave my life to God when I was nineteen. It was the best thing I’ve ever done. Life has been painful for me, but when I think of how my life would have been without Jesus, I know I would have died by suicide or worse. If you give your life to him, you will never regret it. You will join his family and be a son or daughter of God and live forever where all your deepest desires will come true.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Long, Lord?

 

The Book of Habakkuk from the Dead Sea Scrolls

Quite a few people in the Bible have asked God, “How long do I have to put up with this?” Even Jesus asked this question when his disciples and the Pharisees (religious leaders) were arguing. Mark 9:19 He was human as well as divine and knows how we feel.

Habakkuk was a prophet during a time when the king and leaders of Jerusalem were especially wicked. This was in the late 500s BC. The Bible doesn’t tell us anything about Habakkuk, but we can see what he is like through his prayers.

“O 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,
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.”   Habakkuk 1:2-4

God answers and tells Habakkuk he will punish these rulers of Jerusalem by sending the Babylonians to destroy them and the city. The Lord had told many prophets this and had warned the people of Jerusalem for years.

God said, “They have built high places to Baal on which to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I never commanded or mentioned, nor did it even enter My mind.” Jeremiah 19:5

Isaiah the prophet wrote about the people of Judah:

 “Your hands are the hands of murderers, and your fingers are filthy with sin. Your lips are full of lies, and your mouth spews corruption. No one enters suit justly; no one goes to law honestly; they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity. They hatch deadly snakes and weave spiders’ webs. Whoever eats their eggs will die; whoever cracks them will hatch a viper. 

Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. They pursue evil schemes; acts of violence mark their ways. The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks along them will know peace. So, justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows."
 Isaiah 59:3-9

I’m not so sure Habakkuk was happy with God’s answer. At first, he acknowledges the right of God to punish, but then he told God what he thought of the Babylonians and asked, “Is he to keep destroying nations without mercy?”

Then Habakkuk says something bold,

“I will take my stand at my watchpost
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.”

We can also pray like this. We can ask God anything and then wait for an answer. I’ve done this many times and he has always answered my questions. Either he puts the answer in my mind, I find it in the Bible or gives me a dream. My sister Liz asked God a question about 15 years ago and recently got the answer. She laughed about that, but it just shows that God will answer one day. We must be patient.

God tells Habakkuk to write down what he is going to tell him so many can read it. His answer to this question is long and I believe is not just about the king of Babylon. It looks to me like a judgment of the nations of all the world. And he specifically says, “For still the vision 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.  Habakkuk 2:3

The Pulpit Commentary says:

“The prophecy personified yearns for its fulfilment in "the end," not merely at the destruction of the literal Babylon, but in the time of the end - the last time, the Messianic age, when the world power, typified by Babylon, should be overthrown.”

In verse 4, God compares the wicked and the righteous by saying, “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.”  Instead of relying on their own strength, those who follow God live by faith in the strength of God.

So, what does God say? It seems to me I should copy down everything from Habakkuk from this point to the end of the book, but I won’t do that to you. It would be good to find the book online and read it, asking God to help you understand.

Suffice it to say, God tells of the evils the nations have done; how they have hurt the innocent. In chapter 3 he moves on to judgement, when he will come down and allow the earth to be destroyed while he saves those who are waiting for him. They are hiding from their persecutors, but he knows where they are.

When this earth is dying from global warming, which will cause heat from the sun to burn our food and people, then Jesus will return and rescue those who believe in him. This is told in the book of Revelation and is one of the last plagues to fall on earth.

“The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire.”  Revelation 16:8

God doesn’t cause the sun to burn us, be he allows the world to reap what it has sown. We have sown chemicals into the earth and sky and one day they will rain down on us. But there is hope in God. He will save those who wait on him. Jesus will come the second time in the clouds of heaven and call us to himself.

“I have made you and I will carry you;

I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”  Isaiah 46:4