Habakkuk 1 – 2 : 1

When things happen do not coincide with what we expect………..

1.Our world

2.Our nation

3.Our church

4.Our family

5.Our career

6.Our relationships with others

Angry Depressed

Critical & Skeptical

When things happen do not coincide with what we expect………..

But God…… surely this cannot be your answer

Habakkuk 1:1-4 The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet received. Habakkuk’s Burden: How long, O LORD, must I call (shava) for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out (zahag) to you, "Violence!" but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.

1. Habakkuk’s contemporaries include Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and Zaphaniah

2. They are all prophets to Judah 3. Judah’s spiritual, political and

social sins abound

Brief Background on the times of

Habakkuk

Northern Kingdom Israel has been conquered by the Assyrians

Southern Kingdom Judah – about 609B.C., in the reign of King Jehoiakim shortly before Babylonian’s King Nebuchadnezzar.

Habakkuk as a person: 1.Meaning of his name: Embracer of God 2.A man who bore a burden of God

But God…… surely this cannot be your answer

But God…… surely this cannot be your answer

Habakkuk’s burden:

1. Judah’s sins and wickedness

2. God’s silence

Hebrew: massah מסה

• A load (cargo)

• It’s to be lifted up so that others can see

How is our society today better than Habakkuk’s time?

Wars

Murders

Homosexual

Drugs &

addiction

Terrorism

Materialism

Bribery

Child

abuses

Violence

Broken

families

Exploiting

the poor

Worship

of SELF

Youth

aggression

etc etc

etc

etc…..

Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.

Pastor Joe Wright of the United Sates,

His opening prayer on the new session of the Kansas House of representatives on 23rd January, 1996 (16 years ago!)

How is our society today better than Habakkuk’s time?

When God is not answering:

3 possible responses from men:

1. Total disappointment and give up completely

2. Go the safe and middle ground – non committal and play “smart”

3. Cry out to God (1:2)

How would you respond?

But God…… surely this cannot be your answer

And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

Finally, God answered Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:5-6 God’s Answer

"Look at the nations and watch-- and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.

But God…… surely this cannot be your answer

Finally, God answered.

Hallelujah! 1.God to bring spiritual revival 2.God to deliver Judah from sins

and unrighteousness

….But wait a minute,

Habakkuk, what is God saying?

Habakkuk 1:5-6 God’s Answer I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwelling places not their own.

But God…… surely this cannot be your answer

But God……

You are not serious, are

you? 1.God to judge Judah’s evil 2.God to send Babylonians to

punish Judah

Babylonians? God, do you know who they are,

what they will do to your own

people?

But God…… surely this cannot be your answer

Who were the Babylonians? 1. Babylon was in our Southern Iraq at this

moment of history 2. They were offspring of Abraham’s brother

Nahor (Genesis 22:23) 3. They settled in Babylon where the city of Babel

was • It is an actual place in history • It also signifies human society which try to

live independent of God

But God…… surely this cannot be your answer

1. God to bring spiritual revival

2. God to deliver Judah from sins and unrighteousness

Habakkuk’s Expectation

1. God to judge Judah’s evil

2. God to send Babylonians to punish Judah

God’s Answer and Actions

But God…… surely this cannot be your answer

Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

When God’s answer is different from what we expect………..

What did Habakkuk do?

Habakkuk 1:12-13 Habakkuk’s Prayer and Question O LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die. O LORD, you have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you have ordained them to punish. Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?

But God…… surely this cannot be your answer

When God’s answer does not meet his expectation 1. He was reminded on God’s

attributes (1: 12) • Everlasting / eternal God • Holy God - whose eyes are too

pure to look on evil, you cannot tolerate wrong

But God…… surely this cannot be your answer

When God’s answer does not meet his expectation 2.He related to God as his personal God (1:12): My God, my Holy One, My rock

But God…… surely this cannot be your answer

Is He your God? Do you know Him?

When God’s answer does not meet his expectation

3.He asked about the actions of God (1: 13-17): Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? (1:13)

But God…… surely this cannot be your answer

We compare!

What is God’s heart?

LOVE

Discipline

Correction

Repentance

Hebrews 12: 5-11 ,“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

…………….. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

But God…… surely this cannot be your answer

But God…… surely this cannot be your answer

We want to enjoy God’s

Blessings, grace and love but we

don’t want His

Discipline

He awaited for God’s answer of his prayers (2:1) 1.He took upon him the role of a watchman 2.He waited upon the Lord

But God…… surely this cannot be your answer

Ezekiel 3:17-19 & 33:7-9 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.

But God…… surely this cannot be your answer

Isaiah 40:31 but those who (wait upon) hope in the Lord will renew their strength.

But God…… surely this cannot be your answer

But God…… surely this cannot be your answer

Our Challenges

1.Embrace God and know His heart’s burden

2.When God is silent, we continue to pray and wait patiently for God’s answer

Our Challenges

3.When God’s answer is different from what we expected,: • Reminded of

God’s characters

• Relate to God in a personal way

• Ask God for the reasons

• Accept God’s discipline and correction which lead to repentance

Angry with God’s answer

Waiting for God’s answer

Waiting for God’s forgiveness

Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. “

Matthew 11:28