The Zone Gathering

Habakkuk is a unique book in the Bible in that it openly questions the actions and wisdom of God. It teaches us how to respond when God’s actions don’t seem to match his promises and character. It also teaches us how to have the proper perspective in the midst of suffering and adverse circumstances.

Background

Habakkuk is a short book nestled between Nahum and Zephaniah in the minor prophets section of the Old Testament. His name means “embrace” or “to wrestle.” He does both with God in this book, and he seems to do both with his people, as well. He was a contemporary of Nahum, Zephaniah, and Jeremiah which means he lived during the reigns of Josiah (640-609 BC) and Jekoiakim (609-598 BC). His prophetic words probably came during the reign of Jehoiakim, who had neglected the religious reforms made by King Josiah and led the nation to political and spiritual ruin. (We read what God thinks of Jehoiakim in Jeremiah 22:13-19). Because of the psalm he wrote in chapter 3, many scholars believe Habakkuk was a temple priest.

Assyria was no longer a threat to Judah, but Babylon (or the Chaldeans) were. The Babylonians were pantheistic (worshiped many gods) and were known for their cruelty. Nebuchadnezzar defeated Egypt in 605 BC and turned his eyes towards Judah.

Chapter One: The Complaint

Habakkuk opens with a complaint: God, when are you going to wake up and stop the foolishness and lawlessness that are corrupting your holy people? (the HZ translation). God immediately tells Habakkuk that he is, indeed, about to do something– something so amazing that no one will believe it. The Babylonians will overthrow them and rule over them. Um, not exactly what Habakkuk was expecting. So he goes back to God and asks for some clarification.

Chapter Two: God’s Reply

God clarifies what is happening and why it is happening. He outlines in very graphic details the cruelty of the Babylonians, how they will come to world power, and how they will eventually be overthrown by their own pride and sinfulness.

Chapter Three: Worship

Habakkuk returns to God to offer praise. The outer circumstances have not changed, but something in Habakkuk has changed and he will rest in his faith in God.

Application

So what can we take away from this short book? As we encounter situations that don’t seem to line up with the character and promises of God, we can take cues from and model the response of Habakkuk.

• Prayer- We must pray. In the beginning, in the middle, and in the end. When things in our lives and the lives of those around us do not make sense, we should bring those questions and confusion to God. When Habakkuk does not receive the answer that he wants or expects, he continues to wrestle with God in prayer. In Chapter 2, we see he his posture– he will position himself where he can best hear God, and he will wait for God to speak.

• Vision- Habakkuk 2:2 contains the verse quoted by every person who talks about vision. Because Habakkuk is in a position to listen to and receive from God, he is given a vision of the future and a vision of God’s faithfulness. The big take-away for Habakkuk is not a vision of what God will do, but a vision of who God is. He has caught a glimpse of God. His prayers have not changed his circumstances, but they have changed his view of God.

• Praise- In the final chapter,Habakkuk models for us a heart of praise. He offers thanks to God, he praises God for what he has done in the past, and he praises God for who he is. Habakkuk 3:2 is one of my favorite Scriptures: “I have heard all about you, Lord, and I am filled with awe and the amazing things you have done. In this time of our deep need, begin again to help us, as you did in years gone by. Show us your power to save us. And in your anger, remember mercy.” Habakkuk then recalls Israel’s history and God’s saving power throughout their story. Journaling can help us respond to God properly in times of testing because it reminds us of God’s faithfulness. It can jumpstart your praise.

• Faith- Habakkuk rooted himself in his faith in God. There is a well-known little verse, “The just shall live by faith” tucked away in Habakkuk 2:4, and this verse is quoted three times in the New Testament- Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38. As the scholar Warren Wiersbe said, “It takes three books to explain this one verse.”

Habakkuk went to God with a complaint and received an answer he was not expecting. He was praying and hoping for revival, and that’s what he expected God to do. The answer God gave seemed inconsistent with his character and promises. In fact, it was not an answer. Rather, it was a new problem. And it was not just a national problem or a theological problem for Habakkuk; it was also a personal problem for him.

We will face situations that cause us to question the goodness of God, but Habakkuk gives us a road map. There is a difference between doubt and unbelief. Doubt comes back to God to debate, complain, argue, whatever. Unbelief abandons God. The answer does not lie in avoiding the questions; the answer lies in remaining laser-focused on God for the answers.

“To avoid tough questions, or to settle for half-truths and superficial pat answers is to remain immature, but to face questions honestly and talk them through with the Lord is to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ (2 Peter 3:18)—Warren Wiersbe, Be Amazed.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 11th, 2007 at 9:45 am and is filed under Bible Drills. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.