As I was thinking and preparing for this talk, I am reminded of all of the questions that are going around during this Covid-19 pandemic.  Questions like “Why would God allow this?” and “Does God even care about us?”.  “Where is your God?” and “If the God of the Bible is good, then why this?”.  Some of those questions are asked because people do really want to know and others are asked out of defiance at the God of the Bible.  Just this past week I was greeted by some pretty interesting and sad stuff on Facebook.  I was trying to encourage someone who was having a tough time with all of this isolation stuff and not being able to be free to do what he wants to do.  I mentioned that I don’t have the answers to why all of this is happening but I said that the will of God is for us to “Rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances.”  I mentioned the grace of God and that He is sovereign over all of this and because of His grace we could rest in Him knowing that God has a purpose.  My desire was to encourage this person.  Another person decided that he would make a comment about what I wrote and he said that he was going to “take a pass on the grace of God.”   He went on to say that God “…is sitting in a chair with some popcorn laughing His a** off as we crumble so I’ll take a hard pass on His grace.”   Wow!!!  Someone else sent me a picture depicting Jesus looking over the earth with a vial in His hand pouring it out on the earth with the words “Have some coronavirus.  I love you so much.  LOL.”  Sobering!!  Is it any wonder that we find ourselves where we do today?

 

I could not help but think about that for the next couple of days and wonder what God might be doing.  The book of Habakkuk is only three chapters long.  We really don’t know much about Habakkuk but we can figure out that he is writing this short book during a time of Israel’s rebellion.  I want you to remember that Habakkuk is also a work in progress and he was asking many of the same questions that people are asking today.  He is not only asking questions, but he is also complaining a little bit too. The book starts out with the words “The oracle (or problem) that Habakkuk the prophet saw.” (v.1)  If you were to read the book, and I would encourage you to do that, you will come to the conclusion that Habakkuk was a spiritual man, he was a man who loved his people, and he was a man who desired the glory of God in all things.  If you look at vv.2-4 you will read Habakkuk’s complaint.  It is a complaint very similar to the ones that we hear today.  “How long must I call for help but You do not listen?” or “Why do You make me look at injustice?” or “Why do You tolerate wrong?“.  Habakkuk goes on to say that things are getting out of hand and the law means nothing and justice never prevails, and has even become perverted.  God, things are out of control and You don’t seem to care!!!  Does that sound at all familiar? 

 

The cool thing about this is that Habakkuk has just asked all of these questions and made all of these complaints and now God speaks through him to give His answer to Habakkuk.  Habakkuk knew something needed to be done.  He knew that God was the One who was going to have to do it.  But, he was not prepared for how God would do it.  It is sort of like this:  God, I know You are good, I know that You are sovereign and control all things, but I just don’t understand how or why You are doing it this way.  Look with me at vv.5-11  “Look at the nations and watch-be utterly amazed.  For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.”  God goes on to say through Habakkuk that He is raising up the Babylonians who were ruthless and ungodly as they come and that they are going to sweep across the entire earth and swallow up everyone.  They have everything they need to do it and there is not another nation, king, or ruler who can stop them. 

 

Habakkuk simply does not understand.  Vv.12-17 he says I know that You are God.  I know that we will not die and that You have appointed them to execute judgement, but why?  How can You tolerate their evil?  How can You allow them to swallow up those who are more righteous than they are?  Will this ever stop?  Lots of questions.  Good questions!  Questions that you might even think deserve an answer, but Habakkuk pauses and says I need to think about this for a minute.  Habakkuk 2:1  “I will stand my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what He will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.”  It is almost as if Habakkuk pauses to take a walk on the city walls and look over all that is happening, knowing that this is the hand of God, and waits for an answer.  God does give him an answer and He tells Habakkuk to write it down.  God says that it will happen in His time and that there will be an end.  He says you can write it down because it will happen. 

 

God starts by saying in v.4 that man is puffed up.  Righteousness is not at the forefront of his mind.  He thinks that he has all the answers.  He thinks that he can figure it out.  He has got it all together.  God goes on to say “but the righteous will live by his faith.”  We as believers, the righteous, are to believe what God says because He said it.  God goes on to talk about those who are puffed up in vv.5-13 and all that is characteristic of them.  They are arrogant and never at rest.   They are greedy, they steal, they extort, they make people afraid.  They kill people and destroy lands and cities.  They plot and scheme to get more because they are never satisfied.  In the middle of all of this look at what God says in v.14 “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, s the waters cover the sea.”  Think about this in the midst of the mess.  God is speaking of His ultimate triumph.  We are told over and over again in Scripture that God will triumph and everyone and everything will bow to Him. 

Romans 14:11 “As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knew will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.”

Philippians 2:10-11 “…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Revelation 7:9-12 tell us that people, who you can not even count because there are so many, from every nation, tribe, people and language will stand before the throne of heaven and praise God.

 

You can wake up in the morning and listen to the experts on the television try to give you all of the answers.  The president has a task force meeting every afternoon to update the American people on what is happening and what progress is being made and for many of us it is not happening fast enough.  The thing that is so radical in the midst of all of this is that the truth of the Word of God and His promises runs straight through all that is going on around us.  Do you as a believer understand that whatever the circumstances might be, it is immensely important that the right standing of a man or woman before God is established by grace through faith?  READ THAT AGAIN ! 

 

THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE BY HIS FAITH

 

You can listen to the experts and get all worked up because they seemingly do not have all of the answers, and yet they are the experts, but the righteous will live by his faith.  Christians should live by faith.  Who or what is the object of your faith?  This kind of faith that Habakkuk describes, and that that NT authors promote, is continuing trust in God, and clinging to His promises, even in the darkest days. 

 

God has ordained the end, but He has also ordained the means to that end.  The righteous will live by his faith.  Don’t forget that the knowledge of the glory of the Lord will cover the earth.  Look with me at Habakkuk 2:20 where Habakkuk after speaking of more of the disaster that is to come anchors himself to the fact of “But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.”  Look at that statement against vv.18-19 where God speaks of idols that cannot speak.  An idol that man has carved; his own idol from wood or stone and he says to that piece of wood “come to life’ or “wake up.”  What is that?  In the story of the mount of transfiguration in Matthew 17 the Peter, James, and John were enamored with the appearance of Moses and Elijah when the Father said to them “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” (v.5)  In the same way God says to Habakkuk “Let all the earth be silent…”  Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God…”  Sometimes we need to shut our mouths, quiet our hearts, calm our minds and be still.  Do you really understand who God is?

 

Look at the progression of Habakkuk.  He has gone from questioning and complaining to thinking and listening and now we find him praying and singing.  Habakkuk 3:2 “Lord I have heard of Your fame; I stand in awe of Your deeds, O Lord.  Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.”  Lord, revive your work and your church in the midst of all of this chaos and fear and worry.  God, whatever it takes, revive Your church for Your glory and the good of the people.  We might not think that it is good right now; we might think that there is a better way; but in Your wrath please remember mercy. 

 

What is your greatest fear?  What is it that you worry about?

Do we want God to be glorified?

Do we want the church to be revived?

Is God alone sufficient for you and for me?

 

V.6 says “He stood, and shook the earth; He looked and made the nations tremble.”  Sound familiar?  We have had earthquakes all around the world almost every day.  In the midst of the pandemic there were two terrible storms with tornadoes that swept across the “Bible Belt” in the southern states of the US.  Hurricanes, fires that rage out of control in Australia and in the western United States.  A virus that cannot be seen with the naked eye has stopped all commerce around the world and governments are scrambling to do something.  Do you suppose that God might be doing something?  Do you suppose that God might be on His feet and shaking things up a little bit?  I would encourage you to be like Habakkuk and go ahead and voice your complaints and questions to God.  He can handle it.  But then you, me, we all need to stop and think and listen and remember that “the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.”   Don’t wait for everyone else to do it, you do it.  You start it.  And when you do it, remember that it is “the righteous who will live by his faith.” 

 

Know who you are and be sure that you have a right standing before God because of His grace through faith. 

 

Believe what God says because He said it!  You can trust Him!!!