Book of Habakkuk

Sometimes we don’t like the way our world is shaping up.

Hab 1 Babylon bites the dust
Babylon was probably founded in the 23rd century B.C. It was sacked countless times and rebuilt almost as many.
It was taken by Cyrus II of Persian in 539 B.C. and by Alexander the Great two centuries later. It slipped into oblivion in the early Christian era before being rediscovered in the 19th century by Claudius Rich.
At the end of the 20th century it was spoiled by Saddam Hussein and in the early 21st century damaged by the U.S. army. Now it’s bracing for an oil pipeline.

When we watch the news, we’re disturbed.  When we look around at our own family or finances or failures, we don’t like what we see there either.

Life can disturb us. That’s how Habakkuk felt, and the Lord has given us this book to show us how the prophet worked through his emotions by faith and prayer.

The book of Habakkuk isn’t a set of sermons. It’s an unusual conversation between Habakkuk and his God about what was happening in Judah.

Troubled by the life of the nation, Habakkuk wondered why God would let Judah pursue an ungodly path.

The Lord replied, in effect, “Be patient, Habakkuk.  I will send Babylon to judge Judah for her sins.”

That raised more questions: How could God use a godless nation to judge Judah? The Lord assured Habakkuk that Babylon would face judgment too.

By the end of the book, Habakkuk had a clearer understanding of the heart and hand of God.

In response, he composed one of the most beautiful expressions of faith found anywhere in the Bible, one we too can use to express our faith in faltering times:

“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

Hab 2 Grakliani Hill
Archaeologists working at the ancient site of Grakliani Hill in Georgia have found inscriptions that may date back 2,700 years – well before the alphabet was known to have been in the use in the Caucasus.
Researchers say the writing is on the pedestal of an altar to a fertility goddess.

The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments” (Hab 3:17-19).

Key Thought:

When we don’t like the way our world is shaping up, we’re in the best possible place to learn how the righteous live by faith.

Key Verses:

“Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Hab 3:17-18).

Key Action:

We must live by faith, not by sight, trusting God fully even when everything seems to fail around us.

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