Good morning!
We're so glad you chose to join us today!
When we meet together in person, we share joys and concerns together. If you have any prayer requests to share, please add them as a comment on this post. When you are ready, use the prayer below to get started.
We confess that we don't have all the answers. You alone have the answers and know our futures. In our lives, Lord, show us a peace that passes all understanding when we face uncertainty. Help us to remember that you love us, provide for us, and guide us by Your perfect will. Amen.
Today's lesson is on Habakkuk 2:1-5.
Faced with unjust behavior of Judah's enemies, the prophet Habakkuk questioned the Lord. Habakkuk wondered whether the Lord heard his questions or if the Lord had left the conversation altogether. We know nothing regarding the exact details of the life of Habakkuk. With the events mentioned in this book Habakkuk likely served sometime during the last decade of the seventh century BC; that would be during the reign of evil King Jehoiakim (609-598 BC).
Following the split of Israel into two kingdoms in about 931 BC things went pretty much downhill for both. The kingdoms of Israel (10 tribes to the north) and Judah (2 tribes to the south). The Assyrians conquered and exiled the northern tribes in 722 BC. About a century later the Babylonian Empire became the regional superpower after defeating the Assyrians and Egyptians at the battle of Carchemish in 605 BC. King Josiah of Judah unwisely interfered, contributing to the Babylonian victory; Josiah's action also cost him his life. (2 Chronicles 35: 20-27) Just as Habakkuk 1:6 promised, Babylonian force invaded Judah and overthrew its king. For a few years, Judah's kings served as vassals to the Babylonians. However, this arrangement didn't last. During the final year of the reign of King Zedekiah (587 BC) Jerusalem and the kingdom fell to the Babylonians after about a decade of conflict. This places Habakkuk as a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah. Both prophets received a warning that the people of Jerusalem would face dire consequences because of sinful behavior. An outline of the book of Habakkuk reveals a conversation between the prophet and the Lord. Two sections of the book consist of the prophet's questions to the Lord. Following each round of inquiry, the Lord responded. In Habakkuk's first section of questioning, he expressed discontent that the Lord had seemingly not heard the prophet's call for correction of sin. In his complaint, the prophet's conclusion for this uncorrected state of affairs was that “the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails”. The Lord answered that he was going to use the Babylonians to punish Judah. This response left Habakkuk even more confused. In his lengthy rejoinder, the prophet asked why the Lord would use a less-righteous nation. Today's text picks up at the very end of Habakkuk's second complaint. In the first verse the prophet shifts from questioning the Lord to waiting for the Lord's response. When people call out to the Lord, the timing of his response is always perfect, but it is not always as fast as we desire. Habakkuk himself has been impatient in this regard. Habakkuk had no idea how long it would take. In this determined concentration, the prophet envisioned himself as a lookout who would stand at his watch as he performed the duty of a person responsible for sounding an early warning of something that was approaching. The Old Testament prophets were spiritual lookouts for the people they served. The prophets were to proclaim the arrival of the Lord's reign (Isaiah 52:8-10) and warn the people of the consequences of their disobedience (example Jeremiah 6:17). In most cases, the people failed to heed the warning of these prophetic watchmen. But if their failure to heed was due to the prophet's failure to warn, then the prophet would be accountable. The Lord replied to Habakkuk's complaints and told him to write it on tablets which would be almost permanent. When prophets wrote messages from the Lord they frequently did so on rolls (scrolls) of papyrus which would be fragile and could be burned. The same could not be said of stone. Habakkuk got his response but had to wait for its fulfillment. God's promise would eventually be fulfilled, but not on a timetable that Habakkuk desired. We frequently become impatient when we have to wait. Rather than wait for God to act, we may take steps to expedite God's promise. Rather than see God as patient we interpret God's silence as his refusal to act or hear. Habakkuk needed to trust that the Lord would respond to wickedness in the Lord's own time and manner. The Lord's message distinguishes two types of people. The first type is the person who is puffed up with self-assured pride and arrogance. Such a perspective was indicative of Judah's enemies during this time. The military strength of the Babylonians was undeniable, leading them to count their power as a god. Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar saw the expanse of the kingdom as the result of his power. Even as the Lord raised the Babylonians to conquer Judah, he acknowledged their pride. Such people will face dramatic consequences. (see Leviticus 26:19: Luke 18:14) The second type - the righteous – lives with an entirely different outlook, one of faithfulness. Their lives are grounded in righteousness. Such a person follows God's standards regarding their relationships with God and others. This person lives with integrity and without blame for wrongdoing. Psalm 15, attributed to King David, depicts the mindset and behavior of a righteous person. This type of person speaks well of others, keeps a trustworthy word and treats others fairly. God expresses great pleasure when his people live justly and righteously. This is because his nature is righteousness: and his rule over creation is one of justice. The Hebrew word translated faithfulness is also translated as “truth” in Jeremiah 5. To be a person of faith goes hand in hand with being a person of truth. Unfaithful people depart from the truth. In the book of Habakkuk, God calls his people to have faith in the truth of his plans, even when those plans seem unbelievable. Although the Babylonians would prosper for a time by placing faith in themselves, the people of Judah were to depend on the Lord. The apostle Paul connected the concepts of truth and faithfulness in applying them to his ministry as an apostle (1 Timothy 2:7; Titus 1:1) we must proclaim truth and live with faithfulness as we follow God and trust him. Elsewhere, Paul quoted Habakkuk 2:4b in explaining the nature of the gospel with regard to righteousness, which is a characteristic of God that is to be ours as well. (Romans 1:16-17) To be righteous is to do what is right in God's eyes but it can't be based on mere good behavior. Instead, a right standing before God is imputed on the basis of faith. Paul quotes Habakkuk in Galatians 3:11-14. In a section of Hebrews that teaches the importance of the perseverance of faith, quotes from a portion of Habakkuk 2:3: ”For, in just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.” And, “But my righteous one will live by faith:” We live by faith because we can trust that God will also be faithful to his promise. Babylon's military successes made them want more military conquest. The Bible addresses the dangers of pride and arrogance more than 200 times. Arrogant, prideful people always incur God's disfavor. Such prideful behavior will not go unpunished. God will reverse selfish ambition. In response to the arrogance and destructive behavior of Judah's enemies, the Lord predicts punishment in terms of five sets of “woe”. Although Judah was to suffer for its arrogant disobedience, its prideful and arrogant enemies would also experience a downfall equally devastating, if not more so.
Conclusion – Questioning God
Is it OK to question God's (apparent) actions or inactions? The dependable answer is, “It depends”. We see God tolerating, even welcoming questions in numerous places. (Examples: Judges 20:18; James 1:5; 4:2) One thing God does not tolerate, however, are inquiries that question his justice (see Job 40:8; Ezekiel 18:25-29; Jeremiah 2:29) The prophet Habakkuk came close to doing that. Consider the following thumbnail sketch of the book: Question 1: Why do you, O God, tolerate the sins of your people? Response 1: Don't worry about it – I'm sending the Babylonians to punish them. Question 2 : How is it fair to use the less-righteous to punish the more-righteous? Response 2: Don't worry about it-the Babylonians will get theirs too. God's ending of the discussion: Be quiet! When our suffering does not seem “fair” there are a lot of questions we might naturally ask. God was under no obligation to answer Habakkuk's questions and he is not obligated to answer ours. Habakkuk needed faith to trust the Lord's plans, regardless of whether or not those plans made human sense. God reminded Habakkuk that a life of faithfulness was most important. And the faith we are talking about isn't “blind faith”- a faith where one merely believes. Instead, the faith we are talking about is a faith based on evidence. God has a long track record of faithfulness to his promises. Upon that track record is where our faith is based. Such faith trusts God's control in all circumstances. As a result, we can be secure in him, regardless of whether or not we understand his plans.
Prayer
God, as we face life's hardship and want to question you, help us have the confidence of faith. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen
Questions for Discussion
Benediction
This week's benediction is from the Legacy Standard Bible.
Next week, we will begin our spring quarter, with the topic Examining our Faith. We will be switching back to Sunday School before the worship service.
The lesson next week will be on Jude 17-25.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWe are a small, rural Presbyterian church in southwestern Pennsylvania. Archives
April 2024
Categories
All
|