HABAKKUK

With God you can walk on top of any problem. In the book of Habakkuk we will learn what faithful behavior, in devastating circumstances looks like, and talk about Habakkuk's repsonses to God's devastation of Judah.

First of all I would like to tell you who Habakkuk was. He was what is referred to as a minor prophet. There are major and minor prophets, the only difference being the size of work that they wrote. The prophets with longer books were know as major prophets, and the ones who wrote shorter books, as Habakkuk is a minor prophet. This has nothing to do with
considering their importance to God or to their message of prophecy.

In Habakkuk's case he only wrote 3 chapters in his book.
Chapter 1 ~ Invasion of Judah (watch and see)
Chapter 2 ~ Doom of the Chaldeans (Stand and see)
Chapter 2 ~ "The JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH"
(kneel and see or Habakkuk's prayer.)

Habakkuk lived in Judah during the reign of Jehoaikim.
He prophesied between the fall of Nineveh (the capital of Assyria) in 612 B. C. and Babylonian invasion of Judah in 588 B. C. His name means "EMBRACE" or "embraced by Jehovah". He was the questioning prophet, the "JOB" among the prophets, he was also referred to as Doubting Thomas because he questioned God's way. He didn't fit the mold of a prophet. Not one word of Habakkuk's book was addressed directly to the people of his day. Instead, he recorded a series of conversations with God. He asked God some very difficult questions....questions that we may not have enough courage to ask.

Like: Why do bad things happen to good people?

Why does it seem that good things
happen to bad people in our world?

Why does it seem that God is absent
or asleep when evil is strongest?

Where was God when the Jews were being
Slaughtered during the holocaust?

Where is God when life seems unfair
and unjust?

You can't understand Habakkuks questions ..or God's answers.....unless you get a glimpse of the days in which he lived. We have had a glimpse in the Books prior to this one, when evil Kings reigned, and the evil doings of the people, the leaders, even the priests. There were several great prophets and kings who lived during this time who prophesied to the people God's desire for them to change and the reformation (however short-lived) that did occur. So we can relate to Habakkuk's questions to God asking "WHY?"

In all of his difficulties, Habakkuk went to God in prayer and waited patiently for his answer (2:1 -I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.) He went onto the watch tower and listened to God. When Habakkuk looked at his circumstances, he was perplexed (1:3 -Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me; and there are that raise up strife and contention.), but he waited for God and listened to Him, he sang (3:18-19--Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
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.)

He was a prophet, but there is something else of interest about him, he was one of the Levitical Choristers (a Levite who sang in the temple), or helped in arranging the services.
This was all that was known about him before he became a prophet.

The entire book of Habakkuk seems to be a dialogue between God and the prophet. Two conversations are recorded and the book closes with a hymn and doxology, which reveal that all the questions have been answered and there is a new confidence in God.

The third chapter is a magnificent song, sung in the night by Habakkuk and is closed with a sincere prayer (3:1-16. Then
God's glory appears, God always responds to the cry of His people. Habakkuk learns that he can have complete trust and faith in God, and realizes that God has his own wonderful plan and that he can only see a small part of that plan at a time. One must wait, for God to reveal his entire plan for us and we must know that God's way is the best way.

Crop failure and the death of animals would devastate Judah, but Habakkuk vowed that even in the times of starvation and loss, he would rejoice in the Lord. His feelings were not controlled by the events around him, but by faith in God's ability to give him strength. When nothing makes sense, and when troubles seem more that you can bear, remember that God gives strength. Take your eyes off your difficulties and look toward God. God will give His followers strength and confidence in difficult times. They will run as surefooted as deer across rough and dangerous terrain. At the proper time, God will bring about His justice and completely rid the world of evil. In the meantime, God's people need to live in the strength of His spirit, confident in His ultimate victory over evil. Man shall live by faith....faith is perceiving what is not revealed in the natural senses, the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things which are not seen.

F-A-I-T-H

F is for failure, forgiveness and finding....

A is for anquish, anxiety and assurance.......

I is for ignorance, insult and insight............

T is for temperance, testing and truth............

H is for hate, hinderance and humility............

In the struggle of daily life,
Remember that faith overcomes strife.
It gives you hope for today,
And a promise of tomorrow's fate.

Faith is giving full control,
To Jesus, body and soul.
It seems too complex to percieve,
The secret is to BELIEVE!

As Habakkuk, watched in disbelief,
He questioned God in his retreat.
Why do you allow this world to suffer,
But He was given faith as a buffer.

Except you take God at His word,
You will have questions, yet unheard.
But the answers are already there,
If in God's word you will inquire.

Written by Shirley Barr
poem August 14, 2005
Reference notes written l0/27/02

SONG: "LIVING BY FAITH"