Habakkuk Conclusion - The Righteous Will Live by Faith and Rejoice

WHAT DID YOU LEARN?

I did things a bit differently for this book because I wanted you to interact with the text and do a bit of your own inductive study before my background and reflection.

What really stood out to you? How did God speak to you through the text in the way of application?

Tea42 of the first Bible Book Club suggested watching a YouTube video of Don Francisco singing "Jesus is Lord of the Way I Feel" 

BACKGROUND

Habakkuk prophesied from 621-609 B.C. and was a contemporary of Nahum and Jeremiah. He prophesied during the reigns of Josiah (640-609 B.C.) and Jehoiakim (609-598 B.C.). Despite the brief period of relief under the reforms of Josiah, Judah was about to be crushed by the rising power of Babylon (Chaldea). Shortly after Jehoiakim came to power, Habakkuk wrote his lament (dirge) over the ungodly conditions around him.

Amid this impending doom, Habakkuk asked difficult questions. He saw the decay around him, and his heart was broken. He asked the age-old question that we have all asked: 

Why is there evil in the world? 
Why do the wicked prosper? 

He asked them boldly and confidently, and God answered.

Habakkuk 1 

This chapter is mostly about Habakkuk's honest questions: "How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, 'Violence!' but you do not save?" (1:2) Why are you silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they?" (1:13)

Habakkuk 2 

This is God's answer: "I will use Babylon as my hand of judgment against Judah, but I will punish them for their sins in due time" (my paraphrase). God says that "the righteous will live by faith" (2:4, also echoed in Romans 1:17, Galatians 2:20, 3:11, 12; Hebrews 10:38). We can trust that, despite evil seeming to reign in this world, "The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea" (2:14).

Habakkuk 3 

Habakkuk's responded in a prayer for mercy and in praise to God:

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. (3:2)

Though the fig tree should not blossom

And there be no fruit on the vines,

Though the yield of the olive should fail

And the fields produce no food,

Though the flock should be cut off from the fold

And there be no cattle in the stalls,

Yet I will exult in the Lord,

I will rejoice in the God of my salvation

The Lord GOD is my strength,

And He has made my feet like hinds' feet,

And makes me walk on my high places.

(Habakkuk 3:17-19)

AMEN!!!!!!

REFLECTION

As I was meditating this morning, I was lifting up prayers for a friend going through a difficult time with her family, another facing bankruptcy, and others whose marriages have fallen/are falling apart. It could be overwhelming, and I could lose sight of God in the midst of all of this, but through the years, I have gone back to the words of Habakkuk 3:17-19 over and over again, and it gives me perspective and hope!

Early on in my journey of faith, I started out quoting these verses through gritted teeth and clenched fists, wanting to believe them despite my circumstances. Over the years, my jaw has relaxed, and my fists have opened in praise to God. I have seen enough of the glory, majesty, and sovereignty of God so I can say them with a full heart and testify to the truth that He, alone, is my salvation and strength. Life can still be very difficult, but He has proven over and over and over again that He is who He says He is.

It may be hard to relate to the economic conditions in this agrarian culture. In that day, figs and grapes were symbols of a prosperous and contented life. Olives were used for hairdressing, fuel, medicine, and food. Consequently, they were important for economic health and vitality. The cattle produced milk, butter, and cheese. Sheep produced wool clothing. Modern-day indicators of economic vitality might be things like the stock market, unemployment rate, credit card debt, etc.

We had our own "fig, grape, and olive" crisis last year when my husband lost his job (2008) and took another one with a 40% pay cut. OUCH! In 2009, his bosses asked him to apply for a job within his existing agency that would have restored us to our previous pay scale only to be beat out because of Affirmative Action laws that discriminated against my white male husband and favored a far less qualified female candidate to satisfy "diversity" quotas. DOUBLE OUCH!

Sounds like a recipe for a pity party, but we took Habakkuk's perspective and continued to trust, exult, and rejoice in the Lord. Only a month after the news in 2009, I looked at George and said, "WOW, if you had gotten that job, we never would have been available to do what we are doing now!" 

God has us involved with some Kingdom work that would have been greatly hindered with George commuting three hours to and from work almost every day! God worked even through silly Affirmative Action laws! He IS truly sovereign We CAN trust in Him!

Joy comes as a byproduct 
of confidence in God,

not certainty in our circumstances.

The Daily Walk, Sept. 19, 2008

AMEN AGAIN!

APPLICATION

If everything you owned were suddenly taken away, would God be enough for you?

Rewrite Habakkuk 3:17-19 in terms of your modern-day situation. Then spend some time in praise and worship of the Lord.

PRAYER

Lord, we worship You for Your sovereignty over every aspect of our present circumstances. We rejoice in them and desire for them to be Your instrument in making us more conformed to Your image. Help us not to be afraid to have an honest dialogue with You, bringing our questions to You with confidence. Draw us close to You in understanding and teach us to rejoice in every circumstance. We ask this in the name of the One who, for the joy set before Him, went to the cross (Hebrews 12:2). Amen.