Habakkuk: Yet Will I Rejoice (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

Where: College Baptist Church

When: December 31, 2001

Why: To show that the Christian whose faith is founded in God need not fear the future or be overcome by the injustices of life, for in our sovereign God we can rejoice and find strength.

Text: Habakkuk 3:17-19

Scripture reading

Habakkuk 3:16-19. ¹⁷ Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, ¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. ¹⁹ The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.

Introduction

This has been a year to remember! Or in some ways, a year we'd like to forget but probably never will. September 11 will forever be the defining moment for this year, perhaps for our lifetimes.

Our hearts and minds have reeled under a constant barrage of images and questions. The way we view the world is much different now than it was four months ago. And the question, "Why?," still remains unanswered.

Why the attack? Why is there terrorism? Why would they want to hurt us? Why would they want us to suffer?

For that matter, why suffering in the world period? Why the persecuted church? Why the heartache of broken families and broken homes? Why cancer? Why injustice? Why immorality? Why do the poor get poorer and the rich get richer?

Though we are encouraged at the end of this year by a renewed sense of patriotism, what about the struggling economy? Why are we so little satisfied when we have so much?

Big questions like these are not new. They do seem to come to our minds frequently now-a-days. Most of us feel that we are living in a very unstable world-a world where things aren't right. And the sincere Christian sincerely longs for things to be right.

Transition

Nearly two and a half millennia ago, a man named Habakkuk was asking these same questions. And he got answers. The answer to Habakkuk's why is who. And the who is God. Ronald Blue points out, "Habakkuk's book begins with an interrogation of God but ends as an intercession to God. Worry is transformed into worship. Fear turns to faith. Terror becomes trust. Hang-ups are resolved with hope. Anguish melts into adoration" (Walvoord).

The answer to why is who-a good and sovereign God, worthy of our trust, is in control. The Christian whose faith is founded in God need not fear the future, need not be overcome by the injustices past, need not worry about the present. In our sovereign God we rejoice and find strength.

Transitional background on Habakkuk

This morning, we will soar over the small book of Habakkuk to get a birds eye perspective of God's work in the world. This is a very special and unique little book-a minor prophet, but minor only in size, not in truth and impact.

The book of Habakkuk is unique among the prophets. Generally prophetic writings reflect a message of judgement from God. Habakkuk is a prophet pleading with God for judgement. Usually prophetic books are one-way communication from God to man; in Habakkuk, God and man interact regarding God's purposes.

To help us move from the why to the who, the book conveniently outlines itself: (1) Chapter 1 is Habakkuk's dialogue with God, (2) chapter 2 is a dirge from God, and (3) is a doxology to God.

Dialogue with God

It is a time of international crisis. World power structures are shifting and changing. There is great insecurity and uncertainty in the world. The once great Assyrian world power is diminishing; the Babylonians are rising. A new world order is beginning to exert itself across the face of the earth.

On the home front, there has been a short time of religious reform under King Josiah from 640-609 BC. Upon his death, Josiah's son Jehoahaz ascended to the throne. It was a short-lived reign, for in only three months the Egyptians invade Judah. They depose Jehoahaz and place his brother Jehoiakim on the throne. And he is one bad brother. He is wicked, evil, ungodly, rebellious (2 Kings 23:36-24:7; 2 Chronicles 36:5-8).

Amidst this chaotic tension and distressingly godless and immoral time, Habakkuk calls out to God.

Habakkuk 1:2-4. ² 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? ³ Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. ⁴ Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.

Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever been just so fed up with everything that is wrong that you just laid it all on the table with God. Why, God?

The heartfelt yearning prayer of the person who loves God does not offend the Almighty. Habakkuk shows us it is OK to pour out our hearts to God.

Perhaps that is something you and I need to do as we come to the end of this year. Things have happened this year that we do not understand. On the international front, there is uncertainty, confusion, injustice. In the beginning of the year we felt confident and secure; now we may feel vulnerable and unsure. On the personal level, we may have gone through things this year that we need to soulfully lay at our Lord's feet-things at work, or in the family, or in the church. Perhaps we need to let the deep cries of why be the first steps of a surrender that looses itself in who.

Habakkuk shows us that it is OK to really let God know where we're at. He hears the heartfelt cry of His children-and He responds!

1:5, 6. ⁵ "Look at the nations and watch-and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. ⁶ I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwelling places not their own.

God lets Habakkuk know that He is at work. Look. Watch. Be utterly amazed. Astounded. Dumbfounded. Bewildered. The fact is, I am at work. In ways that you will find unbelievable. Remember, Christian, that I work all things together for your good so that you can become conformed to the image of my Son (Romans 8:28). ¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

Habakkuk, I am raising up the Babylonians. Powerful. Invincible. Ruthless. Wicked. But I will use them to accomplish my purposes-to discipline my children, to change their hearts.

Habakkuk is shocked. It is hard for him to imagine that God would use a nation that is even more wicked than His chosen people have become to accomplish His purposes.

1:12-13. ¹² O Lord, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die. O Lord, you have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you have ordained them to punish. ¹³ Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?

Lord, you are the eternal One! And you have made a covenant with your people. Surely these idolaters will not exterminate us! You've appointed them to punish us, right? But, but Lord this doesn't make sense to me. How could you let this evil nation come against us when they are so much more evil than we are?

As we ask our deep questions, let us remember that what God does to accomplish His purposes does not always make sense to us. ⁸ "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. ⁹ "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8).

Dirge from God

Chapter 2 is a dirge from God-taunt-song of judgement-against Babylon. He lets Habakkuk know that in His purposes, His justice will be done. The Babylonians have coming what they deserve.

Within this dirge are some profound truths of great encouragement and benefit to faithful Christians.

2:1. I will stand at 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.

I put myself on the edge, on the frontlines. I look to see what you have to say to me. And that last phrase can also read, "And what to answer when I am rebuked."

And God speaks. What He says is the first profound truth of great encouragement that I want to point out. ² Then the Lord replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. ³ For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay" (2:2, 3).

When our lives are full of big questions, we can count on God's written revelation. What He says is true. It will certainly come to pass. When we don't understand things, when our worlds are out of control we turn to God's dependable, trustworthy written Word. What He says there is true. It will nourish our souls.

The second profound truth is in 2:4. The righteous will live by faith. In contrast, to these proud, wicked Babylonians, whom I will surely judge and will surely die, the righteous will life by faith. This is one of most important verses of the Bible. It becomes one of the main themes of Paul in the New Testament (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38). Indeed, it is central to the doctrine of salvation and the Christian life. It is our faith in God that saves us. We are not saved by things we do. It is by faith in what He has done for us. And we live by that faith. Even in the why times, it is our faith in God that carries us through.

The margin in the NIV says the this verse could read "the righteous will live by their faithfulness." Faith and faithfulness go together, don't they? Blue asserts, "One who trusts in the Lord is one who relies on Him and is faithful to Him."

The third profound truth has to with God's ultimate purpose of the praise of His glory. ¹⁴ For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea (2:14). No matter what evil seems to be occurring in the world around us. No matter what confusion or pain we may face in our personal lives. Let's be encouraged. Let's not loose sight of what is really happening. Let's not forget sovereign God's ultimate purpose. The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord.

A fourth profound truth revealed in this dirge has to do with worship. ²⁰ But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him" (2:20). After describing the worthlessness of the idols that Babylon worships, God turns our attention to worship of Himself. He is worthy. He hears. He speaks. He is alive. He is great. He is awesome. He is in His holy temple. Be silent before Him. Who can speak against Him? Worship and adore Him. Hear and receive from Him.

Doxology to God

Habakkuk seems to have an "Aha!" moment. He realizes it is not the why but the who that matters. He has been full of questions. Joyfully and insightfully he sees the awesome-ness of God and His sovereignty and sufficiency.

3:2. 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.

Yes, God. Bring to pass the things you have said. Accomplish your purposes in the earth. Pfeiffer interprets, "God is asked to put his work, that is, his declared program, into operation, to make it a living action."

Habakkuk breaks into a poetic song of worship, recounting God's works on the behalf of His children in the past. He doesn't recount all that God has done. But "But Habakkuk knew that God had worked in the past, and therefore he could trust Him to work in the present and future."

Habakkuk's poetic song crescendos at the end of the chapter with one of the greatest declarations of faith found in Scripture. ¹⁷ Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, ¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. ¹⁹ The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights (3:17-19)

It doesn't matter what happens. The righteous shall live by faith! No matter what has happened this past year. No matter what the new year holds. Crop failure? Even famine? Loss of employment? I will still loose myself in the who, not the why. God is my salvation. He is the sovereign One so He is my strength. He continually takes me to higher levels of joyful trust.

Conclusion

My friend, as we reflect on the year past, and face the years future, Habakkuk reminds us that why is lost in who. It is in whom our faith is placed that makes sense of the past and gives us confidence for the future. And the righteous will live by faith.

I don't know how you feel about the year we have just journey through. I don't know how you feel about what lies just beyond the horizon. But let us confidently place our faith the who of it all. Let's join Habakkuk in a joyful doxology of praise. We will be joyful in God our Savior. He is our strength. He is our enabler. He is the One who is doing amazing things, things we do not yet see. His purpose will be fulfilled-His glory shall fill all the earth.

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