HabakkukHabakkukPrayer & PraisePrayer & Praise

© John Stevenson, 2010Maps by David P. Barrett, used by permissionMaps by David P. Barrett, used by permission

Habakkuk 1:1Habakkuk 1:1The oracle which Habakkuk the

prophet saw.

Habakkuk 1:2-3Habakkuk 1:2-3How long, O LORD, will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, “Violence!” Yet You do not save. 3 Why do You make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises.

Habakkuk 1:4Habakkuk 1:4Therefore the law is ignored And justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore justice comes out perverted.

“…“…faith does not faith does not flourish very well flourish very well

in a five-star hotel. in a five-star hotel. It develops better It develops better

when there are when there are challenges and challenges and where it is dark” where it is dark”

(Page 31).(Page 31).

Why does Why does God allow the God allow the Wicked to go Wicked to go unpunished?unpunished?

I am going to I am going to bring bring

JudgmentJudgment

Habakkuk 1:5Habakkuk 1:5Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days– You would not believe if you were told.

Habakkuk 1:6Habakkuk 1:6For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, That fierce and impetuous people Who march throughout the earth To seize dwelling places which are not theirs.

Habakkuk 1:6Habakkuk 1:6For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, That fierce and impetuous people Who march throughout the earth To seize dwelling places which are not theirs.

Habakkuk 1:7Habakkuk 1:7They are dreaded and feared; Their justice and authority originate with themselves.

Habakkuk 1:8Habakkuk 1:8Their horses are swifter than leopards And keener than wolves in the evening. Their horsemen come galloping, Their horsemen come from afar; They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour.

Habakkuk 1:9-10Habakkuk 1:9-10All of them come for violence. Their horde of faces moves forward. They collect captives like sand. 10 They mock at kings And rulers are a laughing matter to them. They laugh at every fortress And heap up rubble to capture it.

Habakkuk 1:11Habakkuk 1:11Then they will sweep through like the wind and pass on. But they will be held guilty, They whose strength is their god.

Habakkuk’s ProblemHabakkuk’s Problem

1:1 1:12

Problem #1: Why does God allow the wicked?

Answer #1: God will bring judgment

Problem #2: How can God use wicked to punish?

Habakkuk 1:12Habakkuk 1:12Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. You, O LORD, have appointed them to judge; And You, O Rock, have established them to correct.

Habakkuk 1:13Habakkuk 1:13Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You can not look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they?

Habakkuk 1:14-15Habakkuk 1:14-15Why have You made men like the fish of the sea, Like creeping things without a ruler over them?15 The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook, Drag them away with their net, And gather them together in their fishing net. Therefore they rejoice and are glad.

Habakkuk 1:16-17Habakkuk 1:16-17Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net And burn incense to their fishing net; Because through these things their catch is large, And their food is plentiful. 17 Will they therefore empty their net And continually slay nations without sparing?

Habakkuk’s ProblemHabakkuk’s Problem

1:1 1:12

Problem #1: Why does God allow the wicked?

Answer #1: God will bring judgment

Problem #2: How can God use wicked to punish?

Answer #2: God will also judge them

Habakkuk 2:1Habakkuk 2:1I will stand on my guard post And station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, And how I may reply when I am reproved.

Habakkuk 2:2Habakkuk 2:2Then the LORD answered me and said, “Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run.”

Habakkuk 2:3Habakkuk 2:3“For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay.”

Habakkuk 2:4Habakkuk 2:4Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.

Habakkuk 2:5Habakkuk 2:5Furthermore, wine betrays the haughty man, So that he does not stay at home. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, And he is like death, never satisfied. He also gathers to himself all nations And collects to himself all peoples.

What are some unusual and/or What are some unusual and/or troubling ways God has worked troubling ways God has worked

His will in your own life?His will in your own life?

2:6 Woe to him who increases what is not his

2:9Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to put his nest on high

2:12Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed,

And founds a town with violence!

2:15

Woe to you who make your neighbors drink, who mix in your venom even to make them drunk so as to look on their nakedness!

2:19Woe to him who says to a piece of wood,

“Awake!” To a mute stone, “Arise!”

2:6

2:9

2:12

2:15

2:19

2:6 Woe to him who increases what is not his

2:9Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, to put his nest on high

2:12Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed,

And founds a town with violence!

2:15

Woe to you who make your neighbors drink, who mix in your venom even to make them drunk so as to look on their nakedness!

2:19Woe to him who says to a piece of wood,

“Awake!” To a mute stone, “Arise!”

Habakkuk 2:14Habakkuk 2:14For the earth will be filled For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.As the waters cover the sea.

Lessons from Habakkuk’s Lessons from Habakkuk’s QuestionsQuestions

• God Balances His Books in His own God Balances His Books in His own TimeTime

• When God Balances His Books, He When God Balances His Books, He does it His own waydoes it His own way

• God Balances His Books without God Balances His Books without PartialityPartiality

• God Ultimately Balanced His Books God Ultimately Balanced His Books upon the Crossupon the Cross

““We assume We assume God to be God to be

predictable, and predictable, and so we take so we take

liberties with him. liberties with him. We forget that We forget that

while he is while he is personal, he is personal, he is

not pocket-sized” not pocket-sized” (Page 35).(Page 35).

Habakkuk’s ProblemHabakkuk’s Problem

Praise for the…

• Person of God

• Power of God

• Purpose of God

• Because of faith in God

Habakkuk’s Habakkuk’s PraisePraise

1:1 1:12 3:1

Problem #1: Why does God allow the wicked?

Answer #1: God will bring judgment

Problem #2: How can God use wicked to punish?

Answer #2: God will also judge them

Habakkuk 3:1Habakkuk 3:1A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth. according to Shigionoth.

Habakkuk 3:2Habakkuk 3:2LORD, I have heard the report about LORD, I have heard the report about You You and and I fear. I fear. O LORD, revive Your work in the O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years, midst of the years, In the midst of the years make it In the midst of the years make it known; known; In wrath remember mercy.In wrath remember mercy.

Habakkuk 3:3-5Habakkuk 3:3-5God comes from Teman,God comes from Teman,And the Holy One from Mount Paran. And the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah.Selah.His splendor covers the heavens,His splendor covers the heavens,And the earth is full of His praise.And the earth is full of His praise.44 His radiance is like the sunlight; His radiance is like the sunlight;He has rays flashing from His hand, He has rays flashing from His hand, And there is the hiding of His power.And there is the hiding of His power.55 Before Him goes pestilence, Before Him goes pestilence,And plague comes after Him.And plague comes after Him.

Habakkuk 3:6Habakkuk 3:6He stood and surveyed the earth; He looked and startled the nations. Yes, the perpetual mountains were shattered, The ancient hills collapsed. His ways are everlasting.

Read Habakkuk 3:3-12 Read Habakkuk 3:3-12 and discuss the and discuss the

following questions:following questions:

• From where are these images derived?

• Is Habakkuk looking to his past, his present, or his future?

• How should we apply these verses for today?

Thou didst go forth for the salvation of Thou didst go forth for the salvation of Thy people,Thy people,For the salvation of Thine anointed. For the salvation of Thine anointed. Thou didst strike the head of the Thou didst strike the head of the house of the evilhouse of the evilTo lay him open from thigh to neck. To lay him open from thigh to neck. Selah.Selah.

Habakkuk 3:13Habakkuk 3:13

Though the fig tree should not Though the fig tree should not blossom blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, And there be no fruit on the vines, Though Though the yield of the olive should the yield of the olive should fail fail And the fields produce no food, And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off Though the flock should be cut off from the fold from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, And there be no cattle in the stalls,

Habakkuk 3:17Habakkuk 3:17

Yet I will exult in the LORD, Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.salvation.

Habakkuk 3:18Habakkuk 3:18

The Lord God is my strength,The Lord God is my strength,And He has made my feet like hinds’ And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet,feet,And makes me walk on my high And makes me walk on my high places.places.For the choir director, on my For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.stringed instruments.

Habakkuk 3:19Habakkuk 3:19