An Evening with Habakkuk

or … a kick up the backside in depending on, and rejoicing in the Lord when feeling down right hard hearted.

I don't know if you ever have those times when you think you'll read some 'random' book of the Bible… and it actually hits right where you needed hitting?

That happened tonight… thought I'd chose a short book to study briefly this evening while Adele is out for dinner with a friend… Habakkuk came to mind, as we had been studying Romans, which quotes "the righteous shall live by faith". This book is a great reminder that while tough times will come, either personally or corporately, there is a day where God will return in judgement, destroying His enemies; bringing a great salvation to the righteous - to those who live by faith… a great reminder that when all the blessings are taken away… one thing stands… the Cross of Christ, and an inheritance that will never perish, spoil or fade!

Habakkuk is not a happy chappy… he sees violence, destruction and wrong doing amongst God's people (1:2-4). Wickedness is not coming to justice… and Habakkuk has a complaint against God… not some notion of God in his head that he wants to complain against… no, the LORD, Yahweh…. "Why are you letting this injustice against your people go on LORD? Why are you just sitting around, while this happens to your people?"

The LORD gives grace and replies… "Habakkuk, I'm working, even at this very moment, to bring judgement on those who are wicked… a judgement amongst Israel that will come, even in your lifetime Habakkuk. Look out amongst the nations, and see the Chaldeans! I have raised them up to execute my judgement… they are a bitter, nasty, dreaded, fearful, powerful nation. Their might is their god… they are violent, rebellious and destructive. They will bring the judgement you are wanting" (1:5-11)

So, Habakkuk gets his answer… and it's not what he expects… he still doesn't quite understand. "But my LORD, my God, my Holy One - I see that you have raised this nation up to judge the wickedness of your people, Israel… but surely the Chaldeans are much, much more wicked than the wicked of Israel, they are traitors of you… how can you idly look at such traitors, and yet be silent when the wicked swallow up the man more righteous than he? The Chaldeans treat those made in your image, like their own creatures… treating them like fish on a hook. I know you will answer me LORD!" (1:12-2:1)

And so Habakkuk waits for the response from the LORD, that comes. "Habakkuk, Habakkuk… make this vision plain to everyone… it may seem to you like it is taking a long time to come, but be assured, the time will come… the Chaldeans are puffed (or maybe the wicked Israel too are puffed up?) they are not upright. Remember that the righteous shall live by faith! The Chaldeans will get their due reward, for the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God! Their gods are nothing but their own insatiable greed, and images of stone, gold and silver, that have no wisdom, nor have any breath or life in them. The LORD is the one before whom all the earth shall be silenced". (2:2-20)

So Habakkuk ends by praising God, as he realises that the day is coming when justice will be done. When God Himself will come, defeating those who oppose Him, shaking the nations, stopping even the sun and moon, threshing the nations in his righteous anger. Bringing with Him, the salvation of His people. Habakkuk rightly trembles at the thought of such a day, but he will quietly wait, knowing that the righteous shall live by faith; knowing that then, God's people's enemies will be held to account and destroyed. (3:1-15)

Habakkuk knows that the judgement on Israel, the Chaldean invasion is going to come in his lifetime… it's going to be a tough time for Israel… and yet, though "the fig tree should not blossom; nor the fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food; the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls… yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the LORD, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places." (3:16-19)

Sometimes the Christian life can seem as barren and fruitless as the harvest that Habakkuk was fearing… when we see a lack of prosperity or advancement, or as we go through our own personal struggles, battles, tragedies… we can be deeply yearning and crying out "why won't you do something about this LORD?"

And what shall we recall then? The apparent prosperity of the wicked? The apparent advancement of the godless? Shall we be eager to join them in their apparent gains in this life? Or shall we remember the vision… shall we remember that God Himself will destroy the godless… God Himself will hold the wicked to account… God Himself will bring His Salvation to His people… the righteous… those who are faithful… who trust… who live not for this life, but for the eternal one to come…

What will be our sustenance through such times? Well surely it can be nothing other than the Cross of Christ… it was Habakkuk who despite having no harvest, no prosperity… clung to the LORD and His Salvation… the salvation found at the Cross…