The Righteous Shall Live by His Faith
Habakkuk was a prophet around the same time as Nahum and Zephaniah in a time of decline in Judah. Jeremiah was in captivity along with the northern kingdom of Israel. The name Habakkuk means "to embrace." He embraced the people of Judah as the nation was dissolving into chaos. He reached out to embrace the Lord for his nation too. A nation falling apart is a difficult thing to experience for godly people. Not so for the wicked. There is a great lesson to learn from Habakkuk. He cries out to God through his tears. God answers him in a way he doesn't like or understand. Then Habakkuk goes to the Lord and the Lord answered him and explains His ways and reveals His glory to him. ( chapter 2and 3). Habakkuk is still afraid but he exalts, glorifies, and gains strength from the Lord. May we do the same in these perilous days we are in.
1:1 A burden He saw. Judgment by an invading army would be a burden. This would be a weight on his heart, emotions, and even his health as it was stressful.
2 Judah had fallen into sin, chaos, and violence. Israel already was in the bondage of captivity. Habakkuk cries out for help, but the Lord does not respond.
3 Why do I have to see this? Why am I here now? Why don't you do something Lord? Strife exists and contention arises. You have the power to stop this Lord!
4 The laws are ignored, justice is gone. The wicked pervert justice. Proverbs 28:5.
5 God answers. Look among the nations Habakkuk! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days you would not believe if you were told. Habakkuk, focus on Me. I am over all the earth. I AM doing something. I am always at work. I see what is happening to your nation. I DO hear your cry. I DO see your heart for your nation and for righteousness.
This is our nation and the world today. It is spinning out of control. Violence is everywhere and strife and contention are arising more and more. Justice is perverted because of wickedness. Is God still in control? Yes! Look among the nations. Is He at work? Yes! More people are coming to the Lord than ever before. The Gospel is being proclaimed in all the nations. The demand for Scriptures and information has never been greater. This is the big picture. He is at work all over the earth. It is not always easy, but let's focus on Him.
6-11 I am raising up the Chaldeans, a fierce, dreaded, feared, and very violent people to come to Judah and take them captive. A time of judgment is coming! Did God ask the Chaldeans to be this way? No. He did use them to punish Israel, but they will be held guilty. Our sin and a nation's sins are very grievous to God. He is Holy!
12 Do you think Habakkuk liked that answer? Things would get even worse! We can imagine what the prophet was thinking. What? Is this how you answer my cries? This is justice? You will let evil judge us and correct us? Are you not the everlasting Lord, my God, my Holy One? Aren't you fair and righteous?
We will not die. This may be referring to the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
13 Listen, Lord. Your eyes are too pure to approve evil. You cannot look on wickedness with favor. Why do you look with favor on those who deal treacherously? Why are you silent when the wicked swallowed up those more righteous than them? Good questions.
14-17 Why did you make men defenseless? These people are pagans. They idolize fishing nets and sacrifice to it. This refers to their armies and weapons of war. Will this never end?
Isn't good to know a prophet questions God? We all question Him at one time or another. Sometimes daily, right? It is okay to cry out to God in times of trouble as long as you don't turn from Him. We don't understand all of His creation or what He is doing on the earth. His ways are higher than our ways.
2:1 Habakkuk's response is the right one. This is very important for us. Things are falling apart all around him. Judgment is coming. A very cruel people will invade Judah. People are going to die. He calls on God. God's answer is not at all what he wants to hear. It's going to get even worse! He doesn't understand it. But what does Habakkuk do? What God has called him to do. He is a prophet, a watchman for his people. He will be about the Lord's business and wait for Him to speak and how to reply when he is reproved or instructed. I'm going to follow my calling, my place in life right now. I am fearful and scared for my people. It's not going well at all but, I'm waiting on the Lord. I'm not running from God, I'm running to God!
2 How does this apply to us? Lord, my world, and my life are falling apart. There is no end in sight. There is no one helping me or anyone that cares. I've cried my heart out to you and I don't understand your silence! When you do answer, I don't understand. That doesn't make sense! It can't be right! My loved ones have cancer. My husband is on a ventilator. We can't pay our bills. My parents just died from the virus. Help me, Lord! It isn't fair! Nevertheless, I will humble myself and turn to you and listen to your voice. THEN THE LORD ANSWERED ME! How wonderful! How encouraging! He hears your cries! He sees what you are going through! He is with you no matter what is happening around you and in your life.
For Habakkuk, Record the vision, write it down.
So whoever reads it may understand it and know what is coming and use it in the future for instruction.
3 It will happen at the right time. It is moving towards that day. It will happen.
4 Look Habakkuk, I know they are proud. Pride pollutes the soul.
BUT THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE BY HIS FAITH! There are the proud and there are the faithful in this world. The faithful have questions in this life that may not be answered here. But we have faith in God that they will be answered in the next life. This is a very important verse in the Bible and how we live the Christian life. By faith, we believe in the power of the Gospel for salvation. By faith, we are justified in Jesus. Rom.1:16,17, Rom.3. In Galatians 3 we live by faith. We receive the promise of the Spirit by faith in Jesus. Hebrews 11:6 says it is impossible to please God without faith. Hebrews 11 is often called the hall of faith. There is no Christian life without faith!
5 This begins the Lords talk about the Chaldeans and woes against them. The proud one's soul is not right within him. And also wine betrays the haughty man. He does not stay at home. He is like Hell and never satisfied. He conquers nations and peoples.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
Have you cried out to God as our nation or your life is falling apart?
Has God been silent?
Has He shown you something or asked you to do something that doesn't make sense?
Are you focusing on God or your situation?
Are you doing what He has lead you to do, or are you running from Him?
Are you waiting on a word from Him?
He knows what you are going through. He sees your pain. Wait on the Lord, spend time in His presence. He will answer you.
This world is becoming a very unstable and frightening place. Are you afraid of the future? You are not alone. God is the only stability we can trust. Save yourself from this sin-sick world and trust Jesus as Savior and Lord. No matter what happens here on earth, you can have hope in the future in Jesus.
1:1 A burden He saw. Judgment by an invading army would be a burden. This would be a weight on his heart, emotions, and even his health as it was stressful.
2 Judah had fallen into sin, chaos, and violence. Israel already was in the bondage of captivity. Habakkuk cries out for help, but the Lord does not respond.
3 Why do I have to see this? Why am I here now? Why don't you do something Lord? Strife exists and contention arises. You have the power to stop this Lord!
4 The laws are ignored, justice is gone. The wicked pervert justice. Proverbs 28:5.
5 God answers. Look among the nations Habakkuk! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days you would not believe if you were told. Habakkuk, focus on Me. I am over all the earth. I AM doing something. I am always at work. I see what is happening to your nation. I DO hear your cry. I DO see your heart for your nation and for righteousness.
This is our nation and the world today. It is spinning out of control. Violence is everywhere and strife and contention are arising more and more. Justice is perverted because of wickedness. Is God still in control? Yes! Look among the nations. Is He at work? Yes! More people are coming to the Lord than ever before. The Gospel is being proclaimed in all the nations. The demand for Scriptures and information has never been greater. This is the big picture. He is at work all over the earth. It is not always easy, but let's focus on Him.
6-11 I am raising up the Chaldeans, a fierce, dreaded, feared, and very violent people to come to Judah and take them captive. A time of judgment is coming! Did God ask the Chaldeans to be this way? No. He did use them to punish Israel, but they will be held guilty. Our sin and a nation's sins are very grievous to God. He is Holy!
12 Do you think Habakkuk liked that answer? Things would get even worse! We can imagine what the prophet was thinking. What? Is this how you answer my cries? This is justice? You will let evil judge us and correct us? Are you not the everlasting Lord, my God, my Holy One? Aren't you fair and righteous?
We will not die. This may be referring to the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
13 Listen, Lord. Your eyes are too pure to approve evil. You cannot look on wickedness with favor. Why do you look with favor on those who deal treacherously? Why are you silent when the wicked swallowed up those more righteous than them? Good questions.
14-17 Why did you make men defenseless? These people are pagans. They idolize fishing nets and sacrifice to it. This refers to their armies and weapons of war. Will this never end?
Isn't good to know a prophet questions God? We all question Him at one time or another. Sometimes daily, right? It is okay to cry out to God in times of trouble as long as you don't turn from Him. We don't understand all of His creation or what He is doing on the earth. His ways are higher than our ways.
2:1 Habakkuk's response is the right one. This is very important for us. Things are falling apart all around him. Judgment is coming. A very cruel people will invade Judah. People are going to die. He calls on God. God's answer is not at all what he wants to hear. It's going to get even worse! He doesn't understand it. But what does Habakkuk do? What God has called him to do. He is a prophet, a watchman for his people. He will be about the Lord's business and wait for Him to speak and how to reply when he is reproved or instructed. I'm going to follow my calling, my place in life right now. I am fearful and scared for my people. It's not going well at all but, I'm waiting on the Lord. I'm not running from God, I'm running to God!
2 How does this apply to us? Lord, my world, and my life are falling apart. There is no end in sight. There is no one helping me or anyone that cares. I've cried my heart out to you and I don't understand your silence! When you do answer, I don't understand. That doesn't make sense! It can't be right! My loved ones have cancer. My husband is on a ventilator. We can't pay our bills. My parents just died from the virus. Help me, Lord! It isn't fair! Nevertheless, I will humble myself and turn to you and listen to your voice. THEN THE LORD ANSWERED ME! How wonderful! How encouraging! He hears your cries! He sees what you are going through! He is with you no matter what is happening around you and in your life.
For Habakkuk, Record the vision, write it down.
So whoever reads it may understand it and know what is coming and use it in the future for instruction.
3 It will happen at the right time. It is moving towards that day. It will happen.
4 Look Habakkuk, I know they are proud. Pride pollutes the soul.
BUT THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE BY HIS FAITH! There are the proud and there are the faithful in this world. The faithful have questions in this life that may not be answered here. But we have faith in God that they will be answered in the next life. This is a very important verse in the Bible and how we live the Christian life. By faith, we believe in the power of the Gospel for salvation. By faith, we are justified in Jesus. Rom.1:16,17, Rom.3. In Galatians 3 we live by faith. We receive the promise of the Spirit by faith in Jesus. Hebrews 11:6 says it is impossible to please God without faith. Hebrews 11 is often called the hall of faith. There is no Christian life without faith!
5 This begins the Lords talk about the Chaldeans and woes against them. The proud one's soul is not right within him. And also wine betrays the haughty man. He does not stay at home. He is like Hell and never satisfied. He conquers nations and peoples.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
Have you cried out to God as our nation or your life is falling apart?
Has God been silent?
Has He shown you something or asked you to do something that doesn't make sense?
Are you focusing on God or your situation?
Are you doing what He has lead you to do, or are you running from Him?
Are you waiting on a word from Him?
He knows what you are going through. He sees your pain. Wait on the Lord, spend time in His presence. He will answer you.
This world is becoming a very unstable and frightening place. Are you afraid of the future? You are not alone. God is the only stability we can trust. Save yourself from this sin-sick world and trust Jesus as Savior and Lord. No matter what happens here on earth, you can have hope in the future in Jesus.
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Encouraging words!
Blessings in HIM