Faith Watching
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Habakkuk is a book about a pilgrimage from doubt to faith. In chapter 1, we saw how this prophet was asking God tough questions. Why would a good God allow bad things to happen to good people? Why would He use the Babylonians, which were called ruthless and impetuous, to bring about punishment on the people? We see Habakkuk ask questions of God and God replies. At the end of chapter 1, Habakkuk asks God another series of questions and chapter 2 begins as he looks for God’s answer.
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.
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.
4 “See, he is puffed up;
his desires are not upright—
but the righteous will live by his faith—
5 indeed, wine betrays him;
he is arrogant and never at rest.
Because he is as greedy as the grave
and like death is never satisfied,
he gathers to himself all the nations
and takes captive all the peoples.
6 “Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying,
“ ‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods
and makes himself wealthy by extortion!
How long must this go on?’
7 Will not your debtors suddenly arise?
Will they not wake up and make you tremble?
Then you will become their victim.
8 Because you have plundered many nations,
the peoples who are left will plunder you.
For you have shed man’s blood;
you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.
9 “Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain
to set his nest on high,
to escape the clutches of ruin!
10 You have plotted the ruin of many peoples,
shaming your own house and forfeiting your life.
11 The stones of the wall will cry out,
and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.
12 “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed
and establishes a town by crime!
13 Has not the Lord Almighty determined
that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire,
that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?
14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
as the waters cover the sea.
15 “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors,
pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk,
so that he can gaze on their naked bodies.
16 You will be filled with shame instead of glory.
Now it is your turn! Drink and be exposed!
The cup from the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you,
and disgrace will cover your glory.
17 The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,
and your destruction of animals will terrify you.
For you have shed man’s blood;
you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.
18 “Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it?
Or an image that teaches lies?
For he who makes it trusts in his own creation;
he makes idols that cannot speak.
19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’
Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’
Can it give guidance?
It is covered with gold and silver;
there is no breath in it.
20 But the Lord is in his holy temple;
let all the earth be silent before him.”
I will tell you that this chapter is one of the hardest in all the Bible to understand. However, God is faithful! He is not only faithful to His people, but He is faithful to help His people understand His word. I have found four parts to this chapter that we can find relevance. First, look at the purpose of the watch.
The Purpose of the Watch (vs. 1)
The Purpose of the Watch (vs. 1)
Habakkuk 2:1 shows us a prophet that has declared his prayer and now will watch for the Lord to respond. We often pray a prayer and conclude it with an amen, then go back to our routine or venture on to another task. Habakkuk gives us a picture of watchman at a watchtower. The watchman of that day would be in a tower high enough to a distance far off. He would be watching for anyone coming with a message of any kind. He was attentive to his post and would wait as long as it took. I do not think this was a physical watchtower that Habakkuk was speaking of in this passage. I believe it was a spiritual metaphor that took preparation by having a place and a posture.
The Preparation
The Preparation
Habakkuk prepared himself to watch. This was a concept that we have seen all throughout scripture. Psalm 5:3
3 In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation.
9 O my Strength, I watch for you;
you, O God, are my fortress,
When you pray, do you wait and watch in expectation of what God is going to do? Habakkuk has prepared himself expecting the Lord to respond. He has also prepared himself for whatever that response may be.
The Place
The Place
He also moves to a place where he can watch expectantly. In his example, he placing himself on the ramparts which is another name for the watchtower. We need to put ourselves in a place that helps us withdraw from the distractions of the world. Jesus practiced this.
16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Getting to a place where one can withdraw helps with focus and the ability to pay attention to what God has in store.
Notice also, the posture of Habakkuk.
The Posture
The Posture
The Bible says “he will stand and he will station.” Again, this might not be a physical description, but it will be standing on the promises of God or standing on the principles of God’s word. I think a New Testament example of this would 1 Corinthians 16:13
13 Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.
The purpose of the watch was to make oneself ready to hear from God. Today, we need to withdraw from the world, fix our thoughts on Jesus, study scripture, consult our experiences, and continue in prayer.
The Practicality of the Writing (vs. 2-4)
The Practicality of the Writing (vs. 2-4)
In verses 2-4, we see the beginning of God’s response. He tells Habakkuk to write down the revelation. Write down the vision he was going to receive. Let’s look closer at the practicality of this writing.
The Enunciation
The Enunciation
The enunciation was coming to Habakkuk in the form of a vision. He was to make it plain. Sometimes we make God’s Word difficult, but we see here that God’s desire is to make it plain and clear.
8 Go now, write it on a tablet for them,
inscribe it on a scroll,
that for the days to come
it may be an everlasting witness.
Another part of this enunciation is so the herald or messenger can run with it. God’s word provides freedom and agility.
32 I run in the path of your commands,
for you have set my heart free.
The Encouragement
The Encouragement
The writing also gives us encouragement. Habakkuk is told by the Lord that it “will not prove false.” Have you ever received a word from God that was false? I dare say you have not because God by His ver nature cannot be false. Psalm 18:30
30 As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the Lord is flawless.
He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.
The Exhortation
The Exhortation
Another aspect of the practicality of the writing was the exhortation. God desired His word to be written down so it could be seen at a later time. God’s word is designed to be everlasting and to be read generation after generation. It is used to convict, to caution, to counsel, and to comfort.
23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24 For,
“All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25 but the word of the Lord stands forever.”
And this is the word that was preached to you.
Aren’t you grateful that God instructed Habakkuk and many others to write down His word?
Part of that word Habakkuk wrote down included 5 woes. Let’s look at the pain of the woes.
The Pain of the Woes (vs. 5-19)
The Pain of the Woes (vs. 5-19)
Verse 5 is not one of the five woes, but it does remind us that strong drink unleashes all the ugliness of human pride. It is a setup for what is to come.
The Defiled (vs. 6-8)
The Defiled (vs. 6-8)
In verses 6-9, we see that the Babylonians will be defiled. They have acquired goods dishonestly by pillaging, robbing and fraud. They be defiled.
The Dishonored (vs. 9-11)
The Dishonored (vs. 9-11)
Verses 9-11 show they will be dishonored. Their exploitation for personal gain will be halted.
The Destroyed
The Destroyed
Verses 12-14 show the Babylonians will be destroyed and devastated. As promoters of violence and criminal actions, their expansions will end.
The Disgraced
The Disgraced
Verses 15-17 show the Babylonians to be disgraced. They will be defamed and their shameless ways ceased.
The Deserted
The Deserted
Lastly, verses 18-19 show the Babylonians deserted because they have put their faith in lifeless idols. They will realize that they are a people that are as powerless as these graven images. They will receive no guidance.
The Power of Worship (vs. 20)
The Power of Worship (vs. 20)
But notice in the middle of all these “woes,” and at the very end, worship takes place! Oh the power of worship!
14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,
as the waters cover the sea.
20 But the Lord is in his holy temple;
let all the earth be silent before him.”
The lessons for us here are rich! First, we can realize God’s presence.
Realizing His Presence
Realizing His Presence
Verse 14 gives us the assurance that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Glory of the Lord. God is sovereign over all individuals and all nations. He will guide them with His predestined purpose to bring glory to Himself. God’s presence exists now in every believer that has called on the Name of Jesus to be saved. God’s word tells us that His holy temple can be found in the body of every believer and His presence is there in the form of the Holy Spirit.
19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
Our lives should be different because of God’s Spirit dwelling within us! 1 Corinthians 3:16
16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
The indwelling Spirit reminds us of God’s passion.
Remembering His Passion
Remembering His Passion
Remembering His passion means that we are well aware that God loves us and He desires fellowship with us. He has provided this fellowship through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
We remember His passion as we worship Him! In fact, the His passion helps us recognize His promise.
Recognizing His Promise
Recognizing His Promise
First and foremost His promise is that we will be able to fellowship with Him by trusting Jesus as our Lord and Savior in this life and the assurance of His dwelling among us in the life to come!
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
I can’t help but think that Habakkuk caught a glimpse of this when he wrote down that last word of the Lord,
20 But the Lord is in his holy temple;
let all the earth be silent before him.”
Our God is holy. He expects our reverence and our respect of Him and His ways. He also expects us as His followers to reproduce His holiness in our lives. How’s it going with that?