Living By Faith
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Introduction
Introduction
Perplexed Faith - last week we looked at perplexing problems. When you look around and take in what you see. It is bewildering and perplexing to consider God’s providential working in the world around us. We are in the company of Habakkuk and the Psalmist Asaph when we are perplexed that the wicked seem to be prospering by what we can see, and the righteous are suffering.
16 When I tried to understand all this, it seemed hopeless 17 until I entered God’s sanctuary. Then I understood their destiny.
Habbakuk goes to his lookout tower - or his watch tower (not the magazine). Like Asaph Habakkuk knew the answer would be seen in the sanctuary of God. His lookout tower was his sanctuary - lets join Habakkuk there.
Habakkuk 2:4 (CSB)
4 the righteous one will live by his faith.
We walk by faith not sight - we are called to live by faith even when it is perplexed faith.
1 I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the lookout tower. I will watch to see what he will say to me and what I should reply about my complaint. 2 The Lord answered me: Write down this vision; clearly inscribe it on tablets so one may easily read it.
3 For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it testifies about the end and will not lie. Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late. 4 Look, his ego is inflated; he is without integrity. But the righteous one will live by his faith.
5 Moreover, wine betrays; an arrogant man is never at rest. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, and like Death he is never satisfied. He gathers all the nations to himself; he collects all the peoples for himself.
6 Won’t all of these take up a taunt against him, with mockery and riddles about him? They will say: Woe to him who amasses what is not his— how much longer?— and loads himself with goods taken in pledge.” 7 Won’t your creditors suddenly arise, and those who disturb you wake up? Then you will become spoil for them.
8 Since you have plundered many nations, all the peoples who remain will plunder you— because of human bloodshed and violence against lands, cities, and all who live in them. 9 Woe to him who dishonestly makes wealth for his house to place his nest on high, to escape the grasp of disaster!
10 You have planned shame for your house by wiping out many peoples and sinning against your own self. 11 For the stones will cry out from the wall, and the rafters will answer them from the woodwork.
12 Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and founds a town with injustice! 13 Is it not from the Lord of Armies that the peoples labor only to fuel the fire and countries exhaust themselves for nothing?
14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord’s glory, as the water covers the sea. 15 Woe to him who gives his neighbors drink, pouring out your wrath and even making them drunk, in order to look at their nakedness!
16 You will be filled with disgrace instead of glory. You also—drink, and expose your uncircumcision! The cup in the Lord’s right hand will come around to you, and utter disgrace will cover your glory.
17 For your violence against Lebanon will overwhelm you; the destruction of animals will terrify you because of your human bloodshed and violence against lands, cities, and all who live in them. 18 What use is a carved idol after its craftsman carves it? It is only a cast image, a teacher of lies. For the one who crafts its shape trusts in it and makes worthless idols that cannot speak.
19 Woe to him who says to wood: Wake up! or to mute stone: Come alive! Can it teach? Look! It may be plated with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all. 20 But the Lord is in his holy temple; let the whole earth be silent in his presence.
Faith is Patient Upon God
Faith is Patient Upon God
1 I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the lookout tower. I will watch to see what he will say to me and what I should reply about my complaint.
Habakkuk says he will stand at his guard post and station myself on the lookout tower, while I wait to hear from the LORD. Habakkuk did not abandon his post while waiting for an answer, maintained his guard post. He also determined to position himself in the lookout tower a place where he would obtain the earliest and clearest information and be in a position like a watchman to inform his brethren. Habakkuk waited to gain the LORD’s perspective by getting alone. Habakkuk needed an answer from the LORD and so he went up into his tower to seek his Father. There are three important components in this verse we must not miss.
Determination - Habakkuk needed an answer and said I WILL stand at my guard post and station myself. He set himself in place to seek the LORD and hear from the LORD. He didnt say I should find some time, or if I have a chance after such and such. The one who seeks the LORD is the one determined to hear from the LORD. The LORD promises that the one who seeks Him with all their heart shall find Him.
13 You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.
So often our faith lacks determination
Isolation - Habakkuk got away from everything and went up into a tower. Fleeing all the other distractions to hear clearly from the LORD. We often times cannot hear the LORD because we have too much other noise in our ears. If you want to hear from God there is no greater alternative to quiet time in a quiet place with a quiet heart. That means turning off or putting away phones, tablets, TV and radio.
Expectation - Lastly we see in Habbakuk his expectation that the LORD will speak to him. He watched expectantly to see what the LORD will say to him. He didnt hope the LORD will speak, nor did he wish for the LORD to speak to him - he said what the LORD WILL say to me.
6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Only by faith can we please God and if you dont believe by faith that God is going to speak to you, then you will not hear anything from God. How do you have faith that God will speak to you and answer you? Do you journal with pencil and paper as you read God’s word and spend time with the LORD? Are you on the edge of your seat wondering what He will speak to you this time?
Faith Believes God’s Word
Faith Believes God’s Word
2 The Lord answered me: Write down this vision; clearly inscribe it on tablets so one may easily read it. 3 For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it testifies about the end and will not lie. Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late.
Habakkuk declares that the LORD in fact did answer him. He had no question that it was the LORD who had answered him. In the answer that the LORD gave Habakkuk we can see two truths about God’s answer.
The first is that God gave clear revelation and His desire is for the revelation to be clear. The LORD wants and desires for the vision given to Habakkuk to be clearly inscribed on tablets. This is for two reasons - for it to be kept and shared, and also for the one whom it is shared with may easily read it.
The writing is to be permanent so that generation after generation could read it. The writing is also to be clear and plainly written so that anybody could read it. It was also to be public so that everybody even those passing by could get its message immediately. Habakkuk wasnt the only one who needed this message and he was commissioned to share it. We would not be reading this today if Habakkuk had not obeyed God’s orders. When you behold the glory of God you will believe the word of God and that will give you the faith to accept the will of God. Paul teaches us in the New Testament that faith comes by hearing - hearing the word of God.
The second truth is that God gave certain revelation. The revelation was yet for the appointed time. It was for a future time about a future time. It testifies about the end and it will not lie - it will not be proven to be false but will come about — it is CERTAIN. Though it delays wait for it it will certainly come and not be late. It wont happen immediately but do not grow weary and caught off guard - it will happen. Wait for it - the idea is to wait with an eager anticipation and look forward to it. It is certainly coming and even though it delays it is on time and not late. This vision is coming at the appointed time - not early and not late but at the exact time appointed for it.
The immediate application is the end of the Babylonian Captivity, the writer of Hebrews interprets it now to refer also to the Return of Jesus Christ.
32 Remember the earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to taunts and afflictions, and at other times you were companions of those who were treated that way.
34 For you sympathized with the prisoners and accepted with joy the confiscation of your possessions, because you know that you yourselves have a better and enduring possession. 35 So don’t throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
36 For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised. 37 For yet in a very little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. 38 But my righteous one will live by faith; and if he draws back, I have no pleasure in him.
3 Above all, be aware of this: Scoffers will come in the last days scoffing and following their own evil desires, 4 saying, “Where is his ‘coming’ that he promised? Ever since our ancestors fell asleep, all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation.”
God’s tell us to wait for it - will the LORD come and deliver - yes wait for Him with expectation for His revelation is CLEAR and CERTAIN.
Righteous Live By Faith
Righteous Live By Faith
4 Look, his ego is inflated; he is without integrity. But the righteous one will live by his faith. 5 Moreover, wine betrays; an arrogant man is never at rest. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, and like Death he is never satisfied. He gathers all the nations to himself; he collects all the peoples for himself.
God reveals to Habakkuk that because the king of Babylon was lifted with pride, ego that he would die. God’s summary of the king and his conceited character is that he is puffed up like a bloated toad. Inflated with evil passions and they are without integrity - not upright.
Yahweh declares that a righteous person in stark contrast with a marked distinction will live by his faith. A righteous one who remained loyal and faithful to God’s moral precepts and humble before the LORD would enjoy God’s abundant life. The believing righteous needs to stick to their guns. The literal rendering is “By his faith the just shall live” or paraphrased “the justified-by-faith-one shall live”. This verse is actually quoted three times in the New Testament.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.
Paul in Romans stressing what it means to be righteous. Righteousness is imparted through faith - we dont earn it - it is given the moment we believe.
11 Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will live by faith.
No one is justified before God by the law - justification is through FAITH
38 But my righteous one will live by faith; and if he draws back, I have no pleasure in him.
The righteous one SHALL LIVE by faith.
Stedman: It is interesting that in Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews there is a kind of divine commentary on this verse:
1. Romans stresses what it means to be "righteous." There we are told that the righteousness of Christ is imparted to us by the gift of God. Righteousness is handed to us. We don't earn it; we have it the minute we believe.
2. Then the words, "shall live," are interpreted in Chapter 5 of Galatians, the great chapter on the life in the Spirit. What does "to live" mean? It means to walk in love, and joy, and peace, and longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control.
3. Then the words, "by faith," are interpreted in Hebrews, the great letter on faith. What does it mean to have faith? It means to trust that the invisible God is working, despite present appearances.
We are called to live by faith and nothing else, not devotions, not by works, not by feelings, not by circumstances.
7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.
1 Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.
MacArthur: The emphasis in both Habakkuk and the NT references goes beyond the act of faith to include the continuity of faith. Faith is not a one-time act, but a way of life. The true believer, declared righteous by God, will persevere in faith as the pattern of his life
The contrast the LORD gives here is of people who live by faith in God and His word and those who arrogantly live by themselves without God. The Babylonians are not the only ones puffed up with pride and self-sufficiency - it is epidemic of our time as well.
Deceived to discontentment by wine or strong drink
Devoted to greed and covetousness
Driven by ambition and lust for conquest
Woe Inducing and Faith Preventing
Woe Inducing and Faith Preventing
6 Won’t all of these take up a taunt against him, with mockery and riddles about him? They will say: Woe to him who amasses what is not his— how much longer?— and loads himself with goods taken in pledge.” 7 Won’t your creditors suddenly arise, and those who disturb you wake up? Then you will become spoil for them.
8 Since you have plundered many nations, all the peoples who remain will plunder you— because of human bloodshed and violence against lands, cities, and all who live in them. 9 Woe to him who dishonestly makes wealth for his house to place his nest on high, to escape the grasp of disaster!
10 You have planned shame for your house by wiping out many peoples and sinning against your own self. 11 For the stones will cry out from the wall, and the rafters will answer them from the woodwork.
12 Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and founds a town with injustice! 13 Is it not from the Lord of Armies that the peoples labor only to fuel the fire and countries exhaust themselves for nothing?
14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord’s glory, as the water covers the sea. 15 Woe to him who gives his neighbors drink, pouring out your wrath and even making them drunk, in order to look at their nakedness!
16 You will be filled with disgrace instead of glory. You also—drink, and expose your uncircumcision! The cup in the Lord’s right hand will come around to you, and utter disgrace will cover your glory. 17 For your violence against Lebanon will overwhelm you; the destruction of animals will terrify you because of your human bloodshed and violence against lands, cities, and all who live in them.
18 What use is a carved idol after its craftsman carves it? It is only a cast image, a teacher of lies. For the one who crafts its shape trusts in it and makes worthless idols that cannot speak. 19 Woe to him who says to wood: Wake up! or to mute stone: Come alive! Can it teach? Look! It may be plated with gold and silver, yet there is no breath in it at all.
20 But the Lord is in his holy temple; let the whole earth be silent in his presence.
The Lord then proclaims to Habakkuk 5 woes concerning the sins of Babylon - these sins will be judged by God and these sins when practiced are faith preventing. Those who live according to these sins cannot live by faith and thus are not righteous and will perish.
Endless Appetite
Endless Appetite
Woe is pronounced to him who amasses what is not his. The Babylonians are consumed with having it all, wealth, territory and reputation. They hoarded, stole, plundered from helpless people - Babylon plundered and would be plundered (we will reap what we sow). The endless appetite prevents living by faith because it is never satisfied with what has been provided. One with an endless appetite is more concerned with what they want than what God wants.
Ill Gotten Gains
Ill Gotten Gains
Woe to him who dishonestly makes wealth for his house. There are three ways to get wealth - work for it, steal it or receive it as a gift. The goal of the Babylonians was security - the nest on high to escape disaster. The Babylonians exploited people to build an empire promising them security. It is faith preventing because we exploit to find security through something other than God. Ill gotten gains are made without faith in God, whatever security man builds without God will never last.
36 For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life?
Kingdom Building
Kingdom Building
Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and founds a town with injustice. People labor only to fuel the fire and countries exhaust themselves for nothing. Kingdom building is not building his kingdom but man’s kingdom. Seeking to establish our own glory over His glory. It is faith preventing because we seek to set ourselves higher than God’s kingdom. Building any kingdom other than God’s kingdom is futile for only His kingdom is eternal.
Excessive Debauchery
Excessive Debauchery
Woe to him who gives his neighbors drink, pouring out your wrath/venom and making them drunk - in order to look at their nakedness. Indulging in pleasure of the flesh and body - drinking, drugs, and sexual immorality. This speaks of the pairing of intoxicated sexual impurity and deviant behavior. Seduction and perversion.
21 He drank some of the wine, became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside.
Because of this Noah pronounced a curse upon Canaan Ham’s son.
32 Come, let’s get our father to drink wine so that we can sleep with him and preserve our father’s line.”
It is faith preventing because seduction is viewed as power over love. There is no power over love - but there is a great power in selfless love. There is no love that does not come from God - for God is love and and we know love because God loved us first. Love without God is not love at all.
1 If I speak human or angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Idolatry
Idolatry
Woe to him who says to wood — wake up or to mute stone - come alive! What use is a carved idol after its craftsmen carves it? It is an image a teacher of lies. The one who crafts it and trusts it — woe to them - worthless idols that cannot speak! Faith preventing for the idol takes away loyalty to the LORD the true and living god and gives it to a worthless thing. What is idolatry?
25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.
Idolatry substitutes the living God for a lie. Many idols abound but it is basically anything that seeks to divide or take our loyalty from God.
Assurance of Faith
Assurance of Faith
20 But the Lord is in his holy temple; let the whole earth be silent in his presence.
The Lord assures Habakkuk that He is indeed in His temple. God is on the throne no evil will be overlooked or go unpunished and everything is and remains under control. Knowing this is an assurance that there is no need to complain against God or even question Him and what He is doing. Instead we must simply stand and listen in His presence.
10 “Stop fighting, and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”
Be Still - stop resisting
Conclusion
Conclusion
4 Look, his ego is inflated; he is without integrity. But the righteous one will live by his faith.
God is not saying you should live by faith, I want you to live by faith - God says the righteous WILL live by faith. We may not always have explanations and answers to our questions or solutions for our problems. You are not called to live through figuring it out, seeing it all happen, feeling how it will go. You are to be living by faith in God. That means even when you dont know what God is doing, how He is at work where He is leading or even why.
1 Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.
4 because everyone who has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith.
It begins with our faith in Jesus
5 Who is the one who conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
12 The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.