Tuesday, November 9, 2021

Habakkuk

Are you troubled by the evil and injustice in this world? Have you ever wondered why God seems to be silent and inactive, or turning a blind eye to the atrocities and pains around us and in the news? If God is real, shouldn't He be doing something about it and eradicate all evils from the face of the earth?

Habakkuk's faith was severely disturbed as he witnessed what was happening among his own people in Judah. The rich and powerful got away with their crimes and wrongdoings, while the poor and helpless suffered the brunt of injustice at the very hands of their own brethren turned oppressors. The southern kingdom had sunk into the depths of spiritual and moral decay and God did not seem to care or put a stop to it.

In exasperation the prophet cried out to God for an answer, but what he received in reply was even more shocking: God would punish His people using a more wicked nation—the Chaldeans. This was not what Habakkuk had expected to hear and could not reconcile his faith to. However, God assured the bewildered Habakkuk that He knew what He was doing because He is in full control of everything, even though the prophet could not understand His ways:

Isaiah 55:8-9
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

In the end, Habakkuk learned an important lesson—we are not to question God's ways but to trust His wisdom in whatever He does—and that was enough to make the prophet regained his faith and broke forth into praise of God's glory and power.


OUTLINE OF HABAKKUK

1. The Prayer of Exasperation (1:1-17)
Faith in Crisis—Why?
a. The Prophet's Doubt (1:1-4)
Why does God allow injustice among His people?
b. The LORD's Reply (1:5-11)
God will surely punish His people via the Chaldeans
c. The Prophet's Dilemma (1:12-17)
Why does God use a wicked nation to do His work?
2. The Prayer of Endurance (2:1-20)
Faith in Calm—Because…
a. The Waiting (2:1-3)
Habakkuk's reaction | God's response
b. The Answer (2:4-20)
Babylon's collapse decreed | Cruelty denounced
God is still in control
3. The Prayer of Elation (3:1-19)
Faith in Celebration—Therefore!
a. Prayer (3:1-2)
The tune | The theme
b. Praise (3:3-19)
God's glory and power | Faith's rejoicing
 

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