Habakkuk

well read and it's in the Old Testament. It's a minor prophet. It's the book of Habakkuk.

And so it's about the fourth book from the end. And I got interested in reading Habakkuk this fall

when Ellie and I were doing devotions. And, you know, we read through it and it just didn't,

you know, if you read one chapter a night, it just doesn't flow. And then we hit the last two verses

and it just, it really caught me because it just, it just spoke right when we're doing harvest. It

just spoke. So I thought, I'm going to reread through Habakkuk and study it. And it really,

wow, does it ever hit. It's an interesting book because it's, it's a, it's a dialogue between God

and Habakkuk. He makes a, he does, he makes some verses. God does some verses. Habakkuk makes some

verses. God talks to him and then Habakkuk finishes off. So if we, if you want to look,

look at your, in your book. So the, just before Zephaniah and just after Nahum. So the book is

written in the timeframe is about 626 BC. So it's just, yeah, about 626 years before Christ.

Nahum, Zephaniah and Jeremiah were all contemporaries. So the book was written about the same time as

those other books. And the Assyrians, you know, they had been the big player in the field and they

were, they're now off the field. And Babylon is the mighty power. Like Babylon is the great power.

Babylon had just defeated the Egyptians. They kind of went past Israel and defeated Egypt. And then,

and then Jeremiah in his book announced that Babylon would invade Judah, destroying Jerusalem and destroy

the temple, sending Israel into exile. And this happened between 606 and 586.

So if we open our, open our book, cause I'm going to read the whole chapter or the whole book. It's only

three chapters. Habakkuk was very distressed. The oracle that Habakkuk, the prophesied, prophet received,

how long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen or cry out to you violence,

but you do not save. Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong?

Destruction and violence are before me. There is strife and conflict abounds.

Therefore, the law is paralyzed and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous so that justice

is perverted.

Habakkuk was very distressed. He points out that violence, injustice, wrong, destruction, strife,

and conflict abound. This is a picture of Israel. This is a, they were spiraling downward,

ever so away from God, more and more, since David was king in 1015 BC. So almost 400 years.

There was, there was a real mixture of religious ideas. Solomon's temple mixed with idolatry.

God's law, the Ten Commandments, the book of Leviticus, Deuteronomy, they were ignored.

You know, you can think of the horribleness. Children were being sacrificed to the god of Molech.

Like they had a, they built a statue, a metal statue. They get a fire burning in this thing that was red hot.

And then they put their kids on it. That's the kind of depravity that these people had.

They would burn up, barbecue their own children. So this is, this is what, this is what,

that Habakkuk was, he was, he was just really distraught. These were terrible times.

You know, the temple prostitutes at the high places, you know, and it just,

they had gone totally away from God. They had just ignored God.

And, but we look at that, we read this, but then it hits me.

Look at Habakkuk's attitude to God. Let's reread those verses.

So we look at that.

Look at Habakkuk's attitude. He is blaming God for being inept, uncaring.

It's as if it's God's fault that the law is being ignored.

Israel felt this after, you know, Israel felt this after the Holocaust.

It was this, this kind of the same attitude. You know, they were, yeah, we're God's people,

but you allowed the Germans, you allowed Hitler to kill us.

So it's very much the same attitude, and it's kind of prevalent in Israel today.

We're often, personally, we're often like Habakkuk.

We often accuse God of ignoring what has happened.

You know, how many times do we say, God, if only you would do this, but you're not doing anything.

And God is.

How often does it feel like the ceiling is lead-lined, and God does not hear our prayers?

Ah, God, why don't you answer me?

You're just, you're just not doing anything.

God's rebuttal.

The Lord's answer, verses 5 to 11.

Look at the nations and watch.

Be utterly amazed, for I'm going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if it were told.

I'm raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwelling places not their own.

They're a feared and dreaded people.

They're feared and dreaded.

They are a law to themselves and promote their own honor.

Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk.

Their cavalry gallops headlong.

Their horsemen come from afar.

They fly like vultures, swooping to devour.

They all come bent on violence.

Their hordes advance like a desert wind and gather prisoners like sand.

They deride kings, scoff at rulers.

They laugh at all fortified cities.

They build earthen ramps and capture them.

Then they sweep past like the winds and go on.

Guilty men whose own strength is their God.

Babylonians.

Ruthless, impetuous people.

If you read through the Bible, right from Genesis to Revelation, there is nothing ever positive described in Babylonians.

The Babylonians started out with the Tower of Babel.

That they came, they had this idea that we're going to be this, we're going to do our own thing.

We're going to build this tower.

Ignore God.

We're going to be our own people.

And, you know, Nebuchadnezzar was, you know, he was the king destroying.

He was the one that took out the Israelites.

And then to the fall of Babylon in Revelation 18.

I'm going to read Revelation 18.

And this describes what's going to happen.

Or what the Babylonians are like.

Revelation 18, verses 1 to 8.

Revelation 18:1–8

After this, I saw another angel come down from heaven.

He had great authority and the earth was illuminated by his splendor.

With a mighty voice he shouted,

Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great.

She has become a house of demons.

And a haunt for every evil spirit.

A haunt for every unclean and undetestable bird.

For all the nations have drunk maddening wine of her adulteries.

The kings of the earth committed adultery with her.

And the merchants of her earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.

Then I heard another voice from heaven.

I'll just go that far.

But, yeah, this is, you know, Babylon at the end times,

which could be coming very soon.

Babylon is just, you know, she is described as,

as a, you know, a home.

She has become a home for demons.

A haunt for every evil spirit.

A haunt for every unclean and detestable birds.

So she, Babylon is always described as a horrible place.

Because it's, it's always been against God.

Right from the, right from the Tower of Babel.

So, it's interesting.

Abraham was from the Ur of the Chaldeans.

Chaldeans and Babylonians are an interchangeable name.

So, Abraham came from that people.

He, he originated.

And then they left and then became the nation of Israel.

But that was quite a few hundred years before,

thousands of years before this.

So, let's go back to, you know, we read,

we read how God is foretelling how, how the,

how the armies are even going to invade.

They come, like, it's, it's like the German Blitzkrieg.

They don't just come in like a slow marking.

They come with, oh, armies, horses, fast.

They take over.

They wipe out.

They destroy.

They, they use earthen ramps.

And, you know, like they, you know, you have your fortified cities.

Well, they, they have shields.

They build the earthen ramp under the shields.

You can't stop them.

You can't stop the Babylonians.

They come in and they destroy.

And they take everyone as captives.

And that's what happened.

Later on, when, uh, you think of Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

They were kids when this happened.

They got taken down to Babylon.

So let's, um, next part.

Oh, Lord, are you not from everlasting?

My God, my Holy One, we will not die.

Oh, Lord, you have appointed them to execute judgment.

Oh, Rock, you have ordained them to punish.

Your eyes are too pure to look on evil.

You cannot tolerate wrong.

Why, then, do you tolerate the treacherous?

Why are you silent?

Why, the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves.

You have made them like fish in the sea, like sea creatures that have no ruler.

The wicked foe pulls all them up with hooks, catches them in his net.

He gathers them up in his dragnet, and so he rejoices and is glad.

Therefore, he sacrifices to his net, and burns incense to his dragnet.

And by his net, he lives in luxury and enjoys the tracest food.

And he is kept on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy.

So this is just Habakkuk's, God, why are you allowing this people to come?

We're Israelite, as bad as we are.

We're a whole lot better than the Babylonians.

Like, unbelievable.

Like, we're not going out there destroying.

And then he describes how the Babylonians, you know, they pull them up with hooks, catches them in his net, gathers them in his dragnet.

So he just uses metaphors to show that this is what the people, this is what the Babylonians do.

They just drag the people, haul them home, sacrifice to their gods, thanking the Babylonian gods for allowing them to have more, take over more countries, take over more people.

Because that was their engine.

You know, they used slaves.

Where we have tractors, they had slaves.

When a slave dies, you need another slave.

Where do you get another slave?

Take over another country.

So it kind of, it becomes, they're expanding their kingdom to keep expanding so that they can live in the lap of luxury.

And they're, the Babylonians, sacrifice to their gods so that they can, you know, they enjoy the choices through Babylonia was the big kingdom.

And remember, Nebuchadnezzar, and Daniel, this is, this was, he was, that was his kingdom.

Verse chapter 2, 1 and 2.

I will stand at my watch and station myself on the rampart.

I will look to see what he has says to me and what, and what answers I am to give to this complaint.

You know, so, um, Habakkuk is just, I am standing here, tell me what, you know, I don't see any good happening.

I'm frustrated.

I'm mad.

Then the Lord's answer.

Chapter 2.

Then the Lord replied, write down the revelation and make a plane on tablets so that a herald may run with it.

For the revelation awaits an appointed time.

It speaks of the end and will not be proved false.

Though it lingers, wait for it.

It will certainly come and will not delay.

The Lord's answer.

So he wants the Israelites to see what is going to happen.

Like, this is a prophecy happening in short term.

Like, they, you know, they already knew that the Babylonians took out the Egyptians.

So they knew well what these people were capable of.

And they, you know, some of the other false prophets were saying, don't worry about it.

They're not going to bother you.

Good things are going to happen.

And God is using Habakkuk, Jeremiah, Zephaniah, all these guys to say, whoa, change your ways or this will happen.

And, you know, write down the revelation.

Make it plain.

Verse 3 is really interesting.

For the revelation awaits an appointed time.

It speaks of the end.

It speaks of the end.

And it will not be proved false.

Though it linger, wait for it.

It will certainly come and will not delay.

This speaks.

This is one of these prophecies that's relevant for five years from that time.

Or ten years, whatever time frame he wrote in.

It also speaks of what happens to Israel in the end days.

Many of the same things, you know, like talked about will happen to Israel.

Like it's, you know, as we're studying, going through David Hawkins' study in Revelation,

it talks about the destruction that's doomed for Israel because of their, just because they're God's chosen people.

And Satan wants to take them out because if he can take them out and take Jerusalem out, God can't come back to that land.

So it's, you know, there's a whole lot more to this story than what I can talk about, but it's here.

And then talks about the leader of Babylon.

See, he is puffed up.

His delights are not upright.

Right?

Important verse.

But the righteous will live by his faith.

Indeed, wine betrays him.

He is arrogant and never at rest because he is greedy as the grave.

Unlike death is never satisfied.

He gathers to himself all the nations and take captive all people.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Habakkuk is shocked that God would choose an evil empire to decimate or to discipline Israel.

And, yeah.

In this next section, the Lord answers and describes the Babylonian leaders.

It also contains four lows that are extreme warnings to those who do sins.

They apply to us equally today.

They're not just dusty old warnings.

They're relevant to us.

Nebuchadnezzar, the king, was a hyper-narcissist.

Remember, he had a 90-foot golden statue built.

All government officials were to worship him.

Not just, you know, all the people, but all the government officials were to come together,

worship his image, or be thrown into the fiery furnace.

And if you remember the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they did not.

They honored God, and he saved them.

But right in the middle of that is the very important phrase,

but the righteous will live by his faith.

So those who are still righteous, those who are righteous in God,

those who believe in him, will live by their faith.

So it's interesting how that exact phrase is repeated three times in the New Testament.

Romans 1, 16 and 17.

I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes,

first for the Jew, then for the Gentiles.

For in the gospel, a righteousness from God is revealed,

a righteousness that is by faith from first to last.

Just as it is written, the righteous will live by faith.

Next, Galatians.

Galatians 3 · chapter mention

Chapter 3, 6 to 11.

Consider Abraham.

He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.

Understand then that those who believe are children of Abraham.

The Spirit foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith

and announce the gospel in advance to Abraham.

All nations will be blessed through you

so that those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

All who rely on observing the law are under a curse,

for it is written,

Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the book of the law.

Clearly, no one is justified before God by the law because the righteous will live by faith.

And then third, Hebrews.

Hebrews 10 · chapter mention

Chapter 10, 35 to 39.

Do not throw away your confidence.

They will be richly rewarded.

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God,

you will receive what has been promised.

For in just a little while,

he who is coming will delay.

Well, he who is coming will come and not delay.

But my righteous one will live by faith.

And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed,

but of those who believe and are saved.

Three times the verse is quoted in the New Testament

and always an encouragement to us to live courageously.

Yeah, four and five describes the arrogant attitude,

a very sharp contrast to the righteous will live by faith.

So, you know, Habakkuk is describing,

he's encouraging the people that if you live by faith,

you know, the righteous will live by faith.

The Babylonians, they're worshiping other things.

Their God is their stomach.

They're, you know, they live for the immediate.

They live for the gratification.

Verse six.

So it's just stolen goods written to everyone,

not just Babylon.

This is a warning to those who feel ill-gotten gain gives prosperity.

You know, that's today.

You know, there's lots of people that would just as soon rip you off.

If they could get ahead of you in a business deal,

all the better.

And the laws about land ownership are being ignored,

causing great inequity in Israel.

7 and 8.

Will your debtors suddenly arise?

Will they not wake up and make you tremble?

Then you will become their victim,

because you have plundered many nations.

The people who are left will plunder you,

for you have shed men's blood.

You have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

And that describes Babylon.

The Medes and Persians overtook Babylon after seven years, remember?

The writing on the wall.

That was the story of the last,

the Babylonian doofus having a party,

and he takes the fine cutlery and stuff from Israel,

the Israelite stuff,

and he's having a big party,

and all of a sudden this hand is writing on the wall.

And he's done.

An hour later, he's gone.

The Medes and Persians take over.

Verse 9.

Woe.

Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain,

sets his nest on high to escape the clutches of ruin.

Unjust gain.

Illegal business dealings.

Covetousness.

Now we,

God had set up ways for equality among the Jews.

Like there was, like it says,

there will always be poor among you.

Some people are better businessmen,

some people are better workers,

some people are widows.

God had a plan in the nation Israel

to take care of those.

It wasn't a welfare state,

but it was a way of doing things.

And there was a way that you could

use your land as equity,

borrow against it,

and then get it back.

And it's written in Deuteronomy chapter 15.

Deuteronomy 15 · chapter mention

At the end of every seven years,

you must cancel debts.

This is how it is to be done.

Every creditor must cancel the loan

he has made to his fellow Israelite.

He shall not require payment

from his fellow Israelites or brothers

because the Lord's time for canceling debts

has been proclaimed.

You may require payment from a foreigner,

but you must cancel any debt your brother owes you.

However, there should be no poor among you.

For in the land the Lord your God

has given you to possess as your inheritance,

he will richly bless you.

If, big if,

God's promises, if,

if only you fully obey the Lord your God

and are careful to follow all his commands

I am giving you today.

For the Lord your God will bless you

as he has promised.

You will lend to many nations,

but will borrow from none.

You will rule over many nations,

but none will rule over you.

So he's,

he's promised these things to happen.

If someone,

one of your fellow Israelites

puts up the land to get money

and then you're to give it back to them.

Even if it's one year out

to give them the money

and then give them back.

You will prosper.

This was God's promise.

If,

you follow his commands.

They weren't following his commands.

And,

over and over they,

he,

you know,

he sent prophets,

he sent disasters,

he sent Assyrians,

he sent many things.

You know,

they,

they,

they did not want to listen.

Um,

10 and 11.

You applauded the ruin

of many people,

shaming your own house,

forfeiting your life.

The stones of the walls

will cry out

and the beams of the woodwork

will echo it.

So,

the lands,

the people,

the cities

that were conquered,

taken over,

never fully at peace.

Like,

you're a conquered people,

now you're under the rule

of the Babylonians

and they,

they really didn't care about you.

So,

it was never,

never a great peaceful time.

It was a horrible time.

But,

even the,

even the stones,

archaeology,

proves this right.

You go back

and you look at some of these,

uh,

cities that were destroyed,

the archaeology proves that.

chapter,

verse 12.

Woe to him

who builds a city

with bloodshed,

establishes a town

by crime.

Warning for nations

that want to be,

to want to rule the world.

Every empire faces this.

From Babylonians

through the English

and the Americans.

You know,

like,

yeah,

there's,

you know,

we think this was,

this was something

that happened eons ago.

Well,

you know,

you look at,

uh,

how they treated,

uh,

South America.

Like,

Spain with South America,

England with Africa,

and,

and,

uh,

India and this and that.

You know,

they have,

they had an attitude.

And it wasn't honoring to God.

This has not the Lord Almighty

determined that a person,

that people's labor

is only fuel for the fire

that the lane,

that the nations exhaust.

What have we really acquired

that is not temporary?

We think,

wow,

we've got our maid,

we've got this built.

it,

it,

it doesn't last.

Like,

you know,

even the pyramids

are falling apart.

They're not permanent.

Verse 14,

prophetic.

For the earth

will be filled

with the knowledge

and the glory

of the Lord

as the waters

cover the sea.

This is a,

this is telling us,

this isn't right now.

the world

the world

has the ability

to hear,

like radio,

TV,

they have the world,

the ability to hear

about the glory of God,

but they're ignoring it.

When,

when Christ returns,

the world

will be covered

with his glory.

To Habakkuk

and,

and also us,

this is encouraging,

knowing that

the world

does not just end

in flames

as in Jerusalem.

And if we go to

Revelation 19,

we read

1911

to

16.

I saw heaven

standing open

and there before me

was a white horse

whose ruler,

whose rider is called

faithful and true.

With justice

he judges

and makes war.

I guess this is the,

no,

I made a mistake there.

I was going to read

that later.

But that is,

that is Christ.

that he is,

he is coming back.

So,

the,

the world

will be covered

with his glory.

You know,

so this is encouraging

to know that,

that Jesus

is coming back

and that the world

will understand.

15.

Final,

third,

fourth rule,

fourth rule.

Nasty one.

Woe to him

who gives drink

to his neighbors,

pouring it

from wineskins

till they are drunk,

so that he can gaze

on their naked bodies.

This is a,

this is a

very relevant

warning.

Yeah,

you're going to get,

get somebody drunk

so that you can do

profane things with them.

This is not just something

that's,

oh,

an old dusty.

No,

this is pertinent.

God is warning us

this happens.

It started with Noah.

Noah

grew grapes,

became drunk,

and his son,

Ham,

and looked upon him.

Maybe more than that,

according to

David Hawkins.

And Noah's

cursed Ham's descendants,

the Canaanites.

And we look at

the fall of Babylon,

and again,

I read,

read part of that

in Revelation 18,

and it talks about

the drunkenness,

like drunken

with power.

So in the end times,

in the final seven years,

the,

the Babylonian kingdom

will be drunk

with power.

They will be

all powerful.

They will be,

you can't do anything

if it isn't allowed.

And they are,

you know,

and then God

will judge them.

16 and 17.

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.

The violence

you have done

to Babylon

will overwhelm you,

and your destruction

of animals

will terrify you.

For you have shed

man's bloods,

and you have destroyed

lands and cities

and everyone in them.

Again,

after Babylon

conquers Israel,

it will be punished.

Now,

this

is a warning

for Israel.

Of what value

is an idol

since a man

has carved it

or an image

that teaches lies

for he who makes it

trust in his own creation.

He makes idols

that cannot speak.

Woe to him

who says to would

come to life

or lifeless stone.

Wake up.

Can it give guidance?

It is covered

with gold and silver.

There is no breath in it.

But the Lord

is in his holy temple.

Let all the earth

be silent before him.

Habakkuk

is directly

talking to Israel

about idols.

This isn't just

for the Babylonians,

even though they

have their idols.

This is focusing

on Israel.

This is focusing

on Israel.

And right from

the Tower of Babel

through the Ten Commandments

in Exodus 20,

in Exodus 32,

the golden calf,

remember,

Moses was up

on the mountain

for a month

and while he was up there,

the people,

they threw gold

into their fire

and out

jumped the golden calf.

Just jumped out.

Anyways,

so all along,

he has been

warning these people

that,

you know,

and then punishment.

Remember,

Elijah had

a contest

to build an altar

and lightning

came down

and destroyed it

and licked up

the water.

The Babylonians,

they were cutting

themselves

and dancing

and this and that,

nothing happened.

At the end of it,

he said,

okay,

let's kill them all.

So they killed

450 prophets.

A little while later,

Jehu

got all the

prophets of Baal

to come in

to their temple

and he was,

we're gonna have

a big celebration,

right?

And then he had

80 guards

on the outside

and says,

your life for theirs

if any of them escape.

So they killed them all.

So God has

punished

these people,

these priests,

these terrible priests

all through history

and yet still

the Israelites

still wanna follow that

because it's easier

to see something solid

than,

you know,

when you're praying

to a God

and you don't hear

an answer,

then you wanna say,

well,

I'll worship

the God of fertility

or the God of rain

or the God of this

or this God

will protect me

and if I do this,

the Egyptians

will help me.

Again,

Zephaniah,

one couple pages

later,

talks in verse 4 to 6.

I will stretch out

my hand against Judah

and against all

who live in Jerusalem.

I will cut off

from her high places

every remnant

of Baal,

the name of the pagans

and the idolatrous priests.

Those who bow down

on the housetops

worship the starry skies,

those who bow down

and swear to the Lord

and who also swear

by Molech,

those who turn back

from following the Lord

will neither seek the Lord

nor inquire of Him.

So these are,

these are powerful words

that he's talking

about idols.

And,

God's zeal never waned.

whatever we,

today,

today,

whatever we view

as of equal importance

to God,

jobs,

possessions,

family,

sports,

entertainment,

anything,

anything,

is still an abomination.

God is still

prominent.

He is number one.

Everything,

we have jobs,

we can do sports,

we can watch

entertainment,

but to,

to put it above God

is,

is an abomination.

And,

you know,

the day,

the day of judgment

will be filled

with people

regretting

their choices.

Finally,

and I'm running

out of time,

chapter three,

the wow chapter.

Prayer of Habakkuk,

the prophet.

Lord,

I have heard

of your fame.

I stood in awe

of your deeds,

O Lord.

Renew them

in our day,

in our time,

make them known.

In wrath,

remember mercy.

This is a different

attitude.

This is a different

guy.

After God's

revelation to Habakkuk

about what will

happen to Israel

and the punishment

of Babylon,

plus idolatry,

he has a true

picture of God.

He is seeing God

for who he is.

Heard of your fame,

stand in awe

of your deed.

This is,

you know,

we compare that

to chapter one.

How long,

O Lord,

must I call?

Cry out to you.

Why do you

make me look?

Destruction and

violence are before me.

Therefore,

and he's blaming God.

Now,

he's praising God.

His splendor

was like the sunrise.

Rays flashed

from his hand

where his power

was hidden.

Plagues

were before him.

Pestilence

followed his steps.

So again,

he's looking at

God who forgot

who God is.

Glory

covers the heavens.

He sees God

as not

something that

he had a little idol.

He sees the whole

glory of God.

And then he realizes,

plagues

went before him.

This means that

God

allowed

nasty things

to happen

for the people

to wake up.

Wake up,

people.

This is happening.

You know,

and we,

God,

you know,

like he doesn't

just have a sign

even though he did

have the prophets

and all these things

and blessings.

He still had to

wake them up

and they didn't

wake up.

Amen.

He stood,

shook the earth,

looked,

and made the nations

tremble.

The ancient mountains

crumbled

and the age-old hills

collapsed.

His ways

are eternal.

Again,

natural disasters

are wake-up call.

In Revelation,

many events

will occur.

Today,

we ignore God

and take credit

that man,

that man

isn't responsible

for climate change.

Okay,

interesting fact,

La Palma volcano,

right?

Going off there,

Canary Islands

just off of Africa.

In two months,

more sulfur dioxide

has been emitted

than all the continent

of Europe

in a year.

So,

for man to say,

well,

because we did this,

we're changing

the climate.

Well,

how do you climate?

There's almost 50 volcanoes

going off

around the world

right now.

More than any,

like they're ramping up

really quickly.

And for man to say,

well,

because I'm burning

a little bit too much gasoline,

man is in charge.

Again,

this is kind of like Babylon.

That we will make a tower.

It's man that's in charge.

And this is,

this is what's,

this is what's happening.

Now,

were you angry with the rivers?

Oh,

Lord,

was your wrath

against the streams?

Did you rage against the sea?

Were you,

when you rode with your horses

in your vicious,

a victorious chariots,

you uncovered your bow,

you called for many arrows,

you split the world,

earth with rivers,

the mountains saw you

and rather ride,

torrents of water

swept by the deep.

again

time of Noah, great changes

while things were happening

Noah was on the boat underneath the ocean

things were happening

sun and moon

stood still in the heavens, the glint of your

flying arrows, the lightning of your flashing

appears, in wrath you stood

strode through the earth

and in anger you thrashed the nations

you came out to deliver your people

to save your anointed one, you crushed the leaders

of the land of wickedness, you stripped

them from head to foot, with your own

spear you pierced his head

when his warriors stormed out to scatter

us, gloating as they were about to

devour the wretched who were in hiding

you trampled the sea with your horses

judgment against

Babylon

remember

Jesus came the first time

as a gentle, humble

man who was nailed to

nailed and

who healed and prophesied

Jesus will come back

as a warrior

we read already in Revelation 19

he comes back with

riding his horse

vengeful

now these are the

these are the verses that really caught my eye

well 16

17 does

16

I heard and my heart pounded

my lips

quivered

at the sound

decay

crept into my bones

and my legs trembled

yet I wait patiently for the day of calamity

to come on the nations

invading us

Habakkuk

was terrified of God's revelation

you know he knows

that Jerusalem will be destroyed

the temple destroyed

people killed

it was horrible

but he will

he will wait patiently for

for the judgment on

Babylon

now verse 2nd

we've only got two verses left

this is the one that caught us

we're combining

we're out there

you know

12 bushel peas

we've got nothing

though the fig tree

does not bud

there are no grapes

on the vine

though the olive crop

fails

and the fields

produce no food

though there is no sheep

in the pen

and no cattle

in the stalls

whoa

can you ever describe

harvest 2021

except with those words

you know we know

how are we going to pay our bills

how are things going to happen

yeah

it just

it's a wake up call

it's just a wake up call

God knows these things

he knows

this is going to happen

to the Israelites

the most important verse

the most important verse

18

yet

it's a powerful word

yet

I will rejoice

in the Lord

I will be joyful

in God my Savior

the sovereign Lord

is my strength

he makes me

he makes my feet

like the feet

of a deer

and he enables me

to go on the heights

yet

even though

Habakkuk

is foreseeing

the destruction

of Jerusalem

he is

seeing

the destruction

of the temple

like the beautiful temple

that Solomon built

he's

seeing

he's foreseeing

all the people

getting killed

he's foreseeing

the destruction

of the cropland

that they're going to starve

though the fig tree

does not bud

no grapes

on the vine

though the olive crop

fails

the field

produce no food

no sheep

in the pen

no cattle

in the stalls

yet

I will rejoice

in the Lord

I will be joyful

in God

my Savior

the sovereign Lord

is my strength

he makes me

makes my feet

like the feet

of a deer

enables me

to go on the heights

this verse

is the climax

of the chapter

Habakkuk

goes from lamenting

over God

being

an inept

ignorant

you know

inept

in what he does

ignoring Israel's

sins

to realizing

that no matter

what happens

he will

he will find

strength

and joy

in the Lord

so Habakkuk's

revelation

of who

God

is

enabled them

to see

the power

of God

and

you know

we just

we just

we have to

take that

to our heart

who is God

what are we

doing

are we

are we

glorifying him

are we joyous

in the Lord

even though

you know

bad things

are happening

through the ages

many nations

have faced

invasions

and even

today

we look at

say Ukraine

Taiwan

they face

imminent war

Israel is

fighting battles

over Iran

you know

the picture

of death

and destruction

around the world

is real

but the promise

of God

you know

God promises

to be with us

he promises

to be our

we have salvation

if you believe

in God

you have salvation

and I think

it hit me

no matter

what we face

we have a God

who is not an

idol

who is not

idol

but is an

active

savior

Paul's letter

to the Philippians

sums up

all that we

can face

in verse

chapter

Philippians

Philippians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

19 to 21

for I know

that

through your

prayers

and the help

given by the

spirit of Jesus

Christ

what has

happened to me

will turn out

for my

deliverance

I eagerly

wait

eagerly expect

and hope

that I will

in no way

be ashamed

but will have

courage

sufficient courage

so that

now as always

Christ will be

exalted in my

body

whether by life

or by death

and that famous

verse

for to me

to live

is Christ

and to die

is gain

so as

as we

go through

all the

turmoil

like in this

next

year

things

can go

we may

face stuff

that we

can never

imagine

you know

like when

wars

and rumors

of wars

earthquakes

that are

happening

tsunamis

that could

happen

all these

things

you know

this virus

that's going

or the

coronavirus

it could

get worse

all these

things

we're looking

at

man

it could

get worse

we take

and we know

that to live

is Christ

to die

is gain

but I think

Habakkuk sums

it up

best

as we live

our lives

but the

righteous

will live

by his

faith

so if there's

any encouragement

you can take

from the

sermon

it's the

righteous

will live

by his

faith

thank you

спасибо

to

the