When God Doesn’t – Habakkuk Intro

Posted on June 26, 2020 by dkoop

Our series, “When God Doesn’t” is based out of the Old Testament book of Habakkuk, if you would like to read along, here is the introduction!

Planet Earth may look marvelous from a satellite, but for those who live here things tend to look rather grim. Increased turmoil, rising terrorism, mounting tragedies, unprecedented trauma, increasing pollution, deepening trials, and unparalleled tensions cast dark shadows over earthlings. The world looks more and more like some ominous black sphere with a very short fuse, a time bomb sizzling to explode.

It is little wonder thinking people begin to ask questions. Why all the injustice? Why is there so much oppression? Why do the evil prosper? Why do the righteous suffer? Why doesn’t God do something? Why doesn’t God clean up this mess? Why? Why? Why?

These penetrating questions are hardly new. Centuries before Christ visited this planet; an ancient prophet looked around at the violence and wickedness of the world and cried out to God, “Why do You make me look at injustice? Why do You tolerate wrong?… Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?” (Hab. 1:3, 13)  Habakkuk’s faith was strengthened through his dialogue with God. He may not have received the detailed explanations from God that he was looking for, but he received a revelation of God’s power and wisdom that gave him a better knowledge of God and a determination to remain faithful to him.

AUTHOR: Habakkuk. His name means embraced by God. Some scholars believe it might also suggest wrestling with God, since Habakkuk did this in behalf of the people. Habakkuk was unique among Old Testament prophets. Rather than speaking to the people on behalf of God, he spoke to God on behalf of the people.

Though Habakkuk is specifically called a prophet, his book resembles the literary style of the Psalms. The concluding note, “For the director of music, on my stringed instruments” (Hab. 3:19), suggests that Habakkuk may have been a trained musician, one well-acquainted with the worship and musical traditions of Israel.  He was well-educated (probably a priest), deeply sensitive and penned one of the most penetrating books of the Old Testament.

DATE WRITTEN: between 615-598 B.C. The prophet was familiar with the rising power of the Babylonians (1:6-10), but apparently the brutal nation had not yet invaded Judah. The book was likely written during the evil reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah (608-598). It was during such a time—a time when Judean society was utterly corrupt—that Habakkuk wrote.

WRITTEN TO:

1.  The people of Judah. God’s own people were living wickedly, greedily exploiting and oppressing one another. The leaders were especially corrupt, abusing their power and abusing the people. Habakkuk was overwhelmed by these injustices and wondered why God was doing nothing about it. With all this in mind, he spoke to God on behalf of the people—pleading with the Lord for justice. Habakkuk longed for the Lord to act, to protect the righteous and to punish the wicked for their terrible crimes.

When Habakkuk begged God for an explanation of why he permitted the wicked to sin and the innocent to suffer, the prophet was given an answer. God, even then, was shaping the Babylonians into a world power. The Lord would use these pagan armies to punish His own people. Habakkuk understood, for the use of enemy nations to discipline Israel and Judah was a well-established precedent. But there was still a moral issue that troubled the prophet. How could God use a less righteous people to discipline the more righteous? How could God permit the Babylonians to succeed?

2.  All people:

This book is very relevant for us today as well. We all are troubled in one form or another by these same questions:  Why does God permit the wicked to succeed in this world? Why doesn’t He act, so that the good rather than the wicked prosper? The answers we find in Habakkuk show us that the wicked do not succeed—and that no one, good or bad, can avoid the disciplining hand of God.

There are moral and theological questions raised by sin’s presence, in our own lives and in the ways of the wicked. Perhaps the best and most satisfying answers to be found in Scripture are revealed here in this small, but vital, Old Testament book.

Also this book:

  • teaches us how to live and gives us hope. (Ro. 15:4).

PURPOSE:

1. The Historical Purpose: to comfort the faithful and righteous, the true believers of Judah. Those oppressing others would be judged by God. The nation as a whole was going to be judged as well, but God would also judge the Babylonians, their persecutors.  Habakkuk’s message to believers in Judah was clear: live by faith (2:4); that is, keep living righteously and trust God to right all wrongs.

2. The Spiritual Purpose: the book of Habakkuk raises questions that are of vital concern to every generation, questions such as…

  • Why does God allow suffering and injustice?
  • Why do the wicked prosper and go unpunished?
  • Why do the righteous suffer?

The courageous prophet confronted these troubling questions head on, but with integrity and passion. He was vitally concerned about the injustices he saw in his nation, and he longed for the Lord to do something about it.

The great lessons of Habakkuk are found in how the prophet wrestled with God, how he asked questions that troubled him, how he patiently waited and watched for the Lord’s answer, and how he responded when the Lord answered.

a. Habakkuk teaches that believers should be most concerned about the things that trouble the Lord: sin, corruption and injustice.

b. Habakkuk teaches that believers should take their deepest troubles, hardest questions, and most pressing concerns directly to the Lord in prayer.

c. Habakkuk teaches that believers should wait patiently and confidently for the Lord to answer. He approached the Lord with a sincere desire to understand God’s ways, what the Lord would do for His people. By doing so, the prophet boldly declared that he would stand watch and wait for the Lord no matter how long it took.

d. Habakkuk teaches that believers should respond with praise and thanksgiving when the Lord answers—no matter how He answers our prayers. If He chooses to judge, then, like Habakkuk, we must stand in awe and remember the sovereignty of God. And if the Lord chooses to show mercy, we also need to stand in awe and remember the great love of God for His people.

e. Habakkuk teaches the true meaning of faith—that the righteous must live by faith, trusting God to do what is best. Only by such utter confidence and trust can people praise the Lord even when times are difficult.

f. Habakkuk teaches that God is sovereign, that He rules the world and history according to His own plans and purposes.

 3. The Christ‑Centered Purpose: Christ is foreseen in the great book of Habakkuk in several profound ways. Throughout the book, Habakkuk looked to God for justice and salvation. Although the prophet did not receive a direct revelation of Jesus Christ, his whole book anticipates the salvation that only God’s Messiah could bring.

a. Christ is the ultimate answer to life’s most troubling questions. He is God’s answer to the problem of sin, suffering, death, and all the injustices of the world.

b. Christ is the justice of God. To satisfy God’s justice the first time, Christ went to the cross and died in our place, reconciling God and man. When Christ returns He will judge the world—every person and nation—and establish perfect justice in God’s kingdom.

c. Christ is the salvation of God. Through Christ—His death and resurrection—God offers all people the gift of salvation. Christ would bring salvation to Israel even though judgment would come first. Judah’s earthly judgment would be temporary, but God’s salvation in Christ would be eternal. Christ is God’s answer to all of life’s problems, the great hope for which all men should long. He is the salvation and justice of God.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

This book is very important in its relationship to the New Testament. It is generally conceded that the three great doctrinal books of the New Testament are Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews, all of which quote from Habakkuk (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; and Hebrews 10:38. )    In fact, Habakkuk 2:4 is the background of their message: “The just shall live by his faith.”

Habakkuk begins with an interrogation of God but ends as an intercession to God. Worry is transformed into worship. Fear turns to faith. Terror becomes trust. Hang-ups are resolved with hope. Anguish melts into adoration.

What begins with a question mark ends in an exclamation point. The answer to Habakkuk’s “Why?” is “Who!” His confusion, “Why all the conflict?” is resolved with his comprehension of who is in control: God!

Next time we’ll look at Habakkuk Chapter 1,

Darrell

www.Upwards.Church

Facebook: Upwards Church

 

Sources:
Bible Knowledge Commentary
Bible Reader’s Companion
Concise Bible Commentary
J. Vernon McGee’s Thru The Bible
Preacher’s Outline and Sermon Bible – Commentary – The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible – Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.
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When God Doesn’t – Habakkuk

Posted on June 24, 2020 by dkoop

What do we do when God doesn’t seem to listen or act fairly?  It’s all around; bad people taking advantage of the weak, good people down on their luck, innocent people suffering, sickness, war and injustice.  The prophet Habakkuk struggled with these questions and begins by complaining and questioning God.  As God reveals his divine work, Habakkuk must let go off his own expectations and wait patiently for God to fulfill his divine purposes in his timing and ways. In the end, Habakkuk’s complaint gives away to a beautiful trust in God that is not based upon his circumstances.

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Submission in Marriage – Eph.5 – Part 2

Posted on June 24, 2020 by dkoop

Wives, if you are uncomfortable with Paul’s instructions to you in the last post relax: what he calls husbands to is worse. Notice first the difference in length – 3 verses compared to 9; 40 words compared to 115.

It’s like the little girl who went to her first wedding.  She asked her mom, “Why is the bride wearing white?”  The mother replied, “white is the color of happiness and this is the happiest day of her life”  The girl replied then why is the groom wearing black?”

Notice next the difference in what husbands are called to in vs. 25

  • Husbands are to have a sacrificial love for their wives. Sacrificial love means a husband is willing to meet his wife’s needs even if it is costly, to the point of laying down his life for his wife.

Ephesians 5:25  “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”  (NIV)

Ephesians 5:25  “Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting.”  (Msg)

 Now, guys that’s a nice, poetic way of saying, “Jesus chose to submit himself to the whip, the thorns and the nails for our benefit. That’s the example for you husbands to follow.” In short, Paul boldly says here that we men are to have a SACRIFICIAL love for our wives. Their needs are always to come before our own—even if it is costly for us to satisfy their needs. In fact, it means we are to be willing to lay down our very lives for our help-mates.

 Well, this is the kind of love husbands are to have for their wives.  We have plenty of opportunities to show our love as we learn to die to self-daily and put our wives’ needs first. One wife rightly told her husband, “I know that you’re willing to die for me; you’ve told me that many times. But while you’re waiting to die, could you just fill in some of the time by helping me with the kids or the dishes?”

Now, wives, can YOU imagine how wonderful it would be to have a husband who was always putting you first—who was constantly dying to self to make sure your needs are met?

Now I want to point out that service is what is remembered, it is what makes a mark, it is what lasts.  Service is being most like Christ.  Service is the definition of spiritual maturity.  We were just at a funeral last week and I was looking at some of the grave stones, nowhere did it say, “he sure knew his bible, she went to a lot of conferences, he read a lot of books” No they said, “loving husband,” “loving father.” This is our legacy, this is what last, serving others is the most Christ like thing you can do.

  3.  Submission Works Best When We View Our Marriage Bond As Permanent

Ephesians 5:31  “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”  (NIV)

 In verse 31 Paul quotes the book of Genesis which God says that in marriage, husband and wife LEAVE their families to CLEAVE to one another. For the sake of their love a man and a woman become one flesh. With this word picture Paul implies that they are united as the parts of a body are united and so they are to no more think of separating than they would think of tearing their own bodies apart.  In fact the blueprint here in Genesis uses a Hebrew word that we translate as “cleave” and it literally means “to glue or to cling” in a PERMANENT sense. You see, God designed marriage to be a life-long union between one man and one woman who SUBMIT to each other all the days of their lives—until death do them part and if marriage is to succeed—if spouses are to EXPERIENCE the joy that God designed marriage to bring—well then brides and grooms must embrace this principle from the beginning.

 Submission Requires The Presence Of Christ In My Life

 It is vital that we understand this because it is really impossible for a husband and a wife to submit to one another—and daily practice a sacrificial love—on their own power. if a husband is to love like Jesus, he must have personally experienced the love of Jesus. If a wife it to treat her husband, as Jesus would want her to she must know Jesus and have submitted Him herself. They each need Jesus living in and through them in order for them to practice true Biblical submission.  Because Christ has been so patient with me, he waited and waited, he worked and worked in my life, because I have experienced his patience I can be patient with Niki.  Because I have been forgiven so much, I can forgive Niki.

Ephesians 5:21  “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”  (NIV)

The word “submit” in verse 21 is not a command.  The command is back in verse 18 where it says, “Be filled with the Spirit.”  In other words, “Because you are filled with the spirit, you will be willing be to submit to your spouse.”  Submitting to one another is an expression of being filled with the Spirit of God.

If you are a disciple of Jesus, yielding to His lordship, then when a problem comes you’ll let Him take the lead—you’ll submit to what He would want you to do.

And it IS impossible to submit like this on your own strength. We have to draw on God’s power. So, as I have often told you, in marriage as God intends there are not two partners but three—and Jesus is the third.

“You see, these verses teach us that the answer to the power imbalance question—you know, “WHO IS IN CHARGE, HUSBAND OR WIFE?”— is really neither. The correct answer to that question is JESUS! He is in charge! He is the boss! He is the HEAD of any marriage just as He is the Head of the church!

And Paul is saying that no marriage will succeed unless both spouses believe this and SUBMIT to Jesus’ authority in their part of the relationship. Paul explains how this works itself out in marriage by first addressing the wife and then the husband.

Some narrow bridges at the front of the bridge have a sign posted: “YIELD.” From the other direction another YIELD sign is posted. Yield signs are placed at both ends of the bridge. Drivers from both directions are requested to give right of way. It was a reasonable and gracious way of preventing a head-on collision. When the Bible tells husbands and wives to “submit to one another” (Ephesians 5:21) it is simply a reasonable and gracious command to let the other have the right of way and avoid interpersonal head-on collisions.”

Darrell

www.Upwards.Church

Facebook: Upwards Church

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Submission in Marriage- Eph 5 – Part 1

Posted on June 24, 2020 by dkoop

A woman was talking to her friend and said, “In our marriage I make all the minor decisions an my husband makes all the major ones.”  The friend asked, “what decisions do you make?”  “I decide how we spend our money, when we get a new car or furniture, where we shop, where we eat, where the kids go to school…”  Well, said the friend, “What kind of decisions does your husband make?”  “Real important ones like, who should be the next president or who should win the Super Bowl or the World Series.”

Most of the problems in marriage can be traced to one thing: control.  The majority of arguments between husbands and wives have to do with disagreements over who will get their way.

Today we will look at solution to the problems that come with control issues in marriage it is Ephesians 5.   We are given God’s original blueprint—which contains a way for husbands and wives to move beyond power struggles by embracing a proper understanding of Biblical Submission.

This particular text can be very difficult to understand. In fact, these verses in Ephesians 5 have caused so much disagreement that many people ignore them all together. That little six-letter word—submit—is one of the most disliked, and divisive words in the Bible.

I believe we have to come to a proper understanding of this troublesome word if our marriages are to bring us the joy God intends. We simply must understand this word if we are to understand His blueprint!

Submission, what is it?  Here’s the definition: “A Greek military term meaning “to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader”. In non-military use, it was “a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden”.” So the word, in its original context, means voluntarily giving in, and cooperating.
So Paul’s instruction, then, is that husbands and wives should voluntarily give in and cooperate with each other.

Notice what Paul doesn’t say: he doesn’t use the word “obey,” which he does use for children and slaves in the next chapter. That word is stronger; there isn’t the same idea of it being voluntary. Though it may be a small point, I believe it is significant and demonstrates that Paul recognizes that the marriage relationship is one of equality.

  1. Submission Is For Both Husband And Wife

Many times we fail to understand this text and apply it to our marriages because we begin at verse 22 instead of verse 21 where Paul plainly says to BOTH husband and wife,

Ephesians 5:21  “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”  (NIV)

Ephesians 5:21  “Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent to one another.”  (Msg)

It’s up to BOTH partners in marriage to give & sacrifice!

The attitude is that of Christ who gave His all for us!

One young man saw an elderly couple sitting down to lunch at McDonald’s. He noted that they had ordered one meal, & an extra cup. He watched, the older man carefully divide the hamburger in half, then counted out the fries, one for him, one for her, until each had half of them. Then the old man poured half of the soft drink into the cup & set that in front of his wife. The man then began to eat, & his wife sat, watching, with her hands folded in her lap. The young man decided to ask if they would allow him to purchase another meal for them so that they didn’t have to split theirs. The old guy said, “Oh, no. We’ve been married 50 years, & everything has always been & will always be shared.” The young man then asked the wife if she was going to eat, & she replied, “Not yet. It’s his turn with the teeth.”

We are to both share in submitting.  It should be a give and take.  Not give and give by one partner and take and take by the other.

In our house, everything is not my way and everything is not Niki’s way.  If it was my way, we would vacuum once a year instead of once a week.  If it was my way we wouldn’t buy new furniture, we’d keep what we have.  When we got married I had an orange velvet paisley couch.  I thought we should keep it for our new home.  Niki said, I love you but no!  I found out with new furniture, “Hey this isn’t so bad, when I sit down my knees no longer touch my chin” or “wow, this new recliner is nice”  If things were Niki’s way we would have the minimal yard and landscaping and it would probably be dead.  She has found out that, “yeah, the yard is where we spend a lot of time, it does draw people outside when it’s nicely done, it does raise the value of our home.”  Our last home sold quickly and the reason given was because they liked the yard.  So we both learn to cooperate with one another and neither one of us controls every aspect of our family and we both benefit.

  1. Submission Is A Choice We Personally Make

 It doesn’t say, “Husbands, tell your wives to submit” — or, “Wives, tell your husband to love you like Christ.”   If you use this verse like a club it will be used against you.  In fact verse 22 is none of your business husbands, it is directed to the wife.  You will have enough to worry about by focusing on verses 25-33!

Here what the wives are to do…

 Wives are to relate to their husbands in light of their relationship to Jesus.

Ephesians 5:22  “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.”  (NIV)

Ephesians 5:22  “Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ.”   (Msg)

Wives are to treat their husbands as Jesus would want them to treat them. I mean, a godly wife should constantly be asking herself, “What would Jesus do?”

Here’s a rough—but I think accurate—paraphrase of what Paul is saying “As the church is constantly asking ‘what would Jesus want us to do’ in everything, wives should also be constantly asking, ‘what would Jesus have me do’ when it comes to relating to my husband.”

A question that might be on your mind,  “do I cooperate with my husband if he is doing something immoral or sinful?  Do I submit and go along?”  No, nowhere in the bible are we told to cooperate with sin or go along with wrongdoing.  We are also told to cooperate or “submit to governing authorities”  (Romans 13) however we see that when the government tells us to do something that is contrary to scripture, God does not want us to disobey him to follow the government.  For example:  Shad-rack, Me-shack, and Abednego, in the book of Daniel where aids to the king of Babylon, the king made a golden statue and said to everyone to bow down and worship it.  They said, no and the king said, then I’ll throw you into a fiery furnace, they said, fine.  The king did and God protected them.  The same thing happened to Daniel, a law was passed, “no one is to pray”   This didn’t stop Daniel, he prayed and because he broke the law was thrown into a Lion’s den, again God protected him.  We see this in the New Testament in Acts 6, the disciples are taken before the Sanhedrin who tell them, “do not teach about Christ”  They replied it is better to obey God than you.

So in a marriage, submission is not going along with something that is wrong, it is not enduring abuse.   This is not submission.  Submission is choosing to meet the needs of your spouse, to show love to be Christ like, to be supportive.  This is submission.

To husbands, now, wives, if you are uncomfortable with Paul’s instructions to you, relax: what he calls husbands to is worse.  We will look at that in the next post.

Darrell

www.Upwards.Church

Facebook: Upwards Church

 

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