Habakkuk 1:12-2:4
- David Fairchild
- Feb 19, 2006
- Series: Habakkuk
INTRODUCTION
This dialogue shows God’s sovereignty over history and his plan to deal with evil through Christ by grace through faith.
What is our starting point this morning? Is the basic riddle of the universe how to preserve your rights and solve your problems like your assumed right of self-determination and the problem of suffering? Or is the most basic riddle of the universe how an infinitely worthy God in complete freedom can display the full range of his perfections- what Paul calls the “riches of his glory” (Romans 9:29)- his holiness, his power, his wisdom, his justice, his wrath, his goodness, his truth, and his grace?
This type of thinking assumes that for us to be loved, God must make us the center of the universe. He must highlight our value. If our worth is not upheld, then we feel unloved. If our value is not the ground of God’s purpose in the cross, then we are not esteemed. The radical, biblical, gospel centered mindset, however, teaches the very opposite. The cross is the pinnacle of God’s love for sinners, not because it demonstrates the value of the sinner, but because it demonstrates the value and vindicated righteousness of God for sinners to enjoy. God’s love for you and I does not consist in making much of us, but in making much of himself for us. The cross doesn’t direct man’s attention to his own worth, but to God’s righteousness, beauty, and glory. Therefore, God’s love for His own glory is the foundation and fountainhead for his love for us. He loves his glory so much that he is willing to send his son into this world to vindicate his righteousness- to be just and the justifier of the sinner, so that we can be freed to do and be what we were initially created to do and be in the garden- live for his glory. And in so doing, receive the great longing of the human soul- eternal, unwavering, deep, profound, and rich joy and satisfaction in this life and the one to come.
Habakkuk’s problem was not a first in human history in which a person’s faith was challenged in greater measure as that person was granted further insight into the plans and purposes of God.
Habakkuk asked “How long? And the Lord replied, “Very suddenly and very soon.” Habakkuk asked “Why is justice not upheld?” and the Lord answered, “My perfect justice will bring vengeance even on my own people.”
Habakkuk received the answers he was asking for, but they troubled him more than his original questions. This is like you or I living in a neighborhood filled with violence and all types of crime, and so we run to the police station searching for justice and we tell them our plight and they respond by saying that a plan is already in place and that plan will be the dropping of a tactical nuclear warhead over the neighborhood to destroy it. What? What we’re looking for is to have the weeds pulled out of the garden, not the whole garden (in which you live) be decimated.
Habakkuk wanted to know the plan, God told him, and now he’s greatly troubled by the news. As I said last week, God wanted us to overhear this dialogue for our benefit and his glory. God reveals himself to us through His word and His obvious desire is for you and I 2,600 years later to wrestle and think through what all this means so that we better understand him and his plans, and so we better understand our place before the Sovereign Creator of the Universe.
Listen to the way in which Habakkuk wrestles with God’s answer by first doing what we should all do by going to God in prayer, and secondly by demonstrating a certain confidence in God even when his faith is perplexed. It’s not that Habakkuk has a weak faith, it’s that his faith is perplexing him and it is a torment to the prophet.
Habakkuk is working from what he knows to be true about God and his character, out to what he’s not sure about God, which is God’s providential working out of his character and plan.
STUDY
Habakkuk’s Second Complaint-
Habakkuk 1:12-2:4
Verse 12- Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof.
Habakkuk is confused because he has spent his days memorizing and reciting the promises of God for the Israelites and her future. If God is raising up the Chaldeans to come and ruthlessly conquer God’s covenant people, what will happen to them?
This first complaint of Habakkuk demonstrates that he has the facts about God right, but his faith is still perplexed. Having mere facts does not demonstrate trust in God’s ways.
Habakkuk is well aware of Assyria’s defeat of the northern tribe
of
God is eternal
Are you not from everlasting (eternity)? Habakkuk knows that God is eternal. He had no beginning and has no end.
God is not bound by time, but works within time for His purposes and glory. This plan was a plan from before this earth was ever made.
God made a covenant with His people
O LORD
Habakkuk uses the covenant name of God YAHWEH. It is as if Habakkuk is reminding God that He has bound himself to his people through his covenant and promised to be their God and they his people.
God is personal
my God
God is Holy (other)
my Holy One
This shows forth God otherness to his creation. He is always righteous and good, perfect in all his ways.
We shall not die
Habakkuk stands firm upon God’s promise and now instead of acting
as the one castigating his people, he joins them in his declaration that they
will not die. If Yahweh is their God, it
is impossible that they will all perish. Instead of this enemy being raised up to annihilate the entire nation,
the enemy is being raise dup by God against
God is unchanging in His nature and attributes
O Rock
God’s eternality, God’s personal nature, God’s holiness, God’s faithfulness to his word is the constancy that causes Habakkuk to declare that God is like an immovable foundation, a rock. His certainty arises from the ancient revelation of God’s nature in the covenant.
Yet even in this confidence in God, Habakkuk still proceeds in all honesty to offer his questions, complaints, and confusion to God.
Now that Habakkuk declares his confidence in God’s nature and his purpose, the prophet moves into his questioning of God.
Verse 13- You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and are silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?
In other words, “Since you do not approve of evil, and don’t look
favorably at wickedness, how in the world is it that you are treating those
Babylonians with such favor?” Furthermore, we
may be wicked, but they are far more wicked than us, why is it that you are
going to let them swallow us up?” “How can you judge Judah who is bad, but not
judge
Habakkuk
is troubled because he knows that God never looks to condone or tolerate
evil. The reality of God allowing the Chaldeans to act as a wicked judge in God’s sight is
troubling for Habakkuk. The thing that
Habakkuk forgets, is that
This
baffles the prophet because
Many of us still use this type of reasoning. Since I am more righteous then them, surely God will bless me. Surely God won’t discipline or punish me. But we are not to compare ourselves amongst ourselves. 2 Corinthians 10:12 Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.
If we are to compare ourselves to anyone, it should be to Christ. When we do this (if we’re wise) we are humbled and realize our need for him as our savior that lived in our place. When we compare ourselves to one another, we can always find someone else to make us feel better about ourselves. There is always someone more sinful than you and I.
We live in this world under the myth that there are good guys and bad guys. We have a white hat, and they have a black hat. My daughter at a very early age picked this up and would evangelize everyone at 3 years old by telling them their going to hell, because in her mind, if you don’t have Jesus, you’re not a good person. There are no good guys, we’re all bad guys and only the Christian has a basis for understanding why, and only the Christian can be made righteous before God through the righteousness of Christ. We don’t even own our righteousness and can’t manufacture it. It is alien to us because it comes from another- Jesus. If we really understood this, it would change the way we treat others who do not know Christ. We would realize that we are beggars that happen to have found bread- Christ who is the bread of life- this causes us to be generous and tell others where they can find it as well.
Read Psalms 73:1-17
Verse 14- You make mankind like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler.
He turns to the account of creation and the dominion mandate where mankind was to “rule over the fish of the sea and over every living thing..” Contrary to this order, because of mans sin, he is brought low, and treated as the creatures of the sea who have no ruler to protect or guide them.
What depths
Verse 15- He brings all of them up with a hook; he drags them out with his net; he gathers them in his dragnet; so he rejoices and is glad.
This was not simple figurative language. The Babylonians followed the practice of the Assyrians and would string their captive enemies together in a single file by placing a large hook in their bottom lip. They would also drag their enemy in a net as a form of punishment.
What is worse, is that insult is added to injury by allowing this brutality to be magnified by mockery and scorn from the Chaldeans.
Verse 16- Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet; for by them he lives in luxury, and his food is rich.
In ancient times, they would engrave the image of their God on the spearhead and they would go out and thrust their spear into their enemy as if their God was winning the victory. They would then bow down and worship their spears.
Habakkuk is railing on these people to incite God to righteous wrath for their idolatry and self worship.
Verse 17- Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever?
Will God allow this wicked people to go on indefinitely killing nations? When will God’s patience run out and his justice take over? How can God allow this to happen and not be moved to destroy them?
“God, you
do not look at wickedness favorably. You
are going to judge us for ours, but what about
I know we’re wicked, but we’re not that wicked are we? Habakkuk…to whom much is given, much is required.
Verse 2:1- I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.
Habakkuk is now going to wait for God to answer his questions, and yet he also realizes that God may correct him. Here he also likens himself to a watchman—a spiritual watchman. OT prophets were often like spiritual guards who sat on the wall to guard the people.
Ezekiel 3:17 "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of
Habakkuk sees himself as a spiritual watchman who is waiting on a word from God.
God’s Second Response
Verse 2- And the LORD answered me: "Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he (the herald) may run who reads it.
God says, “Record the vision.” Write it down. Why? So that whoever reads it can run and tell others. This describes the work of a herald. This is very applicable to us, because the remainder of the vision is about the judgment of God and the establishment of His kingdom. We too are to act as heralds, heralds of the gospel.
This is how we received the bible. God, by way of the Holy Spirit, inspired and carried along the prophets and apostles to pen God’s revelation. God chose to create a people that communicate so that He can speak to us. This is a 2,600 year old work, but it is a strong for us, and a powerful for us as it was to Habakkuk because the same Holy Spirit that inspired this prophesy is the same Holy Spirit that dwells in every believer of Christ.
“God is the King of the universe; he has absolute creator rights over this world and everyone in it. Rebellion and mutiny are seen on all sides, and his authority is scorned by millions. So the Lord sends preachers into the world to cry out that God reigns, that he will not suffer his glory to be scorned indefinitely, that he will vindicate his name in great and terrible wrath. But they are also sent to cry that for now a full and free pardon is offered to all the rebels who will turn from their rebellion, call upon him for mercy, bow before his throne, and swear allegiance and obedience to him forever. The pardon is signed in the blood of his Son.”
-John Piper, The Supremacy of God in Preaching
Verse 3- For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end--it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.
God has set a time in which His judgment will come upon the world. The message of the OT prophets was, “Judgment is coming—prepare to meet your God!” Nothing has changed for us. The message is still the same.
Consider the patience of God in this. God gives us time for repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
But, you
may ask, “Why do I look around and see the wicked prospering? God’s answer is, “Though it tarries, wait for
it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay!” God will judge the nations, including
One day, Christ will return and will judge every single nation and people group of the entire earth. See how this is used in the NT to speak of the coming of Christ and His judgment upon the earth.
The writer of Hebrews sees this as bout Christ! Read with me.
Hebrews 10:37-38 For, "Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; 38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him."
Verse 4- "Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.
Show pride/law, faith/grace difference. God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. Pride always lead to misery, because we will never really be satisfied in ourselves or the things we buy. We think we can be fountain of love and joy, and we are perennially disappointed. We think if we buy more things, we will be happy. Is this true? No. We become bored with things.
Here we see two types of people before God—the lost person and the just person.
o The lost person lives by his own strength; he is proud—just like the Babylonians.
o The saved lives by faith. He depends upon God and who He is. He depends on His character.
Judgment
is coming, but you must live by faith. Don’t worry about what is going to happen to
o This is our job as believers—to live by faith.
§ One day God will sort out the mess around us. All of the things that you cannot figure out today you should stop concerning yourself with. You must live by faith!
Demonstrate our idols- money, sex, power
Show the fullness of the Gospel and the fullness of faith- Multiple aspects that are all necessary.
Three aspects of faith- notitia-assensus-fiducia
The conflict is not between faith and reason, but faith and sight.
Reason may win truths, but only faith retains them.
It must be demonstrated that disbelief in the Christian God of history is not suspended faith, but active faith in another assumed truth or reality. To disbelieve in the Christian God requires belief in something else. It is because of this faith in the other story of history that one can not trust in God of true history.
Saving faith is composed of three elements, which together constitute its essence. They are necessary in the sense that they comprise the very essence or nature of true biblical saving faith.
Notitia: the Data, Evidence, or Knowledge
- This is where one has knowledge or is cognizant of a given claim or event or other alleged fact.
- In our case it is knowledge of the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Christ (Rom. 10:14-17). It is "the actual content of the gospel and the promises of God."
- If a person is not familiar with the historical personage of Christ and His life, death, resurrection, and teachings, then not only do they not have knowledge of Him, but self-evidently can not consider, let alone believe or trust in Him for salvation (Rom. 10:14-17).
- Simply stated, how can one believe in Christ unless they have heard of Him in the first place? At least a minimum of knowledge is required to believe in Christ.
- As essential as notitia or knowledge is to saving faith, nevertheless, in and of itself, it is not saving faith (see Heb.4:2-4).
Assensus: to Intellectually Acknowledge as True the Claim(s) Statement(s) or Proposition(s) Put before You
- It involves assenting to the veracity (truthfulness) of the knowledge or information in question as worthy of being received as fact.
- In our case it is to intellectually assent to the events of Christ's life as described in the New Testament as true, and hence His teaching's as worthy of acceptance. One assents to the reality of the content (orthodoxy) of the Gospel message.
Even assensus in conjunction with notitia is not sufficient for saving faith to be present. This type of belief is termed fides historica or (mere) historical faith, as opposed to fides salvifica (saving faith).
Assensus and notitia are necessary but not sufficient (pre-)conditions.
Thus, as essential as notitia and assensus are in order to possess saving faith, there is still an additional element that is required--fiducia.
- Fiducia: to Appropriate what One Knows to be True.
- Fiducia is the third and final necessary component of saving faith.
- Fiducia is the Latin word for trust, "the essence of fides" (faith), "which appropriates savingly, by an act of the will, the true knowledge of the promises of God in Christ."
- Fiducia entails a self-surrender, commitment, and reliance upon what one knows to be true--here--the Gospel message.
- What is accomplished in this final element of faith is the moving of the individual's will or volition, enabled by the Holy Spirit, to truly trust and thus to live in accord with what they know to be true. Fiducia primarily concerns the will or volition of an individual.
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