A) Habakkuk’s Struggle & Doubt: The prophet couldn’t for the life of him understand why the evildoers in his homeland of Judah weren’t being punished for their sin? He was a righteous man who wanted to know from God why he would put up with such evil, knowing full well that God is pure and holy and cannot stand the sight of evil. Habakkuk literally cried out to the Lord for answers and God did answer him with words of hope.
God wants us to feel confident enough to approach him with any and all questions understanding that his answers may not be what we expect. Yet just the fact that he answers us verifies that he has heard our cries and will absolutely answer. When he answers he reveals a little more of his divine nature to us. Trusting God will lead us to quiet hope, not bitter resignation.
B) God’s Sovereignty: The prophet’s second inquiry was why God would use the wicked Babylonians to punish his people in Judah. The Lord revealed to Habakkuk that after they had fulfilled his purpose, God would then punish them as well.
God never overlooks sin. He is still in control of this world in spite of the apparent triumph of evil. On a day which the Lord has pre-ordained he will rule the whole earth with perfect justice.
C) God IS hope: “God is the Creator; he is all-powerful. He has a plan and will carry it out. He will punish sin. He is our strength and place of safety. We can have confidence that he will love us and guard our relationship with him forever.
Hope means going beyond our unpleasant daily experiences to the joy of knowing God. We live by trusting in him, not by the benefits, happiness, or success we may experience in this life. Our hope comes from God.” (TLASB - P.1922)
NOTE: “Instead of questioning the ways of God, we should realize that he is totally just, and we should have faith that he is in control and that one day evil will be utterly destroyed.” (TLASB - P. 1923)
HISTORICAL NOTE: “Judah’s last four kings were wicked men who rejected God and oppressed their own people. Babylon invaded Judah twice before finally destroying it in 586 BC.” (TLASB - P.1922)
Up next is the book of Zephaniah. Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.
In His Name & for His Glory,
Richard Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.
No comments:
Post a Comment