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by Sandy Shaw
Habakkuk Chapter 3 – where we see Habakkuk in a totally different mood. What has happened to him? Something has happened to the prophet. He is different. He begins to sing. He begins with a song of praise - SHIGGIONOTH. When God speaks - when God reveals something, we want to sing. Singers and seers often go together.
We see music inspiring Samuel's prophetic ministry. It moved his heart. A song can really touch the heart and move us emotionally.
Elisha was influenced similarly. 2Kings 3verse 15 .
Ezekiel was quite handy with the guitar – Chapter 33verse 32 .
We have David's words and music in the Psalm - he was a prophet too - and on his deathbed David praised God that he was a prophet - that he had been a prophet.
Peter also affirms that David was a prophet - Acts 2verse 30 . David had been a singer and a seer par excellence.
And when the Holy Spirit gives a song, it still means hard work. When the Holy Spirit gives a word - or calls to ministry - that also involves sheer hard work.
Knowledge is not a gift of the Holy Spirit - Jesus means us to work at our faith and to work hard at it. To know what is in this Book can mean hours and hours - and years and years - of sheer hard work - learning what our loving God has said.
SHIGGIONETH means deep stirring music.
What we have next is the prophetic word - by God. Chapter 3 is quite emotional - and Habakkuk's appeal to God is for mercy. God has got hold of Habakkuk's personality. In Chapter 1 God got hold of his mind - and in Chapter 2 God got hold of his will - and now he is getting hold of his heart - his feelings.
Don't be afraid of emotions - we have to be wary of emotionalism - working it up - but what God gives flows. When God gives, it flows.
Habakkuk is moved with awe and joy - he is full of feeling - moved by what God has said. God is going to act decisively. It looks as if Habakkuk had been quiet for quiet a while - "Let all keep silent". "This is my beloved Son - listen to Him."
Habakkuk begins to speak - Lord I have heard of what You have done in the past - I want to see it. Habakkuk is not just wanting a reply - but results. He wants more than a verbal answer - but action.
"You are a mighty moral God - in our day I want to see You act." Lord, do these things in our day - in the middle of the years. Do it again Lord. Do it now Lord. Remember mercy. He prays for justice tempered with mercy.
If you use that word 'mercy' - you touch the softest spot in the heart of God - mercy. The rest of the Chapter is a Psalm of Praise.
Note the personal pronouns - "He" - God in the third Person - then "You" - then "I". He us - You are - Lord, I, I, I. The Lord is in His Holy Temple - let all the earth be silent. We have to do that at times - to be silent - that we might hear His replies.
Remember what Habakkuk had been saying - "You can't let them come and capture us. O Habakkuk - shush - be silent. The earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord - and the earth can be filled with judgement too.
We can pray - O God - wake up - and He has to say, "I am doing something". God is not going to allow the wicked to triumph - and we need constant reminding of that in these present days.
When Moses was praying - Aaron and Hur were holding up Moses arms - and the word "faith" is used - it means to 'maintain' - to keep it going - to continue - to endure.
Faith is never just one step - but remaining faithful to the end. Faith that saves and rescues is faith that keeps on - that survives to the end. There is this sense of hanging on to God - faith hangs on - when others are dropping out.
When everything else looks as if it might be going wrong - hang on. The Babylonians are coming - so hang on - hold onto your faith in a righteous God. Those who are hanging on to God are the righteous ones. Believe in and hold on to our righteous God - go on putting your whole trust in Jesus.
Paul takes this up in Galatians 3verse 11 - You are not strong enough to keep the Commandments - you have to hold on to God by faith - by being faithful.
And in Romans 1verse 17 - Righteousness - faith from first to last – it is not those who begin who have faith - but those who finish. That is the teaching of the Bible. Jesus spoke about those who ran out of oil - they had oil - but they ran out of oil. Don't run out of oil. Do not run out of the Holy Spirit.
Keep praying – and, as a disciple of Jesus, when you are not sure what to pray or how to pray – pray in tongues and speak mysteries – it is a wonderful manifestation of the Holy Spirit. Paul teaches us that it is one way to edify ourselves – to build us up – to make us an edifice – to comfort or fortress or fortify.
The faith that saves is the faith that you hold onto until your dying day.
“Lord our God – we thank You for every part of the Scriptures, the Bible, the Word of God – we thank You for the fruit of the Spirit – we thank You for the ‘gifts’ of the Spirit – we thank You for Psalm and hymns and spiritual songs. Holy God, You are a God who acts and speaks and reveals and encourages – You are a God who forgives sin and anoints men with power from on high – we praise You and worship You – in Jesus’ name.” Amen.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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