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by Sandy Shaw
Habakkuk is very honest – “Lord, how long?” He saw all the violence - corruption - injustice. A prophet cannot stand these things, but God has to change Habakkuk's outlook for a different reason. Habakkuk is changed around and is transformed by God.
This is hard - when God brings the plough along - when He comes with His plough to plough you up.
How did you react and respond when God came along with His plough? Or have you not yet experienced that experience?
When God sends a prophet - we either change or kill the prophet.
Luke Chapter 11verses 47 to 54. That is what people did then - and even with Jesus - and Jesus was a prophet powerful in word and deed. Luke 24 . Word and deed - keep them together.
Verse 4 - See - get God's point of view. Habakkuk, have a good look see things from MY POINT of view! Look at things vertically - not just horizontally. This is easier to preach and teach than do! The challenge here is to have a larger view - and a longer view. Do not just look at the nation but at the nations - no tunnel vision, just seeing your own little patch.
Isaiah had that vision of himself and of his own people in Chapter 6 - but he too had to have a larger vision – Chapter 40 verses 15 to 17 – and verse 5 . These can be deeper verses and most helpful on this vital matter.
Psalm 73 teaches us to have a longer view - and that can correct our view regarding injustice. In the short-term life can appear unfair - but not in the long term, when we know that the risen and living Lord Jesus Christ is in full control - our loving just God reigns and rules.
When we consider the physical life of Jesus, it looks so unjust - but think of Christ the King today - seated at the right hand of God the Father.
God's moral law cannot be broken. No individual gets away with a single thing. Behold your sin will find you out. Nations don't get away with anything either.
So Habakkuk - get a larger view - I am going to show you the downfall of Babylon too – and that is the ultimate disaster. God would ultimately deal with them. It is our task to see the purposes of God and to speak about these wherever we can.
When Moses saw the golden calf - the prophet in him arose - and he became concerned about the moral character of our holy God.
Chapter 1verse 13 –- Why are You silent? Why do You let the wicked get away with it? Why do You allow these things to happen to the righteous? This was a problem to Habakkuk, but God is not so silent now!
Verse 14 – Habakkuk - let Me show you what it will be like at the end of the day - the righteous will live by faith. The future belongs to God.
God knew what was going on in Israel, and, God saw what they Babylonians were like. They were never satisfied, and God cannot stand pride or greed.
But also, God never punishes someone for the light they never had. He is Just and Fair. Some people will be judged by the standards of Jesus - or by the Ten Commandments. And people do have 'light' - Conscience - and Creation points to the power of the Creator.
The prophets speak about the other nations as much as they do about Israel. Isaiah - Jeremiah - Ezekiel - all of Nahum - all of Jonah and Daniel. This prophetic ministry to the nations did not just begin when Jesus Christ came.
Verse 6 onwards spells out their errors - their sins - one of which - verse 17 - was destroying the trees. They had destroyed trees in Lebanon with their scorched earth policy. The Babylonians would let nothing remain. Israel was forbidden to cut down trees as part of war.
During the Viet Nam war, America sprayed a defoliant upon all the trees to see the Viet Cong. You cannot break the commandments of God and thrive and be victorious and successful.
Turn to Romans Chapter 1 - Paul points us to Creation - listen to your conscience. In verse.23 , they made images. Our world is awash today with images - they can even be ideas.
My idea of God is - people have an image of God - some of them physical in the form of idols. The tragic thing is the image can do nothing for you. You can shout at it - pray to it - command it to wake up - but it will do nothing!
Habakkuk Chapter 2verses 18,19 - Manufactured objects can never meet spiritual needs. Idols lack one essential ingredient - LIFE.
The revelation of God comes to us through the Bible - and through Jesus Christ - and we look to His Word - and we bow before Him.
Verse 20 - the true source of human help can always be met at God's designated place of authority.
“Holy Father – as we read about what the situation was like throughout Israel – we pray this week for our nation – where we live – where we are placed to serve and shine for Jesus Christ – we pray for the king and leaders across the land – we pray for those areas of life where we are intimately involved – and we remember those who suffer, not because of their sin, but as a result of their witness to and for Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray.” 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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