ARCHVIVED BIBLE STUDY

Purpose Revealed: God the Revealer
Book of Habakkuk
Seven Steps from Worry to Worship
Habakkuk: Wrestler to Embracer
Chapter 1

Step One -- Habakkuk questions God: “How long shall I cry?” and “Why do You show me iniquity?” He is upset by what he sees and carries a burden (verse 1) for what he sees until he speaks it forth – which sometimes prophecy can be. As Habakkuk describes the situation around him in Judah, it is filled with violence and a law that has no power.

Step Two – God answers him: “Look, be astonished, I will work a work in your days which you would not believe thought it were told you.” It will get worse! God is raising up the Chaldeans…and they come for violence. It is as if God is saying – if you think it’s bad now, just wait, son.

Step Three – Habakkuk questions God some more: “Are You not God?” “Why do you look on those who deal treacherously, and hold Your tongue when the wicked devours one more righteous than he? Why, God, why? He can’t believe it, just as God predicted. This makes no sense. Have you ever found yourself in such a situation???

Chapter 2

Step Four – Habakkuk then stands himself to watch to see what God will say. This is how to hear from God! We find in this a set of important principles. We stand: after we are all done getting it out of our system, we then settle ourselves into the position of standing. This implies waiting. Next, we watch: we keep our spiritual eyes open – the eyes of our understanding, coming from Eph. 1:18. We watch in order to see – and here is where it becomes curious – we are to see what God will say. One would thing we would be hearing what God would say – but this implies that our God often speaks to us through a visual method: creation; His word; signs.

In order to hear from God we must have a relationship with Him that allows communication from Him. We must have a first-hand relationship, not someone else’s. When God speaks, we want to remember it!
Step Five – God answers and says, “Write it down.” Father tells Habakkuk to record what he sees: “write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. FOR THE VISION IS YET FOR AN APPOINTED TIME; BUT AT THE END IT WILL SPEAK AND IT WILL NOT LIE. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come.” Friends, this is a promise! When God speaks to us, write it down. It may be some time before it actually comes to pass, but God is saying, it will come to pass!God continues on to say while we wait, we should lives by our faith – “for the just shall live by his faith.” We are to walk into the promise of what He told us. We walk by faith, not by sight. We call those things that are not as though they are. We remind God of who He is and what He has told us!

The Lord expounds to Habakkuk on five woes that would face the Chaldeans and Babylonians:

1. Woe to him who increases what is not his – 2:6
2. Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house – 2:9
3. Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed – 2:12
4. Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor for shame – 2:15-16
5. Woe to him who says to wood, awake – 2:19

Then comes a moment of the sovereignty of God: despite all this, “The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all earth keep silence before Him.” BE STILL! God is still on the throne! When Jesus opens the seventh seal, there will be silence in heaven for half an hour. There will be the calm before the storm. You see, God WILL answer. He will respond.

This could be the defining moment for Habakkuk – when he turns from wrestling with God to embracing Him.
Chapter Three

Step Six – Habakkuk prays. This is followed by a melodious prayer probably sung by the prophet. He declares: “O LORD, revive Your works in the midst of years. In the midst of years make it known. In wrath remember mercy.” He recognizes God’s glory in heaven (3:3) and praise on earth (3:3). Habakkuk now sees with an eternal perspective. His vision has changed! Have you been waiting for something that has not yet come to pass? Ask God to revive His work in the midst of years.

Step Seven – Habakkuk praises. There is finally a hymn, or praise that Habakkuk sings to God. He has now turned to worship His God. He is realistic, noting that though there may be no figs, fruit, olives, food, flock, or herd, “he will rejoice in the Lord, he will joy in the God of his salvation.” For this book ends on a true high note, containing four promises:

1. God will save, or rescue, His people;
2. God will be their strength;
3. od will make the people’s feet like hind’s feet, to traverse the high places, and the rocky places; and,
4. God will make His people walk on the high hills. Amen!

This weeks Bible study can be downloaded here. It is in a PowerPoint format which will make this study more powerful with use of imagery and in a presentation mode.