HABAKKUK (WEEK 3/3: TRUSTING)

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1 HABAKKUK (WEEK 3/3: TRUSTING) SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS CONNECT: How can you live by God s faithfulness in the week ahead? What parts of your life can you trust into God s care and what parts of your life need to go for you to be faithful to God? WARM-UP Questions 1. Would you describe yourself as strong willed or do you change your mind often? 2. Has God ever changed your mind about something? What happened? READ Habakkuk 3: What have we learned so far in chapters 1-2 about Habakkuk s prayer life? 4. How has Habakkuk s relationship with God changed throughout the book? 5. What is Habakkuk asking the Lord to do in v.2? 6. How can the book of Habakkuk inform our prayer lives today? READ Habakkuk 3: What kinds of literature are vv.3-15 (e.g. poetry, narrative, discourse)? 8. What attributes of God is Habakkuk praying about here? 9. What parts of the story of the people of Israel can you identify in these verses? 10. Why do you think Habakkuk is recalling God s actions in the past? 11. What do these verses convey about Habakkuk s trust in God? 12. How do Christians recall God s saving work? What parts of God s story matter to you? READ Habakkuk 3: What does v.16 say about Habakkuk s feelings about the impending invasion? 14. What sort of situation is Habakkuk describing in v.17? What might be a modern equivalent? 15. What gave Habakkuk the courage to face the uncertainties of the world around him? 16. What do these verses reveal about evil and the hope that can be found in God? 17. Compare the joy found in these verses with Romans 8: How are they similar/different? 18. How can you share this joy with those in your life who are going through tough times? APPLY (to this week): As we prepare to celebrate our first Sunday service in Stage 2, think and pray about someone you can invite to the first service and share the joy of the Lord with this week. PRAY: God of grace, hope and joy! Thank you for all you have done for us in Christ Jesus and throughout history to redeem your creation. Help us to trust you, regardless of our circumstances. Thank you that you make a way before us and enable us to tread on the heights. Help us to trust in you for hope and strength and share the joy we find in you with our neighbours. In Jesus name, Amen. For sermons and additional resources, visit STBARTS.COM.AU

2 HABAKKUK (WEEK 3/3: TRUSTING) GOING DEEPER RESOURCES & SUGGESTIONS Each week we provide additional resources that help to go deeper with whatever series we re currently focusing on as a church. Resources could include recommended books, articles, online sermons, courses, or videos. These are optional extras! Please don t feel under pressure to look at every resource, but consider what could be useful to. Video VIDEO: Habakkuk 3 A sermon jam by Ken Carlson VIDEO: A Basis for Joy a Cathedral Bible Study by Phillip Jensen Talks & Other Audio AUDIO: When God seems Unfair a sermon by David Jackson AUDIO: Sweetness in Suffering a sermon by Joe Thorn on Habakkuk 3: AUDIO: Listen to Habakkuk read: Articles and Other Reading ARTICLE: The Prayer of Habakkuk a short and practical commentary of Habakkuk 3: COMMENTARY: Beyond the Lectionary Text: Habakkuk 3 by Chelsey Harmon ARTICLE: Sometimes a Light Surprises: The Treasured Gift of a Trouble Soul an article on William Cowper s battle with depression and Habakkuk s influence on his hymns ARTICLE: Reading the Newspaper with Habakkuk an article by Erik Raymond summarising Habakkuk BOOK: The Message of Joel, Micah, and Habakkuk: Listening to the Voice of God. Prior/ ?ref=grid-view&qid= &sr=1-1 For sermons and additional resources, visit STBARTS.COM.AU

3 Talk 3/3 (Habakkuk): 9 July 2017 The Trusting Prophet by the Rev d Dr Daniel Rouhead Bible Passage: Habakkuk 3 INTRODUCTION We conclude our 3-week series on the book of Habakkuk today. In this short, three-chapter book, we take a journey with the prophet, Habakkuk, from the complaining prophet to the trusting prophet. He complains about the terrible state of the world as he experiences it, then he complains about God s plan to deal with the mess. As he waits on the Lord, he becomes the trusting prophet in the final chapter. That is our focus today, trusting in God as we, like Habakkuk, live in troubled times. Trust can be difficult to establish and even harder to maintain. You only have to look at a couple of A Current Affair episodes to see the prevalence of individuals and companies taking advantage of others and not fulfilling the commitments and promises made to their clients. A glance at the news reveals a world of brokenness and suffering. In many ways, our world is not so different to the world of Habakkuk. While trust can be difficult to earn, we take many things for granted. Do we trust the manufacturers of our appliances to produce a reliable product? Do we trust the electricity providers? Do we trust the car manufacturers to make a safe product? I wonder how many times we have implicitly trusted in the work of others just to get to church. In fact, living in our modern world requires a tremendous amount of trust; if we think about it, and we probably choose not to, as so many things could go wrong. And yet it is our confidence in the work of others that allows us to enjoy life despite the danger. Life is like that for the follower of Christ. We live in a dangerous world, filled with unpredictable challenges and unseen perils. I wonder how many times we complain to God about his apparent tolerance of evil or God s plan to deal with sin and those who sin. Does that leave us paralysed because we don t know what to do, or do we overcompensate trying to fix everything ourselves? Yet, we can have joy because we know someone who is strong enough to carry us through the churning waves of life that threaten to overwhelm us. The psalmist wrote, Let all those rejoice who put their trust in you; let them ever shout for joy, because you defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You (Ps. 5:11). In the face of life s great dangers and challenges, we can know a joy that comes from our trust in God. His strength is more than enough! Today we see how Habakkuk has become a trusting prophet: through prayer, through recalling God s saving actions, and through expectant hope. As we face our own concerns, these three steps can help us trust in God s goodness and mercy, and trust that God is sovereign over any situation we may encounter. 1. PRAYER \\ VERSES 1-2 The first way Habakkuk develops his trust in God is through prayer. Verse 1 identifies Chapter 3 as Habakkuk s prayer to God. In fact, the three chapters are a record of Habakkuk s prayer life. Habakkuk complains to God, and God responds by detailing his proposed plan. Habakkuk complains even louder about the plan. Then Habakkuk waits as he listens to God. In this final chapter, Habakkuk speaks to God in a much more positive tone. 2

4 We may think that the main role of the prophet was to speak God s message to a particular audience. However, the fundamental activity of the prophet is prayer. It is through prayer that the prophet draws closer to God and becomes aware of God s will for themselves and the people God wishes to speak to. Habakkuk spoke to God, then God to him, and then he to God again; in Chapter 2, God spoke wholly to Habakkuk by the Spirit of prophecy. Now, in Chapter 3, Habakkuk speaks wholly to God by the Spirit of prayer, for he would not let the conversation drop on his side, like a genuine son of Abraham, who returned not to his place until God had finished communing with him (Genesis 18:33). This is how Habakkuk begins his prayer: Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy (verse 2). Habakkuk has heard what the Lord has done. In the New American Standard Bible, this verse is a little different: Lord, I have heard the report about You and I fear (verse 2a). Fear here doesn t mean being scared, but rather awe, amazement and wonder. This is directed at God s character and God s actions. Those who have a direct experience of God s presence or actions often respond with awe, amazement and varying levels of fear. Examples in the Old Testament include Moses, Isaiah and Daniel. Then, Habakkuk has three requests for God: 1. Repeat them [your deeds] in our day or O Lord, revive your work in the midst of the years (verse 2b). Habakkuk is asking God to do a new work for the people of Israel, that follows on from God s previous activity. Habakkuk asks God to act in a way that is consistent with his character and previous actions. God doesn t just set things up and leave humanity to work things out on our own. God is always present and always acting to bring about his will. 2. in our time make them known or In the midst of the years make it known (verse 2c). The first purpose for God s actions is to make his name known, to bring glory to his name. Habakkuk knows that, like people, God is known because of the way God acts. Habakkuk asks God to make known God s power, God s compassion, God s promises, and God s wisdom in the world, for the safety and welfare of his people. 3. in wrath remember mercy (verse2d). This is consistent with Psalm 85:7: Do something for your people s comfort: In wrath remember mercy, and make that known. Show us your mercy, O Lord! Habakkuk acknowledges that God was angry about the sinful way people were behaving. Habakkuk asks God to set aside any rage or anger and remember mercy, grace, kindness and forgiveness. The people see God s displeasure against them in their troubles, and that makes them feel worse. There is wrath in the bitter cup; so, they are humble, and are sincere in asking for God s mercy. Remember, even those that are the subject of God s wrath must not give up on his mercy; and is that why we must flee to God for refuge, and rely upon him as our only option. It is so important that Habakkuk does not say, Remember how good and worthy we are, but, Lord, remember your own mercy. This provides pattern for our prayers in times of trouble and uncertainty. Do we praise God for his greatness? Do we ask God to perform a new work that continues his previous work? Do we ask God to make his name known to all people? Do we finish by asking God to bring us mercy and comfort especially when we don t deserve it? If we pray this way, eventually this will build our trust in God, and our prayers become shaped by God s will. 3

5 2. REMEMBER \\ VERSES 3-15 The second way Habakkuk demonstrates his trust in God is by recalling God s past saving actions. Our God has acted in time and space; he has done something; he has recorded his will and character throughout our history. The prophet looks back to God's action in Egypt, when Israel was in trouble, and remembers how God moved and delivered God s people Israel out of Egypt. Let s take a detailed look: v3 so God came from Teman that literally means God came from the south that is where the Exodus began. v5 there were plagues. Plague went before him pestilence followed his steps v8 the rivers were affected do you remember the river Nile was turned into blood? Were you angry with the river O Lord? Was your wrath against the streams? v11 the sun and moon stood still in the heavens you remember there was a great darkness, or perhaps referring to later in Joshua s time when the sun stood still. v12 you threshed the nations the firstborn was struck down or perhaps Israel driving out the nations from the promised land. v15 the waters were churned the waters of the Jordan river - either at the Exodus or the entry into the promised land. This is a little bit of revision being done by Habakkuk. God had saved his people. God mightily intervened for his people. He rescued them. This is the kind of God we have. The God who has always shown himself to be committed to his people and faithful to his promises. As the prophet thinks about all this, his mind goes out to the greatness of God and he is comforted and consoled he is heartened and encouraged. That is why it is good to study the Old Testament we learn more and more of the character of God of his reliability, his dependability, his love and patience and faithfulness. God is our Saviour, too. But, we don t look back 4000 years to the Exodus from Egypt to remind us of our Saviour God we look back 2000 years to the crucifixion. We look back to the cross where Jesus rescued us. And we can be joyful when we transfer our trust to God s word. We can be joyful if we ve transferred our trust to Christ s death and resurrection. It s a good thing to do a little bit of revision every now and again especially on what God has done in the past: what God has done in history and what he has done for you, of the times God has personally seen you through difficult times and answered prayer and stood with you through trial and healed your illness and given you hope and comfort. Remembering helped Habakkuk trust in God, we can do the same. 3. HOPE AND TRUST \\ VERSES Despite the uncertainties of his time and God s plan to use another nation to defeat Israel, Habakkuk can have hope because he trusts God. Habakkuk knows what God has done, and so knows what God will do in the present and future. If God has rescued in the past, he will rescue his people in the future. If God has delivered in the past, he will deliver his people in the future. If God has kept his promises in the past, he will keep the promises he has made to his people. That s his style, that s his nature. His character. Habakkuk now looks to the future with a new perspective. He knows that the Babylonians are being sent by God to punish Judah, God hasn t changed his mind on that. This is still a frightening prospect it still worries him. In verse 16, I heard and my heart pounded, my 4

6 lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bines, and my legs trembled. But, he makes a decision, in the remainder of verse 16, Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. Habakkuk doesn t like the fact that they are coming; but he will be patient for he now knows that one day calamity will come on them. Habakkuk can be patient. God is a just God and he will bring justice. Habakkuk s going to be patient. But he s also going to be joyful. And these last few verses are surprising given Habakkuk s situation. He decides he will be joyful because he knows God is a Saviour. Calamity might be coming but God saves and rescues those who are his. So, with this perspective Habakkuk looks at what is going on around him and says, It doesn t matter; I can still trust; I can still be joyful; God is trustworthy. God is a Saviour. We read this from verse 17: Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Saviour. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. God will save Habakkuk through judgement, but the Lord will also strengthen him and, instead of feeling weighed down and burdened, the Lord s strength means he can skip and jump as light as a deer and climb heights with ease. It s a wonderful picture. You and I can be patient, no matter what evil we find ourselves in the middle of, because God is a God who doesn t allow evil to last forever. As we see all the wrong and the injustice around us, we have the promise that Christ has been victorious over sin and death and evil and that one day he ll come back and deal with it absolutely and finally. And that s enough! Enough for us to patient. Enough for us to trust. Enough for us to have hope. Even enough for us to find some joy! So, like Habakkuk, we wait patiently. CONCLUSION God knows our unique personal situation, the challenges we re facing right now. Whether it be failing health, or watching loved ones suffer, Whether it be financial stress and rising debt, We can rejoice in the Lord and be joyful in God our Saviour. Whether it be concerns for our children and their well-being, Whether it be work demands that leave little time for family and rest, We can rejoice in the Lord and be joyful in God our Saviour. Whether it be depression making each day really hard, Whether it be all the problems in the world Which we don t understand and don t like to see, We can rejoice in the Lord and be joyful in God our Saviour. The example of Habakkuk invites us to draw closer to God in prayer, look back at the cross where God saved us, look back to our past when we know God has been there for us and then to look forward with joy, knowing God is our saviour and our strength. The Sovereign LORD is our strength; he makes our feet like the feet of a deer, he enables us to go on the heights (v19). Let us pray 5