Explore the Bible Lesson Preview May 3, 2015 Awestruck Background: Habakkuk 3 Lesson: Habakkuk 3: 1-6, 11-13, 16-19 Motivation: Isaiah had his vision of the heavenly throne room while Elijah saw God s glory on Mount Carmel. Peter was dumbstruck at the Mount of Transfiguration. Moses was commanded to remove his sandals on holy ground. In this passage, we have another glimpse of the awesome glory of Almighty God. I. Stand in Awe (1-2) A. The Source A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. According to Shigionoth (1) HCSB, p.1550: 3:1 The prayer of Habakkuk 3 is a psalm to be sung to musical instruments and presented to a music director (v. 19). This psalm represents the prophet s response to God s message to him. The Hebrew word shigionoth refers to a type of song. Like many musical terms in the Psalms, its precise meaning is unknown; dirge and song of irregular beat are educated guesses. The meaning of Hebrew selah (in vv. 3, 9, 13 and 71 times in Psalms) is also obscure. B. The Stand Lord, I have heard the report about You; Lord, I stand in awe of Your deeds. Revive Your work in these years; make it known in these years. In Your wrath remember mercy! (2) - Habakkuk praises God for His oracle. In light of the approaching Babylonian army, this is a statement of assurance that God is in control. HCSB, p. 1550: 1 / 6
3:2 The report about You (or what You have reported ) perhaps alludes to the revelation that God was punishing Judah through Babylon (1:5-11). God s coming deeds made Habakkuk stand in awe (lit fear) and beg for mercy. II. Tremble in His Splendor (3-11) HCSB, 1550 3:3-7 This vision portrays God marching north in power and wrath from the direction of Mount Sinai ( Teman was in Edom to the south; Paran was in the wilderness of Sinai; Dt. 33:2). God was casting lightning bolts (Hab 3:4), and was accompanied front and back by personified plague and pestilence. Earthquakes associated with God s presence terrorized Bedouin peoples such as the Cushan and Midian. A. God is on the Move God comes from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His splendor covers the heavens, and the earth is full of His praise. (3) The movement of God reminds us that our faith is not passive. We are not to be content to sit and soak. Rather God s church is following His movement like a mighty army. B. God controls the Light His brilliance is like light; rays are flashing from His hand. This is where His power is hidden. (4) God is called the Father of lights (James 1:17). Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12). In fact the prologue of the Gospel of John exclaims That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it. (John 1:5) 2 / 6
C. God rules over Humanity Plague goes before Him, and pestilence follows in His steps. (5) In ancient times, plague and pestilence were virtually unstoppable; humanity was helpless before them. In modern culture, humanity feels that it rules and has no place for God. This same inward struggle afflicts every human Who will rule over Whom? D. God is Omnipotent He stands and shakes the earth; He looks and startles the nations. The age-old mountains break apart; the ancient hills sink down. His pathways are ancient. (6) Habakkuk was overwhelmed by the splendor of Almighty God! Often Christians are cowed by the tide of popular opinion. It seems sometimes like we are on the losing team, much like the Jewish people felt in his day. We need to take a step back from the headlines and contemplate the very nature of God. He is omnipotent, omniscience, omnipresent and transcendent. His is the very nature of victory. (7-10) III. Celebrate His Victory (11-16) HCSB, pp.1550-51: 3:8-15 Sea (Hb yam; vv. 8, 15) is the name of the pagan god Yam, who was a symbol of chaos subdued by Baal in Canaanite mythology; similarly the watery deep (Hb tehom ; v. 10) was the goddess Tiamat subdued by Marduk in Babylonian mythology. The purpose of God s march was to subdue His people s enemies, who were symbolized by elements of nature. He will punish the wicked Babylonians and save his people and their anointed Davidic lineage, thus preserving the promise of the coming Messiah. A. Victory in the Heavens Sun and Moon stand still in their lofty residence, at the flash of Your flying arrows, at the brightness of Your shining spear. (11) The Babylonians were noted for their study of the heavens and dutifully worshipped the sun and the moon. Yahweh s triumph was not just going to be over their armies but also over their gods. 3 / 6
B. Victory on the Earth You march across the earth with indignation; You trample down the nations in wrath. (12) God s supremacy was not confined to the celestial realm but applied to earthly kingdoms as well. God s people had witnessed the conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel; Habakkuk was prophesying the destruction of the Southern Kingdom of Judah as well. But these earthly defeats did not reflect upon God s ability or His final victory. C. Victory over Evil You come out to save Your people, to save Your anointed. You crush the leader of the house of the wicked and strip him from foot to neck Selah. (13) God s light (4) will not only overcome the darkness of evil but will ultimately extinguish it. No matter how bad things look at any given moment, Good will triumph over Evil. J. Vernon McGee believes Your anointed is a messianic reference to the Lord Jesus Christ. ( Thru the Bible, vol. 3 p. 857). The final victory over evil was achieved by Jesus on the cross. Verses 14-15 express the completeness of God s victory over evil. IV. Rejoice in Faith (16-19) A. Approaching Judgment I heard, and I trembled within; my lips quivered at the sound. Rottenness entered my bones; I trembled where I stood. Now I must quietly wait for the day of distress to come against the people invading us. (16) Habakkuk has been faithful in predicting judgment but he takes no joy from it. He understands that when the Babylonian army attacks, the prophet will not necessarily be spared. In the last phrase, there could be a double meaning. HCSB, p. 1551 : 3:16 The Hebrew of verse 16b is ambiguous. Did the prophet await the day of distress to come against the people invading us (HCSB) or for the day of distress, for a people to come and attack us (NJPS)? With the first rendering the prophet awaited a double distress: invasion of Judah and judgment on Babylon (vv. 13-15; 2:6-20). With the second rendering the focus is on the predicted Babylonian invasion (1:5-11). In either case, Habakkuk s feeling of dread ( my lips quivered I trembled ) best relates to the invasion of Judah that must come first. 4 / 6
B. Apparent Jeopardy Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit 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 (17) Habakkuk s distress came from a clear vision of the judgment to come upon Judah. T ypically an invading army would consume available agriculture and burn the rest, leaving the inhabitants destitute. C. Abject Joy yet I will triumph in Yahweh; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! Yahweh my Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights! (18-19) Habakkuk pens one of the more moving declarations of faith to be found in Scripture. We have a tremendous lesson in Habakkuk s example: the just will live by faith no matter the apparent circumstances. And the living is not just enduring but is victorious. God provides joy, salvation, strength, and security. HCSB, p.1551: 3:17-19 But come what may, the prophet will trust in God, finding his strength and sure footing through faith. Yahweh is God s personal name in the OT. It is usually rendered Lord, though that rendering would be awkward here where Yahweh is also called my Lord. The prophet applied to his own life the message of 2:4: The righteous one will live by his faith. Application: 1. We are to walk by faith not by sight. 2. We can trust God to be the perfect Judge. 3. We must put our trust in God rather than material things. 5 / 6
Leader Pack Item 5: Bookmark: Memory Verses; Illustrator p. 22: Pestilence and Plague in the Ancient World Notes: **You may access David s Lesson Preview in MP3 format and notes at: www.hfbcbib lestudy.org Dates: 5/1-3 Singles Retreat; 5/3 HS Seniors Celebration; 5/9 CBS Graduation; 5/10 SPF Mother s Day Luncheon; 5/17 Parent Commitment; 5/25 Memorial Day church offices closed; 5/29 - HCHS Graduation; 5/29 HUB Summer Kick-off; 5/29 ReCreate Date Night; 5/29-30 5 th grade launch retreat; 6/7 Promotion Sunday, student led worship; 6/10,17,24 - SPF Summer Nights Bible Studies; 6/14-7/13 Pastor Gregg on Sabbatical; 6/14 SPF B-day Bash; 6/14 Matthew Hoskinson speaking; 6/15-19 Camp Intersect. 6 / 6