HABAKKUK 1-3 LISTEN AND RESPOND2011 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Habakkuk 1-3 Listen And Respond

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2011. Well, this evening we're looking at the book of Habakkuk. And as we look at the book of Habakkuk, it starts in verse 1 with our introduction to the prophet. It says, "...the burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw."

And so here we're introduced now to Habakkuk. All we know about Habakkuk is found here in this book. We really don't know much at all except for his introduction here. And this is a book that he wrote which was a burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw. Or the oracle, the message that God impressed upon his heart. The message that God delivered to him. And that's what he's recorded for us.

Habakkuk was a prophet to the nation of Judah, probably around 600 AD or so, just a few years prior to their final destruction by the nation of Babylon. If you remember, we've been talking about it a lot through the Minor Prophets, Israel was at one time one nation.

But under King Solomon, when he died, his son didn't do so well with his negotiations. And so the kingdom actually split in two under Solomon's son's reign. And so there was the northern kingdom, which was called Israel. And then there was the southern kingdom, which was called Judah.

The northern kingdom, as far as the timing is of when Habakkuk is writing, the northern kingdom has already been conquered. They've been led away. There's nobody there from God's people. The Jews aren't living in the northern kingdom at this time. They were conquered by Assyria because of their rebellion against God. God brought the nation of Assyria to bring judgment upon them.

Well, the nation of Judah then is kind of like the last holdout of God's people there in the land that God had promised to Abraham. And the nation of Judah was not a good nation. Although the temple was there, Jerusalem was there, they...

they were not seeking after the things of God. Every once in a while there would be a good king and there would be a little bit of a revival, but then the people would turn back again and begin to wander away and refuse to repent as God was calling out to them to turn and to get right with Him. And so the nation of Judah is on this track, it's on this track to destruction.

And God has promised through the prophet Jeremiah that Babylon would come and bring judgment upon the nation of Judah. Well, as Habakkuk is writing these things, he sees what's happening in Judah. He sees the wickedness that's going on. He sees the sinfulness and the rebellion against God. And it's really perplexing to him how God is allowing it to continue.

And so this book is really Habakkuk's conversation with God regarding what he sees going on, regarding the problems that he sees and the wickedness that is going on. It's his conversation with God about the condition of the nation of Judah. And you see this back and forth here between Habakkuk and the Lord. And as we look at this book, I want to encourage you to consider this.

As we see his example here, ask yourself, do you have this kind of relationship with God?

Do you have the kind of relationship with God like Habakkuk had? Because Habakkuk has this real relationship with God where he asks God questions, God responds to him, Habakkuk responds to the response that God gave him and asks more questions, and God responds again. There's this back and forth, there's this relationship, this communication that is going on.

And I think it's a very good example for us to consider and for us to ask ourselves, do I have this kind of relationship with God? It's not a relationship that's only reserved for prophets or for pastors or for leaders. It's a relationship that God desires to have with

with each and every person. It's a relationship that's made available to us by faith in Jesus Christ. And so if you believe in Jesus, this is the type of relationship that God desires to have with you. And so I want to encourage you to consider that as we look at the example of the prophet Habakkuk.

Now as we look at what he writes and the questions he asks God, I like what Warren Wiersbe says. He kind of sums up the book. He says, Habakkuk comes to grips with some serious problems and lays hold of God by faith when everything in his life seems to be falling apart.

And I think in this sense we can really relate to the prophet Habakkuk. As we look around and we see the things that are going on, we see the problems, we see our life falling apart, and everything seems like it's just in mass disarray. We can follow the example of Habakkuk and engage in this relationship with God. Come to grips with the situations that are going on and grasp hold of God by faith.

even though everything around us is falling apart. So let's get started here in our journey through Habakkuk. In verse 2 it says, O Lord, how long shall I cry and you will not hear? Even cry out to you violence and you will not save. Why do you show me iniquity and cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me. There is strife and contention arises.

Therefore the law is powerless and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous. Therefore perverse judgment proceeds. Here we find Habakkuk's question to the Lord. He's looking around. He sees the wickedness. He's calling out to the Lord, but nothing seems to be happening.

And so he asks the question in verse 2, how long shall I cry and you will not hear? He says, God, I'm crying out to you regarding the things that are going on, the injustice that is there, the problems that are there, but I don't see anything happening. How long is this going to go on that I'm calling out to you and you're not hearing? Nothing is going on. You're not working.

Habakkuk here is distressed by the wickedness of Judah. He's distressed by the sin of his people. And he describes it here in verses 2 through 4 as iniquity and violence and plundering and strife and contention and perverse judgment. There's all these things going around. Everywhere he looks, he sees the situation that Judah is in. And he feels like God is not doing anything about it.

Again, here's where I think we can really relate to the prophet Habakkuk. I mean, have you ever experienced that in your life where you're looking around and there's just problems everywhere you look? You see problems and it just seems like God's not doing anything. You know, we ask questions like, where is the Lord? Why is He allowing this to happen? Why is He allowing this to take place?

Do you ever feel like God is not responding? Because that's how Habakkuk felt. As he looked around, he's distressed and he feels like, "God, you're not doing anything. How long are you going to just sit there? When are you going to engage? When are you going to work in this situation and take care of the wickedness that is going on?" And so we see it start out very good. It's okay to ask God questions.

I want to encourage you to ask God questions. Again, this is the kind of relationship that we need to have with God. You can look around your life and you can see the problems, you can see the messes, you can see the difficulties, and you can say, God, how long are you going to let this go on? God, how long are we going to have to go through this? Lord, how long do I need to endure this? Now, it's one thing to ask God a question. It's another thing to accuse God of wrong.

Or to demand, "God, you need to fix it on my schedule." We'll see as we study this book, that's not the heart of Habakkuk. Now to have that kind of demanding, like, "God, you must, and you're supposed to do what I say, and I claim it by faith." You know, that's not correct, that's wrong. But to have the sincere question, to have the wondering, to have the distress, that's okay. "Cast your cares upon him, for he cares for you," Peter says.

And so it's okay to bring those things. God, I don't know how long I can go through with this. I don't know how much longer I can endure. What's going to be happening? How come you're not working in these situations? God, I don't see what you're doing. Those are good and legitimate questions to ask. And the amazing thing that we see here in the book of Habakkuk and in our own lives is that God responds. Look at verse 5.

This is the Lord responding. He says, "Look among the nations and watch. Be utterly astounded. For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe though it were told you. For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, a bitter and hasty nation which marches through the breadth of the earth to possess dwelling places that are not theirs. They are terrible and dreadful. Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves.

Their horses also are swifter than leopards and more fierce than evening wolves. Their chargers charge ahead, their cavalry comes from afar. They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat. Verse 9. They all come for violence. Their faces are set like the east wind. They gather captives like sand. They scoff at kings and princes are scorned by them. They deride every stronghold for they heap up earthen mounds and seize it.

Then his mind changes and he transgresses. He commits offense, ascribing this power to his God. Here God now responds to Habakkuk. And he says, Habakkuk, pay attention. Listen up to what I'm about to tell you. He says, look among the nations and watch. Habakkuk, you're looking around and you say, I don't see you working. So open your eyes now. And look among the nations. Watch. Watch.

You're going to see it happen. You're going to see it take place. You're going to be utterly astounded. In fact, God tells him, I'm going to do something that you would not believe even though I'm telling you. Even though I'm sharing with you what I'm about to do, you're going to have trouble believing it. It's going to shock you. You're going to be astounded, Habakkuk. So look up, pay attention, listen up to what I'm about to share.

I'll work a work in your days which you would not believe though it were told you. Habakkuk asks a question because he's perplexed. He's distressed. He doesn't understand. And that's good. We need to bring those things to the Lord. Again, I like what Wiersbe says here. He says, It's good to wrestle with God about the questions that perplex you. Just be sure you stop talking long enough to listen.

It's good to bring those questions to the Lord, but make sure you give Him time to respond. Make sure you listen up and pay attention. And very likely God will respond in kind, very similar. He'll say, well I'm going to tell you, but you're not going to believe it even if I tell you. He responds to us. I'm sure many of you know the verse Jeremiah 33.3, right? God says, call to me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.

The Lord says elsewhere, seek me and you'll find me when you search for me with all your heart. We talked about on Sunday as well. Seek and you will find. Ask and it will be given to you. Knock and the door will be opened. God is inviting us to bring these things to Him. And He promises that as we seek Him, as we ask Him, as we search for Him, He'll reveal Himself to us. He'll answer us.

He'll respond to the things that we bring before Him. That's a promise to us. As we seek Him, we will find Him, He says. And so Habakkuk is seeking the Lord. He says, look, I've been lifting up these things. I'm distressed about the situation. I don't know what's happening. Lord, what are you going to do? How long is this going to go on? And God says, pay attention. I'm going to do a work. You're not going to believe it. But in verse 6, He says, I'm raising up the Chaldeans.

Now the Chaldeans are the Babylonians. This is Babylon that he's talking about. And if you remember Israel's history or Judah's history, Judah is conquered by Babylon, by King Nebuchadnezzar. Three times they're conquered by Babylon. At first he let them live. He put another king in place and they rebelled and then he did it again. And then finally the third time they rebelled, he's like, forget it. And then he leveled Jerusalem, destroyed it completely.

took all the inhabitants away captive. That was all done by Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar. And these are the Chaldeans that God is referring to. And so God says, I'm raising up the Chaldeans. Notice what He says though. He says, I am raising up. God says, look, I'm already working. I am at work. I've already been at work. The work is already going on. The preparation is being made. You don't see it yet, Habakkuk, but you're about to.

That's always the case. When we look around and we think, God, you're not doing anything. We only think that because we can't see what God is doing. A lot of times it's off around the corner from where we think it ought to be happening. God's doing the preparation over here and then when the work happens, we can't even believe it because, well, the preparation has been going on for some time. God's already been working for a long time. And then when we finally see it,

It's kind of the pinnacle or the peak of God's work. The tip of the iceberg that we see, but the preparation has been going on for a long time beneath the surface. And so he says, I'm raising up the Chaldeans. And in verses 7 through 10, he describes them as this powerful destructive force. And that's truly what they were. They conquered the nation of Assyria. They conquered all the nations surrounding Judah.

They surrounded Jerusalem and finally conquered it. They came as this powerful destructive force. And no one could stand in their way because it was God who raised them up. And it was God who delivered those nations to Babylon. And yet, God proclaims He's going to commit offense there in verse 11. He says, then His mind changes and He transgresses. He commits offense ascribing this power to His God.

And so Babylon is this powerful force and no one can stand in their way because God has raised them up for this purpose. But Babylon makes a mistake. Nebuchadnezzar makes a mistake because then as he conquers the land, he ascribes the power. He says, I was able to do this because of my gods. Not the true and living God, but their false gods that they worshipped. And so they made a mistake. They gave glory to

to something else and not the Lord. And so God's going to be dealing with them for that and we'll see that as we go forward. But in answer to Habakkuk's question, God, when are you going to work? When are you going to do something about all this wickedness amongst my people? God's response is, Habakkuk, I'm already at work. I'm preparing the Chaldeans, I'm raising them up and they're going to come and they're going to deal with the wickedness that's here in Judah. They're going to deal with

The rebellion. They're going to be my instrument of correction upon this nation. That's what God says. Now as we go forward in verse 12, now Habakkuk responds to what God has said. And so again, I want to point out, there's this conversation going on. It's not a monologue where Habakkuk's just talking or God's just talking. But Habakkuk talks, then God talks, then Habakkuk talks, then God talks. It's this back and forth.

And again I want to ask you, is this the kind of relationship that you have with God? Where not only do you speak to Him, but He speaks to you. And you go back and forth and you have these discussions with the Lord. That's the kind of relationship that God desires to have with you. That's the kind of relationship He offers to us. And so now Habakkuk responds. He asks another question. Really a couple of questions as we head into verse 12. It says this,

Verse 1.

Why do you make men like fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler over them? They take up all of them with a hook. They catch them in their net and gather them in their dragnet. Therefore they rejoice and are glad. Therefore they sacrifice to their net and burn incense to their dragnet, because by them their share is sumptuous and their food plentiful.

Shall they therefore empty their net and continue to slay nations without pity? And look at verse 1 of chapter 2. He says, I will stand my watch and set myself on the ramparts and watch to see what he will say to me and what I will answer when I am corrected. Here we get some insight into the heart of Habakkuk.

He asked God, "God, when are you going to do something about all this wickedness?" God says, "I am doing something. I'm bringing the Babylonians. They're going to come and conquer the land." And now Habakkuk is wrestling with what God has said. "God, this doesn't make sense. They're more wicked than we are." He says, "Look, how can you look upon them with favor? How can you behold them? How can you strengthen them when they're wicked?"

He talks about them taking up in their nets and gathering the nations in their nets but then they worship their nets. They're worshipping their might, they're worshipping their strength. How can you allow this to continue? You're just going to let them empty their nets and then go again and go for the next nation? As they're worshipping these false gods and worshipping themselves? Do you remember in the book of Daniel it talks about King Nebuchadnezzar and his pride? And how God warned him about his pride?

And he was good after God warned him through the prophet Daniel. He was good for a little bit. But about a year later, he's walking around Babylon. He says, oh, is this not great Babylon, which I have built for myself for my glory? He's worshipping his own strength. He's worshipping his own self. That's the state and the condition of Babylon. In their pride. In their worship of false gods.

So Habakkuk says, God, are you not from everlasting there in verse 12? God, you're eternal. You're the creator. Habakkuk makes a statement. We shall not die. How is this going to happen, God? Because you've promised. We're your people. We're not going to die. How are you going to do this? I don't understand. First of all, I don't understand how you can use a nation that's so wicked to bring correction and judgment upon us.

But secondly, what are you going to do? Because we're not supposed to die. You've promised us life. Habakkuk cannot figure it out. It doesn't seem right to him.

Now imagine, if you want to relate to Habakkuk a little bit, imagine if you were crying out to God about the wickedness in America. You know, whatever's on your heart. You want to talk about the injustices that are going on, the abortions that are going on, the corruption in politics. I mean, you know, whatever it is that's heavy upon your heart. You look around and you go, I don't know how much longer God can put up with this. And so you're crying out to the Lord about that. And God responds to you and He says, it's okay. It's okay.

I am working, I'm raising up terrorists that's going to come and correct this nation. That's the position that Habakkuk is in. He's like, these people are wicked, they're terrible. It's not just, you know, war is terrible and a lot of bad things happen in war. I mean, these people, they were vicious, they were cruel. They went way beyond what was necessary to conquer.

Habakkuk says, I don't understand. I mean, how could you use someone who's worse than us to correct us? To bring discipline, to bring judgment. If God wants to bring judgment to the United States, can He use a nation that's more wicked than us? Could He use China? Could He use Iran? Absolutely He could.

Absolutely. God's God. He can do whatever He wants. Can He use someone who's more wicked than us, like our boss, to bring correction to us? Absolutely. Absolutely He can. He's able. He's God. But it's kind of hard for us to understand. Habakkuk's in that spot like, I don't get it, God. I don't understand. How can He use it? You're just going to let them empty their net and then go after another nation and continue on?

In their rebellion, in their sinfulness. But notice what he says in chapter 2 verse 1. He says, I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart and watch to see what he will say to me and what I will answer when I'm corrected. You see, Habakkuk's not defiant against the Lord.

He's not shouting at God like, "God, that's not right and you don't have my permission to do this." He's not accusing God of being wicked. He's just honest enough to say, "God, I don't understand this. It doesn't make sense to me. I don't know how you can use them to do this." He's being honest about what he's wrestling with. He can't figure it out.

But as he expresses his confusion, his perplexity to the Lord, then he says, "Okay, now I'm going to sit here and I'm going to wait. I'm going to wait and I'm going to hear from you. And I'm going to let you speak to me. And then I'm going to figure out what I'm going to say when you correct me." See, he knows, "I don't understand something." But that doesn't mean that God's wrong. He's not accusing God of wrong. He's saying, "I don't understand. Lord, help me to understand."

Give me some insight. I caught a little bit of Pastor Dave Rolfe on the radio earlier today when I was in the car. And he said something that stood out to me. Pastor Dave Rolfe says, When I disagree with God, it is because I do not have the information that He has. Whenever I think differently, whenever I'm like, Ah, I don't know. Is that right, God? Why are you doing that? That doesn't make sense. He says, Look, when that happens, it's because I don't have the same information that God has.

And if we had God's information, if we knew what He knows, then we'd be like, oh, okay, that makes sense. Right, God, you did right. That's why in eternity we'll look back and we'll say, God, what you did in my life was right. It was appropriate. Even the hard times, even the tragedies, even the difficulties that we didn't understand, that we didn't want to go through, even the things that we thought we couldn't endure, we'll look back because then we'll have the information that God has and we'll say,

Right. Thank you God. You did it right. You did what was right. Now I understand. Now I know. He says, I want to wait now. I don't understand, but I'm going to listen. I'm going to stand my watch. And I'm going to wait for you to answer. To speak to my heart.

And then I'll see what I'll answer when you correct me. I like the word answer there in verse 1 of chapter 2. He says what I will answer when I'm corrected. The word answer has the basic meaning of moving back to the point of departure. Habakkuk is basically saying when you show me where I went wrong...

Then I'll figure out how to respond. Then I'll understand what you're doing. Lord, this is what I think. This is why I don't understand. Now you show me where am I wrong? Where am I missing it? Where am I off? Where have I misunderstood? Your plans, your purposes, your will. Habakkuk here, again, we see his heart. He's prepared to believe God when he responds. He's preparing himself, God, to believe God.

What you say, that's what's going to be right. That's what I'm going to believe. And you're going to show me where I'm off, where I'm missing it. You're going to move me back to that place where I departed. And show me the reason why I don't understand what you're doing. And so again, he's having this dialogue, this conversation. He's going back and forth, this discussion with the Lord. Saying, God, show me where I've gone wrong. And I'll go back there and I'll make it right. I'll correct my thinking.

I'll correct my heart. I'll correct my feelings. I'll correct my emotions based upon what you say. He has the right heart. He's communicating with the Lord. But he's submitting to the Lord. He's not defiant. He's not accusing God. He's asking God, honestly, help me to understand. I want to see what you're doing. I want to see the work that's going on. And I'm going to wait for you to respond.

I'm going to wait for you to show me. And then I'm going to believe you at your word. Well, now God responds to Habakkuk once again here in chapter 2. All of chapter 2 is God's response, but we see the first part here in verses 2 through 4. It says, Then the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision.

Verse 4,

So when God responds now, He's giving some preparation instructions to Habakkuk. He says, alright, I'm going to tell you Habakkuk, but here's what you need to do. Write it down. Write the vision that I'm about to give you. And then make sure it's clear. Make it plain. Don't write it in some confusing language. Don't write it where it's difficult to understand. Make it simple. Make it plain. Write down what I'm giving to you that he may run who reads it.

I really like what God is saying here. I think it's important for us too. As we have this discussion with the Lord, as we ask God questions, we're waiting for a response. Here's the preparation that we can do as we're waiting for that response. We can prepare to hear from God. We can prepare to write it down clearly to make it plain and then communicate it in a way that others can respond too. That He may run who reads it. You see, you hear from God. You write it down clearly.

And you share it with others so that they can respond to what God has spoken. I want to encourage you to do that. As you sit in services, hear from God, write it down clearly, and then share with others that they can respond too. As you hear from God in your daily devotions, in your time with the Lord, as He speaks to you, as He answers those questions, write it down clearly.

Write it down clearly, make it plain, share it with others so that they can respond as well. That's what God wants us to do. That's what God called Habakkuk to do. And so he tells them, alright, here you go Habakkuk, but before I get started, write it down. Make it plain that those who read it can run, can put it into practice.

He says, for the vision is yet for an appointed time. Because it's not going to happen right now. It's not immediate. Habakkuk, this isn't going to happen tomorrow. It's going to happen. He says, it will not tarry. But though it tarries, wait for it. So it seems like it's not happening. Seems like nothing's going on. But wait for it. It's going to happen. It's guaranteed to happen. So wait for it. Don't give up. Hold on. It's going to take place. It will surely come. It will not tarry.

This is how all of God's promises are. Listen, even though you don't see the promises of God fulfilled right at this moment, wait for it. Hold on. Wait for it. Surely, God's promises will come. They will be fulfilled. To Habakkuk this meant Judah's wickedness will be brought to justice. For you and I today, it could be applied to the fact that Jesus will return. It seems like the Lord is tarrying. But Peter tells us,

God is not slow in keeping His promises. Scoffers are going to come and say, where is the coming of Jesus? People have been talking about that for 2,000 years. I don't think it's going to happen. That's what the scoffers will say. But God's not slack in fulfilling His promises. He's just patient. He's waiting for all to come to repentance. And then the end will come. Then He will return. Jesus will return. Though He tarries, wait for it. It's going to happen. Surely He will come.

Or maybe you can look at Philippians and the fact that every knee will bow before Jesus. That's a promise. That's a guarantee. You may not see it right now, but surely it will come. Wait for it. It's going to happen. Or maybe you're looking at Romans chapter 8 and you're reading the beloved verse, All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. And you look around and you don't see it happening right now. You don't see it fulfilled in your life.

Though it tarries, wait for it. Surely it will come. God's promises will be fulfilled. And so he says, I'm speaking to you, but hold on to what I'm saying, even if you don't see it happen right away. Then in verse 4, he says, take a look at the proud. Behold the proud. His soul is not upright.

But in contrast, he says, the just, the righteous, those who are right with God, they shall live by faith. The just shall live by his faith. This is a verse that's quoted three times in the New Testament. It's in Romans chapter 1 and Galatians chapter 3 and Hebrews chapter 10. The just shall live by faith. And what does that mean that the just shall live by faith?

Well, I always define faith as obedience to God at His Word. That's what faith is. Faith is obedience to God at His Word. Faith is really what we see happening here in the book of Habakkuk. It's listening to God and responding. As He speaks, then you believe. Then you step forward in faith. Then you do what He has instructed you.

You and I are to be people of faith who have this conversation with God where we listen to Him. We share with Him our questions. He gives us instruction and then we respond. That's faith. It's obeying God.

At His Word. As He speaks to us, personally, individually, by the Holy Spirit. As He speaks to us through His Word and the commands that He's given. Faith is taking those commands, taking the instruction that He puts upon our heart, and then living it out and doing it. It's listening and responding.

And that's how the just shall live. That's how those who are right with God shall live. You have salvation, you have forgiveness by your faith. By hearing God and the message of salvation, the gospel message and responding. You have all the promises of God by hearing Him and responding. The just shall live by faith. Now pride, behold the proud, he says, pride is the opposite of that. In pride we don't ask.

There's no listening because we're not asking. We don't want to know what God has to say about this situation, about that situation, about this decision, about what's going on there, about where He wants us to go there. When we don't ask God, it's because of pride. It's because we have already determined, I don't need to ask God because I already know what's best. I already know what's right. I already know what I need to do. I already know what's going on.

It's not always an outright decision. I'm not going to ask God. But we forget about God and we just leave Him out of the picture. We don't ask because of our pride. Because we think so highly of ourselves. The proud is not like the just. The just live by faith. They're asking God. They're saying, look, I don't understand this God. Show me. Speak to me.

The just are listening to the Lord and responding to Him. The pride aren't even asking Him. Either that or they may ask God or they may know what God says in His Word that they ought to do, but they decide, I'm not going to do that. That's pride. That's me saying, I know what you want. I know what you said. But my way is better than your way. I don't like your way. I like my way. That's pride. And so He says, behold the proud. Look at Babylon. Look at what they're doing.

They're not right with me, God's saying. But don't be like that, Habakkuk. The just shall live by faith. You listen to me and respond to me. Obey me and my word. Well, he goes on now in the rest of this chapter to talk about the nation of Babylon.

And how he's going to deal with them because of their wickedness. So verse 5 says, Indeed, because he transgresses by wine, he is a proud man. And he does not stay at home because he enlarges his desire as hell. And he is like death and cannot be satisfied. He gathers to himself all nations and heaps up for himself all peoples.

God is now going to be pronouncing some woes upon the nation of Babylon and really upon all those who practice wickedness. And he says, look, those who are practicing wickedness, they cannot be satisfied. They're like death, which cannot be satisfied. It's true of Nebuchadnezzar. No matter how much he conquered, he could not be satisfied. But it's true of everyone without Christ. With Christ, it's a different story. You remember the woman at the well in John chapter 4?

Jesus said, look, if you drink the water I give you, you'll never thirst again. Remember John chapter 7 verse 37? The last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stands and says, if anyone's thirsty, let him come to me and drink. And what does he say? Torrents of living water will burst forth. We cannot be satisfied apart from Christ. But in Christ, we'll never thirst again. In our pride, in our own ways...

even if you conquer the entire world even if you became emperor of the world or empress of the world without Christ you would not be satisfied even if you had all the money you could have even if you had all the makeup or all the gadgets or all the cars or whatever it is that you want even if you had it all even if you were the most popular without Christ you would not be satisfied if you don't believe me read the book of Ecclesiastes because Solomon had it all

And he tried to find fulfillment and he found out everything is vanity. But then he concludes, here's man's all. Here's where fulfillment is. Obeying God's word. The just shall live by faith. Listen and respond. Hear God and obey Him.

Well, he goes on in verse 6. He says,

Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the people shall plunder you, because of men's blood, and the violence of the land and the city, and all who dwell in it. Here in verses 6-10, he says, Woe to you who increases what is not his. Now he's talking to Nebuchadnezzar, but there's a principle here that we should pay attention to. Because he's talking about increasing what is not yours. Now what is not yours?

that you're increasing in? Well, he talks about the man who loads himself with many pledges. He says, will not your creditors rise up suddenly? This is a message America needs to hear. We increase what is not ours by spending what we don't have. When we spend what we don't have, it's increasing what is not ours. It's loading ourselves up with pledges. When we live beyond our means, God says, woe to him.

How long? How long can this go on? It can't go on for very long. In fact, the world is experiencing that. Our nation has been experiencing it. Europe is now experiencing it. Because we've been living well beyond what we can actually afford. Along with a bunch of other stuff. But we've been increasing what is not ours. Listen, if God hasn't given you the money for it, it's not yours. And you don't have the authority to just go and get it. He says, woe to you, because creditors will rise up suddenly...

And those who plundered, you plundered the department store, you plundered Target and Walmart, you plundered them with your credit and you will be plundered, God says. He says it to Nebuchadnezzar, but it's a principle that applies. So woe to him.

Then he goes on in verse 9. Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of disaster. You give shameful counsel to your house, cutting off many peoples and sin against your soul. For the stone will cry out from the wall and the beam from the timbers will answer it. So now he pronounces the next woe. Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house. You think, I've got to provide for my family.

So how can I get the extra dough? And if it's some type of evil gain, you're ripping somebody off, you're charging what you shouldn't charge, you're getting money from somewhere you're not supposed to be, he says, woe to you. Your own house, the things that you bought with that money, the things that you provided for, they'll testify against you.

You're sinning against your own soul. Verse 12, Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed, who establishes a city by iniquity. Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts that the peoples labor to feed the fire, and nations weary themselves in vain? For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Now he talks about woe to those who build a town with bloodshed. Now again, this was what Nebuchadnezzar was doing.

He wasn't just conquering the people. He's going well beyond what was necessary. It wasn't just war. It was murder. It was violence. It was bloodshed. Now God authorized him. He raised him up to do the work. But again, they were wicked and cruel and vile. So woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed. He's speaking to Nebuchadnezzar. Again, there's a principle here we should consider.

Woe to those who get ahead at the expense of others. Who are taking advantage of others. Who are taking things too far. Preying upon others. Destroying others to advance yourself. To build up your kingdom. To get where you want. Verse 15. Verse 15.

Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor, pressing him to your bottle, even to make him drunk, that you may look on his nakedness. You are filled with shame instead of glory. You also drink and be exposed as uncircumcised. The cup of the Lord's right hand will be turned against you, and utter shame will be on your glory. For the violence done to Lebanon will cover you, and the plunder of beasts which made them afraid because of men's blood, and the violence of the land and the city and all who dwell in it.

He says, woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor. Again, he's pronouncing these woes upon the wicked. And he talks about those who give drink to his neighbor. Notice what he says there in verse 15. He says, even to make him drunk, that you may look on his nakedness. Consider this. Those who would persuade you, those who would encourage you, those who would entice you to drink...

are those who want to take advantage of you. It's something you should consider. You want to apply it to alcohol, you want to apply it to drugs, whatever. Those who are pushing these things upon you, He says, woe to you, because they're doing so in order to take advantage of you. But God says, woe to you, because in verse 16 He says, you also drink and be exposed as uncircumcised. You're going to be revealed for who you are. You're going to be revealed for your wickedness. You're not going to remain hidden. So woe,

To him who gives drink to his neighbor, they will be exposed.

Verse 18. What prophet is the image that its maker should carve it? The molded image, a teacher of lies, that the maker of its mold should trust in it to make mute idols. Woe to him who says to wood, Awake! To silent stone, Arise! It shall teach. Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet in it there is no breath at all. But the Lord is in His holy temple, that all the earth keeps silence before Him. The final woe that he pronounces is to those

and idolatry. Those who are worshipping false gods. He says, they have no breath, but the Lord is in His holy temple. He's alive. He's real. Let all the earth keep silence before Him. The idols that they make are silent. They can't speak. But when it comes to the true and living God, let everyone be quiet. It's time for us to be silent because He speaks. He's real. He's alive. He's the creator of the heavens and the earth. So woe to those who

who worship anything else but God. Everybody has a God and everybody's God is less than you unless your God is the true and living God. Whatever you worship is not even as important as you. You are stronger, you're smarter than anything you worship unless you worship the true and living God. Well now as we head into chapter 3.

We're finishing up the book with a prayer of Habakkuk. And it's actually a song that he prays. A song that he sings. There at the end of the book you can see that it says, To the chief musician with my streamed instruments. And so now he responds again to what God has said. And he responds now with worship. He's having a conversation with God. He's writing it down. And then he worships the Lord. Here's what he says in verse 1. A prayer of Habakkuk, the prophet on...

That word. Verse 2. O Lord, I have heard your speech and was afraid. O Lord, revive your work in the midst of the years. In the midst of the years, make it known. In wrath, remember mercy. God came from Teman.

Verse 1.

Here is, he now responds to what God has declared. He responds in worship.

In prayer as well as worship. And he says, Lord, I've heard your speech and I was afraid. But he says, Lord, do your work. Revive your work. Lord, you do what you've said. You be faithful to fulfill what you have declared. Again, he says, I was still afraid. I still don't fully understand. But Lord, I trust you. Lord, you do your work. But he also says there at the end of verse 2, In wrath, remember mercy. As you bring judgment upon us for our rebellion and wickedness,

We deserve it. It's just. It's right. But also please remember mercy. And the Bible tells us in several places, God loves those who trust in His mercy. We need to come to God asking for mercy on the basis of His goodness, not ours. He doesn't come saying, well, you know, we're not all bad, God. At least we do some things right.

He says, no, it's right. Bring the judgment. Bring the discipline. But in wrath, remember mercy. Lord, you do your work. You are right and what you do is right. And he goes on here to talk about God and he's just worshipping God. He's talking about how great God is. He's reminding himself. He's remembering who God is. His brightness was like the light. His rays flashing from His hand.

He says, "Before Him went pestilence and fever followed at His feet." He's the Lord of creation. Verse 6, "He stood and measured the earth." How many of you can stand and measure the earth? God can do it. He's got the whole world in His hand. He can do it. He's big. He's Creator. He's the true and living God. "His glory covered the heavens," He said there in verse 3. The earth is full of His praise. He's God.

I like what he says also in verse 6. It says, He looked and startled the nations. How many of you can look and startle the nations? It's like, you know, all of China jumps. God can do it. All he has to do is look. You get that? He doesn't have to stomp his feet even to startle them. He doesn't have to say boo. He just looks. And they go, uh-oh, we're in trouble.

This is the God that we're talking about. This is the God that we're dealing with. This is the God that wants this back and forth communication, intimate relationship with you. Now, as Habakkuk is in the midst of this situation, he's distressed, he's perplexed, he doesn't understand, God, when are you going to work? Now he's remembering, God, you're big. It's amazing how when we remember who it is that we're worshipping, who it is that we're talking to, we put it in perspective. You know, originally our problems are like huge. They're all we can see.

But then as we bring God into the picture, it zooms out, zooms out, zooms out, and our problems are like nothing, and God's like huge. That's how it works. And that's why it's good. Bring your requests. Bring your cares to the Lord. He cares for you. And as you bring Him into the picture, as you remember who He is, and you get the real perspective on the issues that you face, on the hardships that you're dealing with, as you worship the Lord,

The problems are still there. The problem didn't change. But your perspective changes as you remember who it is that God is. Going on in verse 8. Oh Lord, were you displeased with the rivers? Was your anger against the rivers? Was your wrath against the sea that you rode on your horses, your chariots of salvation? Your bow was made quite ready. Oaths were sworn over your arrows. Selah. You divided the earth with rivers. Selah.

The mountains saw you and trembled. The overflowing of the water passed by. The deep uttered its voice and lifted its hands on high. The sun and moon stood still in their habitation. At the light of your arrows they went, at the shining of your glittering spear.

Verse 14. Verse 14.

They came out like a whirlwind to scatter me. Their rejoicing was like feasting on the poor in secret. You walked through the sea with your horses, through the heap of great waters. When I heard, my body trembled. My lips quivered at the voice. Rottenness entered my bones, and I trembled in myself that I might rest in the day of trouble. When He comes up to the people, He will invade them with His troops."

Again, he's remembering how big God is. And now he's remembering the way that God works. He divided the earth with rivers, he said in verse 9. You know anybody who's done that? He's the Creator. The mountains saw you and trembled. Who can tremble the mountains? Only the Lord. The sun and moon stood still. Who can do that? Only the Creator. Again, he's remembering how big God is. How vast His power is.

And he says, "When I heard, my body trembled." "When I heard your work." Remember what God said? "You're not going to believe it even if I tell you." He says, "When I heard, I trembled. My lips quivered at the voice." "I couldn't quite grasp it. I couldn't figure it out." But then, as he's remembering who God is, what He's done,

He concludes with great faith. In verse 17 it says, "...though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food, though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation."

The Lord God is my strength. He will make my feet like deer's feet. And He will make me walk on my high hills. Not high heels. My high hills. Habakkuk finishes off with great faith. He's wrestling with God at the beginning of the book. Not in a bad way, but just he doesn't understand. He wants to know. But he finishes off on solid ground.

He finishes off with great faith. What has changed? Not the circumstances. He says, "...though the fig tree may not blossom."

Now, you could talk about, you know, just that being a tree and there's no fruit on it and you could talk about it like that. But also the fig tree, many times in the scriptures, is a picture of Israel. And so he could also be saying, even if there's not the fruit in Israel, even if the nation isn't revived, even if there's not revival in the land, if there's no fruit on the vines, he says, yet, in verse 18, I will rejoice in the Lord.

Even if I don't see your promises fulfilled, in other words. Even if I don't see it turn around. Even if I don't see the change take place. I will rejoice in the Lord. You see, he ends in faith as he's remembered who God is. As he's discussed. He's engaged in this relationship with God. He's heard from the Lord. And the situation hasn't changed, but he says, yet I will rejoice. I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in...

In the God of my salvation. No matter what you and I are going through. We can come to this same place. And again I'm asking you to consider. Do you have this kind of relationship with God? As I shared on Sunday. Listen if you're not fully satisfied in your life. It boils down to a lack. In your relationship with God through Jesus Christ. That's what it comes down to. If you're not fully satisfied. If you're unfulfilled. It comes back to your relationship with the Lord.

But if you and I, even though our circumstances are miserable, if we will engage with God and seek Him and spend time with Him and He speaks to us and we speak to Him, it brings us to worship. We remember who He is and what He's done. And it brings us to the only conclusion that you can come to when you engage in a relationship with God. I will rejoice in the Lord.

Even though my circumstances are miserable, even though life's fallen apart, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, he says. And so he starts out on shaky ground, but he ends up on the solid rock. Christ, the solid rock. His salvation, his savior, his God. George and Susan are going to come up and lead us in a song to close. As they do.

Do you have a relationship with God like Habakkuk does? I want to encourage you. Whatever you're going through in your life, whatever situations are happening, whatever you look around and it's distressing to you, ask God a question, just like Habakkuk did. Ask Him a question. Right now, just ask Him, Lord, not out loud, but ask Him, Lord, I don't understand. When are you going to work? What are you going to do? What's going on?

But don't just ask the question. Make sure you give Him time to respond. And during this next song, listen to the Lord. But remember faith. The just shall live by faith. It's not just hearing what He says. But already commit right now. You will respond. You will believe. You'll grasp hold of whatever He says. Whatever He speaks to you. Whatever He declares. Whatever command He gives. Whatever truth is revealed. You'll respond to it.

Listen and respond, just like Habakkuk did. And in the end, you'll find yourself rejoicing in the Lord, even if you don't see the fulfillment of what God has said He will do. And so let's worship the Lord together while we listen to Him and prepare to respond to what He will speak.

We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.