“What We Do When Bad Things Happen”

Background: Habakkuk was a prophet under (good) King Josiah, 640-609bc. When King Josiah dies, the following king was not so good (Babylonia rises!). Interesting to me: Habakkuk 2:4 was what the Apostle Paul used in Romans 1:17 to introduce the justification by faith alone principle. Martin Luther’s interpretation of this verse totally reoriented his thinking and was a contributor to which the Protestant Reformation was based on. Hallelujah!

Citations, citations: This study’s title and the series outlines were originally preached from by Edwin Shepperson at Grace Church in September/October 2013. These Bible studies in this series are from my own notes (by the Spirit’s direction) upon hearing when the sermons were preached.

Habakkuk 1:12-2:3 New American Standard Bible 1995

12 Are You not from everlasting, O Lord, my God, my Holy One?
We will not die. You, O Lord, have appointed them to judge; And You, O Rock, have established them to correct.
13 Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You can not look on wickedness with favor.
Why do You look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they?
14 Why have You made men like the fish of the sea, like creeping things without a ruler over them?
15 The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook, drag them away with their net,
And gather them together in their fishing net. Therefore they rejoice and are glad.
16 Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net And burn incense to their fishing net; Because through these things their catch is large, and their food is plentiful.
17 Will they therefore empty their net and continually slay nations without sparing?

2:1 I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; and I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, And how I may reply when I am reproved.

God Answers the Prophet

2:2 Then the Lord answered me and said, “Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run.
2:3 “For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay.

*When Bad Things Happen…

1. …We worship vs. 12

Because he is from everlasting. He’s my God, My Holy One, and we will not die. He is in total control, He’s our rock!

2….We wonder. vs. 13-17

What is the why, or what’s going on? We cannot see all He’s doing, yet we can take confidence in His promises. Though our circumstances may be difficult, and beyond what we think is “fair”, He has a purpose, even if we cannot see it or know if we’ll ever understand the “why”. We cannot see all He’s doing, and that’s OK. The wicked prosper, huh? And the righteous are swallowed. I isn’t easy to relate, as this is pretty crazy circumstances, the analogy Habakkuk uses. Understanding the context helps, and we should always repent and walk in obedience (unlike the Israelite people he’s referring to).

3. …We wait. Chapter 2 vs. 1-3

Yet waiting goes against nature, and can be so hard. I’ll stand!

~ Intentional:

I’ll stand! Decide to hear what God will speak to. Read your Bible!

~ Humble:

How to reply when corrected/chastised. Maybe we were part of the cause for this punishment. It’s discipline, not effective if it doesn’t hurt at least a little.

~ Confident:

God is reliable. He will complete what He has started. Philippians 1:6 “I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

~Patient:

Wait for it! Waiting involves waiting, stamina builds. Hebrews 10:32, 35-36. [great verses!}