The document discusses the book of Habakkuk from the Bible. It summarizes that Habakkuk, a prophet, was distressed by the injustice and violence in Judah. When Habakkuk cried out to God for help, God responded that He would use the Babylonians to punish Judah for their sins. Habakkuk struggled to understand this unexpected answer from God. The document then examines how Habakkuk waited for further revelation from God and counseled that when God's answers do not meet expectations, believers should remember God's character, relate to Him personally, ask for understanding, and accept His discipline.

1. Habakkuk 1 – 2 : 1

2. When things happen do not coincide with
what we expect………..
1.Our world
2.Our nation
3.Our church
4.Our family
5.Our career
6.Our relationships with others

3. When things happen do not coincide with
what we expect………..
Angry Depressed Critical &
Skeptical

4. But God……
surely this cannot be your answer
Habakkuk 1:1-4
The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet received.
Habakkuk’s Burden:
How long, O LORD, must I call (shava) for help, but you
do not listen? Or cry out (zahag) to you, "Violence!"
but you do not save? Why do you make me look at
injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction
and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict
abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice
never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so
that justice is perverted.

6. Brief Background on the times of
Habakkuk
1. Habakkuk’s contemporaries
include Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel
and Zaphaniah
2. They are all prophets to Judah
3. Judah’s spiritual, political and
social sins abound

7. Northern Kingdom
Israel has been
conquered by the
Assyrians
Southern Kingdom
Judah – about
609B.C., in the reign
of King Jehoiakim
shortly before
Babylonian’s King
Nebuchadnezzar.

8. But God……
surely this cannot be your answer
Habakkuk as a person:
1.Meaning of his name: Embracer of God
2.A man who bore a burden of God

9. But God……
surely this cannot be your answer
Habakkuk’s burden:
1. Judah’s sins and wickedness
2. God’s silence
Hebrew: massah ‫מסה‬
• A load (cargo)
• It’s to be lifted up so that others can see

10. How is our society today better than
Habakkuk’s time?
Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife,
and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and
justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so
that justice is perverted.
etc etc
Youth
aggression
Violence etc
etc…..
Child Worship
abuses Homosexual of SELF
Materialism
Murders Terrorism Exploiting
Drugs & the poor Broken
Wars addiction Bribery families

11. How is our society today better than
Habakkuk’s time?
Pastor Joe Wright of the United Sates,
His opening prayer on the new session of the
Kansas House of representatives on 23rd
January, 1996 (16 years ago!)

12. But God……
surely this cannot be your answer
When God is not answering:
3 possible responses from men:
1. Total disappointment and give up
completely
2. Go the safe and middle ground – non
committal and play “smart”
3. Cry out to God (1:2)
How would you respond?

13. And what does the Lord
require of you? To act
justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with
your God.
Micah 6:8

14. Finally, God
answered
Habakkuk

15. But God……
surely this cannot be your answer
Habakkuk 1:5-6
God’s Answer
"Look at the nations and watch-- and be utterly
amazed. For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe, even if you were told.

16. Finally, God answered.
Hallelujah!
1.God to bring spiritual revival
2.God to deliver Judah from sins
and unrighteousness
….But wait a minute,
Habakkuk, what is God
saying?

17. But God……
surely this cannot be your answer
Habakkuk 1:5-6
God’s Answer
I am raising up the Babylonians, that
ruthless and impetuous people, who
sweep across the whole earth to seize
dwelling places not their own.

18. But God……
You are not serious, are you?
1.God to judge Judah’s evil
2.God to send Babylonians to
punish Judah
Babylonians? God, do you know
who they are, what they will do to
your own people?

19. But God……
surely this cannot be your answer
Who were the Babylonians?
1. Babylon was in our Southern Iraq at this
moment of history
2. They were offspring of Abraham’s brother
Nahor (Genesis 22:23)
3. They settled in Babylon where the city of Babel
was
• It is an actual place in history
• It also signifies human society which try to
live independent of God

21. But God……
surely this cannot be your answer
Habakkuk’s God’s Answer and
Expectation Actions
1. God to bring
1. God to judge
spiritual revival
Judah’s evil
2. God to deliver
2. God to send
Judah from sins
Babylonians to
and
punish Judah
unrighteousness

22. But God……
surely this cannot be your answer
Isaiah 55:8-9
“For my thoughts are not your
thoughts, neither are your ways my
ways,” declares the LORD.
“As the heavens are higher than the
earth, so are my ways higher than
your ways and my thoughts than your
thoughts.”

23. When God’s answer is different from
what we expect………..
What did Habakkuk do?

24. But God……
surely this cannot be your answer
Habakkuk 1:12-13
Habakkuk’s Prayer and Question
O LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my
Holy One, we will not die. O LORD, you have
appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you
have ordained them to punish. Your eyes are too pure
to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then
do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent
while the wicked swallow up those more righteous
than themselves?

25. But God……
surely this cannot be your answer
When God’s answer does not meet his
expectation
1. He was reminded on God’s
attributes (1: 12)
• Everlasting / eternal God
• Holy God - whose eyes are too
pure to look on evil, you cannot
tolerate wrong

26. But God……
surely this cannot be your answer
When God’s answer does not meet his
expectation
2.He related to God as his personal God (1:12): My
God, my Holy One, My rock
Is He your God?
Do you know Him?

27. But God……
surely this cannot be your answer
When God’s answer does not meet his
expectation
3.He asked about the actions of God (1: 13-17):
Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up
those more righteous than themselves? (1:13)
We compare!

28. What is God’s heart?
Discipline
LOVE Correction
Repentance

29. But God……
surely this cannot be your answer
Hebrews 12: 5-11
,“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and
he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
…………….. No discipline seems pleasant at the
time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a
harvest of righteousness and peace for those who
have been trained by it.

30. But God……
surely this cannot be your answer
We want to enjoy God’s
Blessings, grace and
love but we don’t want
His Discipline

31. But God……
surely this cannot be your answer
He awaited for God’s answer of his
prayers (2:1)
1.He took upon him the role of a watchman
2.He waited upon the Lord

32. But God……
surely this cannot be your answer
Ezekiel 3:17-19 & 33:7-9
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people
of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning
from me. When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely
die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade
them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that
wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you
accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked
person and they do not turn from their wickedness or
from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you
will have saved yourself.

33. But God……
surely this cannot be your answer
Isaiah 40:31
but those who (wait upon) hope in the
Lord will renew their strength.

34. But God……
surely this cannot be your answer

35. Our Challenges
1. Embrace God and know His heart’s
burden
2. When God is silent, we continue to
pray and wait patiently for God’s
answer

36. Our Challenges
3. When God’s answer is different from
what we expected,:
• Reminded of God’s characters
• Relate to God in a personal way
• Ask God for the reasons
• Accept God’s discipline and
correction which lead to
repentance

37. Waiting for Angry with Waiting for God’s
God’s answer God’s answer forgiveness

38. Jesus says, “Come to me, all you
who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest. “
Matthew 11:28