More Related Content
What's hot
What's hot (20)
Similar to 110529 ot vistas 24 habakkuk sparring with god
Similar to 110529 ot vistas 24 habakkuk sparring with god (20)
More from Palm Desert Church of Christ
More from Palm Desert Church of Christ (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (17)
110529 ot vistas 24 habakkuk sparring with god
- 2. First Challenge & Response
- 3. Problem of Evil Habakkuk 1:2-4 NIV How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong?
- 4. Problem of Evil 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.
- 5. God’s Answer Habakkuk 1:5-7 NIV "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.
- 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. They are a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor.
- 7. Second Challenge & Response
- 8. Habakkuk’s Question Habakkuk 1:12-13 NIV 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.
- 9. Habakkuk’s Question 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?
- 10. God’s Answer Habakkuk 2:2-3 NIV Then the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.
- 11. Babylon Will Not Escape Habakkuk 2:6-8 NIV "Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying, "'Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on?' Will not your debtors suddenly arise? Will they not wake up and make you tremble?
- 12. Babylon Will Not Escape Then you will become their victim. Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you. For you have shed man's blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.
- 13. Living in the “In-Between”
- 14. “Faith” & “Faithfulness” Habakkuk 2:4 NLT "Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.
- 15. NT Use of This Verse Romans 1:17 NIV For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith.“ Galatians 3:11 NIV Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith."
- 16. NT Use of This Verse Hebrews 10:38-39 NLT My righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away." But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.
- 18. He Learned Faith Habakkuk 3:16 NIV I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.
- 19. He Learned Faithfulness Habakkuk 3:17-18 NIV 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 Savior.
- 20. What Does God Expect of Us?
- 21. Faith & Faithfulness Hebrews 11:6 NIV And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
- 22. Faith Frees Us to be Faithful
- 23. Question of Habakkuk is Simple
- 24. Answer to the Problem of Evil Habakkuk 3:17-18 NIV 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 Savior.
Editor's Notes
- 24. Habakkuk Prophesied 640-610 B.C.Assyria had conquered the northern kingdom of Israel c. 80 years earlierSouthern kingdom of Judah had gone through a spiritual revivalBy Habakkuk’s time it had degraded into being a wicked placeRich oppressing the poor — controlled law courts — no justiceHabakkuk’s World was Not a Pretty PlaceHabakkuk’s book contains his challenges to God about this not-so-pretty place
- “Sparring” is not combat; it is a learning experience in which a person in training is learning skills from his sparring partner. “The gloves come off” is an expression that originally distinguished between “sparring” with gloves and “boxing” without gloves. Not so today.Habakkuk throws out two challenges & God responds to those challenges.Habakkuk like a true athlete in training, learns by God’s responses to his challenges.
- Habakkuk 1:2-4 RVG ¿Hasta cuándo, oh Jehová, clamaré, y no oirás; y daré voces a ti a causa de la violencia, y no salvarás? (3) ¿Por qué me haces ver iniquidad, y haces que mire molestia, y saqueo y violencia delante de mí, habiendo además quien levante pleito y contienda? (4) Por lo cual la ley es debilitada, y el juicio no sale verdadero; por cuanto el impío asedia al justo, por eso sale torcido el juicio.
- Classic Statement on the “Problem of Evil”Underlying premise is that God is righteous/justReward righteous and punish wickednessWhy then does evil appear to triumph? — 1:2-4 — Judah not a pretty placeHonest Question To GodPouring out his heart — presence of injustice/wickedness is painful to himSee something — liar not caught; adulterous spouse not consequences — Problem of Evil
- Habakkuk 1:5-7 RVG Mirad en las naciones, y ved, y maravillaos y asombraos; porque haré una obra en vuestros días, que aun cuando se os contare, no la creeréis. (6) Porque he aquí, yo levanto a los caldeos, gente amarga y presurosa, que camina por la anchura de la tierra para poseer las habitaciones ajenas. (7) Espantosa es y terrible; de ella misma saldrá su derecho y su grandeza.
- God answersPunish Judah’s sin by sending the Chaldeans (Babylonians) — 1:5-7 — patienceNever tells Habakkuk when this will happen — 586 B.C. (c. 30 years later)
- This just makes things worse for HabakkukAs bad as it is in Judah, the Babylonians are worse.That gives rise to Habakkuk’s second challenge & God’s response.
- Habakkuk 1:12-13 RVG ¿No eres tú desde el principio, oh Jehová, Dios mío, Santo mío? ¡No moriremos! Oh Jehová, para juicio lo pusiste; y tú, oh Roca, lo fundaste para castigar. (13) Muy limpio eres de ojos para ver el mal, y no puedes ver el agravio. ¿Por qué, pues, ves a los traidores, y callas cuando el impío destruye al más justo que él,
- Habakkuk Asks His Second QuestionIn 1:12 he asserts his faithIn 1:13 Habakkuk says he still does not understand how God could use the Babylonians, who are pure evil, to punish the Jews, who are relatively less evil.Like someone saying God is going to use Al Quaida (pure evil) to punish United States (with all our flaws, we’re nowhere as bad as they are)
- Habakkuk 2:2-3 RVG Y Jehová me respondió, y dijo: Escribe la visión, y declárala en tablas, para que corra el que leyere en ella. (3) Aunque la visión tardará aún por tiempo, mas al fin hablará, y no mentirá; aunque se tardare, espéralo, que sin duda vendrá; no tardará.God answers (2:2ff.)Notice especially 2:3 — in God’s timing — our job is not to fret but to wait
- Habakkuk 2:6-8 RVG ¿No han de levantar todos éstos refrán sobre él, y sarcasmos contra él? Y dirán: ¡Ay del que multiplicó lo que no era suyo! Y, ¿hasta cuándo había de amontonar sobre sí barro espeso? (7) ¿No se levantarán de repente los que te han de morder, y se despertarán los que te han de quitar de tu lugar, y serás a ellos por rapiña? (8) Porque tú has despojado a muchas naciones, todos los que han quedado de los pueblos te despojarán; a causa de la sangre de los hombres, y de la violencia de la tierra, de las ciudades y de todos los que moran en ellas.
- Starting in 2:6 —Babylonians as well will be destroyed for their sinGod is righteous and just, and will reward …Once again, Habakkuk not told when — 539 B.C., 47 years after 586Habakkuk probably never lived to see God’s promise fulfilled
- We arrive at central question of book: How shall we live in the in-between time?On the one hand — there are certain things we knowGod is righteous and justGod has promised to reward righteousness and punish wickednessOn the other hand — The righteous are not yet rewarded and the wicked not …In the meantime — Righteous seem to go unrewarded and the wicked go …E.g., Immoral student center of attention and modest student ignoredUnethical person at work promoted and the honest squeaks byHow do we live in the tension?
- Habakkuk 2:4 RVG He aquí se enorgullece aquel cuya alma no es recta en él; mas el justo por su fe vivirá.Answer is in 2:4 (!) —life of righteous person is characterized by faithWe generally think of faith in connection with becoming a disciple of Jesus ChristLives as disciples begin in faith & continue in faithfulness
- Romans 1:17 RVG Porque en él la justicia de Dios es revelada de fe en fe, como está escrito: Mas el justo por la fe vivirá.Galatians 3:11 RVG Y que por la ley ninguno se justifica para con Dios, es evidente; porque: El justo por la fe vivirá,
- Hebrews 10:38-39 RVG Mas el justo vivirá por fe; y si retrocediere, no agradará a mi alma. (39) Pero nosotros no somos de los que retroceden para perdición, sino de los que creen para salvación del alma.More to God’s answer to Hab: “The righteous shall live by his faithfulness”The life of the righteous person is permeated with faithfulness to GodDay in and day out the righteous person is faithful — continues to believe (God is who he says he is) and then to act on that belief (God will do what he says he will do).
- Habakkuk’s Response in Chapter 3:1ff.
- Habakkuk 3:16 RVG Oí, y se conmovieron mis entrañas; a la voz temblaron mis labios; pudrición entró en mis huesos, y dentro de mí me estremecí; si bien estaré quieto en el día de la angustia, cuando suba al pueblo el que lo invadirá con sus tropas.
- Habakkuk 3:17-18 RVG Aunque la higuera no florezca, ni haya fruto en las vides; aunque falte el fruto del olivo, y los labrados no den mantenimiento; y las ovejas sean quitadas del redil, y no haya vacas en los corrales; (18) con todo, yo me alegraré en Jehová, y me gozaré en el Dios de mi salvación.Looks ahead to the coming destruction — 3:17-18Habakkuk’s faith is not passive — not resignation, fatalismActive — “will rejoice; be joyful”Faith frees us up — shackles of fear fall off — actively rejoice in who God is and what He is about to doLaugh in the face of difficult circumstance — “So what? I still believe!”
- What Does God Expect of His Disciples?At the most basic, fundamental level, at the bedrock of our existence?We feel good about Him and ourselves? No!Go to church? — Read our Bibles? — Believe the right things?Do good things and don’t do bad things?Good things that should characterize our life—but not most basic/fundamental
- Hebrews 11:6 RVG Pero sin fe es imposible agradar a Dios; porque es necesario que el que a Dios se acerca, crea que le hay, y que es galardonador de los que le buscan.Most basic, fundamental thing God requires — faith (Heb 11:6)Believe that He is … (righteous; just; His ways are best) — PaulBelieve that He will do … — HebrewsLive every day, faithful to those convictions (e.g., of Heb 11)
- Faith frees youFrom needing to be accepted at school — believe that knowing God is sweeter than friendsGirls, that frees you from the need to wear tight shirts that sell your bodies — believe it is better to be clothed in righteousness, adorned with modesty (1Tm 2:9).Boys, that frees you from the need to be a sexual predator in order to prove yourself — believe that sex is a bond to be enjoyed only within marriageFaith frees us from spending our lives earning financial security — bigger house; more toys; greater luxury — believe we are “strangers and exiles; seeking heavenly homeland” (Hebrews 11).Faith frees us to see beyond the hurts and pains, disappointments and sorrows of life, to look in the face of “iniquity, destruction, and violence” — believe God is …
- Question of Habakkuk is simpleDo you believe God? Will you be faithful to Him day in and day out?
- In every day of pain and uncertainty, comfort and apparent security, will you agree with Habakkuk? — 3:17-18Habakkuk 3:17-18 RVG Aunque la higuera no florezca, ni haya fruto en las vides; aunque falte el fruto del olivo, y los labrados no den mantenimiento; y las ovejas sean quitadas del redil, y no haya vacas en los corrales; (18) con todo, yo me alegraré en Jehová, y me gozaré en el Dios de mi salvación.Faithfulness is the answer to the Problem of Evil