1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:04,680 Once again, it is a pleasure to be with you this morning as we 2 00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:08,560 continue to look through the book of Habakkuk, this 3 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:11,560 three-week series entitled How Long? 4 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:15,400 O Lord? O Lord, How long will you idly 5 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:18,960 look at wrong? Last week we looked at 6 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:24,080 Habakkuk's first complaint as he surveyed the Kingdom of Judah. 7 00:00:24,080 --> 00:00:30,920 He was heartbroken and in despair over the sinfulness of 8 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:34,640 those in charge who were oppressing their own people. 9 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:40,160 And so he cries out to God and says, God, won't you intervene, 10 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:47,160 do something. And God responds, says, I'm 11 00:00:47,160 --> 00:00:51,760 raising up Babylon, that bitter and hasty nation. 12 00:00:51,760 --> 00:01:00,920 They will come and judge Judah. Not exactly what Habakkuk had in 13 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:04,879 mind. And so today we will be looking 14 00:01:04,879 --> 00:01:10,040 at Habakkuk's second complaint. He does not appreciate this news 15 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:13,800 from God. And God will respond once again 16 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:19,880 to Habakkuk. Now, as I was studying this 17 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:23,000 week, as I've been thinking about the book of Habakkuk, it 18 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:28,280 reminded me of of my sophomore year of high school playing 19 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:32,560 basketball. I've shared briefly in another 20 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:40,000 sermon a while ago about my athletic prowess as a courtesy 21 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:43,440 runner in baseball. Now, if you're not familiar, 22 00:01:44,320 --> 00:01:47,520 when I was my Senior High School, I was my senior year, my 23 00:01:47,520 --> 00:01:49,960 final year, I was our team's courtesy runner. 24 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:55,240 What that meant was when our pitcher or catcher got on base 25 00:01:56,440 --> 00:02:01,520 to preserve them because they were more important, I subbed in 26 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:03,960 to run the bases for them. That was my job. 27 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:08,639 I did not hit. I did not play in the field. 28 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:12,120 I was the courtesy runner. Well, do you believe it or not, 29 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:15,920 my basketball career was probably worse than my baseball 30 00:02:15,920 --> 00:02:19,000 career. So my sophomore year of 31 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:23,160 basketball in high school, I practiced with the varsity team. 32 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:29,400 Grueling practices every day in there, working hard, doing my 33 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:34,720 best, trying to help our varsity team get better. 34 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:38,920 When it came to game day, I had a spot right at the end of the 35 00:02:38,920 --> 00:02:44,680 bench and there I sat supporting our team with encouragement, but 36 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:48,480 not with play. Didn't play at all. 37 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:54,000 Well, later on into the season, we were getting down to just a 38 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:58,840 few games left. It was in the fourth quarter, 39 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:05,000 there were about two minutes left and we were up by 30. 40 00:03:06,640 --> 00:03:08,520 This was not one of those stories. 41 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:13,280 Guys, we're up by 30. And so with two minutes left, my 42 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:18,000 coach pointed to the last five guys on the bench and said OK go 43 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:26,000 in, Yes my time has come. So I go and I take a knee at the 44 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:29,720 check in table waiting for play to stop so that the Subs could 45 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:33,160 be sent in. Well the opposing coach saw 46 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:35,920 this. He had already taken his 47 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:39,880 starters out and their backups were in against our starters and 48 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:43,360 so when he saw that our Subs were coming in, he pointed to 49 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:45,800 his starters and he had them check in. 50 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:48,360 He's like this is our chance, might be able to score some 51 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:51,960 points here against the other teams backups. 52 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:56,720 My coach, for whatever reason, did not like this. 53 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:02,720 And so he pointed at each of us and said, go back and sit on the 54 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:10,440 bench up by 30 minute 40 left. So I get up from the table and I 55 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:16,920 walk back down the end of the bench and I keep on walking past 56 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:18,279 the bench. I was like, I'm done. 57 00:04:18,519 --> 00:04:21,920 I'm not doing this anymore. One of our assistants said no, 58 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:25,080 wait, Matt, Matt, he called to me and he he had me sit down. 59 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:26,880 He's like, hey, there's only a minute 40 left. 60 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:29,440 Just sit. I understand you're upset. 61 00:04:30,840 --> 00:04:35,960 I thought he had my back, but apparently in between that game 62 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:38,760 and the next practice he told my coach about this. 63 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:43,440 So I walk into practice the next day and coach says, Mr. Outlet, 64 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:46,920 I hear you have a problem with my coaching. 65 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:57,280 Needless to say, I didn't play a single second of that season as, 66 00:04:57,280 --> 00:05:00,760 I guess, punishment for my wanting to get away. 67 00:05:02,840 --> 00:05:09,560 But I tell that story because in that moment, I've worked so 68 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:11,520 hard. See no benefit. 69 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:16,320 I was frustrated and angry. I thought that relief was going 70 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:19,840 to come, that I would finally get a chance to play, only for 71 00:05:19,840 --> 00:05:22,080 it to be taken from me at the last moment. 72 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:27,600 And so I cried out. How long, Oh basketball coach, 73 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:34,880 must I go to practice day after day and never see any benefits? 74 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:43,000 And so rather than talking to him about my frustrations, I 75 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:45,120 decided I was just going to bail. 76 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:52,160 Go the other direction. Now I'm curious how many of us 77 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:58,800 do that with the Lord that we cry out to Him and when we don't 78 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:02,160 get an answer or get an answer that we don't like, we decide 79 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:03,920 I'm going to take my ball and I'm going to go home. 80 00:06:06,480 --> 00:06:07,800 I'm not going to do this anymore. 81 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:14,240 I'm done. And we go to other things, or we 82 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:17,480 rely on ourselves instead of going to God. 83 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:22,160 Well, in Habakkuk, Habakkuk chooses not to do that. 84 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:26,600 He chooses not to run. Instead, he chooses once again 85 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:30,440 to bring all of his fears, his angers, his frustrations, his 86 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:36,640 despairs to the Lord once again. So I want to encourage us today 87 00:06:36,640 --> 00:06:39,680 to not grow weary in going to God. 88 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:45,840 Even when God doesn't respond or responds in a way that we don't 89 00:06:45,840 --> 00:06:49,800 like, Continue to cry out to the Lord. 90 00:06:52,520 --> 00:07:01,360 And that is what faith is all about, to trust in the Lord, 91 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:05,440 especially when we disagree or have no idea what He's doing. 92 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:13,560 And so let's look at together Habakkuk's second complaint, and 93 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:16,680 then we'll see how God responds. And we'll wrap up with some 94 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:21,000 application this morning. Habakkuk chapter 1, starting in 95 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:25,280 verse 12. Are you not from everlasting? 96 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:29,640 O Lord, my God, my holy one, we shall not die. 97 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:34,440 O Lord, You have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, 98 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:37,000 have established them for reproof. 99 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:41,520 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look it 100 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:45,880 wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when 101 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:49,800 the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he? 102 00:07:50,840 --> 00:07:54,360 You make mankind like the fish of the sea, like crawling things 103 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:57,360 that have no ruler. He brings all of them up with a 104 00:07:57,360 --> 00:07:59,840 hook. He drags them out with his net, 105 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:04,760 He gathers them in his dragnet. So he rejoices and is glad. 106 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:09,200 Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his 107 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:13,640 dragnet, for by them he lives in luxury and his food is rich. 108 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:18,120 Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing 109 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:21,680 nations forever? I will take my stand up, my 110 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:25,680 watch post and station myself on the tower and look out to see 111 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:29,800 what he will say to me and what I will answer concerning my 112 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:33,200 complaint. Here we have Habakkuk second 113 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:37,679 complaints and his first He complained about the wickedness 114 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:42,480 of those in Judah. Here he complaints about the 115 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:47,080 wickedness of those in Babylon. And he cries out and says, how 116 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:52,280 God can you do this? How can you allow the wicked to 117 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:56,160 destroy those who are more righteous than them? 118 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:01,920 As we look a little deeper at this complaint, we notice that 119 00:09:01,920 --> 00:09:05,840 the pattern of this complaint is very similar to the pattern of 120 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:09,560 Habakkuk's first complaint. And in fact, if you study the 121 00:09:09,560 --> 00:09:14,920 Psalms and you look at psalms of lament, these psalms where folks 122 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:19,040 cry out to God in agony and in pain, a lot of these same 123 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:24,360 elements are repeated. Notice first, as in the first 124 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:29,840 one, that Habakkuk is crying out to Jehovah God the Lord. 125 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:35,840 Most lament psalms begin with an invocation, a calling out of 126 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:40,200 God's holy name. So again we see Habakkuk's faith 127 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:44,240 on display, that he is going to the one who is in control of all 128 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:46,800 things, the covenant keeping God of Israel. 129 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:52,360 That's who he goes to when the temptation is to go to lesser 130 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:56,200 things, right? But he cries out once again to 131 00:09:56,200 --> 00:09:59,960 God, and as with his first complaint, he opens with this 132 00:09:59,960 --> 00:10:05,640 question that he tosses out at God here in verse 12. 133 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:08,280 He says, are you not from everlasting? 134 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:14,440 This is a really interesting word, everlasting. 135 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:20,240 This is not actually a reference to God's eternality, though God 136 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:24,840 is eternal, but rather this references God's presence 137 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:29,760 throughout Israel's history. This word, in fact, is used in 138 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:33,800 places like Psalm 44 and Psalm 75, and in those places it's 139 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:39,600 translated days of old. In other words, Habakkuk's 140 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:41,920 complaint here Are you not from everlasting? 141 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:46,440 Is a reminder to God like he needs reminding, but a reminder 142 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:51,000 to God that in the days of old, God had preserved his people. 143 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:57,280 That's what this word references, that Habakkuk is 144 00:10:57,280 --> 00:11:01,480 using this language to specifically address God's 145 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:05,640 preservation of his people. Think about in the Old Testament 146 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:08,280 how often we're called to remember. 147 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:15,640 Remember how God has previously worked to protect his people. 148 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:19,200 Think about Joseph and the famine. 149 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:21,920 You think about the Exodus. You think about the Jordan River 150 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:24,960 crossing and the walls of Jericho falling down. 151 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:30,600 And so Habakkuk is pleading to God and saying, you cannot 152 00:11:30,600 --> 00:11:34,680 destroy your people. How can you do this? 153 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:39,280 That's why he says we shall not die. 154 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:43,160 God, I know that you've been faithful in the past. 155 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:49,400 It's a good reminder to us the Scriptures consistently, when we 156 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:53,640 are struggling with the present, call us to look to the past or 157 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:56,080 look to the future, not to the present. 158 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:01,280 If we get bogged down with the present, it becomes overwhelming 159 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:04,720 and we feel like we're hopeless. Instead, we are called to go and 160 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:07,000 look. What has God done before? 161 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:12,120 See how God has been faithful to His promises before. 162 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:16,160 And so Habakkuk is pleading with God to be faithful once again. 163 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:24,520 Next we see that Habakkuk cries out to the Lord in regards of 164 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:27,360 the oppression of the wicked against the righteous. 165 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:31,760 Obviously this time it is in reference to Babylon rather than 166 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:35,000 Judah's leaders. And again, he cries out to God 167 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:40,760 to see, to look at this wicked nation. 168 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:47,480 And he pleads, and this is sort of the highlight, the summary, 169 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:51,400 the end of verse 13. How can God remain silent when 170 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:55,600 the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he? 171 00:12:57,600 --> 00:12:59,520 That's Habakkuk's biggest complaint. 172 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:08,120 He wants God to see, to look, to intervene and not allow the more 173 00:13:08,120 --> 00:13:12,760 wicked people to oppress and destroy Judah. 174 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:21,600 Habeka then uses a word picture to describe the situation. 175 00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:27,200 He describes Judah as a fish and he describes Babylon as the 176 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:32,560 fisherman. Sometimes I use the the terms 177 00:13:32,560 --> 00:13:36,360 I'm the bug in this case, Babylon's the windshield. 178 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:41,440 Heard that before. Now is that an old my old? 179 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:46,360 I don't know, but he uses this word picture. 180 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:53,280 He describes Judah as the fish and he pictures Babylon as the 181 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:57,560 fisherman with the net and the hook and the dragnet capturing 182 00:13:57,560 --> 00:14:05,600 up the nation of Judah. Really vivid picture, isn't it? 183 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:15,360 And you notice the response that Babylon gives in verse 16 to 184 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:20,160 gobbling people up, says therefore he that's Babylon 185 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:24,000 sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnets. 186 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:28,480 We saw in Habakkuk's first complaint that Babylon's God was 187 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:33,880 their own might. We see the same thing here, that 188 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:39,600 Babylon does not trust in God. Babylon trusts in their 189 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:46,600 mechanisms of war, their power to oppress and to capture and to 190 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:55,400 destroy, and so they worship their military might back. 191 00:14:55,400 --> 00:15:01,760 It says How can this be? The employers got in verse 17 192 00:15:01,760 --> 00:15:07,520 one final time. Will Babylon continue forever? 193 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:14,520 Is there no end to this? Is Babylon going to spend 194 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:19,360 eternity mercilessly killing nations? 195 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:27,560 Will no justice ever be found? And then Habakkuk does something 196 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:31,480 that's extremely wise. And this is how a lot of the 197 00:15:31,480 --> 00:15:35,960 Psalms of Lament end, with a declaration of trust. 198 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:42,200 Look at chapter 2, verse one. Habakkuk says I will take my 199 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:46,240 stand at my watch post and station myself on the tower and 200 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:49,280 look out to see what he will say to me and what I will answer 201 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:54,920 concerning my complaint. Habakkuk uses another picture, 202 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:59,040 this time of a watchman at a watchtower looking out and 203 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:04,360 seeing keeping watch. This is often a picture that's 204 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:11,040 used to the prophets, that they are Watchmen who see, who hear 205 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:13,800 from the Lord and then pass on to the people. 206 00:16:15,960 --> 00:16:21,000 And so Habakkuk says, I will stay at my post and hear what 207 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:28,040 you will say to me. He wants to know how to respond 208 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:33,200 to what God's going to do. So rather than being 209 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:39,120 presumptuous, he decides to be patient and wait on the Lord and 210 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:43,880 his quest for justice. Habakkuk wants to ensure that 211 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:46,560 what he believes aligns with the Lord. 212 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:52,520 And so he waits so that his response might be shaped by what 213 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:56,360 the Lord says. And we're going to see next week 214 00:16:57,160 --> 00:17:02,920 that in response to what God has to say to him now, the book of 215 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:06,720 Habakkuk concludes with this beautiful Psalm of praise and 216 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:11,040 trust. He is waiting to see how the 217 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:16,359 Lord will answer this complaint. And so that leads us then into 218 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:19,599 God's response. Let's pick it up in Habakkuk 219 00:17:19,599 --> 00:17:25,000 chapter 2, verse 2 says, And the Lord answered me, write the 220 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:29,320 vision, make it plain on tablets so he may run who reads it. 221 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:32,920 For still the vision awaits its appointed time. 222 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:35,880 It hastens to the end. It will not lie. 223 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:39,640 If it seems slow, wait for it. It will surely come. 224 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:43,400 It will not delay. Behold, his soul is puffed up. 225 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:47,960 It is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by 226 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:51,560 his faith. Moreover, Wine is a traitor, an 227 00:17:51,560 --> 00:17:53,880 arrogant man who is never at rest. 228 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:58,480 His greed is as wide as shield. Like death, he has never enough. 229 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:02,840 He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own 230 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:08,600 all peoples. This response of God can also be 231 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:13,480 broken up into three sections. Verses 2 and three contain the 232 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:17,840 prologue. Verses four and five are the 233 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:23,040 indictments against the charges against Babylon. 234 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:28,200 And then God's response closes in verse 6 through 20 with a 235 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:34,480 promise of judgment upon Babylon that they are in fact guilty and 236 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:38,280 God will judge them accordingly. Let's look first at the 237 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:40,200 prologue. Beautiful verses. 238 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:45,200 This is really at the heart of the book, these verses 2 through 239 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:48,520 5, but it's prologue, verses 2 and 3. 240 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:54,400 The Lord says write this vision, make it plain on tablets. 241 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:56,760 Take note of what I'm about to tell you. 242 00:18:56,760 --> 00:19:02,520 This is important and it is important so that you may have 243 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:06,560 strength. He may run who reads it that it 244 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:14,000 might sustain you when you feel similar to how Habakkuk is 245 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:19,720 feeling that what the Lord is about to say. 246 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:24,360 It's meant to strengthen and encourage and build the faith of 247 00:19:24,360 --> 00:19:30,320 those who would read it. I love verse 3. 248 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:39,560 This describes very accurately I feel, how a lot of us feel when 249 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:42,400 dealing with incredible times of difficulty. 250 00:19:44,120 --> 00:19:47,120 For still the vision awaits. It's appointed time. 251 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:50,760 It hastens to the end. It will not lie. 252 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:56,320 If it seems slow, wait for it. It will surely come. 253 00:19:56,880 --> 00:20:01,040 It will not delay. Habakkuk has cried out. 254 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:04,840 Oh Lord, how long? How long? 255 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:08,800 Maybe you're in a similar position this morning when you 256 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:11,120 survey the world around us in the chaos. 257 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:13,880 How long? Maybe there's something that's 258 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:16,360 very close to you that you are wrestling with, and you're 259 00:20:16,360 --> 00:20:18,600 crying out to God. How long? 260 00:20:22,120 --> 00:20:28,240 What is God's response? If it seems slow, wait for it. 261 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:36,360 God's timing is not our timing. God is never late, that 262 00:20:36,360 --> 00:20:40,120 everything will happen according to God's perfect plan at the 263 00:20:40,120 --> 00:20:43,360 appointed time. There's so much assurance in 264 00:20:43,360 --> 00:20:50,280 verse 3, isn't there? That God's plan will surely come 265 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:53,080 to pass. It will not delay. 266 00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:57,400 And so He is asking Habakkuk to take heart. 267 00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:04,880 He's asking His people to endure because his salvation will come. 268 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:11,760 And who will it come for? He says in verses 4:00 and 5:00. 269 00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:15,120 Not the people like Babylon, right? 270 00:21:15,120 --> 00:21:19,800 This is their indictment, that Babylon is puffed up, that 271 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:24,240 Babylon relies on themselves, their own might, their own 272 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:29,400 strength, their own power. That when things are difficult, 273 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:38,120 I am the one that I rely on. Nothing can defeat me, and 274 00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:43,240 instead God says the righteous shall live by his faith. 275 00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:50,920 It is only trust in God Almighty, the Maker of heaven 276 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:57,480 and earth, that will bring about deliverance, that these trials, 277 00:21:57,480 --> 00:22:01,920 these pains, these sufferings are meant to refine the faith of 278 00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:08,360 those who would trust in God. It is by faith that we are saved 279 00:22:08,360 --> 00:22:16,000 and we are made righteous. Brilliant declaration from God. 280 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:22,480 Verse 5. God continues with the 281 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:27,760 indictments upon Babylon that they are arrogant, that they are 282 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:32,640 prone to whine, that they are greedy and like death. 283 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:38,080 They never have enough unless God intervenes. 284 00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:46,830 Babylon is not going to stop that. 285 00:22:46,830 --> 00:22:51,190 Babylon is going to continue to gather for himself all nations, 286 00:22:52,790 --> 00:22:57,030 all peoples. Their thirst will never be 287 00:22:57,030 --> 00:23:02,310 quenched unless the Lord intervenes. 288 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:06,920 Now verses 6 through 20. We do not have time to go 289 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:12,240 through them in depth, but verses 6 through 20 contain 5 290 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:17,880 woes, WOE for the people of Babylon. 291 00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:22,040 This word woe is an important word in Scripture. 292 00:23:23,360 --> 00:23:26,480 This woe speaks of coming grief and judgment. 293 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:31,960 We see Jesus pronounce woes upon the Pharisees during His 294 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:35,280 ministry. We also see in Revelation that 295 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:39,560 the whole earth receives God's woe. 296 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:48,640 That judgement is coming. And that's God's message for 297 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:53,480 Babylon, that they are guilty, that He will judge them 298 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:57,200 accordingly. Let's summarize these woes. 299 00:23:57,200 --> 00:24:00,120 The first woe is called down upon Babylon because they 300 00:24:00,120 --> 00:24:04,600 plunder other nations. Says in the middle of verse 6 301 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:08,600 Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own, that Babylon 302 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:14,400 destroys and kills and steals, commits violence against other 303 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:19,000 people. We see that in verse 8 that 304 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:22,640 because they plunder, God is going to judge them. 305 00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:28,680 The second woe in verse 9 is called down about Babylon 306 00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:32,560 because they plot to use their plunder to try and make 307 00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:36,120 themselves secure. Says woe to him it gets evil 308 00:24:36,120 --> 00:24:39,080 gain for his house to set his nest on high. 309 00:24:39,320 --> 00:24:42,760 Babylon thought the more we accumulate the stronger we 310 00:24:42,760 --> 00:24:46,320 become to the point that we are invulnerable. 311 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:49,760 Nothing could ever possibly defeat us. 312 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:53,200 That is their plot and their scheme, that if they have 313 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:58,160 enough, they will build a nest on high and will be 314 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:03,200 undefeatable. God says woe. 315 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:08,000 The third woe is called down upon Babylon, because they 316 00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:11,880 oppress others for their own benefits. 317 00:25:12,360 --> 00:25:16,120 Verse 12 Woe to him who builds a town with blood, and founds a 318 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:20,560 city on iniquity, as through this blood money that they have 319 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:26,200 made themselves great, this money obtained by victimizing 320 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:32,120 others to build their own might. Rather I love verse 14. 321 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:36,920 It is not the glory of Babylon that will fill the earth. 322 00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:40,600 Rather the Lord declares, For the earth will be filled with 323 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:44,080 the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the 324 00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:49,560 sea. It is the Lord's glory will fill 325 00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:53,360 the earth, not Babylon's. The 4th Woe is called upon 326 00:25:53,360 --> 00:25:55,920 Babylon because they live in debauchery. 327 00:25:56,280 --> 00:25:58,040 Verse 15. Woe to him who makes his 328 00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:00,320 neighbors drink. You pour out your wrath and make 329 00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:03,200 them drunk in order to gaze at their nakedness. 330 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:05,880 That the people of Babylon are perverted. 331 00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:11,240 Ultimately in the book of Daniel we see Babylon's end. 332 00:26:12,480 --> 00:26:18,880 Nebuchadnezzar's son Belshazzar is having a drunken party, very 333 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:23,200 unholy, and at that party they are praising the gods of gold 334 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:29,040 and of silver and of stone. And then we have the handwriting 335 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:34,880 on the wall. Daniel informs Belshazzar that 336 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:39,200 his days have been numbered. That very night Persia comes in 337 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:41,440 and defeats and destroys Babylon. 338 00:26:43,280 --> 00:26:51,120 The 5th Woe, verse 19 Woe to him who makes, who says to a wooden 339 00:26:51,120 --> 00:26:54,640 thing awake to a silent stone arise. 340 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:58,240 This 5th and final woe is pronouncing it's Babylon because 341 00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:03,600 of their idolatry. God rightfully mocks in these 342 00:27:03,600 --> 00:27:05,800 verses. They're gods made of stone and 343 00:27:05,800 --> 00:27:10,320 metal that can do nothing, that can say nothing, that can teach 344 00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:13,880 nothing. It is the Lord who is in His 345 00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:17,960 holy temple in verse 20. Let all the earth keep silence 346 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:25,520 before him. And so God sees, and though He 347 00:27:25,520 --> 00:27:29,040 will use Babylon as an instrument of his justice, their 348 00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:34,920 judgement is assured. God knows their wickedness. 349 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:40,480 He will judge justly and righteously, even if His timing 350 00:27:40,800 --> 00:27:51,000 is not our timing. I have three applications for us 351 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:54,760 this morning as we end our time together. 352 00:27:55,120 --> 00:27:58,120 Application number one is repeat, repeat. 353 00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:02,400 Last week I encouraged all of us to go to God. 354 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:06,720 Don't just go to God once. Don't just go to God when He 355 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:10,280 responds how you want Him to. Don't just go to God when He 356 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:15,040 fixes things, even if things get worse, go to God. 357 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:17,000 Repeat it. Continue. 358 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:22,440 Don't just walk on by the bench and leave and say I'm out of 359 00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:26,960 here, I'm done with this. Be persistent. 360 00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:36,640 Continue to cry out to the Lord, just as Habakkuk did #2 repent. 361 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:41,840 Repent. It's very easy for us when we 362 00:28:41,840 --> 00:28:48,400 read Scripture to be the hero and not recognize that we're a 363 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:53,880 lot like Babylon too. It's a lot easier to point out 364 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:59,640 the sin in others while ignoring my own heart. 365 00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:04,440 Let us each examine our hearts this morning. 366 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:10,480 Examine our need for God's righteousness. 367 00:29:12,000 --> 00:29:18,720 Examine how we are like Babylon. Repent of the wickedness in our 368 00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:26,640 own hearts, and #3 resolve, resolve, resolve to live by 369 00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:34,160 faith, by faith in God. So easy to trust in other things 370 00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:40,440 instead, resolve. We need to renew our minds. 371 00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:44,000 We need to remember all that God has done and resolve that no 372 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:49,760 matter the circumstances, no matter how bad it gets, that we 373 00:29:49,760 --> 00:29:57,920 will continue to seek to trust God, especially during times 374 00:29:57,920 --> 00:30:00,480 when our faith is put to the test. 375 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:07,160 And so this morning we've seen that our just, righteous, 376 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:12,840 gracious God judges the wicked and gives grace to the righteous 377 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:17,560 who live by faith in him. Let's pray together. 378 00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:24,240 God, we thank you. We thank you that your ways are 379 00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:28,160 not our ways. We thank you that you have a 380 00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:30,760 perfect plan in your perfect timing. 381 00:30:32,840 --> 00:30:38,200 God, I pray that in the midst of a world that seems chaotic, when 382 00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:42,040 it seems like evil is winning, whether it's out there or in our 383 00:30:42,040 --> 00:30:44,720 own hearts. God, I pray that we would 384 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:51,800 continue to cry out to you that we wouldn't do it in our own 385 00:30:51,800 --> 00:30:55,200 strength, that we wouldn't worship our own might, but 386 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:57,560 instead that we would live by faith. 387 00:31:00,720 --> 00:31:03,200 We believe, God, we ask that you would help. 388 00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:11,080 Our unbelief may be resolved to follow you, especially when 389 00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:15,840 things seem hopeless. We pray these things in the name 390 00:31:15,840 --> 00:31:17,440 of Jesus, Amen.