Habakkuk: Filled with Awe

October 23, 2022

Well, if you ever faced a very difficult situation, and you just knew God could do something about it, but God didn’t, and that confused you, then you will very likely relate to an Old Testament prophet named Habakkuk. I’ll just kind of review what we learned in the past two weeks. The book in the Bible, Habakkuk, was written about 600 B.C. Habakkuk was one of the 12 minor prophets. The other prophets would represent God’s message to the people. Habakkuk was the only prophet who represented the people’s message back to God. He would complain to God. Now why would he do that? Well God told Habakkuk, tell the people they are sinning and doing injustice, and that I will judge them for their sins. God said, “I am going to use a group of people who are much more evil than you, to destroy you.” Habakkuk knew the people were evil and needed to be punished, but he was really upset that God was going to have the Babylonians conquer them as punishment! The Babylonians were the meanest, most violent and most corrupt people. They were cheaters. Can you hear Habakkuk saying, “That’s not fair! God, you are supposed to be just, but this doesn’t seem just at all.” 

If you’ve ever had an experience like that where you said to God, “This just doesn’t seem fair,” very likely you can relate to the story of Habakkuk. The first Sunday we learned in chapter 1 that Habakkuk embraced and wrestled with God, even when he was angry with Him. He didn’t just walk away. He teaches us to bring our complaints to God, that God wants to hear from us exactly how we feel. Habakkuk told God, “I don’t understand.” Last Sunday in chapter 2 we learned about a time of waiting, when God tells Him, “Be quiet and listen. I want to speak. And take notes, this is important! Wait for it!” We learned to ask God what He is doing, listen to what God says to us, write His words down immediately, and wait for God. Even if things on the outside don’t seem to be getting better, Habakkuk waits on God. 

Today we are looking at chapter three of Habakkuk, and we’ll see something very beautiful and powerful. That even though circumstances don’t change, Habakkuk’s faith and worship goes to a new, let’s say chapter three level. A lot of people want to have this deep trust in God, but they don’t recognize that God will often use this period when you are waiting on God to bring you to a chapter three type of faith! 

Chapter 3 verse 1 says, “A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet…I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord.” Then he prays, “Renew them in our day; in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.” So, he is saying, “God, I remember your miracles, I’ve heard about your miracles, your power, and your glory. But you’re not doing them right now.” I’ll tell you there are times in my life where God’s presence seemed more real, and his power seemed more evident. Then there are times it wasn’t, and I thought, God, do again what you used to do. That’s what Habakkuk is saying. 

When my kids were little, we were visiting their grandparents’ (Kevin’s parents) house in Iowa. And grandpa told Ian, “Can you help me, can you take my sock off?” Of course, he’ll help grandpa! Ian tugged on the sock, and grandpa’s leg came off! That might seem scary, but Ian thought it was cool. Then we travelled to his other grandparents’ home in Ohio. Ian told this grandpa, “Take your leg off!” But Ohio grandpa didn’t have that superpower! 

Once you’ve seen a miracle, you expect to see it again! You know that the impossible can happen! You say, like Habakkuk did, God, do it again! When things are depressing for Habakkuk and all the people of Judah, Habakkuk remembers what God has done in the past and it grows his faith. Because reliving the good things that have gone before, powers your faith that God will do it again. 

Habakkuk remembers the things God has done from of old. Verse 5 talks about God: “Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. He stood and shook the earth; he looked and made the nations tremble.” Habakkuk remembers the plagues God used to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. He remembers how the walls of Jericho fell down. He remembers how other nations were afraid of the mighty things God had done.  

Habakuk thinks about God’s power over the earth in verses 9 and 10, “you split the earth with rivers; the mountains saw you and writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on high.” God is almighty and all powerful!  

Why do these memories of God help Habakkuk’s faith? Because he’s upset and worried about the big bad army of Babylon coming to punish them! That’s a very depressing thought. What happens when we are depressed? All we think about is sadness and anxiety. Our positive thoughts disappear. We can’t believe them. Happiness feels like it is a million miles away! Nothing matters; we only feel hopeless. But your memory can be a ticket out of depression. Reliving the good things that have gone before, powers your faith that God will do it again. 

Positive memories can help us thrive in difficult times! What do you do when you have to get a shot? I don’t like shots, so when the needle is near, I think of a chicken! In 1984 when I studied in the Soviet Union, I was in my dorm room with my roommates: one Russian, and one an American student. Another Russian friend, Yulia, walks in holding a dead chicken. It’s a plucked chicken that still has its head and feet, the way you bought chickens there. She holds up this chicken by the neck and Noriko sees it and SCREAMS! I laughed so hard!!! So, whenever I have to get a shot, I get a big smile because of that chicken memory! Reliving the good things that have gone before, powers your faith that God will do it again! 

Just like a chicken makes it easy for me to get a shot, remembering the positive things God has done can help you believe that God holds the future! Things will turn out alright. 

By the end of chapter 3, Habakkuk has come to a higher place spiritually. He says in vs.17-18, “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.” 

Wow! Why will Habakkuk be happy, even if he has NO FOOD? In v.19 Habakkuk says I’ll tell you why! “The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to go to the heights.” 

Habakkuk remembers the wonderful things God has done. He knows God will be merciful and gracious, that Babylon will fall one day. It does take 60 years, but finally Babylon is conquered by the Persian empire. The people of Judah are finally free to go home and rebuild Jerusalem. Habakkuk said in v. 15, “I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.” It took 60 years, but that day came! 

My homework for you this week, is to think of one or two good God memories. What are some amazing things God has done for you?  

When difficult times come, in our lives, hope might seem to disappear. In a trying time, Habakkuk found a way to have faith. He called on a gift God gives us: memory, to strengthen his faith. Why do we have the Scriptures? A very important reason is, 3000 years ago, people knew, remembering what is good helps you trust God to do it again. Habakkuk recalled great memories of our mighty God, and that gave him the strength to believe in God’s goodness. Habakkuk was filled with awe of the deeds of the Lord. Amen.