We're going to dive into a new series tonight. We're covering the book of Habakkuk. And I'm really excited about this book. I love this book. It's very short. It's only three chapters long. And so this is going to be a short series, probably four or five weeks is all. And it's different than many of the other books of the prophets. It reads a lot more like the Psalms. And so I think we can resonate with it well. And so let's stop and let's pray once again as we begin this new series. Scott, we thank you for this book of the Bible, a book of the Bible that maybe doesn't get talked about as much. And Lord, I pray as we begin that you would use your word in our lives to teach us and grow us, mature us, and shape our perspective on life itself. And so we pray for our time together tonight in Christ's name. Amen. Grab my clicker here. This book reads a little bit more like a psalm. It doesn't feel so much as some of the other minor prophets that the prophet receives a message from the Lord and then he goes and preaches it or delivers it. This is more like a conversation between Habakkuk and God. You know, you read the psalms and it's like the psalmist pouring out his heart to God, these are my troubles and I don't know what to do about that, but I trust you. And then you just go on to the next psalm. Habakkuk is like, you get the other side of the telephone conversation. You get God's response. And so Habakkuk cries out to God, and then God replies. I guess that slide will come in a little bit. We're going to talk a little bit about background and overview as we get into this book. This book is, you get this depth of emotion, this depth of pain as he begins. So it feels a little bit like a mix of Psalms, Prophets, and Job as he pours out his heart to God. And he's wondering, God, why are you just allowing evil to take place. Why are you allowing the wicked to win? What was going on in Judah that would make Habakkuk feel this way? Well, Habakkuk lived in a really important time in Israel's history. So here's just kind of an overview of Israel's timeline, right? So God establishes the nation, and there's Saul and David and Solomon, and then of course the nation splits in two, and you have Israel to the north, and then Judah in the south. But Israel, before too long, Assyria comes and wipes them out. Assyria is a major world power. That leaves Judah to the south. And while all the kings in the north in Israel were sinful, some of the kings in Judah were OK. And so you have kind of like a longer streak But then eventually, I mean, things, they fall into terrible sin and Babylon comes and destroys the temple and takes them as captives. Most of them, at least of the poor people behind, but they take most of the people like Daniel and others to Babylon for 70 years. And then the Lord brings them back. The book that we are in, Habakkuk, is right before this happens. right before this happens. So things are in turmoil, the nation is walking in sin, rejecting God, and Habakkuk feels the weight of this. I mean, just watching the moral fabric of the society unravel. And he's saying, like, what in the world? What in the world, God? This is your people, this is your nation. How can you just sit there and let this happen? Perhaps what emphasizes this for Habakkuk is that just before where we believe Habakkuk ministered was King Josiah. And he was an amazing king. He came to power very young as a child. He follows God. Second Kings says this, he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the ways of David his father. He did not turn aside to the right or to the left. Josiah had had there's like this glimmering moment where he's bringing these incredible reforms. They're repairing the temple of Solomon and then they find the book of the law. I mean, can you imagine a society after generations like finding the Bible and going, oh, man, we we've messed it up. And that's what happened. They're like, hey, We found the law and so He's like guys. We're gonna get back on track. We are gonna get back on track and things are looking good he brings about this reform, but he dies he dies and his reforms die with him and this is this is kind of closer to the end of Judah's timeline before Babylon comes and Habakkuk feels this I think We need to talk about Josiah's death because that's going to set up I think what's happening in Habakkuk's life Leading up to Josiah's death. Here's here's kind of what's happening. Here's here's the map of the world. There's three world powers Egypt which has been around forever a Syria and the new upstart Babylon Those are the three world powers and you can guess who's kind of in the middle small potatoes of all this Judah, right? They're the small potatoes in the world map Here's what's going on Babylon is Rising to power and they look at Assyria and they see an opportunity they see you know what? Your days in the limelight are over We're gonna kind of take over and so they just over time they move north and Assyria Decreases in power Babylon is really the one coming to power and And Egypt is noticing this. And they say, that's getting a little too close for comfort for us. So Egypt decides, we're going to go off and stop this. And so they kind of team up with what's left of Assyria. And they're going to fight Babylon. There's this battle of Carchemish. But on their way there, guess where they go through? They're marching north, and they're marching through Judah. Now, they don't stop and destroy anything. But Josiah is in power at this time. And he doesn't exactly like that a foreign nation can just march through his land without asking his permission. And so as Egypt is moving north, Josiah says, not so fast. Not so fast because, I mean, think about it. What happens if Egypt does have this battle with Babylon and Assyria's gone all of a sudden? So maybe Egypt will just stay. And so perhaps there's cause for concern. But it seems like Josiah actually takes a wrong step here. We need to learn about the death of Josiah because he dies as a result of this battle. Listen, don't turn there, but just listen. 2 Chronicles 35 describes this battle. After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho, king of Egypt, went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to meet him. So he intercepts him. But he, King Necho of Egypt, he sent envoys to him saying, what are we to do with each other, king of Judah? I'm not coming against you this day, but against the houses of which I'm at war. And he says this really interesting phrase, and God has commanded me to hurry. Cease opposing God who is with me, lest he destroy you. Nevertheless, Josiah did not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to fight with him. He did not listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God. That's how the author puts it, from the mouth of God, but came to fight in the plain of Megiddo. And the archer shot King Josiah, and the king said to his servants, take me away from badly wounded. So Josiah dies. So it's interesting, Josiah's this righteous man, this righteous king, but perhaps at the end of his life he should have asked the Lord, as David did, inquire of the Lord, should I go up to battle? Perhaps he failed there. Anyways, Egypt is not phased. They continue on up to this big battle of Harkomesh and they lose. And so that means that they hightail it back to Egypt. It also means that Assyria is, for all intents and purposes, gone. And Babylon is growing and increasing in their Power but notice what happens to Judah Egypt is gone and the former power of Assyria Is gone and so that kind of leaves and oh and also Josiah the king has just died That kind of leaves a power vacuum and you know how well that goes in history This is where Habakkuk's ministry is and As he looks around, I mean, can you get a feel for the chaos, the rise and fall and nations just coming through your land and going and retreating? You get the feel for the chaos, and then the moral leader, Josiah, now he's gone, and where's the society at? Well, the society is not doing well at all. It's not doing well at all. Eventually, Babylon is gonna come and after Habakkuk, God's gonna use them to discipline the nation and take them to captivity for 70 years. Habakkuk feels like things are out of control. So here's how the book is organized. First, it's very easy to structure here. First, there's his first complaint. God, how come the nation, your people, how come they're all so sinful and it looks like you're not doing anything? And then God responds and gives some information, and then Habakkuk complains again. And then God responds, and then he has his prayer of praise. So that's the book in a nutshell. Three chapters, very simple. But turn there in your Bibles to Habakkuk chapter 1. Here's where we're going to be Habakkuk's first complaint. So imagine just the rise and fall of the nation. Josiah the Reformer is gone and the moral fabric of the society is unraveling. And he pours out his heart to God. The first four verses. Look, have a look. the oracle that Habakkuk, the prophet, saw. Oh Lord, how long shall I cry for help and you will not hear? Or cry to you violence and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me. Strike and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous, so justice goes forth. OK, you get a feel for how he feels as he looks around Judah. And there's a lot of honesty here. He feels like everything's coming undone. It's borderline blaming God for failing to do what's right. He asks three questions. How long am I going to be crying for help and you won't hear? How long am I going to have to point out violence and you won't save? And why do you make me see the sin but you sit idle? Pretty blunt prayer towards God. You won't hear, you won't save, and you sit idle. I wonder, have you ever felt that before? Just thinking about your path in life. Maybe it hasn't been a story quite like Habakkuk's, but have you ever felt, God, how long until you actually listen to me? Or how long are you just gonna sit there watching while I'm seeing all the sin just surround me? Perhaps you felt like that. I think, in particular, when someone wrongs us or harms us, maybe you wonder, God, where are you? That emotion, I think, can be pretty baffling for a Christian to deal with, when you see so much sin welling up around you, wondering, God, where are you here? If you really are there, if you really are good, what possible good reason could you have for letting this happen to me? And you need to be careful when that is kind of the headspace you're in, because you don't want to fall into the belief that God has stopped being good to you, because that's not true. Beyond just personally, I think we can relate, can't we, to Habakkuk as he sees his country falling away from God, and he feels that sorrow and that grief. Can't we relate to that, I think, as he sees the generation before, Josiah was bringing about the reforms, long before that, David's the man after God's own heart, but now they're rejecting God. And he sees this, and can't we relate to that as well? Mike alluded to that this morning. Just in the last 20 years, we see things that used to be unthinkable, now just blatantly celebrated. We can feel that same grief, I think, that he felt. God, why don't you hear? And why don't you save? And why do you just sit idly by? In verse 3, he said, destruction and violence are before me. In verse 4, he talks about how the law is paralyzed. It's paralyzed. And he says, the wicked surround the righteous. It's like, how come it feels like the wicked are always the one winning? They're always winning. And justice goes forth perverted. So I think this is a very relevant book for us, because we can feel the same way about our own culture, society. I think, interestingly, I don't think humans as a whole are born with a worse sin nature than they were in Habakkuk's day, but we do see this. We do see this in our world, this shift, this rejection of God. Maybe you felt yourself asking some of these same questions to God. Where are you? How come you're not changing things? Habakkuk pours out his heart to God. Notice the repetition of the word cry. Did you see that there? Where was that? In verse 2. How long should I? Cry forever. Cry to be violent. There's this desperation he feels. He also lists several problems. He lists violence, inequity, destruction, violence, the law is paralyzed, justice never goes out, the wicked surround the righteous. So, everything's going up in flames and he's pouring out his heart to God. Now, listen to how God responds. Listen to how God responds, because it's not at all what you would expect. It's not at all what I would expect God's answer to be. God has a shocking reply, and that's all we're going to get through tonight is the first 11 verses. So we hear his complaint and God's reply. We're going to read it, but watch how this works, because one of the key lessons that this short little book teaches us is this. God often solves problems in a way that seems absurd to you and I. Like, there's problems in the world, and we see them, and we bring our requests to God, and say, God, you gotta fix this. And just a lot of the times, God addresses those problems in ways that seem to us crazy. Or God's at work, and we're saying, God, I don't know that I agree with how you're handling this situation. I don't like how you're handling this situation, but that doesn't mean that God is wrong. It doesn't mean that God is sitting idle. That doesn't mean He doesn't hear. It just means God is God. And he has his own way of doing things. So God's going to reply with what he's accomplishing. So, basic structure. Habakkuk says, all this evil is going on, how come you're not doing anything about it? And God replies this way. Verse 5. Look among the nations and see. Wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told." And here's the work God is doing. Verse 6, "'For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth to seize dwellings not their own. They are dreaded and fearsome. Their justice and dignity go forth from themselves, Their horses are swifter than leopards, more fierce than the evening wolves. Their horsemen press proudly on. Their horsemen come from afar. They fly like an eagle, swift to devour. They all come for violence, all their faces forward. They gather captives like sand. At kings they scoff, and at rulers they laugh. They laugh at every fortress, for they pile up earth and take it. Then they sweep by like the wind and go on, guilty men whose own might is their God. That's how God responds to Habakkuk's poor pleading, God, why don't you help the wickedness in my own country? He's saying, God, aren't you going to do anything to address it? And God essentially says, oh, I am doing something about it. I'm raising up a violent people to come and discipline you. That's the response. Habakkuk's going to respond like, come again? What? What? What are you doing? But this is God's response. God's plan to address the wickedness and rebellion of His own people is to discipline His people. That's His plan. And by the way, His plan is going to work. His plan is going to work because Jesus. Right? The nation does get taken away, captured, the Babylon. But then they come back. And God continues working through the nations. Israel doesn't just disappear. God continues working to them. Eventually Christ comes to them. The wisdom of God in disciplining his people, it works. But to Habakkuk, it seems absurd, because God is going to address the wickedness and violence of Habakkuk's own people by raising up a wicked and violent nation that's actually worse to come and confront and discipline Israel. Look back at verse 5 and 6, because it's not just, oh, something random might happen to you. God says, I am. Notice the repetition of that in verses 5 and 6, for I am doing a work in your days. And then verse 6, behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans. So Chaldean is just another word for the Babylonians. Babylon didn't just randomly come to power. God did this. And he's actually, he's not hiding this, he's not embarrassed by this, he's owning it. He's saying, I'm gonna raise them up. By the way, one of the captives who was captured because God raised up the Babylonians to discipline the people, wrote this. He changes times and seasons. He removes kings and sets up kings. That's what Daniel said. Daniel's stolen from his people. God disciplines them, taken away to live in Babylon. He says, you know, God brings up kings. He takes kings away. So even Daniel saw God was the one behind this. It all points back to that key lesson from the book. God often works in a way, in the grand scheme of history, that to us seems absurd. But it's actually wisdom in the end. There's no doubt about it, Babylon was a wicked nation. And God just then, whatever these verses were, 5 through 11, describing, and here's how wicked they are. That's what those verses are. It's just as long as, here's how bad the people are that are coming. I'm going to use them to discipline the nation. So let's walk through that. Verse six describes Babylon as bitter and hasty. So they march, and they steal dwellings that don't belong to them. And that's what happened in history. They just, I want that, and we're gonna take you over, and we're gonna take your house. And they're bitter, hasty. Verse seven says they are dreaded and fearsome. Justice goes forth from themselves. When you're a bully, and you're at the top of the food chain, you define justice. Justice comes forth from you, in your mind. And that's what Babylon thought of themselves. They're at the top of the food chain, and justice comes forth from themselves. They get to pick what is just, and everyone else just has to submit. Verse 8 describes their military power, the strength of their horses. Did you notice this, how interesting that was? They're swifter than leopards, more fierce than evening wolves. They fly like eagles, swift to devour. So, just talk about the power and strength of the Babylonian army, cavalry. Verse 9 says that they come for violence, so Habakkuk complained that Judah is guilty of violence, and now we find God can use a violent people to judge that violence. It says they gather their captives like sand. Babylon would take captives back to Babylon. And how many? Well, maybe like the sand of the sea, you might poetically say, verse 10. They are so strong that they laugh at other kings. Think about the two other world towers, Assyria that they essentially replace, and then Egypt that has to hightail it back to Egypt in a retreat. And they're laughing at the other kings. They scoff at them, take their cities, they just take them. One of the tactics they actually used was to, it was a fortified city, you mound up the earth, and then you use it like a ramp to take it over. Verse 11, God finishes up describing the Babylonians by saying, these guilty men are strong, and their strength is their God. So they might have worshipped idols, but God knew who they really worshipped, what they really worshipped, their own strength, their own might. That was the real God they worshipped. So this is God's answer to Habakkuk. Habakkuk says, God, there's so much violence and injustice, and you're not doing anything. And God says, no, I am doing something. I am doing something. I'm raising up a nation to come and discipline. Next time, we're going to see how Habakkuk responds to God's reply. It's not exactly, perhaps, what he was hoping to hear. But nonetheless, God says, these words, I am doing a work. A couple application points here as we wrap up. It's important for us to remember that God often works in ways that seem absurd to us. And when that's happening, I think we can have the same questions and doubts, perhaps, that Habakkuk had. God, do you even hear me? God, will you even ever save me? God, are you just sitting idly by? And one of the things that's useful for us, this book isn't written to America. This isn't like Babylon's prophesied to come take over America. But there's a lesson for us, I think, in that God often is working ways that actually are wise, that actually do accomplish his great grand plan for history. And his track record helps us to trust his wisdom. Sometimes God disciplines, and the goal of discipline isn't revenge, but course correction. Sometimes it looks from our perspective that God is sitting idle, but he's actually at work perhaps disciplining. I think I love this book just because I really resonate with this idea that I see the moral fabric of our own nation and society unraveling. But that's not a sign that God has lost or that God is not paying attention. It's not a sign that God is sitting on his hands. Again, I'm not saying that this book means that God's going to use another nation to come and invade America. That's not the point, but maybe what God's doing next is to discipline, and it's the part of the people of God to accept that. The path of success, what success looks like for the church is not whatever country you're in, that country thriving, it's people faithfully walking with God and agreeing with His plan. Second application point, I love that God places prayers like Habakkuk in the Bible. God put this prayer in there. God's not intimidated by a prayer like, God, how come you're not saving us? How come you don't hear us? God is okay, I think, with us pouring our heart out to Him. The third point is this, God will bring justice, whether it's near or far away. God will bring justice. And that should comfort us, to know that justice, you know, the Church is the pillar in support of the truth. If we don't speak the truth of God, who will? But God is the one who administers justice. And it's okay for us to trust Him in that. Okay, that's not even chapter one, but there's a lot for us, I think, to learn in this book. So, I think for tonight, we're gonna wrap it up here. I'm gonna close us in prayer, and then we'll go. So let's break up. You are at work in the world, and help us to submit to your plan. God, we do look at the sin around us, and sometimes that affects our own lives, but we also do grieve at things going up in flame as we see that. God, we do call to you and ask for you to help. We do believe that you hear and that you do save and that you're not idle. Help us to submit to your plan and your timing for things. We love you Lord, we pray this in Christ's name. Amen. Thanks everyone, you are dismissed.