HABAKKUK GOD IS IN CONTROL OF

HISTORY
1 The prophecy that Habakkuk the prophet received.
Habakkuks First Cry
2 How long, Lord, must I call for help,
but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, Violence!
but you do not save?
3 Why do you make me look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
Destruction and violence are before me;
there is strife, and conflict abounds.
4 Therefore the law is paralyzed,
and justice never prevails.
The wicked hem in the righteous,
so that justice is perverted.

- Habakkuk prophesized during the final days of the Assyrian

Empire and the beginning of Babylonians world rulership under
Nabopolassar and his son Nebuchadnezzar. When Nabopolassar
ascended to power in 626 BC, he immediately began to expand
his influence to the north and west. Under the leadership of his
son, the Babylonian army overthrew Nineveh in 612 BC, forcing
the Assyrian nobility to take refuge first in Haran and then
Carchemish. Nebuchadnezzar pursued them, overrunning Haran in
609 BC and Carchemish in 606 BC.
- The Egyptian king Necho, travelling through Judah in 609 BC to
assist the fleeing Assyrian king was opposed by King Josiah at
Megiddo (2 Chr 35:20-24). Josiah was killed in the ensuing battle,
leaving his throne to a succession of 3 sons and a grandson.
- Earlier, as a result of discovering the Book of the Law in the
temple (622 BC), Josiah had instituted significant spiritual reforms
in Judah (2 King 22,23), abolishing many of the idolatrous
practices of his father King Amon (2 King 21:20-22) and
grandfather King Manasseh (2 King 21:11-13). Upon his death,
however, the nation quickly reverted to her evil ways (cf. Jer
22:13-19), causing Habakkuk to question Gods silence and
apparent lack of punitive action (1:2-4) to purge His covenant
people.

The reforms of Josiah (II Ch. 34: - 35:19; II Ki. 22:1-25)?

What the Lord predicted (II Ki. 23:26-27)? How Josiah
died (II Ki. 23:28-30; II Ch. 35:20-27)?
Josiahs legacy Josiah was eight years old when he
became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in
Jerusalem. And he did what was right in the sight of the
LORD, and walked in the ways of his father David; he
did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. For in
the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he
began to seek the God of his father David (34:1-3).
Removed idols and priests and in the twelfth year he
began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places,
the wooden images, the carved images, and the
molded imagesHe also burned the bones of the
priests on their altars, and cleansed Judah and
JerusalemWhen he had broken down the altars and
the wooden images, had beaten the carved images into
powder, and cut down all the incense altars throughout
all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem (34:37).

While repairing the temple they found and read the

book of Law which leads to reformation Then
Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I
have found the Book of the Law in the house of the
LORDAnd Shaphan read it before the kingBut
as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of
the LORD, in this manner you shall speak to him,
Thus says the LORD God of Israel: Concerning the
words which you have heard because your heart
was tender, and you humbled yourself before God
when you heard His words against this place and
against its inhabitants, and you humbled yourself
before Me, and you tore your clothes and wept
before Me, I also have heard you, says the LORD.
Surely I will gather you to your fathers, and you
shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your
eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring
on this place and its inhabitants. (34:15, 18-19,
26-28).

Temple worship is restored and vows are

made to stand for God And he read in
their hearing all the words of the Book of
the Covenant which had been found in the
house of the LORD. Then the king stood in
his place and made a covenant before the
LORD, to follow the LORD, and to keep His
commandments and His testimonies and
His statutes with all his heart and all his
soul, to perform the words of the covenant
that were written in this book. And he
made all who were present in Jerusalem
and Benjamin take a stand. So the
inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to
the covenant of God, the God of their
fathers. (34:30-32).

Passover feast is restored. Now Josiah kept a

Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem, and they
slaughtered the Passover lambs on the fourteenth day
of the first month. And he set the priests in their duties
and encouraged them for the service of the house of
the LORD There had been no Passover kept in Israel
like that since the days of Samuel the prophet; and
none of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as
Josiah kept, with the priests and the Levites, all Judah
and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem (35:1-2, 18).
Gods prediction Nevertheless the LORD did not turn
from the fierceness of His great wrath, with which His
anger was aroused against Judah, because of all the
provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him.
And the LORD said, I will also remove Judah from My
sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this
city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of
which I said, My name shall be there (23:26-27).

Josiahs death But he [Necho, king of Egypt] sent

messengers to him, saying, What have I to do with
you, king of Judah? I have not come against you this
day, but against the house with which I have war;
for God commanded me to make haste. Refrain
from meddling with God, who is with me, lest He
destroy you. Nevertheless Josiah would not turn
his face from him, but disguised himself so that he
might fight with him, and did not heed the words of
Necho from the mouth of God. So he came to fight
in the Valley of Megiddo. And the archers shot King
Josiah; and the king said to his servants, Take me
away, for I am severely wounded (35:21-23).
Josiahs service Now before him there was no
king like him, who turned to the LORD with all his
heart, with all his soul, and with all his might,
according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did
any arise like him (23:25).

 How Bad was Judah at that time

Jeremiah 5:30-31
30 A horrible and shocking thing has
happened in the land
31 The prophets prophesy lies, the
priests rule by their own authority,
and my people love it this way. But
what will you do in the end?

-Jeremiah 8:12
-Are they ashamed of their loathsome
conduct? No, they have no shame at
all; they do not even know how to
blush. So they will fall among the
fallen; they will be brought down when
they are punished, says the LORD.

What were the sins of Judah (Zep. 1:5, 8-9, 12; 3:2-7; II
Ki. 21:3, 5; 23:11; Jer. 7:17; 5:3; 7:28; 32:33)?
Mixed or impure worship (i.e. idols/temple)
Those who bow down on the roofs to worship the starry
host, those who bow down and swear oaths by the LORD,
But who also swear by Molech (Zep 1:5).
For he rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had
destroyed; he also erected altars for Baal, and made a
Asherah pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done; and he
worshiped all of them and served themAnd he built
altars for all the starry hosts in the two courts of the
temple of the LORD (II King 21:3, 5).
Dressing like foreign nations (ie. adopting their cultures)
And it shall be, In the day of the LORDs sacrifice, That
I will punish the princes and the kings children, And all
such as are clothed with foreign apparel (Zep 1:8).

Zep 1:9
Fraud and violence In the same day I will
punish All those who leap over the threshold,
Who fill their masters houses with violence and
deceit (Zep 1:9).
Zep 1:12
Indifference And it shall come to pass at that
time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And
punish the men Who are settled in complacency,
Who say in their heart, The LORD will not do
good, Nor will He do evil (Zep 1:12).
Zep 3:2-7
-obeys no one
-accepts no correction
-does not trust God

 - does not draw near to her God

Her officials are roaring lions, her
rulers are evening wolves, who leave
nothing for the morning
Her prophets are arrogant; they are
treacherous men.
Her priests profane the sanctuary
and do violence to the law
In short, the reforms instituted by
King Josiah did not continue after his
death

 Even though Christians opinions vary on

issues, many Christians demonstrate
concern about issues of justice such as
abortion, capital punishment, inadequate
housing and medical care for the poor,
unfair employment practices, racism and
exploiting the poor in countries all over the
world
Some may disagree about which side of
these issues is truly just. Treat each point of
view with respect and encourage others to
do the same.
We cannot solve political differences at this
point, but we can acknowledge that God
works on the side of justice (whatever that
is), and His people should do the same.

Gods First Response

5 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 I am raising up the Babylonians,[a]

that ruthless and impetuous people,
who sweep across the whole earth
to seize dwellings not their own.
7 They are a feared and dreaded people;
they are a law to themselves
and promote their own honor.
8 Their horses are swifter than leopards,
fiercer than wolves at dusk.
Their cavalry gallops headlong;
their horsemen come from afar.
They fly like an eagle swooping to devour;

9
they all come intent on violence.
Their hordes[b] advance like a desert
wind
and gather prisoners like sand.
10 They mock kings
and scoff at rulers.
They laugh at all fortified cities;
by building earthen ramps they
capture them.
11 Then they sweep past like the wind
and go on
guilty people, whose own strength is
their god.

Who were these Babylonians? How

evil were they?
Their own will is a law to them, and, in the
fierceness of their pursuits, they will not be
governed by any laws of humanity, equity,
or honour: Their judgment and their dignity
shall proceed of themselves, v. 7. Appetite
and passion rule them, and not reason nor
conscience. Their principle is:
Quicquid libet, licetMy will is my law
Sic volo, sic jubeo; stat pro ratione
voluntasThis is my wish, this is my
command; it shall be done because I
choose it.

 2 Kings 24,25 and 2 Chronicles 36

In Rablah the Babaylonians slew King
Zedekiahs sons before his eyes and
put out Zedekiahs eyes. Zedekiah was
then bound in brass fetters and taken
to Babylon
Daniel 2:5 . If you do not tell me
what my dream was and interpret it, I
will have you cut into pieces and your
house turned into a dunghill
Habakkuk 2:15 A Babylonian
sometimes gave wine to a neighbour to
make him very drunk so that he might
perversely gaze upon his nakedness

 Lamentations 4:9
Those killed by the sword are better off than those who
died of famine; racked with hunger, they waste away
for lack of food from the field
Lamentations 4:10
With their own hands compassionate women have
cooked their own children, who became their food
when my people were destroyed
Lamentations 5:11-12
11 Women have been ravished in Zion, and virgins in
the town of Judah.
12 Princes have been hung up by their hands; elders
are shown no respect
Zep 1:17
Their blood will be poured out like dust, and their
entrails like filth

- In short, the Babylonians were

ruthless, violent, etc.
- They even dismember and
disembowel their enemies, alive
- One writer, and I believe there are
more, has said that it is better to
commit suicide than to fall into the
hands of the Babylonians

Habakkuks Second Cry

12 Lord, are you not from everlasting?

My God, my Holy One, you[c] will never die.
You, Lord, have appointed them to execute
judgment;
you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish.
13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil;
you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.
Why then do you tolerate the treacherous?
Why are you silent while the wicked
swallow up those more righteous than
themselves?

14 You have made people like the fish in the

sea,
like the sea creatures that have no ruler.
15 The wicked foe pulls all of them up with
hooks,
he catches them in his net,
he gathers them up in his dragnet;
and so he rejoices and is glad.
16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net
and burns incense to his dragnet,
for by his net he lives in luxury
and enjoys the choicest food.
17 Is he to keep on emptying his net,
destroying nations without mercy?

Habakkuk 2

2 I will stand at my watch

and station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to
me,
and what answer I am to give to this
complaint.[a]

Gods Second Response

2 Then the Lord replied:
Write down the revelation
and make it plain on tablets
so that a herald[b] may run with it.
3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
it speaks of the end
and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
it[c] will certainly come
and will not delay.

4 See, the enemy is puffed up;

his desires are not upright
but the righteous person will live by
his faithfulness[d]
. the just shall live by faith.

Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and

create darkness: I make peace, and
create evil: I the LORD do all these.
(KJV)
I form the light and create darkness. I
bring prosperity and create disaster; I,
the LORD, do all these things (NIV)

5 indeed, wine betrays him;

he is arrogant and never at rest.
Because he is as greedy as the grave
and like death is never satisfied,
he gathers to himself all the nations
and takes captive all the peoples.

First Woe Against Plunder

6 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?
7 Will not your creditors suddenly arise?
Will they not wake up and make you
tremble?
Then you will become their prey.
8 Because you have plundered many nations,
the peoples who are left will plunder you.
For you have shed human blood;
you have destroyed lands and cities and
everyone in them.

Second Woe Against Unjust/Dishonest

Gain/Greed

9 Woe to him who builds his house by unjust

gain,
setting his nest on high
to escape the clutches of ruin!
10 You have plotted the ruin of many peoples,
shaming your own house and forfeiting your
life.
11 The stones of the wall will cry out,
and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.

Third Woe Against

Oppression/Injustice/Cruelty

12 Woe to him who builds a city with

bloodshed and establishes a town by
injustice!
13 Has not the Lord Almighty determined
that the peoples labor is only fuel for the fire,
that the nations exhaust themselves for
nothing?
14 For the earth will be filled with the
knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the
waters cover the sea.

Fourth Woe Against The Sensual/Violence

15 Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors,
pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk,
so that he can gaze on their naked bodies!
16 You will be filled with shame instead of glory.
Now it is your turn! Drink and let your
nakedness be exposed[e]!
The cup from the Lords right hand is coming
around to you,
and disgrace will cover your glory.
17 The violence you have done to Lebanon will
overwhelm you,
and your destruction of animals will terrify you.
For you have shed human blood;
you have destroyed lands and cities and
everyone in them.

Fifth Woe Against Idolatry

18 Of what value is an idol carved by a
craftsman?
Or an image that teaches lies?
For the one who makes it trusts in his own
creation;
he makes idols that cannot speak.
19 Woe to him who says to wood, Come to life!
Or to lifeless stone, Wake up!
Can it give guidance?
It is covered with gold and silver;
there is no breath in it.

It is of the greatest honour that God

made men in His image; it is the of
greatest dishonour when men in turn
made god in his image.

20 The Lord is in his holy temple;

let all the earth be silent before
him.

Habakkuk 3
Habakkuks Embrace
3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On
shigionoth.[a]
2 Lord, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.
Repeat them in our day,
in our time make them known;
in wrath remember mercy.

3 God came from Teman,

the Holy One from Mount Paran.[b]
His glory covered the heavens
and his praise filled the earth.
4 His splendor was like the sunrise;
rays flashed from his hand,
where his power was hidden.
5 Plague went before him;
pestilence followed his steps.
6 He stood, and shook the earth;
he looked, and made the nations tremble.
The ancient mountains crumbled
and the age-old hills collapsed
but he marches on forever.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,
the dwellings of Midian in anguish.

8 Were you angry with the rivers, Lord?

Was your wrath against the streams?
Did you rage against the sea
when you rode your horses
and your chariots to victory?
9 You uncovered your bow,
you called for many arrows.
You split the earth with rivers;
10
the mountains saw you and writhed.
Torrents of water swept by;
the deep roared
and lifted its waves on high.

11 Sun and moon stood still in the

heavens
at the glint of your flying arrows,
at the lightning of your flashing
spear.
12 In wrath you strode through the
earth
and in anger you threshed the
nations.

13 You came out to deliver your people,

to save your anointed one.
You crushed the leader of the land of
wickedness,
you stripped him from head to foot.
14 With his own spear you pierced his head
when his warriors stormed out to scatter
us,
gloating as though about to devour
the wretched who were in hiding.
15 You trampled the sea with your horses,
churning the great waters.

16 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.
17 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,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.

 LESSONS LEARNED
1. God can and does use wrathful
instrument to discipline his people:
Babylonians during Habakkuks time;
Holocaust during 2nd World War?, etc..
2. We cannot be presumptuous that our
timing/schedule/plan are in line with
God: the 50th year of Jubilee has not
happened: the crossover is a prophesy
that was not fulfilled
3. God will and does eventually balance
his book/square the accounts at His
time

Adrain
Rogers

Adrain Rogers, 3 times

President of the Southern
Baptist Convention of
USA, often said, There
are 3 categories of
people in the world.
Those who are afraid,
those who dont know
enough to be afraid, and
those who know their
Bibles. And the little
book of Habakkuk (hey,
he is a MINOR Prophet) is
particularly valuable in
this day!

Discussion Questions
1.18th Century English poet William Cowpers poem Light Shining
out of Darkness gave the English language the idiom God
moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform. Discuss this
in the light of Gods action or inaction, His unexpected
providences and His unusual instruments in the book of Habakkuk
2.James Bignon, in his song Im Believing God for a Miracle
(Miracle album released on 26 Sept 2000) reminds us of In His
own time, in His way. I dont know how Hes gonna do it, but by
faith it will be done. Gods ways and timing are indeed often
misunderstood by the world, by His people and by the Prophet
himself
3.
Discuss the following principles drawn from the book of
Habakkuk:
- History is Under Divine Control
- History Follows a Divine Plan
- History Follows a Divine Timetable