King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Chapters: Habakkuk Chapters 1-3
Message: With Meekness And Fear
Hello My Friend,
I was reading my devotion from a few years back when we had first gotten our house. Even back then God was trying to keep us from buying it yet we were so sure that He sent us to it. Now, we are stuck in a house in need of major repairs with a mortgage and no financial means to make the repairs. On top of that the medical costs of caring for my mother from her stroke continue to escalate while my husbands health continues to decline and I am the only one with an income and hanging on to my job by a thread. Whenever we discover that God was trying to protect us, we start to question our judgment and if what we are going through is God’s judgment. Then God so kindly reminds His faithful that while they may get off track sometimes He is not necessarily judging them, just guiding them back in the right direction, [1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.]
Since every saved, born again Christian’s soul is settled in heaven through their faith alone in Jesus Christ, there is nothing that we are going to do or face that will take that away. Sometimes we will suffer for things we have done and sometimes for no wrong doing, but all suffering has its place and purpose to bring not only glory to God, but hope to the lost who are suffering. In fact, some of the most trying times in our lives that we endured were the very events that brought others to Christ, [1 Peter 3:14-15 But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:]
The Book of Habakkuk contains three chapters, the author is Habakkuk and it was written to the people of Judah. The timeline for these events took place approximately between 608BC and 590BC. The purpose of the book was to awaken Judah to their spiritual needs and remind them that God is merciful to the just. What we are to learn from the book is that the just shall live by faith alone, [Habakkuk 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.]
Habakkuk, prophesied during the time that the Chaldean’s were about to attack Jerusalem, during Jehoiakim’s reign. This was also about the time that Jeremiah was either in the jail or dungeon and people were being taken captive to Babylon. Habakkuk, is beside himself, wondering where God is, why all these things were happening, and why God is judging them when the wicked are getting away with everything. Well, Habakkuk, does what all of us faithful Christians do from time to time when we do not understand God’s plan, he forms a complaint with God, and asks Him about His judgment on the faithful.
[Habakkuk 1:1-4 The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see. 2 O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! 3 Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. 4 Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.]
[for the wicked doth compass about the righteous;] [Compass; To stretch round; to extend so as to embrace the whole; to enclose, encircle, grasp or seize; To purpose; to intend; to imagine; to plot; to contrive;] Habakkuk, feels a little displaced, no matter where he turns or what he does, he cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. He wants to know why he too has to suffer the judgment that God has placed on the wicked. Then God answers him, but it was really not something that Habakkuk really wanted to hear.
[Habakkuk 1:6-7,9,11 For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs. 7 They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves. 9 They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand. 11 Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.]
[Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over,] God, is referring to Nebuchadnezzar after he had taken Jerusalem, his head had gotten so big that he did not follow through with His plan to take the other nations. Instead he returned to Babylon where he became guilty of gross idolatry, in setting up the golden image of himself and expecting everyone to bow down to it, [Daniel 4:30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?] He would later be turned into an animal for saying that he was the one who invaded Judah and the other nations under his own power, then converted once he came to his senses of who the real KING is.
While Habakkuk, kind of understood the judgment better, he still feels a little displaced, no matter where he turns or what he does, he cannot see any consolation. So, he brings up a few more questions to God.
[Habakkuk 1:12-13,16-17 Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction. 13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he? 16 Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous. 17 Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?]
[Art thou not from everlasting…we shall not die.] Sometimes it does not comfort God’s faithful to know that they are going to heaven and will not suffer what is worse to come, they just want this life to be a little less chaotic. What do we do when we cannot understand things too wonderful for us? Praise God.
[Psalms 139:4-10 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. 5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. 7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.]
[wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously,] Habakkuk, is asking God why He is sending judgment on the righteous for their sins, but letting the wicked go free without judgment. On top of that, the people are lost and scattered everywhere because they have no direction from anyone whatsoever. And this is the very reason that God sends His faithful out there during some of their most trying of times, God, will lead us to a few lost souls, [James 5:20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.]
At this point, Habakkuk, just knows that God is going to judge him for what he had just said. Well, unless we are being disrespectful or tempting Him, He actually encourages the questions. Why? God, wants us to prove Him just as much as He proves us. What I mean by that is that God wants us to put Him to the test in a way that shows us that He really is among us. God, loves to show us what He is capable of through our faith in Him. In fact, this is the answer that He gives Habakkuk.
[Habakkuk 2:1-4 I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. 2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. 4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.]
[and what I shall answer when I am reproved.] We somehow get it in our heads that we cannot ask God why or bring our complaints to Him. God wants to hear our complaints, He wants us to ask questions, but He also wants our trust, and our faithfulness to Him despite our not understanding what it going on, [Psalms 102:1-2 A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee. 2 Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.]
[but the just shall live by his faith.] Does this sound familiar? It ought to as we have read this before in the New Testament. It does not matter if we were put on this earth before Christ came here in the flesh, after His passion, or when He returns, the same rule of salvation has always been, we must confess that we are sinners and that we need the Saviour to save us, otherwise, death and hell are the only destination, [Galatians 3:10-12 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.]
Because we are saved by grace and not through any works of the Law we follow the Law faithfully in regards to being obedient to His commands and not the sacrifices because those no longer apply to us. There really are a lot of things which we go through that we do not understand, but in the end we will discover that it was not necessary to understand the reason, rather understand that God used it for good. Of course, God, reminds me every time that if I had not gone through what He allowed me to go through then I would not have trusted Him to see me through. This is what God goes on to show Habakkuk, and also what will happen to the wicked.
[Habakkuk 2:6-7,12-14 Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay! 7 Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them? 12 Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity! 13 Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity? 14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.]
[that the people shall labour in the very fire,] In other words, they will die in their own sin or endure the fire through their faith in God. Let me tell you, we are going to trip and fall and get back up more times than we care to admit, but each and every time it makes us that much more stronger to endure what is yet to come. The reason why we can fall and get back up so quickly is not in our own ability, it comes from our faith in the only living God. All of the gods of the world are dead and God goes on to point that out.
[Habakkuk 2:18-20 What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? 19 Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it. 20 But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.]
[let all the earth keep silence before him.] This is another way of God saying that He is the one and only living God, and the only one we need to be fearing is Him, [Luke 12:4-5 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.]
Fearing God is trusting Him at all times, being faithful to Him, and yes, confessing our sins when they are made known to us. Habakkuk, realized that while God does allow the pain and suffering in the world because of sin, His faithful will overcome. He starts praying to God, asking Him to remember His mercy.
[Habakkuk 3:2-6 O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy. 3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. 4 And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power. 5 Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet. 6 He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting.]
[brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand:] The description shows the Lord approaching with all the glory of His majesty, bursting forth as the sunlight when the ball of the sun rises above the horizon, and the rays of the sun as it first appears. These angels of death being His attendants on His triumphal march to judge the world.
[Habakkuk 3:8,12-13,16-18 Was the LORD displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation? 12 Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger. 13 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah. 16 When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops. 17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.]
[I will joy in the God of my salvation.] No matter what we go through, no matter what we put ourselves through, we belong to Jesus, if we are saved. We can fuss at God all we want for all the chaos that is going on, but God is standing on the sidelines here, He does not have to do anything Himself because the people are destroying themselves. Only those whom have put their faith and trust in Christ and keep it there as they endure all this mess will be saved. And we will be like hinds feet, [Isaiah 40:28-31 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. 29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. 30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: 31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.]
Jesus Christ Revealed/Magnified: [Habakkuk 2:20 But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him. Habakkuk 3:3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. Habakkuk 3:19 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.]
Today’s Prayer: God, Thank You, for saving a wretch like me the second I trusted Your Son as my Saviour. I know that I am prepared for Your return or You to bring me home. I may not know what tomorrow brings, but I do know that You will be there and You will see me through everything that I go through. Lord, it is not always easy to get through the suffering, but I am going to praise you anyway. With You by my side I know I will get the victory. Lead me and guide me, keep me looking to You, let me not turn to the right or left, just keep my eyes straight on You. Give me Your mercy, grace, power, and strength to endure all the suffering. I will rejoice in You for You are the God of my salvation, I am nothing without You, and I know that I can overcome all things with You. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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