Habakkuk 1:1-17

The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw. ² O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? Even cry out to You, "Violence!" And You will not save. ³ Why do You show me iniquity, and cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; there is strife, and contention arises. ⁴ Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgment proceeds. ⁵ "Look among the nations and watch- be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you. ⁶ For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, a bitter and hasty nation which marches through the breadth of the earth, to possess dwelling places that are not theirs. ⁷ They are terrible and dreadful; their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves. ⁸ Their horses also are swifter than leopards, and more fierce than evening wolves. Their chargers charge ahead; their cavalry comes from afar; they fly as the eagle that hastens to eat. ⁹ "They all come for violence; their faces are set like the east wind. They gather captives like sand. ¹⁰ They scoff at kings, and princes are scorned by them. They deride every stronghold, for they heap up earthen mounds and seize it. ¹¹ Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; he commits offense, ascribing this power to his god." ¹² Are You not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, You have appointed them for judgment; O Rock, You have marked them for correction. ¹³ You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, and hold Your tongue when the wicked devours a things that have no ruler over them? ¹⁵ They take up all of them with a hook, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their dragnet. Therefore they rejoice and are glad. ¹⁶ Therefore they sacrifice to their net, and burn incense to their dragnet; because by them their share is sumptuous and their food plentiful. ¹⁷ Shall they therefore empty their net, and continue to slay nations without pity?

Chapter 1 of Habakkuk starts out with the burden of the prophet (vs. 1). Habakkuk was perplexed over Judah's unpunished wickedness. He asked, "Why does evil triumph?" "Why doesn't God intervene?" Habakkuk reflected on Judah's wickedness. "How," Habakkuk wondered, "can a holy God look upon such sin with complacency?" (vs. 2-4). Next, God by the prophet tells of the punishment and vengeance that would take place by the hands of the Chaldeans (vs. 5-11). The chapter will conclude with the prophet complaining and expressing grief that the Chaldeans prevail so far, that he scarcely knows which is more to be lamented, the sin or the punishment of it, for in both many people will suffer loss (vs. 12-17).

The verse that stands out to me today is Habakkuk 1:4 ⁴ Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgment proceeds. The prophet Habakkuk is deeply burdened by seeing ungodliness and violence prevail; especially among those who profess the truth. He was perplexed over Judah's unpunished wickedness. He asked, "Why does evil triumph?" "Why doesn't God intervene?" Habakkuk reflected on Judah's wickedness. "How," Habakkuk wondered, "can a holy God look upon such sin with complacency?" The Hebrew word translated "powerless" in this verse literally means "chilled," or "numbed." In other words the revelation of God given at Mount Sinai had little impact on the hearts of people whose lives were focused on material success. These people had little interest in living by God's definition of what is fair and just. God's chosen people were committing and tolerating wicked acts through corruption of the courts. The nation's problems were caused by leaders who wouldn't obey the law. The rich exploited the poor and escaped punishment by bribing the officials. The law was either ignored or twisted, and nobody seemed to care. The courts were crooked, officials were interested only in money, and the admonition in Exodus 23:6-8 was completely rejected. However, there was, and always will be, a people who were faithful to the Lord, a righteous remnant.

I pray that no matter what surrounds you that you would remain faithful to the One who bled and died for you.

1Peter 2:24

²⁴ who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness- by whose stripes you were healed.

Love in Christ,

Alan J. Schrader

Habakkuk 2:1-25

I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected. ² Then the Lord answered me and said: "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. ³ For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. ⁴ "Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith. ⁵ "Indeed, because he transgresses by wine, he is a proud man, and he does not stay at home. Because he enlarges his desire as hell, and he is like death, and cannot be satisfied, he gathers to himself all nations and heaps up for himself all peoples. ⁶ "Will not all these take up a proverb against him, and a taunting riddle against him, and say, woe to him who increases what is not his-how long? And to him who loads himself with many pledges'? ⁷ Will not your creditors rise up suddenly? Will they not awaken who oppress you? And you will become their booty. ⁸ Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the people shall plunder you, because of men's blood and the violence of the land and the city, and of all who dwell in it. ⁹ "Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of disaster! ¹⁰ You give shameful counsel to your house, cutting off many peoples, and sin against your soul. ¹¹ For the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the timbers will answer it. ¹² "Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed, who establishes a city by iniquity! ¹³ Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts that the peoples labor to feed the fire, and nations weary themselves in vain? ¹⁴ For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. ¹⁵ "Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor, pressing him to your bottle, even to make him drunk, that you may look on his nakedness! ¹⁶ You are filled with shame instead of glory. You also-drink! And be exposed as uncircumcised! The cup of the Lord's right hand will be turned against you, and utter shame will be on your glory. ¹⁷ For the violence done to Lebanon will cover you, and the plunder of beasts which made them afraid, because of men's blood and the violence of the land and the city, and of all who dwell in it. ¹⁸ "What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it, the molded image, a teacher of lies, that the maker of its mold should trust in it, to make mute idols? ¹⁹ Woe to him who says to wood, Awake! To silent stone, Arise! It shall teach! Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet in it there is no breath at all. ²⁰ "But the Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him."

 In chapter 2 of Habakkuk we learn the commandment to the prophet to write the vision down and make it plain, because it is indeed certain, but will not be immediately fulfilled (vs. 1-3). Then follows the word of God , that the just will live through his faith, but he that is proud and not upright will not continue (vs. 4-5). Next we learn of judgments upon the Chaldeans (vs. 6-14). The chapter concludes with the woes continuing upon the drunkenness and idolatry (vs. 15-20).

The verse that stands out to me today is Habakkuk 2:3 ^"For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." An appointed time speaks of a determined time in God's eyes. God knows His plan and the outworking of all things in accordance with His purposes. The godly are responsible to study and proclaim His revelation while awaiting its fulfillment. it will surely come: The assurance of fulfillment lies in God Himself. It will not tarry: The fulfillment of the vision would not take any longer than God had planned. This verse also refers to the hope of the Messiah coming to earth to subdue His enemies, take out of His kingdom all things that offend, and set up His glorious reign, making Israel the head of the nations because He will be at the head of the Jewish nation. ⁶ When verse 3 is quoted in Hebrews 10:37 ³⁶ For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: ³⁷ "For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. ³⁸ Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him", the "it" (i.e., the vision) becomes "He" (i.e., the Lord), who will surely come and will not tarry. The NT context refers to the hope of the Believer for the return of Jesus Christ.

I pray that you would be found faithful in your waiting.

James 5:7 "Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain."

Love in Christ,

Alan J. Schrader

Habakkuk 3:1-19

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, on Shigionoth. ² O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy. ³ God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. SelahHis glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise. ⁴ His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, and there His power was hidden. ⁵ Before Him went pestilence, and fever followed at His feet. ⁶ He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations. And the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills bowed. His ways are everlasting. ⁷ I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; the curtains of the land of Midian trembled. ⁸ O Lord, were You displeased with the rivers, was Your anger against the rivers, was Your wrath against the sea, that You rode on Your horses, Your chariots of salvation? ⁹ Your bow was made quite ready; oaths were sworn over Your arrows. Selah You divided the earth with rivers. ¹⁰ The mountains saw You and trembled; the overflowing of the water passed by. The deep uttered its voice, and lifted its hands on high. ¹¹ The sun and moon stood still in their habitation; at the light of Your arrows they went, at the shining of Your glittering spear. ¹² You marched through the land in indignation; You trampled the nations in anger. ¹³ You went forth for the salvation of Your people, for salvation with Your Anointed. You struck the head from the house of the wicked, by laying bare from foundation to neck. Selah ¹⁴ You thrust through with his own arrows the head of his villages. They came out like a whirlwind to scatter me; their rejoicing was like feasting on the poor in secret. ¹⁵ You walked through the sea with Your horses, through the heap of great waters. ¹⁶ When I heard, my body trembled; my lips quivered at the voice; rottenness entered my bones; and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble. When he comes up to the people, He will invade them with his troops. ¹⁷ Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls- ¹⁸ Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. ¹⁹ The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills. To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.

In chapter 3 of Habakkuk we first learn how the prophet beseeches God in prayer for his people (vs. 1-2).  Next the prophet Habakkuk calls to mind the former deliverances of the Lord (vs. 3-15). The chapter concludes with Habakkuk's firm trust in the Divine mercy of the Lord (vs. 16-19).

The verse that stands out to me today is Habakkuk 3:2 "O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy." In this verse the prophet's states, "I have heard Your speech": Habakkuk knew the stories of God's mighty acts as celebrated in song and in the feasts and festivals of Israel. These mighty acts included the Exodus from Egypt, the miracles by the Red Sea, and the conquest of the land. As he meditated on God's work in human affairs, Habakkuk was overcome with an awe-inspiring sense of the greatness of the Lord. He knew that God was going to discipline the people of Judah and that it wasn't going to be a pleasant experience. But Habakkuk accepted God's will, asking for help and mercy. Habakkuk did not ask to escape the discipline, but he accepted the truth that Judah needed to learn a lesson. God still disciplines in love to bring his children back to Him. We are reminded in Hebrews 12:5,6 "And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; ⁶ For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives."

I pray that you would experience God's great love today, knowing that He has promised never to leave you.

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." ⁶ So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"

Love in Christ,

Alan J. Schrader