Habakkuk 3

Sunday Morning Bible Study

September 21, 2022

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Background

We think this small book was written somewhere between 606 and 604 BC

The nation of Judah was not walking with God.

It was also a time of great worldwide upheaval.

The Babylonians were in the process of conquering the Assyrians, and they would one day wipeout Judah.

We know little of who Habakkuk was, except that he was a prophet, and because of the song in our chapter, might have been a priest familiar with Temple worship.

We can only get a ballpark idea of when Habakkuk wrote.

The best guess is that he wrote during the early part of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah, somewhere between 606 and 604 BC

It was a time when Judah was not walking with the Lord.

It is at the early part of Jeremiah’s ministry, and even overlaps with the life of Daniel.

It is also around the time of Nahum, when the Assyrians were about to be defeated by the up and coming Babylonians…who would one day conquer Judah.

It is before the Babylonians would wipe out the nation of Judah (586 BC).

Habakkuk the man

We don’t know much at all about the man Habakkuk at all.

Various traditions popped up over time, but they don’t seem to have any credibility. One of the traditions is in the Apocrypha (a short book called “Bel and the Dragon” 33-39). In the story, Habakkuk is making bread and a stew when an angel appears, grabs Habakkuk by the hair, and flies him from Judea to Babylon where he delivers the food to Daniel while he’s in the lion’s den. Then the angel flies Habakkuk back to Judea. I think the angel’s name was “Domino” and we have the first recorded pizza delivery.

(Bel and the Dragon 33–39 NRSV) —33 Now the prophet Habakkuk was in Judea; he had made a stew and had broken bread into a bowl, and was going into the field to take it to the reapers. 34 But the angel of the Lord said to Habakkuk, “Take the food that you have to Babylon, to Daniel, in the lions’ den.” 35 Habakkuk said, “Sir, I have never seen Babylon, and I know nothing about the den.” 36 Then the angel of the Lord took him by the crown of his head and carried him by his hair; with the speed of the wind he set him down in Babylon, right over the den. 37 Then Habakkuk shouted, “Daniel, Daniel! Take the food that God has sent you.” 38 Daniel said, “You have remembered me, O God, and have not forsaken those who love you.” 39 So Daniel got up and ate. And the angel of God immediately returned Habakkuk to his own place.

Some have suggested that because of the song that we will look at today (ch. 3), that Habakkuk might have been not only a prophet, but a priest familiar with Temple worship.

Habakkuk the book

Habakkuk is different from most other prophecies in that it is not directed at a specific nation, but is more about asking questions of God.

Instead of the prophet speaking to people for God, the prophet is speaking to God for the people.

One of the questions Habakkuk is asking God is, “Why aren’t you doing something about all these bad things?”

Does that sound relevant today?

Our world is also facing one international crisis after another.

As a nation, we continue to fall further and further away from God.

The key verse in the whole book is

(Habakkuk 2:4b NKJV) …But the just shall live by his faith.

Even though the book is a small one, and one that most of us hardly ever read, this one verse will be quoted three times in the New Testament – in Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews. This verse is a cornerstone of Christianity – the importance of faith.

Not only are we made right with God and find eternal salvation through our faith, but we need to live our entire lives “by faith”.

Faith is trusting in someone or something that you don’t see.

Sometimes life doesn’t look so good, things seem so dark, but we are learning that we have to trust God and move forward in life.

3:1-2 Habakkuk’s request

:1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, on Shigionoth.

:1 A prayer of Habakkuk

prayer – tephillah – prayer

This word is translated throughout the Old Testament as “prayer” (77x), but it is also found in the title of five of the psalms, and gives us the idea that this might have been a song sung in the Temple.

(Psalm 17 NKJV) — A Prayer of David.

(Psalm 86 NKJV) — A Prayer of David.

(Psalm 90 NKJV) — A Prayer Of Moses the Man of God.

(Psalm 102 NKJV) — A Prayer of the Afflicted, When He is Overwhelmed and Pours Out His Complaint Before the Lord.

(Psalm 142 NKJV) — A Contemplation Of David. A Prayer When He Was in the Cave.

:1 on Shigionoth

The word is also found in:

(Psalm 7:title NKJV) A Meditation Concerning the Words of Cush, a Benjamite.

It is not uncommon for psalms to have some sort of musical reference in their titles, giving some sort of direction to the musician about the song.

Perhaps it is the name of the melody that the song was sung to.

“Shigionoth” comes from the verb meaning to “swerve, reel, be intoxicated”.

One suggestion is that it is a song sung with great excitement, a triumphal song.

: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.

:2 heard of Your speech … was afraid

In the previous two chapters, God has been warning Habakkuk not only of the judgment that would be coming on Babylon, but the fact that God would be using Babylon to bring judgment on Habakkuk’s own nation, Judah.

This has caused Habakkuk to be afraid

:2 revive Your work in the midst of the years

revive – chayah – to live, remain alive, live forever, be restored to life or health

This is the same word translated “shall live” in 2:4 “the just shall live by his faith”

The word can also carry the idea of being “re-vived”.

“midst of years” – a similar phrase is found in –

(Psalm 102:24 NKJV) I said, “O my God, Do not take me away in the midst of my days; Your years are throughout all generations.

“in the midst of the years”

Habakkuk is asking God to give new life to his nation in the middle of all the trouble they will be going through.

It almost sounds to me like he’s asking God to give “revival” to “middle age”.

I think that after a person has been a believer for a few years, the fire and passion of first coming to the Lord begins to recede a little.

We too ought to ask God for “revival”, for a renewal of passion for Him.

Lesson

Revival

The word (chayah) is translated “revive” several places in the O.T. –

When Jacob found out that his son Joseph was actually still alive in Egypt,

(Genesis 45:27 NKJV) But when they told him all the words which Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived.

Revival is about hope when there is none.

When Samson had fought a great battle and was dying of thirst, he prayed and,

(Judges 15:19 NKJV) …God split the hollow place that is in Lehi, and water came out, and he drank; and his spirit returned, and he revived.

Revival is about refreshment for the thirsty.

When Elijah’s landlady lost her son, Elijah went and prayed for the dead child…

(1 Kings 17:22 NKJV) Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.

Revival is about new life to things that were dead.

The longest chapter of the Bible, which is all about how wonderful God’s Word is, says,

(Psalm 119:107 NKJV) I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word.

Revival has a very real connection with God’s Word.

I suspect this next video is in Chinese. Someone has just smuggled Bibles in a couple of suitcases. Watch how the Chinese believers react to the gift of the Bible.

Video: Chinese Bibles

How does this compare with how you feel about the Bible?

Do you need to be “revived”?

Have you lost hope? Are you thirsty? Do you feel dead inside? Do you love God’s Word?

Maybe, like Habakkuk, we ought to pray for revival.

The “just” shall “be revived” by their faith (Hab. 2:4b)

:2 In wrath remember mercy

wrath – rogez – agitation, raging, trouble, turmoil, trembling

This isn’t one of the typical words translated “wrath” in the OT. It’s only translated “wrath” in this passage. Of the seven times it’s found, it’s translated “trouble” 3x.

mercy – racham – to love, be compassionate, have tender affection

Habakkuk is asking God to remember His great love for His people, even when they are going through judgment or troubling times.

Lesson

Loving Correction

There are times when we, like Israel go through difficult times as a result of our sin.

(Hebrews 12:5–11 NKJV) —5 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.”

It’s important to realize that if we’re going through difficulty as a result of our sin, it’s only because God loves us, not because He wants to destroy us.

7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

If you screwed things up in your life and DIDN’T experience God’s “chastening”, then perhaps you aren’t God’s child. Consider it a good thing if you are being chastened.

9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

How we come through our chastening depends on us.

Are we learning from it? Are we being “trained” by it?

If so, then God will be developing a greater “holiness” in us (vs. 10). He will be producing “righteousness” in us. We will be experiencing “peace” as a result of learning to do the right things.

3:3-15 God’s majesty

This next section will connect what God has done in the past in delivering Israel from Egypt, with what God will do in the future.

:3 God came from Teman, The Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His glory covered the heavens, And the earth was full of His praise.

:3 God came from …

The verbs in this entire section (vs. 3-15) are translated as a past tense, as something that has already happened.

God has already acted in these ways.

But they can also be translated as something in the future. Hey, that’s just how Hebrew can work.

So is it past or future? I’ll unpack that a little more later.

:3 …Teman … Paran

These were places where God led Israel when they came out of Egypt.

Teman was one of the great cities of ancient Edom, located in southern Jordan. The land of Edom was also known as “Seir”.

The location of Mount Paran is a little more uncertain.

I saw it located anywhere from the area of Teman to the Sinai Peninsula.

Towards the end of his life, Moses recalled coming out of Egypt and wrote,

(Deuteronomy 33:2 NKJV) And he said: “The Lord came from Sinai, And dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, And He came with ten thousands of saints; From His right hand Came a fiery law for them.

“Seir” like “Teman”, are names for Edom. (more on this later…)

:3 Selah – celah – to lift up; a technical musical term probably showing accentuation, pause, interruption

from – calah – to make light of, toss aside; to weigh, balance; to be weighed

We think it carries the idea of a musical interlude, like a guitar solo, but for the purpose of the people to be stopping and thinking about what has been sung.

The term is used here, in verse 9, and again in verse 13.

The use of this term gives us the idea that this “song” was used in public worship since there is direction being given for worship.

Think about how God has rescued and saved His people in the past. He will do it again.

Habakkuk has been thinking about how the Babylonians will bring judgment, while God wants to remind Habakkuk that He will bring salvation.

:4 His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, And there His power was hidden.

:4 brightness was like the light

Our God is surrounded with light.

(1 Timothy 6:16 NKJV) who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light…

(1 John 1:5 NKJV) This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

(Psalm 104:2 NKJV) —2 Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.

:4 His power was hidden

As majestic as this description of God is, He is greater than the description. The light only hides His greatness.

If you think the light of the sun is powerful, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

I came across something the other day showing a solar eruption or “filament”, caught by a NASA camera, and then compared to the size of the earth.

We think the earth is big. The solar filament was HUGE. The sun is HUGER.

God is even bigger.

:5 Before Him went pestilence, And fever followed at His feet.

:5 Before Him went pestilence

One of the things God used to get Israel out of Egypt were the “plagues” He put on the nation of Egypt.

We see in the book of Revelation (chs. 6-19) that much of what happened in Egypt will happen again to the earth before Jesus comes back.

(Revelation 16:2 NKJV) So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.

: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.

:7 Cushan … Midian

These were two of the nations that lay on either side of the Red Sea, nations that were witness to the awesome thing God did when the Red Sea parted.

When we think of how God parted the Red Sea, we often only focus on how God saved the Israelites. But God also destroyed the pursing Egyptian army as well when the waters came back.

Video: Ten Commandments – Red Sea Collapsing

: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?

:8 rivers … sea

God not only parted the Red Sea to get Israel into the Promised Land, but the Jordan River was also stopped so Israel could cross over.

:9 Your bow was made quite ready; Oaths were sworn over Your arrows. Selah

:9 Oaths were sworn over Your arrows

The Hebrew here is a bit obscure.

One scholar counted over 100 different ways that the phrase here has been translated.

:9 Selah

Stop and think about how God has delivered and will deliver His people.

:9 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.

:11 The sun and moon stood still

When Joshua fought at the battle of Gibeon, he prayed and the sun stood still for twenty four hours. (Josh. 10:12-14)

Have you ever had one of those days at work when the clock seemed to slow to a crawl and you thought it would never end? How about twenty-four hours??

(Joshua 10:12–14 NKJV) —12 Then Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” 13 So the sun stood still, And the moon stopped, Till the people had revenge Upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. 14 And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord heeded the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel.

: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

:13 For salvation with Your Anointed

Anointed – mashiyach – anointed, of the Messiah

Though this word could be used to refer to Israel as a whole, or to a king or priest, it could also refer to The Messiah, Jesus Christ.

:13 You struck the head from the house of the wicked

This is like saying that God cut the head off the snake. That’s how God dealt with the nations in the land of Canaan.

:13 Selah

Stop and think about how God saves.

: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.

:14 thrust through with his own arrows

God has Israel’s enemies turn on each other and destroying each other.

This is what happened many times in Israel’s history, as in the days of Jehoshaphat:

(2 Chronicles 20:23–24 NKJV) —23 For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another. 24 So when Judah came to a place overlooking the wilderness, they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped.

:15 You walked through the sea with Your horses, Through the heap of great waters.

Again, the Red Sea.

Let’s go back to …

:13 You went forth for the salvation of Your people…

:13 for the salvation of Your people

Let me stop and say that there is a principle that’s important to understand when it comes to interpreting prophecy.

Double Fulfillment

The idea is that some prophecies don’t have a single fulfillment, but can have more than one. For example –

Prophesies about the coming of Elijah (Mal. 4:5) before the coming of Christ were partially fulfilled by John the Baptist (Luke 1:17), but will ultimately be fulfilled by Elijah himself (Rev. 11:5-6).

(Malachi 4:5 NKJV) Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

In a sense, John the Baptist fulfilled this – he came “in the spirit of Elijah”

(Luke 1:17 NKJV) He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah…

And yet John was not the complete fulfillment, we believe Elijah will come back, perhaps as one of the two witnesses in Revelation 11:5-6.

(Revelation 11:5–6 NKJV) —5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 6 These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.

I believe this passage has a “double fulfillment” and has some lessons to learn from it.

Lesson

Salvation Past: Faithful

Israel was delivered from Egypt. Remember the “past tense” issue in verse 3?

In the past, God fought to save His people.

For the people of Habakkuk’s day, fearful of the coming Babylonian invasion, they needed to be reminded of what God had done for His people in the past.

God divided the Red Sea

God stopped the Jordan River

God helped them conquer the Canaanite nations

He’s done it in the past, so He can be counted on to do it again.

There is another “past salvation” that we should be thinking about as well.

Jesus died to save us from our sins.

At the beginning of His ministry, John the Baptist recognized what Jesus had come for.

(John 1:29 NKJV) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Jesus didn’t come to the earth to be a good teacher or to heal a few diseases. He came to take care of the greatest problem we have – our sin.

His real goal was to be a perfect sacrifice, to pay for our sin.

He paid a debt He didn’t owe, because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay.

(2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT) For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

Have you received this most important salvation?

You may think that the most important salvation is being rescued from the problem you’re in, but I am here to tell you that the biggest salvation is to be rescued from an eternity in hell.

Open your heart to Jesus.

Faithful: You can trust God. If He’s done it in the past, He can do it again.

Lesson

Salvation Future: Hope

When we look at what is going on in our current lives, we can become discouraged.

Yet when we look to what God has done in the past, our attitude can change from despair to hope.

He will not abandon us.

He will rescue us

I mentioned back in verse 3, that the verbs in this section could just as easily be translated as a “future” tense as they are with a “past” tense.

(Habakkuk 3:3 NKJV) God came from Teman…

We could also translate this, “God will come from Teman…”

As I mentioned earlier, these places are all associated with the land of Edom.

Isaiah records what happens when Jesus comes back the second time:

(Isaiah 63:1–3 NKJV) —1 Who is this who comes from Edom, With dyed garments from Bozrah, This One who is glorious in His apparel, Traveling in the greatness of His strength?— “I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” 2 Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress? 3 “I have trodden the winepress alone, And from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, And trampled them in My fury; Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, And I have stained all My robes.

Does this passage sound like something else in the Bible?

Here’s some extra credit homework: Read Revelation 19. It’s the same event. Jesus returns.

When Jesus Christ returns, He will land on the planet in the area of ancient Edom first to rescue the nation of Israel from the antichrist. He will come from Edom.

He will come to rescue His people, Israel.

I think that as we look at the events taking place right now in the world, we might come to the conclusion that we are pretty close to the end.

John records what things are like at the beginning of the Great Tribulation period and describes the beginning as the “four horsemen” (Rev. 6:2-8).

(Revelation 6:2–8 NKJV) —2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. 3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” 4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword. 5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.” 7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.

First Horseman: A conqueror appears

Second Horseman: War

Third Horseman: Famine

Fourth Horseman: Death

Does that sound like it could happen soon? Does that sound scary?

Don’t be afraid of the coming Tribulation, it only reminds us that the Rapture is about to take us to heaven, and even better, Jesus is coming back.

If God delivered us in the past, He WILL deliver us in the future.

That’s where our hope comes from.

3:16-19 Response to Majesty

: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—

:17 Though the fig tree may not blossom …

Lesson

Survival by faith

Habakkuk was facing the coming devastation of the Babylonian invasion.

Things were going to get worse and worse.

We too will face times when things don’t go the way we want them to.

Your baseball team loses another game.

Maybe you’ve lost your job or are facing financial difficulty.

A loved one disappoints or even betrays you, and the marriage you had counted on is in ruins.

You lived your whole life in good health, and now suddenly things have changed and you are faced with terrifying news from the doctor.

How do we survive these times?

Part of the answer was back in Habakkuk 2…

(Habakkuk 2:4b NKJV) …But the just shall live by his faith.

The seasons of disappointment we go through are like walking through a strange room when suddenly the lights go out.

You don’t know where to turn or where to walk because everything is dark.

That’s why we need to live by “faith”, by trusting in the One who is there, even if we don’t see Him.

: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.

:19 make my feet like deer’s feet

The picture Habakkuk is painting is that of being sure-footed in rocky places. Being able to walk in places where others stumble. Not just being stuck “in the valley” but being able to rise above it on the heights.

Kind of like the Ibex in Israel …

One of my favorite places to visit in Israel is the oasis at Ein Gedi. It’s down by the Dead Sea, and you can hike through a narrow canyon up to what’s called the “David Falls”, named for King David who hid from Saul in a cave at Ein Gedi.

In 2011, we caught sight of several Ibex casually walking along a narrow trail way up high.

Video: Ibex ad Ein Gedi

God can give us the kind of feet to walk where others stumble…

:18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord

Lesson

Stability from faith

Too often we think that having lots of stuff, lots of “fruit” is what gives us “joy”

Habakkuk found that he even when the fruit disappeared, he could find joy by trusting in God, even when the fig tree didn’t blossom.

Paul wrote,

(Philippians 4:4 NKJV) Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

Does that sound like a message you heard recently (like last week?)

Our rejoicing is in the Lord, not in our circumstances.

I can rejoice because God is awesome and He loves me. That doesn’t change, even if I don’t win the lottery.

Paul wrote this while he himself was in chains in a Roman prison.

Paul also wrote,

(Philippians 4:6–7 NKJV) —6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

When we are anxious, we need to take our anxieties and put them in God’s hands.

The trick to finding the “peace of God” through prayer is learning to pray with “thanksgiving”.

You don’t thank God for answering the prayer the way you want Him to, but you thank God for hearing your prayer and answering it the way He wants to.

Illustration

While on a short-term missions trip, Pastor Jack Hinton was leading worship at a leper colony on the island of Tobago. A woman who had been facing away from the pulpit turned around.

“It was the most hideous face I had ever seen,” Hinton said. “The woman’s nose and ears were entirely gone. She lifted a fingerless hand in the air and asked, ‘Can we sing Count Your Many Blessings?’ “

Overcome with emotion, Hinton left the service. He was followed by a team member who said, “I guess you’ll never be able to sing that song again.”

“Yes I will,” he replied, “but I’ll never sing it the same way.”

-- The Pastor's Update

That leper knew the joy of faith. Her joy wasn’t in her circumstances, but in her Lord.

Illustration

On a balmy October afternoon in 1982, Badger Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin, was packed. More than 60,000 die-hard University of Wisconsin supporters were watching their football team take on the Michigan State Spartans. It soon became obvious that Michigan had the better team.

What seemed odd, however, as the score became more lopsided, were the bursts of applause and shouts of joy from the Wisconsin fans. How could they cheer when their team was losing? It turns out that seventy miles away the Milwaukee Brewers were beating the St. Louis Cardinals in game three of the 1982 World Series.

Many of the fans in the stands were listening to portable radios--and responding to something other than their immediate circumstances.

-- Greg Asimakoupoulos

Habakkuk could praise God because he was “tuned in” to the bigger picture. He knew that God was ultimately in control.

(2 Corinthians 4:16–18 NKJV) —16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

So just what are you “tuned-in” to?

Our God is a great God. We can rejoice in the Lord.

Parallels to this poem are found in:

(Deuteronomy 33:2–5 NKJV) —2 And he said: “The Lord came from Sinai, And dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, And He came with ten thousands of saints; From His right hand Came a fiery law for them. 3 Yes, He loves the people; All His saints are in Your hand; They sit down at Your feet; Everyone receives Your words. 4 Moses commanded a law for us, A heritage of the congregation of Jacob. 5 And He was King in Jeshurun, When the leaders of the people were gathered, All the tribes of Israel together.

(Judges 5:4–5 NKJV) —4 “Lord, when You went out from Seir, When You marched from the field of Edom, The earth trembled and the heavens poured, The clouds also poured water; 5 The mountains gushed before the Lord, This Sinai, before the Lord God of Israel.

(Psalm 68:7–8 NKJV) —7 O God, when You went out before Your people, When You marched through the wilderness, Selah 8 The earth shook; The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

(Psalm 77:13–20 NKJV) —13 Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary; Who is so great a God as our God? 14 You are the God who does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the peoples. 15 You have with Your arm redeemed Your people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah 16 The waters saw You, O God; The waters saw You, they were afraid; The depths also trembled. 17 The clouds poured out water; The skies sent out a sound; Your arrows also flashed about. 18 The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind; The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and shook. 19 Your way was in the sea, Your path in the great waters, And Your footsteps were not known. 20 You led Your people like a flock By the hand of Moses and Aaron.

(Psalm 114 NKJV) —1 When Israel went out of Egypt, The house of Jacob from a people of strange language, 2 Judah became His sanctuary, And Israel His dominion. 3 The sea saw it and fled; Jordan turned back. 4 The mountains skipped like rams, The little hills like lambs. 5 What ails you, O sea, that you fled? O Jordan, that you turned back? 6 O mountains, that you skipped like rams? O little hills, like lambs? 7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, At the presence of the God of Jacob, 8 Who turned the rock into a pool of water, The flint into a fountain of waters.

(Isaiah 63:11–14 NKJV) —11 Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying: “Where is He who brought them up out of the sea With the shepherd of His flock? Where is He who put His Holy Spirit within them, 12 Who led them by the right hand of Moses, With His glorious arm, Dividing the water before them To make for Himself an everlasting name, 13 Who led them through the deep, As a horse in the wilderness, That they might not stumble?” 14 As a beast goes down into the valley, And the Spirit of the Lord causes him to rest, So You lead Your people, To make Yourself a glorious name.