Rest in the Day of Trouble

REST IN THE DAY OF TROUBLE

Habakkuk's chief message was a sad prophecy of the triumph of the Chaldeans (Babylonians) over Israel. He warns his people of the Divine retribution that would come swiftly and overwhelmingly: Habakkuk is unique among the prophets in that he openly questions the wisdom of God (1:3a, 1:13b). In the first part of the first chapter, the Prophet sees the injustice among his people and asks why God does not take action:

Hab. 1:2-11"How long, O Lord, shall I cry and You will not hear? I cry out unto You of violence, and You will not save .... Behold, I will raise the Chaldeans, that bitter and impetuous nation that march to the wide spaces of the earth to conquer dwelling places that are not theirs. Terrible and dreadful are they; from them alone go forth their laws and dignity. Swifter than leopards are their horses, and fiercer than wolves at night. And their horses come riding on, arriving from afar. They fly like eagles, hastening to eat. They all come for violence; their faces are like the east wind, and they gather captives as the sand. And they will make sport with kings, and princes will be a play to them. At every stronghold will they laugh .... They make their power god . . . ."

TLB- Must I forever see the sin and sadness around me. Wherever I look I see oppression and bribery and me who love to argue and fight.

Seeing how the wicked and arrogant Chaldeans will trample upon Israel, Habakkuk cries out to God with pain:

Hab. 1:13"You are of eyes too pure to behold evil, and can not look upon mischief, wherefore do you look, when they deal treacherously, and hold Your peace, when the wicked swallow up the man that is more righteous than he?"

These were the predominate sins in Habakkuk’s Day:

Sin of idolatry

Sin of immorality ( over the land of Judah they worshipped the Assyrian god, Venus)

Persecution

Destruction- especially the destruction of the Word of God (famine of the word.

(Similar sins in Judah compared to America; child sacrifice, unnatural affection, conspiracy and deceit)

Every entrance the enemy has is a place where there is no word (deficit).

Habakkuk was a temple singer and a writer of songs that were intended for worship. He was part of the temple choir and speaks of his instruments.

The name Habakkuk means embrace or fold. Martin Luther said of him that

Habakkuk signifies the embrace. He embraced his people and takes them into his arms.

The predominate theme in Habakkuk is Rest in the Day of Trouble.

Scriptures about trouble:

(Luke 7:6) Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:

(Act 20:10) And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.

(2Co 1:3-4) Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

Lessons to be learned from Habakkuk:

1.Rest in the day of trouble- Cease from your labor and enter into His rest. (Hab 3:16) 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.

We are called to be not to do. Let us cease from striving.

If we are out of rest then we are out of faith. Ex. Sarah entered into rest and conceived.

(Heb 11:11-12) Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.(Heb 4:9-11) So then there remains a rest to the people of God. For he who has entered into his rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His. Therefore let us labor to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of unbelief.

2. Press-(Php 3:14) I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

How can I rest and press at the same time? Pursuing God is resting in Him.

The mature are going to press toward the mark of the goal of the high calling (the revealing of Christ)

3. Give-(Gal 5:13) For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

4. Be bold and courageous, tell it like it is, continue the vision.

Habakkuk 2:2-4

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.

1. Appointed time

2. Speak at the end

3. Would not lie

4. Would tarry

5. But would surely come

5. Stay in peace, free from offense- (Heb 12:15) Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

6. Keep your eyes on Jesus

Here’s what it looks like:

Body in pain, disease taking hold, marriage hurting, finances devastated, children away from God, you think your ministry is over, churches in turmoil, nation collapsing around you, world falling apart.

In the name of Jesus, look again.

You have cried, now you will sing

You’ve been in pain, now you will roar in praise

New day in the Church

New day in America

Look at the bigger picture

Economy, deceit, lack of integrity, immorality, violence

Look again

Lifting up our eyes."

"Whatever is true, whatever is honorable . . . is right, whatever is pure . . . lovely . . . of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things" (Phil. 4:8). Remember, Paul was writing to people in the ancient Roman world. It was full of evil, full of injustice, full of reasons to grumble and be upset; but instead, God calls His people to a higher realm, where we dwell on the things that are above.

(John 11:41-43) At the tomb of His dear friend Lazarus, Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, "Father, I thank YOU HAVE ALREADY HEARD ME." Imagine this kind of assurance! Jesus didn't need to beg or intercede. A command to the dead was all that was needed, "Lazarus, come forth."

Abraham

(Gen 13:14) And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:

(Gen 18:2) And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

(Gen 22:4) Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

(Gen 22:13) And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.