Hard Questions, Harder Answers

Session 9

Hard Questions, Harder Answers No judgment from a holy God against that which is unholy is pleasant, but it produces the fruit of righteousness in the covenant ones who live by faith. HABAKKUK 1:1-6,12-13; 2:1-4

1 The prophecy that Habakkuk the prophet received.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

© 2015Date LifeWay of My Bible Study:______87 law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. 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, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own. [ … ] 12 Lord, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, you 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? [ … ] 2:1 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. 2 Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald 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 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.”

Highlight all the questions Habakkuk asked the Lord in these verses. Think of situations that might prompt believers today to ask similar questions.

FIRST THOUGHTS Imagine a middle-aged person who has chain-smoked cigarettes since college days. In addition, the person never exercises and regularly eats fast-food meals. A week ago a health scare finally forced the person to see a doctor. Yesterday, the doctor reported the results of a heart scan and an angiogram—neither of which was good. After years of breaking all the rules of good health, the person has begun paying a price in insurance deductibles, missed work, and expensive medicines. In all likelihood, that price will also include years off the person’s life and time missed with family.

If given the chance, what would you say to a friend who confessed a personal story like this to you?

The threads of this person’s sad story parallel the history of God’s covenant people, the Israelites. Not necessarily in terms of physical health but in spiritual devotion, the people of Israel broke the rules of God’s covenant with them. God said, “Don’t worship idols.” They did. He said to serve only Him. They also served pagan gods such as Baal. He instructed them on how to treat one another honestly and with loving respect. Instead they killed, cheated, stole from, and lied about their neighbors. Occasionally a prophet stirred their consciences and led them to repentance. But soon they slid back into the mire of sin. This happened again and again until the Lord finally declared that judgment was coming. It would come in the form of an invading foreign army. The prophet Habakkuk knew that the day of judgment had fallen on the Israelites of the Northern Kingdom in 721 B.C. The people of Judah seemed unwilling to learn from that judgment.

HABAKKUK 1:1–2:20 God chose the people of Israel to be His instrument in bringing His plan of salvation to the world. He sought to prepare them to be the people from whom the Messiah, His Son Jesus Christ, would come. And yet in the time of Habakkuk’s prophecy, the people were far from what God intended them to be. We should be reminded that God’s discipline upon the Israelites had a view toward future events hundreds of years later. He sought to shape His people throughout history, so that His greatness might be acknowledged (see Hab. 2:14,20). Habakkuk was keenly aware of the gross disobedience of the people of God. His “woe” oracles in 2:6-19 condemned the horrible exploitation of others as well as the idolatry found among the people of Judah. The prophet saw that they were exploiting one another financially, operating through strong-arm tactics, and using others for base purposes. When God is not revered as God, acknowledging that nothing compares to Him, then the inescapable tendency is to exploit others in our relationships. If God alone isn’t God, who then is to say what is right or wrong? In Habakkuk’s day, absolutes had become mere personal preferences and the moral ground from which behavior could be judged had eroded away. People’s egos had become inflated (see Hab. 2:4), and the reply to any attempt at moral correction was, “Who are you to judge me?” Habakkuk’s vision focused on a high and holy God who would judge all sin and disobedience according to His sovereign schedule and purpose.

EXPLORE THE TEXT

WHAT ABOUT EVIL? (HAB . 1:1-4)

VERSE 1 Seeing life as it truly is, with all of its complexities and injustices, can sometimes be a crushing burden. This is the idea that defines the

90 Explore the Bible | Personal© 2015 LifeWayStudy Guide prophecy that Habakkuk the prophet received. Little is known about this man other than the fact that he was a prophet, meaning “one who proclaims a message on behalf of God.” Our culture tends to think of a prophet only as someone who predicts the future. The true biblical prophet received insight from Lord about the future as it related to the direction of and fulfillment of current events.

What does it mean to be a prophet today? What would that look like in your setting?

Habakkuk’s words in 1:1–2:4 take the form of a prophetic complaint. One thing we learn from this book is that there is a right way and a wrong way to express our frustration about the events around us. We learn that God is not threatened by honest questions when they are brought to Him in faith.

VERSE 2 Sometimes we make the mistake of assuming that if God doesn’t quickly intervene against evil, it means that He won’t ever take action. Unfortunately, this type of mistaken thinking will endure to the end of time (see 2 Pet. 3:3-4). In his day, Habakkuk struggled to understand why God had not come to the rescue of His people. His cry was “Lord, how long?”

As believers, we learn in Romans 12:12 to always be hopeful, to be patient in trials, and to be persistent in prayer. How could these directions help you if you were asking the question Habakkuk asked?

VERSE 3 Habakkuk probably delivered his messages at some time soon after 609 B.C. This was a crucial year for the people of Judah. One of Judah’s few faithful kings, King Josiah, was killed in battle

© 2015Session LifeWay 9: Hard Questions, Harder Answers 91 at Megiddo in this year. This reformer-king’s death caused great confusion in the minds of many people, including some of the Lord’s faithful prophets. Why did God let this happen to His people’s king? One could not help but feel the injustice of the event. Uncertainty about the future and an inability to comprehend God’s lack of intervention stirred strife and conflict among the people of God.

VERSE 4 Habakkuk lamented that wicked people seemed to be in control of an unjust society. Whether the prophet was referring in this verse to a pagan empire or to wicked elements within Judah’s society isn’t clear. In either case, instead of being governed by God’s Word, the righteous were being hemmed in by the wicked, leaving God’s people with a lack of due process for the injustices they experienced.

In what ways do people struggle with Habakkuk’s lament today? How can the issue of unpunished evil become a roadblock for someone?

KEY DOCTRINE: The Kingdom The Kingdom of God includes both His general sovereignty over the universe and His particular kingship over men who willfully acknowledge Him as King.

I AM IN CONTROL (HAB . 1:5-6)

VERSE 5 God assured Habakkuk that He was quite aware of what was taking place in the world. God did not have His head turned when Josiah was killed. Believers need to grasp this fundamental truth about God: He knows all things. Nothing happens apart from His knowledge. We will never hear Him say, “I didn’t see that coming.” Not only was the Lord aware of what was happening in Habakkuk’s day, He already had a plan in place to address the evils lamented by the prophet.

92 Explore the Bible | Personal© 2015 LifeWayStudy Guide at Megiddo in this year. This reformer-king’s death caused great God often works in ways that we do not expect, because we confusion in the minds of many people, including some of the Lord’s assume that He thinks and acts just as we do (see Ps. 50:21; Isa. 55:8). faithful prophets. Why did God let this happen to His people’s king? What the Lord would do in the chastisement of His people would be One could not help but feel the injustice of the event. Uncertainty astounding. It would defy human expectations. He would use a pagan about the future and an inability to comprehend God’s lack of nation to bring disciplinary judgment upon His own people. intervention stirred strife and conflict among the people of God. In what ways does God’s discipline of His people run contrary to our expectations? VERSE 4 Habakkuk lamented that wicked people seemed to be in control of an unjust society. Whether the prophet was referring in this verse to a pagan empire or to wicked elements within Judah’s society isn’t clear. In either case, instead of being governed by God’s Word, the righteous were being hemmed in by the wicked, leaving God’s people with a lack VERSE 6 of due process for the injustices they experienced. The plan of God involved the deployment of the armies of Babylon against Judah. Yet this revelation also proved to give pause to In what ways do people struggle with Habakkuk’s lament today? How Habakkuk. It raised a thorny question concerning God’s justice for the can the issue of unpunished evil become a roadblock for someone? prophet. These pagan Babylonians in the prophet’s mind were marked by an even worse wickedness than the people being punished. Violent and barbaric, this foreign empire recognized no standard other than its own and no God other than false gods.

BUT GOD, WHY? (HAB . 1:12-13; 2:1)

KEY DOCTRINE: The Kingdom CHAPTER 1, VERSE 12 The Kingdom of God includes both His general sovereignty over the universe An understanding of the will and purpose of God must always and His particular kingship over men who willfully acknowledge Him as King. be grounded in the nature of God. When we look at what He does, seeking to understand His saving work, we must begin by remembering His attributes and character. I AM IN CONTROL (HAB . 1:5-6) Habakkuk did just that by asking a question about the eternal nature of God. He knew that God was from everlasting to everlasting VERSE 5 (see Ps. 90:2). He described the Lord as his Rock, the constant, God assured Habakkuk that He was quite aware of what was taking unchanging God who is always worthy of complete and exclusive place in the world. God did not have His head turned when Josiah devotion. Habakkuk was sure that the Lord was in control. was killed. Believers need to grasp this fundamental truth about God: Habakkuk acknowledged that the Lord God was sovereign over He knows all things. Nothing happens apart from His knowledge. We the rise of Babylon as a world-dominating power and that He allowed will never hear Him say, “I didn’t see that coming.” Not only was the their rise to prominence. Yet he was also certain that this was done Lord aware of what was happening in Habakkuk’s day, He already had in order to judge and reprove God’s people for their rebellion. The a plan in place to address the evils lamented by the prophet. questions of the prophet stemmed not from disbelief but from faith.

© 2015Session LifeWay 9: Hard Questions, Harder Answers 93 VERSE 13 Every parent knows that sometimes answers produce even more questions. God’s answer to Habakkuk brought an even greater dilemma to the prophet’s mind. What he knew to be true about God (eternal and holy) created conflict in his mind. How could a righteous God, so pure that His nature recoils from sin and impurity, use such a wicked instrument of discipline?

How would you summarize Habakkuk’s complaint? How does this same complaint get expressed today?

CHAPTER 2, VERSE 1 Some questions reflect doubt and defiance. Other questions are sincere, proceeding from a trusting heart and mind. Habakkuk’s questions reflected a seeking faith. He truly sought to understand God’s ways. And he was willing to wait as long as needed for God’s revelation. Like a military sentry, Habakkuk promised to assume a position of watchfulness. He would patiently wait, both for what God would say in reply and how he then needed to respond.

We can take our questions to God or we can let them drive us away. Why are some people hesitant to approach God with honest questions?

TRUST ME! (HAB . 2:2-4)

VERSE 2 Habakkuk’s patience was rewarded. God answered him with a vision of the ultimate judgment of Babylon. The prophet was to make the message clear and to write it on tablets of stone, preserving this message of hope to be read throughout history. The reason is obvious. Every generation struggles with the problem of evil in light of God’s sovereign grace. We can be encouraged by Habakkuk’s message to keep on trusting in the Lord no matter what comes.

94 Explore the Bible | Personal© 2015 LifeWayStudy Guide VERSE 3 However, as always, the key issue is timing. We are not always given access to the reasons behind God’s timetable. The Lord affirmed to His struggling prophet that in time the Babylonians would be judged for their iniquity and commanded Habakkuk to wait on divine timing. We are called to do the same thing today.

How does God’s love, as it was revealed in Christ’s sacrifice for us, sustain our hope? What do Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection teach us about the future of evil?

VERSE 4 This verse is referenced no less than three times in the New Testament (see Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38). Unaided by trust in God, human observation sees only rampant evil running amuck in a world of injustice. Those who trust in themselves in this world have inflated egos. Too many live without integrity, and even people of faith sometimes wonder why God delays His justice. The people of God are called to live by faith in this world, believing that a day of accounting will certainly come. Like Habakkuk, we are called to live out our lives as believers in hope, waiting on the Lord and His timing.

BIBLE SKILL: Commit a key Bible verse to memory. Habakkuk 2:4 expresses not only the heartbeat of that prophet’s message but also the heartbeat of the gospel. Memorize the verse. Then compare it to Ephesian 2:8-10. How does each passage help you understand the other?

© 2015Session LifeWay 9: Hard Questions, Harder Answers 95 IN MY CONTEXT God invites our honest questions as we seek to understand life and its perplexities. We can be assured that God is in control; He will deal with the injustices that trouble us. We can trust God to do what is best, turning to Him at all times.

List questions you want to bring to God. What keeps you from approaching Him with these questions?

List experiences and observations that have caused you to doubt God and His purposes. How can the things you listed drive you to a deeper understanding of God and His work?

How can your group support someone who is struggling with why God allowed an injustice to occur in their lives? Identify truths from this study you could share with someone who struggles with perceived injustices.

PRAYER JOURNAL