Oct 27 Habakkuk 1, Habakkuk 2, Habakkuk 3:1-19 Titus 2 Proverbs 26:3-12

Hab 1:2

O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save?

This book is different to many of the other prophets. He’s not preaching to Israel or warning them of judgement. Actually, Habakuk is crying out to God. He sees the injustice in the his nation, he sees the violence and he is asking God “Why”?

I’m sure that is something you can relate to – when you look at the world and see all that is not right, we often ask why. We know that God is a God of justice, yet we see so much injustice in the world.

He doesn’t like God’s first response… and that involves the exile in Babylon. To Habakuk that is even worse.

But it’s important to see, God uses Babylon but He is not aligned with them. He doesn’t agree with them or endorse their behaviour. And He did judge them. God didn’t make Babylon the unrighteous nation that it was, and they fully deserved their judgement.

And in that, there is also a warning to future generations. When a nation thrives on injustice, even if they don’t believe – God will judge them. God will deal with evil.

Ultimately the prophecies in this book are still to be fulfilled. And they still speak to us today, in this injustice and ungodly world. That’s why God told Habakuk to write the vision down, on stone, make it plain… so that it might survive. So that even we, today can read it.

In chapter 2 verses 2 and 3 it says: 

“For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end-it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.”

That is still true now. If the world looks unjust – it the nations seem to enjoy their sin with no consequence – if bad people seem to keep on getting worse, remember that the vision will come. It surely will. God will deal with evil in the world. You don’t have to worry – He will judge.

And there is coming a day that this world WILL be different. When, at it says in chapter 2 verse 14: “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”

What a day that will be!!

Prov 26:11-12

Like a dog that returns to his vomit

is a fool who repeats his folly.

Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?

There is more hope for a fool than for him.

It’s a very well known pass, verse 11. The image of a dog returning to its vomit is very vivid. We understand it’s meaning very well – going back to sin and mistakes seems senseless, but people keep on doing it. But pairing it up with the verse following it, makes an interesting read.

We know that a fool going back to sin is a bad thing. But that fool has more hope than someone who thinks they are clever. There’s more hope for a fool than something who thinks they’ve got it worked out.

The fool retuning to folly knows they’ve done wrong. There’s hope there, because there will be a desire for change. But the self righteous person is not looking to change… and that is a dangerous thing indeed.