Intro to Habakkuk

Droplet from Acts 
30 He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.
Acts 28:31-32

I love how the book of Acts ends! We read of Paul under house arrest, but even still he is able to continue his ministry and to proclaim the Gospel with boldness and without hindrance. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to proclaim Christ without fear of persecution. So, for those of us in America (and other places), let us thank God that He has ordained in his infinite wisdom to allow us to live in a time and place such as this where we do have the liberty to preach the Gospel without hindrance. This means three things: 1) We must be about the business of God. We should be preaching the Gospel to those in our spheres of influence as God has placed us here for such purposes. And 2) we must not forget to thank Him for His mercy and grace. And 3) let us not forget to pray for those who are facing great persecution for being a Christ follower. Pray not for the suffering to stop, but that they will be bold in their witness, for the hearts of the people and oppressors to be softened, and that God will be glorified by them.
Intro to Habakkuk
“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.” 
Habakkuk 2:4 

If I learned anything from my marketing class, it is that product placement matters (Location, Location, Location). Based on where certain products are stocked on the shelves in grocery stores indicate, in general, which products are the most popular or paid the most for prime shelf placement. Although Habakkuk (Yep, I had to check the spelling on this one) is probably one of the most unique and interesting books in the Bible, it has poor placement. Because of its brevity, placement in most Bible in a Year plans, and lack of expositional preaching from the pulpit, it has one of the lowest readerships in the Bible. What makes it so interesting is that Habakkuk is allowed to have a sort of Q&A with God about questions that I am sure we, at one point in our lives, have wanted to ask Him. Questions such as: Why do the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer? Or how can God use evil people/nations in order to accomplish His purposes?

God answers these two questions in chapters one and two of the book, and they remind us that God is just and that He is sovereign. And His sovereignty is exercised in His creation, sometimes through the use of wicked nations. This book is written during a time when the Chaldeans, sometimes called Babylonians, were growing in power and influence in the region and threatening to overcome the Assyrians. The Israelites had been under Assyrian captivity and the hope that they were eagerly expecting was to be liberated and free people. But with the rise of the Babylonians, it seemed like they would come under another oppressive regime and never find the freedom they had longed for. And so, with all of these things happening around them, the people were wondering why is it that the evil seem to prosper and the righteous suffer.

The short answer is simply that God is sovereign and will be their salvation (3:18), but they needed to wait. How long? While there is no indication as to how long the people of God should wait for their deliverance, the message is clear; Trust God and live by faith. And this is very much the same message for us. Perhaps you are surrounded by evil and are scratching your head trying to figure out how all of the events will turn out for good. Habakkuk reminds us that although wicked prospers now, there will be an end to their prosperity. But in the midst of our trials, we need to truly seek Him, know Him, and obey Him. Rather than be discouraged, we should remind ourselves of the Gospel which has saved us and the plenteous promises that He has made for those who will trust in Him. It is not a time for fear, but a time of confidence. As Habakkuk tells us, “the righteous shall live by his faith” (2:4).

Grace and Peace,
Alex Galvez

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