Category Archives: Habakkuk

Posted in Habakkuk

Protecting Our Integrity

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Habakkuk 2:10 CEV

‘But you will bring shame on your family and ruin to yourself for what you did to others.’

Image by Peter Timmerhues from Pixabay [spacer height="20px"]

What a Horrible Verse for Today!

When I first read that verse, my reaction was, “What can I tell my readers that will encourage them, with a verse like that?” Then I remembered an incident that happened to my wife and me a short time ago. 

We were approached by a fellow Christian for a substantial loan to enable him to purchase an item for his business. Now, financially, we live from moment to moment. We don’t have money to lend out. Yet, strangely, we had just received a gift of money which was still in our bank account. We intended to put it away into savings until we needed it, which we knew would be in a short time.

Our initial reaction was, “No way! We need this money!” But then we remembered the words of Jesus.

“When people ask you for something, give it to them. When they want to borrow money, lend it to them.” (Matthew 5:42 CEV)

What did this say to us? After much discussion and prayer, we agreed to loan him the amount he required, trusting his promise that he would repay us by the end of the week.

Well, the end of the week arrived but no funds were forthcoming. A further week passed. Eventually, we had to contact him and subsequently his wife, asking him where the money was. By this time, we needed it.

Each time, we were assured it was on its way. He had our bank details, and the money would be there “tomorrow”. But, as we all know, tomorrow often never comes.

Finally, we sent him an email message stating that because he had not kept his promise, we needed to take the matter further. No reply. Then a friend took it to Social Media, and, suddenly, the money was repaid. No apology or explanation. But we got our money back.

As far as we were concerned, his integrity was severely damaged, his firm’s name brought into disrepute, and he brought shame to his wife. Even more serious, he brought damage to his Christian witness. It has also taught us a hard lesson. One we will not be repeating!

Failed Promises

  • Have you had a similar situation where someone made a promise which they did not fulfil? How did you deal with the situation?
  • How would you deal with a situation where a friend and colleague makes a sincere promise, only to renegue on it?

God declares, “But if you don’t keep your promise, you will sin against the LORD and be punished.” (Numbers 32:23 CEV)

“The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously.” (Psalm 37:21) Click To Tweet

Family Shame

We noted in the last study that there is such a thing as a lawful gain, where God brings comfort and encouragement to a family. We also saw how those who wrong others in their efforts to gain finances do far greater harm to their souls. Makes you think, doesn’t it? What harm did our friend do to his soul in the process of attempting to defraud us?

People who attempt to fraudulently deceive others and hope to get away with it, are fooling themselves. They are undermining their witness as Christians, and they disgrace themselves and their family.

  • Can you recall a situation where someone has brought shame to your family by their actions?
  • Have you forgiven them? What does God’s Word tell us to do?

“Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do.  ‘I’ll do the judging,’ says God. ‘I’ll take care of it.’ (Romans 12:19 MSG)

I have to admit, when we tried to get that money back, we were thinking of the finances we needed. We weren’t worried about the man’s soul, or the shame he was bringing upon his family.

But having done all we could to straighten things out, we could then leave it in God’s hands. He would deal with the offender.

The Roadblock of Shame

  • Can you think of other situations where the actions of one person have put others in a poor light?

The Bible Commentator, James Burton Coffman, has this to say:

“By riding rough-shod over weaker and less fortunate people, the Babylonians thought they were building their own security; but actually they were destroying it…. Sin always has a violent recoil impacting upon the sinner himself.”  (Commentary on Habakkuk 2:10. Coffman Commentaries on the Bible)

Not only does our sin affect ourselves and humiliate our family and others, but it most certainly harms our relationship with God.
The prophet, Isaiah, tells us,
“Your sins are the roadblock between you and your God. That’s why he doesn’t answer your prayers…..” (Isaiah 59:2 CEV)
That’s quite a thought, isn’t it? When we are faced with a time of unanswered prayer, it would be worth us searching our hearts. Have we done something to harm another, perhaps without intent?

Honesty Rewarded

Shame causing harm to our relationship with others as well as with God is the bad news. But there is also good news through God’s amazing grace:
“I, the LORD, invite you to come and talk it over. Your sins are scarlet red, but they will be whiter than snow or wool.” (Isaiah 1:18 CEV)  
God invites us to be open and honest with Him. And He rewards our honesty and true repentance.
“But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing.” (1 John 1:9 GNB)

Setting the Record Straight

Let’s forget other people’s sins for now. How about us? Is there some unconfessed sin that is marring our fellowship with God?
If you realise there is a problem, don’t waste time. Do all you can to put things right. Then be open and honest with God and seek his forgiveness.

P.S.

If you haven’t yet read the background to the prophecy, please do. It will benefit you throughout this series of studies.

Posted in Habakkuk

Building for the future

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Have you been in the building industry? Or have you become involved in helping the kids with a Lego construction kit at some timer?

Image by M W from Pixabay [spacer height="20px"]

A very popular gift for kids of all ages is a Lego construction kit. They vary from those for little children with large building blocks to the more intricate kits with smaller blocks and lego characters for much older kids.

I was recently given a miniature space rocket launch pad kit with intricate lego blocks. It proved very difficult for even me, as an adult, to construct.

In our verse for this session, Habakkuk speaks about building one’s house.

Habakkuk 2:9 NIV

“Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, setting his nest on high to escape the clutches of ruin!”

Building for the Future

Our verse focuses on the preoccupation of building a security nest for the future. 

The New Living Translation puts our verse this way:

“What sorrow awaits you who build big houses with money gained dishonestly! You believe your wealth will buy security, putting your family’s nest beyond the reach of danger.”

Every house has a builder, but the Builder behind them all is God. (Hebrews 3:4 MSG) Click To Tweet

Building the Family Nest

“Putting your family’s nest beyond the reach of danger” brings to mind a picture of an eagle building its nest high and secure on a rocky cliff face. It chooses a high place where its young are safe from trouble and harm.

Image by Mier Chen from Pixabay

Our text verse introduces us to the second focus of God’s condemnation of the Babylonians.

A few weeks ago, we saw the first condemnation to be that of extortion – taking what isn’t ours (Verse 6). Today we see how God denounces their covetousness.

God’s condemnation of Judah’s enemies is related to the way they gained their wealth.

“How terrible it will be for the Babylonians! They build their kingdom with money they gained by cheating others.

They have tried to make the kingdom as secure as possible. After all, they did not want to be destroyed.” (Verse 9 NIrV) 

Covetousness is Not All bad

Covetousness is generally regarded as a bad habit. However, see the Apostle Paul’s command in 1 Corinthians 12:31.

“covet earnestly the best gifts.” (1Corinthians:12:31 KJV)

Paul gives us this exhortation after teaching on the nine manifestation gifts of the Holy Spirit.

“The Spirit gives one person a message full of wisdom, while to another person the same Spirit gives a message full of knowledge. One and the same Spirit gives faith to one person, while to another person he gives the power to heal.

The Spirit gives one person the power to work miracles; to another, the gift of speaking God’s message; and to yet another, the ability to tell the difference between gifts that come from the Spirit and those that do not. To one person he gives the ability to speak in strange tongues, and to another he gives the ability to explain what is said.

But it is one and the same Spirit who does all this; as he wishes, he gives a different gift to each person. (1 Corintians 12: 8-11 GNB)

Safe and Secure

In an effort to protect themselves from any retaliation from their enemies, the Babylonians tried to make their cities impregnable and inaccessible to the enemy (Isa. 14:13-14). They sought protection, not in their Creator, but in the creature. Not in moral means, but in material resources.

  • Think for a moment. Are you overprotective of what belongs to you?
  • Can you think of one thing someone else possesses that you wish you had?

Fruits of Covetousness.

Covetousness of material things introduces anxiety and a sense of unease into a family. If you pander to your greed, you will bring trouble to your family. It can also bring God’s plague upon all the family affairs.

  • What do you think this really means?
  • According to our verse, what is God’s judgment upon those who treat others unfairly to bolster their own security?

Our verse uses the word ‘woe’ Other versions state ‘doomed’. In other words, God states they are doomed to lose the very security they hoped to gain.

Like the Babylonians, nations have always acted, and indeed are still acting, foolishly. They trust their weaponry, armies, and their navies, instead of the righteousness and truth of God.

Our True Focus

  • What is the Lord’s judgement on those who benefit from fraud and injustice?

Gains achieved through fraud and injustice, bring nothing but poverty and ruin upon a family.

But there is also lawful gain. This brings the blessing of God and a sense of security to the family.

Over the years, the Lord has often used the following verse in my life. 

“…first be concerned about God’s kingdom and his righteousness, and all of these things will be provided for you as well.” (Matthew 6:33 ISV)

Foolish Building

Jesus used the following illustration to illustrate the need to count the cost before engaging in a major project.

“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. What is the first thing you will do? Won’t you sit down and figure out how much it will cost and if you have enough money to pay for it?  

Otherwise, you will start building the tower, but not be able to finish. Then everyone who sees what is happening will laugh at you. They will say, “You started building, but could not finish the job.”(Luke 14:28-30  CEV)

There have been a number of occasions that I have seen examples of this very thing that Jesus spoke about. I have seen buildings started but never completed. Sadly, in our country, and I imagine in plenty others, numerous projects remain incomplete because the allocated funds have been misappropriated.

May the following words of a great leader be an inspiration to you.

“It is so easy to break down and destroy. The heroes are those who make peace and build.” Nelson Mandela 

Building Materials

No matter who we may be, we are nonetheless building for the future. The question is what is our foundation and what building materials are we using?
In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul points out that we are God’s building (verse 9). That Christ is our foundation (verse 11). And upon that foundation, we are either building with solid enduring materials (gold silver and precious stones) or with materials that have no intrinsic value whatsoever (wood, hay and straw)(verse 12).
As Eugene Peterson puts it in The Message,
“Take particular care in picking out your building materials.” (Verse 12)
The foundation to your faith is secure (Jesus Christ). But are you building upon that foundation a life that honours the Lord? Decide what material you can use today to build a life that brings glory to God, then go and put it into practice.
P.S.

If you haven’t yet read the background to the prophecy, please do. It will benefit you throughout this series of studies.

Posted in Habakkuk

Promises! Promises! Promises!

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In the Peanuts cartoon series we often find Linus clutching onto his blanket which seems to give him the promise of security. And we laugh.

And yet? Don’t we all desire to have a sense of security? When things get out of hand we naturally yearn for whatever it will take to restore that sense of security.

Where Is Our Security?

When people make promises to us, we trust them to fulfil them. When we bank our money with a guaranteed interest rate, don’t we anticipate the money to grow by the promised rate? We place our security in our finances.

In the book of Habakkuk, we see the Babylonians receiving a stern warning. Their sense of security would soon be undermined.

“Indeed, how long before your victims wake up, stand up and make you the victim?” (Habakkuk 2:7 The Message)

Habakkuk 2:8 NIV puts it this way:

‘Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you. For you have shed human blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.’

They had made many wrong decisions. They had shed innocent blood. And God made them a promise. He would remove their security. Those they had wrongly treated, would rise up against them.

Our Search for Security

  • What are some of the areas that people concentrate on today to gain a sense of security? 
  • What do you think God would say about them? Are they sound investments in His sight?

For many, the source of their security is a healthy bank balance and investments. Consequently, people think that the wealth they have so carefully saved up will protect them in tough times.

Banks have promised. And they will deliver.

People may also trust in the promise of a safe and secure future ‘guaranteed’ by the ruling government.

  • How often does that work out?

People believe those who make solemn promises. We want to believe them,

Retirement Nest Egg

During our working years, most of us seek to ensure that we will have an adequate pension to live off when the day comes. We rely on the promised inflation rate to provide good dividends.

But in actual fact, despite all our efforts to provide a nest egg for our future retirement years, it doesn’t always work out as we planned. The interest promised in our policies may remain the same. But they are insufficient.

Most pensioners today are finding their retirement annuities, their pensions, their savings, do not live up to the promise of former years. These are due to 

  • the increased cost of living
  • fluctuations in the economy
  • unexpected health problems
  • the COVID-19 pandemic
  • and so many other factors

These combine to eat away at our capital investments. Money doesn’t go as far as we anticipated in our younger days.

The Apostle Paul’s advice to the young pastor Timothy is truly relevant for us today.

“Warn the rich people of this world not to be proud or to trust in wealth that is easily lost.Tell them to have faith in God, who is rich and blesses us with everything we need to enjoy life.” (1 Timothy 6:17 CEV)

Lack of Security

In the previous study, we looked at the chaos caused by the plunder of a number of malls and factories in South Africa. There was certainly a lack of security when the looting took place. Why?

The public placed their trust in the security personnel. The security forces were caught napping. In other words, they failed to keep their promises of maintaining control.

False Security

The Babylonians plundered the nations that they attacked. Furthermore, they destroyed lands and cities and they shed the blood of their victims.

Those who profit at the cost of others think they are secure, but God says they will be judged. Click To Tweet

The Babylonians were secure in their confidence that in their strength and ability they could overcome any enemy. But God warned them, “the peoples who are left will plunder you.“

As a result of them gaining their wealth through bloodshed and destruction, God’s judgment was, “Now those who survived will be as cruel to you.”(Verse 8b CEV) 

Misuse and Abuse

  • How are God-given resources misused or abused today?
  • What other ways could we use the resources available to us? Can you name a few?

In some ways, the world has really changed very little since Habakkuk’s day. We only need to watch the TV or read the news to see the comparisons.

For instance, across the globe, we hear of fraud, embezzlement, corruption, and misappropriation of funds designated for others. Rape, bloodshed, violence, gang warfare, it’s still all happening.

Even more perplexing is how, the world over, the perpetrators seem to avoid justice.

Payback is Certain

Yet God’s Word endorses the fact that there will be a payback time for all evildoers.“…be sure your sin will find you out.” (Numbers 32:23b KJV) How often do you hear these words quoted?

And yet—when you take these words in the context of the chapter, they were not a warning against sin at all. They were a warning of the consequences of failure to keep a promise made to God.

Keeping Promises

En route for the Promised Land, the children of Israel conquered several nations on the eastern side of the Jordan River. At the point that they were about to cross over the Jordan into the Promised Land (Palestine)  two and a half of Israel’s twelve tribes requested permission to settle on the eastern side, in the territories they had recently conquered.

They received permission on one condition. They had to join the other tribes in the conquest of Palestine. Once achieved they could then return to the eastern territories.

The tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh agreed to this condition. Moses then issued this warning, “…if you do not keep your promise, I warn you that you will be sinning against the LORD.Make no mistake about it; you will be punished for your sin.” (Numbers 32:23 GNB)

Or as the KJV put it, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” 

Personal Promises

I’m sure that all of us without exception have made at least one, more likely many, promises in our lives.

We probably made a few light-hearted promises in our childhood with little intention of following through. However, as adults, the significance of a promise became more important.

  • Did you make a promise to God at your confirmation or baptism?
  • If you are married what promises did you make before God at your marriage ceremony?
  • Have you promised to raise your children by providing a godly example?
  • If you are a church leader, did you make a promise to be a faithful leader and continue to stay close to God?
  • If you have changed churches, did you promise to become involved and supportive of your new church’s mission statement?

Fulfilment

  • Which of the above have you failed to keep?
  • Do you need to seek forgiveness for those broken promises?
  • Who do you need to speak to? God? Or others as well?

The Babylonians would face God’s discipline for their plunder of conquered nations.

God would discipline the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh if they failed to fulfil their promise.

Our situation is no different. God expects us to fulfil the promises that we make. 

“Make your vows to the LORD your God and perform them.” (Psalm 76:11 ESV)

Are there people you have made promises to, which you have not kept? What can you do today in an attempt to rectify it? Decide to do it now!

P.S.

If you haven’t yet read the background to the prophecy, please do. It will benefit you throughout this series of studies.

Posted in Habakkuk

When Life Gets Out of Hand

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On July 9, 2021, uncontrolled rioting and looting broke out in Kwa Zulu Natal in South Africa.

This spread to Gauteng. For the next six days, things got out of hand. Chaos reigned.

Those few days of unrest cost the country in the region of 35 billion rands.

Image by Peter H from Pixabay[spacer height="20px"]

Rioting and Looting

Although the photo above is not of one of our ravaged factories or malls it nevertheless does give one a graphic picture of the extent of the devastation caused by the looters.

The appalling rioting and looting of those terrifying few days were focused on several major shopping malls and factories. The Government estimates 40,000 businesses were affected. Buildings were torched.

Millions of rands (dollars) were plundered. Shopping malls were left in states of complete devastation and many businesses will never recover. More than 200 people lost their lives and thousands are out of work.

Why Did It Get So Out of Hand?

That was the question everyone was asking. The truth is, the security agencies and police forces were unprepared for this totally unexpected looting spree. They were unable to handle the alarming volume of looters and criminals involved.

The State President had to call a state of emergency and enlist the military to assist the police in seeking to restore order.

In the light of all this, let’s now turn to our next verse of Habakkuk.

Habakkuk 2:7  GNB

‘But before you know it, you that have conquered others will be in debt yourselves and be forced to pay interest. Enemies will come and make you tremble. They will plunder you!

This could have applied to South Africa in July. It could also apply to numerous situations across our angry world right now. Switch on your television and look at the violence and criminality which is forming yet another pandemic for the 21st century to cope with. 

Why Does Law and Order Get So Out of Hand?

Surely for the same reasons. Either the law enforcement agencies are being caught off guard. Or, in some countries, they are behind the anarchy and breakdown of law and order.

Habakkuk has the same message for us all.

Before you know it ….they will plunder you.

The New International Readers Version of our text puts it this way, “Those who owe you money will suddenly rise up ….. So they will wake up and make you tremble with fear. Then they will take away everything you have.

Yet that verse tells us that those who steal will lose all that they have taken. They will lose rather than gain.

The Babylonians plundered the nations they conquered. But the Lord says, the nations will plunder Babylon in return. Babylon will lose everything because they had stolen from other nations.

No empire intoxicated with the red wine of power and the plunder of weaker races has yet lived long in this world. Mahatma Gandhi Click To Tweet

Accrued Interest

An examination of the various translations of our text verse reveals how God clothes His message in accountancy terms. He talks of debts, debtors, and interest on the outstanding debt. In no time at all, things get out of hand.

The Babylonians were the creditors having gained their wealth at the expense of the conquered nations. However, God’s warning is because they had deprived others of their livelihood, they would find themselves in debt. What’s more, they would have to pay back even more in the form of interest.

In Debt?

We have probably all experienced times of being in debt. Mortgages, rent, car installments, bank loans, home loans, doctor’s bills, chemist accounts, school fees …. The list seems endless. And the interest on unpaid debts and loans is generally exorbitant.

  • What have you found to be the most troublesome thing about being in debt?

Victims of Plunder

The Contemporary English Version renders our verse in this way, “But without warning, those you owe will demand payment. Then you will become a frightened victim.”

Shop owners and staff in those South African riots were certainly frightened. Yet whatever the looters were able to get away with has done them no good. Many have been arrested.

Others face huge fines. Their own neighbours have turned against them because the goods they gained were at the expense of others who were trying to make an honest living.

You may not have ever taken part in riots or looting, but is there any area in your life that threatens to get out of hand?

  • Honestly consider, is someone a victim because you have gained materially? 
  • Have you perhaps borrowed something which you failed to return?
  • Do you recall a time when you were doing a cleanup and discovered an item belonging to someone else and you don’t know whose it is or when you acquired it? (Disclaimer! Guilty! On more than one occasion, my wife or I have been packing for a move and we’ve stopped to ask, “Who does this belong to? It’s not ours!”

It happens so easily, doesn’t it? I like this verse from Proverbs:

“Ill-gotten gain gets you nowhere; an honest life is immortal.” (Proverbs 10:2 The Message)

Let’s decide today to avoid profiting at anyone else’s expense. Take care not to let any of your daily practices get out of hand. Then look at the end of that verse. “An honest life is immortal.” Now that, to me, is worth remembering.

Think for a moment. What can you do or pass on to someone today that will show you to be honest?  

P.S.

If you haven’t yet read the background to the prophecy, please do. It will benefit you throughout this series of studies.

Posted in Habakkuk

Laugh and the world laughs with you

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Number 30 – If you are following the series.

LAUGH ALONG WITH THE WORLD

The words, “Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone,” are attributed to Ella Wheeler Wilcox.

With the amount of stress we encounter in life, particularly under lockdown restrictions, it is good to have a hearty laugh at times. Click To Tweet

There was a preacher who fell in the ocean miles from land. When a boat came by, the captain yelled, “Do you need help, sir?” Calmly the preacher said “No, God will save me.”

A little later, another boat came by and a fisherman asked, “Hey, do you need help?” Again the the preacher replied, “No, God will save me.”

Eventually the preacher drowned and went to heaven.

The preacher asked God, “Why didn’t you save me?”

God replied, “I sent two boats to save you!”

Funny? In a way. But, isn’t it also true? We ask God for help, and when it arrives, we look for further help.

Photo by Helena Lopes from Pexels

Habakkuk 2:6 NIrV

“Won’t those people laugh at the Babylonians? Won’t they make fun of them? They will say to them, ‘How terrible it will be for you who pile up stolen goods! You get rich by cheating others. How long will that go on?'”

While it’s good to have a laugh,  it is not good to be laughed at. Would you agree?

EXTORTION 

  • Do you recall an occasion when you entered a room and you felt that everyone was laughing at you behind your back? Why did you feel that way?
  • Can you think of an occasion when you did or said something really foolish which caused everyone to laugh at you?

In verse 5, the Babylonians are likened to a drunkard who does foolish things. Here, in this verse, they are scorned with laughter due to their tendency to stockpile goods stolen from the nations that they conquered.

The prophet’s bitter vocal attack against the Babylonians in verses 6-20 takes the form of five woes, covering five different types of evildoing.

The first woe which God pin-pointed is that of extortion (Habakkuk 2:6-8).

THIEVES AND ROBBERS

“You take what isn’t yours.” (GNB) Thieves and robbers seem to be part and parcel of every era in history. History, as well as our daily news bulletins, tell of numerous occasions where people choose not to earn an honest day’s pay but rather deprive others of their hard-earned income.

There are also many who steal because they are unemployed and have no means of earning an income. But this verse is not about them.

Several versions of this passage have these or similar words,  ‘pile up stolen goods’. The Babylonians were not stealing from other nations to support their own people. The goods they stole were stockpiled just to make them feel good.

  • Are we guilty of stockpiling? Are you? Am I? Take a look in your cupboards. Are there perhaps items you are not likely to ever use? Clothing hanging in your wardrobe that you don’t wear?
  • How could these surplus items be channelled to those who would be better able to use them?

JESUS’ WARNING

Jesus warned His followers against another category of thieves and robbers.

“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber (John 10:1 NIV).

In the world, there are those who constantly bombard our lives with their ideas—false values and false standards of behaviour. Like the thieves and robbers that Jesus spoke about, they seek to rob us of the benefits of being enveloped in our shepherd’s loving care.

In the news media, there is a lot of talk about human rights: the right to go where we like, do as we like, live as we like, and decide on our own destiny. In actual fact, we do not have these rights! We belong to God.

We become like thieves and robbers when we ‘do our own thing’, going against God’s plans for our lives. By doing these things, we bring trouble upon ourselves and cause problems for others.

Everywhere people are being robbed, not only of material possessions, good health, peace, and security but also of the heavenly treasure, which is far more valuable.

LAUGHING AT THE BABYLONIANS

Our text states, “Won’t they make fun of them?” (NIrV) Won’t who make fun of them?

The Good News Bible and Eugene Peterson’s The Message provides us with the answer:

 “The conquered people will taunt their conquerors and show their scorn for them.” (GNB)

“Don’t give people like this a second thought. Soon the whole world will be taunting them.” (MSG)

  • Apart from the Babylonians, can you recall any other biblical examples of folk getting wealthy at the expense of others? 
  • Can you think of any present-day examples of this practice?

MODERN-DAY THIEVES AND ROBBERS

The Babylonians plundered nations for the purpose of making themselves rich. Sadly, human nature has not changed much down the centuries. The words, ‘the rich get richer and the poor get poorer’ sum up the worldwide greed of mankind.

  • Can you think of some examples of this?

A recent example of this sin of stealing from others in order to gain for oneself was clearly seen in our country during the lockdown period brought on by the Corona-19 virus. Numerous groups undertook the task of making up food parcels for the underprivileged, who were severely affected by the lockdown. Often these food parcels were claimed by persons in authority and were not passed on to those for whom they were intended. Similarly, funds were made available for those whose income was drastically affected by the lockdowns, however, on many occasions, those funds did not reach those they were meant to assist. 

We are inclined to think of stealing as breaking into someone’s house or perhaps robbing a bank. Where that may not be true of you, is there some other area where you are guilty of stealing in some way?

We are guilty of stealing whenever we cheat others out of what is rightfully theirs or acquire something that is not rightfully ours.

God’s warning to the people of Jeremiah’s day apply equally to us if we have cheated others in some way.

“You cheated others, but everything you gained will fly away, like birds hatched from stolen eggs. Then you will discover what fools you are.” (Jeremiah 17:11 CEV)

In closing let’s get back to those unused items we have in our homes. Pray about them and ask the Lord to show you who to pass them on to.

P.S.

If you haven’t yet read the background to the prophecy, please do. It will benefit you throughout this series of studies.

Posted in Habakkuk

God said it. You’d better believe it.

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Habakkuk 2:4 GNB

“Those who are evil will not survive, but those who are righteous will live because they are faithful to God.’ “

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

.

  • Build a boat in the desert?
  • Kill the son I gave you in answer to prayer?

How much sense is there in either of these statements?

Yet God said it. And these men believed.

The writer to the Hebrews introduces us to several people whose lives were open to God.

Heroes who were faithful to God

Here in Habakkuk we read:

“those who are righteous will live because they are faithful to God.’

Or as .the Contemporary English Version puts it:

Only those who live by faith are acceptable to…” God

If we turn to Hebrews chapter 11, we can read a whole list of heroes of faith. These people had no real reason for believing what God had promised them. Their trust was based on the fact that God had said it, so they believed it. 

In Hebrews 11: 6 we read, “…without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and that he rewards everyone who searches for him.”

When you are committed to something, you accept no excuses. Ken Blanchard Click To Tweet

Let’s take a look at two of those heroes.

 Noah was faithful to God

“Because Noah had faith, he was warned about something that had not yet happened. He obeyed and built a boat that saved him and his family.” (Hebrews 11:7)

  • Just think about this instruction for a moment. Think about all this involved.

“So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.” (Genesis 6: 13-14 NIV) 

Living Faith 

Bear in mind that this boat (ark) was no small project.  It needed to be large enough to accommodate Noah, his wife, their three sons and their wives, plus a representation of every breed of animal. Robert Pollock, a retired minister has estimated that “it would take nearly one and a half football fields to equal the Ark’s length.“(approx 138 metres) . It was also to be three stories high (about 14 metres), and approximately 23 metres wide.

We don’t know whether Noah and his family had ever experienced rain before. Numerous rivers and regular dew provided sufficient water for their needs. However, when Noah was warned, “I’m about to flood the earth with water and destroy every living thing that breathes” (Genesis 6:17 ISV) this must have been a mind-blowing concept for his whole family to take in.

It’s also worth considering that many of the people whom God was planning to wipe off the face of the earth would have been relatives of Noah and his wife. 

Let’s give this more thought

  • If you were in this situation, and you’d heard that God was about to destroy most of mankind, would you keep quiet? Or would you try to convince those whom you love to get themselves right with God? If possible, would you try to figure out how to get them on board your already crowded ark?
  • Today, we face a global pandemic that threatens to wipe out mankind.  I don’t for a minute suggest God has sent this deadly pestilence on our world, although we don’t actually know that for sure. But God has, in His mercy, allowed scientists to develop a vaccine to counteract it. We’ve also been issued with many safety protocols to try and halt the spread of the lethal virus.
  • Every one of us living today faces an even surer threat to our safety. We will all one day die, not necessarily from Covid. 
  • What are you doing to try and get others into a position of safety? 

We read of how Noah and his sons started to build a sea-going vessel in the middle of a desert. Can you imagine the ridicule they must have received from their neighbours? 

  • What sort of tools do you think they used? Electricity was only brought into use in the 1800s. Have some fun thinking of the kind of instruments the Noah family may have used. 

According to Biblical research, it is estimated that it took 40 – 50 years at least to build that ark. (Robert Gibbs – 47 years Research and Application of Theocratic principles)

Another source claims, “The construction of the actual ark took Noah and his family about 76 years to build according to scripture.” (Dennis Cybulski – Bible student of 47 years)

All told this was a lengthy and extremely difficult project.

  • Think of some of the difficulties involved, apart from the lack of power tools. See how many other problems you can think of.

Abraham was also faithful to God

Another hero worth looking at is Abraham. His active faith is demonstrated by the way he was prepared to leave his home and extended family and travel to a foreign land . . . all because God said so. (Hebrews 11:8)

His faith is also seen in the way he believed God when he was told He was going to send him a son. Despite both he and Sarah, his wife, being elderly, God said they would have a son. So he believed it. (Hebrews 11:11,12)

The supreme test of Abraham’s faith came when he was told to sacrifice his son to God. (Hebrews 11:17)

  • List some of the reactions Abraham must have experienced when he heard this instruction.
  • How would you react if God told you to give up something which you know He gave you as an answer to prayer?

Abraham was obedient because he believed God. And somehow, God would work it out.

God had promised him that through this son he, Abraham, would become the father of many nations.

God had said it. So Abraham believed. (Genesis 22:8)

There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you are interested in doing something, you do it only when convenient. When you are committed to something, you accept no excuses. Ken Blanchard – The One Minute Manager

Living a life that is faithful to God

Living a life of faith is open to all who have put their trust in Jesus. It involves us living with the faith that God is true to His Word.

  • A question worth asking whenever we step out in a new direction is, Who wants us to do this? Is it our own selfish desire? Or our partner? Are we following our peers? Or has God told us to do it. If it is God who has said do it, we can be certain of its success. Even if we don’t understand how. 

God does not suggest we turn our backs on the world. To the contrary, He encourages us to obey governments, to consider our neighbours, to respect one another. But He does tell us to have a right outlook on the things of the world.

“those who are righteous will live because they are faithful to God.” Habakkuk 2:4

As we step out in faith we are able to live out the words of scripture in our day to day lives.

If God has said it—we can believe it.

“Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live.” (2 Timothy 3:16 CEV)

P.S.
If you haven’t yet read the background to the prophecy, please do. It will benefit you throughout this series of studies.

 

 

Posted in Habakkuk

The Dividing Line of Faith

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Habakkuk 2:4 CEV

“I, the LORD, refuse to accept anyone who is proud. Only those who live by faith are acceptable to me.”

Photo by Cameron Yartz from Pexels

Many years ago, I watched an episode in the TV series, “Touched by an angel.”

For those of you who have not watched this series, a team of angels comprising Tess, Monica, Andrew and sometimes Raphael, feature in the stories. In the film which I’m referring to, as I remember the story, this team of four were ministering to a group of girls at a camp. Each of the girls at camp was there because she was an AIDS victim.

Within the group, there were four close friends who couldn’t take the uncertainty of not knowing how much longer they had to live. So they entered into a pact to die together rather than await their deaths as a result of the disease.

On the night of their planned suicide, Raphael sang a lullaby. It turned out to be one familiar to one of the girls. Her mother used to sing it to her when she was a child. That girl decided at that point that she did not want to commit suicide.

Monica and Andrew then turned to the other three. They tried to get them to choose life rather than death.

The dividing faith line

Eventually, Monica drew a line between the angels and the girl that had drawn close to them, and the other three remaining girls. She pointed out that to remain on their side of the line meant death, but that if they stepped over the line to the angel’s side, they would live.

To remain on their side of the line would entail taking things into their own hands, out of line with God’s appointed time for their death. They would deprive themselves of the future that God had mapped out for them.

One by one the three girls stepped over the line and chose God’s will for their future.

The need to live by faith

In Habakkuk 2:4, the Lord makes it clear to Habakkuk. Only those who live by faith are acceptable to Him.

It is a hard lesson to understand, but if we do not put our faith in God, if we choose to stand on the other side of His dividing line, we are choosing death. Eternal death.

All the inhabitants of planet earth are divided into two groups. We are either standing on the side that follows the ways of the world, and reject God’s gift of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. Or we are on the side of God’s blessing, having put our faith in Jesus with the promise of eternal life.

Like those girls in the story, we ae given the opportunity to choose eternal life while we are still alive. Once we die, it is too late.

“…know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.”                             (Galatians 2:16)

We can base the meaning of life on what the politicians, poets, philosophers, and scientists promise us. Or we can base life on what God tells us in His Word, the need to live by faith. These are the only two choices open to us.

God tells us, “..the righteous will live by his faith.” Not “may live”; “can live” or even “should live” but “will live.”
Our relationship with God is based on faith. This does not mean we ignore what the scientists and governments are telling us. But ultimately, our faith is in He who controls life and death.

We enjoy saving faith by putting our trust in Jesus as our Saviour and Lord.

What is Faith?

  • How would you define ‘faith’?

Faith is simply taking God at His Word and relying on it. But it involves believing what God says, and acting upon it, simply because He said it.

  • What really governs the direction that your life is taking right now?
  • Are you perhaps relying on the learning, skills and abilities that you have gained through the years? God would not have you ignoring all these things. After all, He made it possible for you to gain them. He gave you the intellect and abilities to make wise decisions. Anything less than that will not bring honour to God. But do you continue to ask Him before making decisions? Do you step out in faith, to do what you believe is His will for your life.

What really matters is not what the world has to offer, but living out our lives according to the principles that God has outlined for us in His Word.

What he thinks is what he really is. Proverbs 23:7b Good News Bible Click To Tweet

Stepping out in faith

  • Do you need to step over the dividing line from the world’s side to God’s side?

The process is as simple as ABC:

ACCEPT that you are a sinner – “All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.” (Romans 3:23 CEV)

BELIEVE that God sent His Son into this world to rescue you from the punishment of sin – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 NIV)  Jesus made this astounding claim – “I am the way, the truth, and the life! Without me, no one can go to the Father.” (John 14:6 CEV)

CONFESS  that your life has not been committed to Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord. Ask for His forgiveness: “…if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away.” (1 John 1:9 CEV)

DEDICATE the rest of your life to God as your Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord and to the Holy Spirit as your teacher, guide and the one who gives you power over our enemy the devil. Jesus said, “Anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He will not be found guilty. He has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24 NIrV)

If you’d like to chat about crossing the dividing line, I’d love to write to you and pray with you. Email me on this address, and I’ll get back to you.

Let the wonderful kindness and the understanding that come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help you to keep on growing. (2 Peter 3:18 CEV)

P.S.

If you haven’t yet read the background to the prophecy, please do. It will benefit you throughout this series of studies.

 

Posted in Habakkuk

God’s Time – never too early, never too late

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Habakkuk 2:3 CEV

‘At the time I have decided, my words will come true. You can trust what I say about the future. It may take a long time, but keep on waiting—it will happen!’

We are living in an age in which perfect timing is of the essence. God’s perfect timing is the basis of our verse.

In His time

The New International Version puts the first part of the verse in this way, “For the revelation awaits an appointed time.”

Although God gave Habakkuk the message it was not for that immediate time.

The message for Habakkuk was a specific message for a particular time in world history. A specific future time when the fall of Babylon would take place.

That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.
(Daniel 5:30-31 NIV)

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Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

Two things were definite about God’s plans for the future:

His plans would take place at exactly the right time.
And they would definitely take place.

  • Look again at the verse. What do you notice about God’s comment?
  • Did you notice that God does not scold Habakkuk for his complaints? Nor is He annoyed about His questions. God actually explains that sometimes the answers to our prayers do not necessarily come to pass immediately.

At the right time

  • Have you perhaps prayed to God about a particular issue, but the answer only came much later? Did you perhaps realise that the timing of the answer was perfect?
  • Do you remember a time when you believed God was actually telling you something, and at the time you did not understand what He meant?
    • Perhaps you waited in anticipation of an immediate explanation. A day. a week, a month, a year passed without receiving the answer. Just at the point that you were about to give up the answer came and God’s timing was perfect. 

In the early days of my life as a committed Christian, I received a dream of a sunken chapel. I don’t usually pay much attention to my dreams. I don’t remember them beyond a few minutes after waking up. However, I strongly believed that in some way that dream was a message from the Lord.

Years later, I attended a Renewal Conference of our denomination in Kwa-Zulu Natal. As it was my first attendance at that particular conference centre I was shown around the centre by one of my colleagues. He asked me ‘Rob have you seen the chapel?’ Immediately, within my spirit, I knew what I was about to see. Sure enough, it was the sunken chapel of my dream.

What then was the significance of the dream?

I had been going through a time of questioning whether I was meant to be in the Presbyterian Church ministry at all. What I learnt at that Renewal Conference brought about a transformation in my whole approach to the pastoral ministry and the focus of my preaching. Because of that dream, years earlier, I knew something significant was about to occur.

God’s appointed time

The vision Habakkuk received was for God’s appointed time. When God makes a promise, we can count on Him to carry out His promise when the time is right.

Wise King Solomon provided this reminder:

“Everything on earth has its own time and its own season.”

There is a time for birth and death, planting and reaping,
for killing and healing, destroying and building,
for crying and laughing, weeping and dancing,
for throwing stones and gathering stones, embracing and parting.
There is a time for finding and losing, keeping and giving,
for tearing and sewing, listening and speaking.
There is also a time for love and hate, for war and peace
(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 CEV)

Wait for the right time

God has his perfect timing. Habakkuk “was to patiently wait on the answers to come.”

This is where you and I have a problem. We are living in an age of instant answers. Instant coffee. Made-in-a-minute soup. Electronic banking. We expect things to happen immediately, in our timing. We find waiting to be frustrating. When we bring a need before the Lord in prayer, we expect an immediate answer. The Lord is the almighty God. All things are possible for Him. He could answer immediately. Yet for some unknown reason, He often chooses to delay His response.

The prophet Isaiah, like Habakkuk, knew what it is like to have to wait for God’s answer. He provides us with these encouraging words,

“…they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31 ESV)

P.S.

If you haven’t yet read the background to the prophecy, please do. It will benefit you throughout this series of studies.