Have you ever found yourself trying to exit a parking lot, but when you reach the gate … it won’t go up. For some reason the gate won’t go up. So, there you sit … stuck … and waiting.
Habakkuk lived during the final waning days of the southern kingdom of Judah. Already, the northern kingdom of Israel had been conquered and carried away into captivity by the Assyrians. Their disobedience had resulted in consequences! But despite this, the southern kingdom of Judah did not repent. They kept right on continuing down the road of sin and wickedness.
What do you do when you love and follow God wholeheartedly, but your nation is traveling headlong down the road of sin and wickedness?
What do you do with your frustration? What do you do with the fear, knowing God’s judgment is imminent? What do you do when you feel helpless in the face of it all?
Habakkuk poured it all out to God in prayer. The book of Habakkuk is a personal prayer journal, giving us a glimpse into Habakkuk’s open & honest conversation with God. And God’s response in return.
Habakkuk’s prayer journal opens with Habakkuk wrestling with the questions:
– How long will you be silent God? (Habakkuk 1:2)
– Why do you allow such rampant sin to continue? (Habakkuk 1:3; Habakkuk 1:13)
– Something needs to be done! (Habakkuk 1:4)
– I’m confused God. (Habakkuk 1:15-17)
– I’m worried.
Habakkuk found himself sitting at a gate which would not go up … waiting.
Waiting … in the face of silence.
Waiting … in the face of all his questions.
It is so hard to wait when we see the world falling apart all around us and we know “something needs to be done!” God, are you going to do something about this??
There was nothing Habakkuk could do.
In Habakkuk 2:1, Habakkuk surrendered his waiting to God. So also, we too, like Habakkuk, must surrender our waiting to God.
In our background photo the gate is flooded with bright light. This could represent God’s presence with His prophet, as Habakkuk, in his personal prayer journal, is sitting stuck at the gate.
Our gaze travels beyond the gate to see that things are very dark out past the gate into the future.
Indeed, when God did reply to Habakkuk (Habakkuk chapter 2) … the future beyond the gate was a dark one! The Babylonians would invade. They would conquer. (Habakkuk 1:5-6) It is very likely this invasion happened soon after Habakkuk recorded his prayer journal. Habakkuk would have to live through this. The “gate” would go up, and Habakkuk would proceed into that very dark future.
How did Habakkuk respond?
“LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. … in wrath remember mercy.” – Habakkuk 3:2
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” – Habakkuk 3:17-18
“The Sovereign LORD is my strength;” – Habakkuk 3:19
In the face of the darkest future, Habakkuk trusted God completely! Habakkuk’s prayer journal ends with a song of praise to God! (Habakkuk chapter 3) Habakkuk clings to God’s character of mercy! Habakkuk clings to God’s all-powerful sovereignty!
The book of Habakkuk is about Faith! Habakkuk’s prayer journal shows us what faith-in-action looks like. Faith wrestles with real questions. Faith has its share of worry and fear. But in the end, Faith rests! Faith rests in the all-powerful sovereignty of God!
Jesus Christ in Habakkuk
Those who have been made righteous in Christ will “live by faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:35-38)
The future glorious kingdom of Jesus is prophesied in Habakkuk 2:14 – “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”
