Habakkuk Review

Subtitle

"The Doubting Thomas of the OT"

Habakkuk 2:4

"The righteous shall live by faith" (the theme of Romans)

Theodicy

the theological question that tries to connect belief in God's justice with the reality that sometimes good people suffer unjustly and die

What two key themes that run throughout the book of Habakkuk

God is sovereign, God is omnipotent

Babylon

God told Habakkuk that ___________would be His chastening rod against Judah.

God will judge the wicked:

Habakkuk anticipates and receives God's answer: --God will judge the wicked and correct all injustices according to His 'appointed time', not according to ours --The man of God is told to: '...write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time...though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come...' --The answer to many of our questions is that God will bring about justice, end our suffering, and answer our prayers, but on His schedule, not ours!

Background

Habakkuk prophesied to the sole surviving kingdom of Judah during the death throes of a nation.

How can God use the wicked?

Habakkuk's faith in the Everlasting God: --Habakkuk first proclaims his faith in the everlasting covenant of his Everlasting God, declaring that Israel will not be annihilated, but that Babylon is merely God's tool to discipline (not destroy) Israel for her sin.

Who is Jesus in the book of Habakkuk? (Hint: Choose three answers)

Holy one Coming King Savior

The main question of Habakkuk is __________________.

How can the wicked go unpunished?

Where is the message of the book Habakkuk found?

In God's response

Habakkuk is contemporary of which prophet?

Jeremiah

TRUE or FALSE: The major event which looms in the background of Habakkuk is recent the destruction of Jerusalem.

False

The book of Habakkuk details a conversation between Habakkuk and _______.

God

What are the two key questions that Habakkuk asks God.

Why does evil go unpunished How can a loving God allow the wicked Babylonians to punish Judah, a less wicked people

Habakkuk

One who embraces

Perhaps the central truth in the book of Habakkuk is this:

God will punish human sinfulness

Author

Habakkuk (embrace) Habakkuk was the final prophet called to the Southern Kingdom before its fall to Babylon He was not only a prophet, but also a Levitical chorister in the Temple Choir.

TRUE or FALSE: Like Job, Habakkuk receives no answers from his questions.

False

Main content

"THE SIGNS, THE CRIES, AND THE WHYS, AS UTTERED BY THE DOUBTING THOMAS OF THE OT! --It is a book of deepest doubt, centered around 2 painful problems 1. How could God allow the sins of Israel to go unpunished? (God then tells him Judah would indeed be punished by the Babylonians) 2. How then, he asks, could God justify allowing a godless nation to punish Judah, which at least believed in God and had some good men left? --Habakkuk looks around at the sin of his nation and the cruelty of wicked oppressors and asks the age-old question: Why does God allow the righteous to suffer and sinners to prosper? (God answers these questions with His Justice, His Timing, and His Glory)

In the present Sovereign Reign, God is the Omnipotent Ruler on the Throne and the earth must be silent before Him:

--'FOR HABAKKUK, the message was clear. Stop complaining! Stop doubting! God is not indifferent to sin. He is not insensitive to suffering. ...He is in control. In His perfect time, Yahweh will accomplish His divine purpose. Habakkuk was to stand in humble silence. --FOR US the message is just as clear. There is a time to silence our questions and trust our God.

TRUE or FALSE: Habakkuk is identified as a priest in the order of Zodak.

False

The STRENGTH of Habakkuk

The presence of God gives us the strength to stand in the midst of the Valley or up0on the mountain top! --'The LORD God is my strength, and He will make my feet like hind''s feet, and He will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.' (Hab 3:19)

Habakkuk views God's justice on a _____________ level

National

Habakkuk's great questions to God

Note that Habakkuk dared to ASK THE QUESTIONS WE ALL WISH TO ASK in a time of suffering or injustice: -Why does God allow suffering and injustice? -Why doesn't God hear my prayers? -Why doesn't God solve my problems? -Why does God allow the wicked to prosper? -Why does God allow the righteous to suffer? GOD WILL JUDGE ALL INJUSTICE -God has chosen to judge wicked men at the hand of wicked men.

The JOY of Habakkuk:

Once we have truly been in the presence of God, we can truly learn to have joy in the Lord in any circumstances! This is certainly one of the greatest passages of hope in the entire Bible! --'Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vies; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be not herd in the stalls; Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.' (Hab 3:17-18) --As was the case with Job, once we truly see God in His Glory, all of our questions are replaced with total trust in His power, His wisdom, and His love!

In Habakkuk 2:4, it says the "righteous will live by faith," who used this quote in the New Testament?

Paul

Habakkuk is organized around several__________________.

Questions

Importance and Distinctives

STYLE -In addition to being a prophet, Habakkuk was one of the Levitical Choristers (singers) and wrote in a style more akin to the poetical wisdom literature than the prophets -In fact, the final verse reveals this book was actually a song. Habakkuk sees one of the greatest manifestations of GOD"S GLORY in Scripture (Hab 3:1-16), thus turning his doubts into shouts. Habakkuk is the author of the great THEOLOGICAL DECLARATION, "The just shall live by his faith" (Hab 2:4), as quoted in Romans 1:17, Gal 3:11, and Heb 10:38 Habakkuk was the final prophet given to Judah before the Babylonian Captivity just as Micah (who ministered to both kingdoms) had been the final prophet given to Israel before the Assyrian Captivity

TRUE or FALSE: According to the book of Habakkuk, God is just in His dealings with the nations.

True

TRUE or FALSE: Habakkuk was concerned with the justice at the time when a wicked nation was prospering.

True

TRUE or FALSE: The book of Habakkuk. appears to have been written during Assyrian's decline in power.

True

TRUE or FALSE: There is a wisdom tone to Habakkuk's prophecy.

True

Key Word

Why? -Why is there so much oppression? -Why all the injustice? -Why do evil men prosper? -Why do the righteous suffer? -Why doesn't God do something? -Why? Why? Why? an ancient prophet, Habakkuk, cried out to God. -Why do you make me look at injustice? -Why do you tolerate wrong? -Why are you silent? -The ever-present WHY? is best answered by the everlasting WHO! Though the outlook may elicit terror, the uplook elicits trust

The Book of Habakkuk opens in gloom and closes in_________________

glory

what advantage do we have in Watching God interact with His people as they go through the trials of life?

it will help us understand how we can find hope in the midst of the troubles we face in life.

Habakkuk shows Christians that God should be _______ through the difficult seasons in life.

praised

A main instrument of God's judgment is __________________.

the Babylonians