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LESSON 1:
Difficult times were coming!
Habakkuk knew
that much for sure.
The Lord was
going to judge the land.
And in the great
closing chapter of Habakkuk's short prophecy we have a detailed
description of the Lord's Return to earth, with emphasis being
placed upon the fact of God's judging sin!
Listen:
"God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah.
His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his
praise."
And how did the
Lord appear? What did He look like?
"And his brightness was as the light; he had horns
coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of
his power. Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals
went forth at his feet."
And what did God
do?
"He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder
the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the
perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting."
Even nature,
God's creation, responded!
"The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the
overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice,
and lifted up his hands on high."
And doesn't this
sound like the "last days?"
"The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the
light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of
thy glittering spear."
What is God
doing?
"Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst
thresh the heathen in anger."
He is delivering
Israel and destroying her enemies!
"Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst
thresh the heathen in anger. Thou wentest forth for the
salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine
anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the
wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah."
Such fierce
divine judgment has frightened Habakkuk, of course.
Therefore ... the
godly Prophet resolves in advance how he is going to respond
when such a time comes.
Of course
Habakkuk has long since been dead and "with the Lord."
Jesus' Second
Coming had not yet occurred ... but it will some day!
Yet his
determination to do right ... even in hard times ... is just
beautiful!
Listen to him
again:
"When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice:
rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that
I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the
people, he will invade them with his troops."
Habakkuk 3:16
The verb "hear"
(in Hebrew = "shama") means to hear with interest and concern.
The accompanying
verb "trembled" (in Hebrew = "ragaz") means to become excited,
agitated, disquieted, troubled or even perturbed. He "shakes"
in response to what he's just seen!
And when his lips
"quivered"," a verb is used that also means "to tingle!"
"Rotteness" (in
Hebrew = "raqab") means decay! The word is used in Scripture to
describe an old worn-out garment, of the reputation of the
wicked, and of a disintegrated tree.
The noun "bones"
is used in the King James Bible once as "strength" and once as
"life" itself!
Then, for the
second time in this one verse, Habakkuk "trembles" again. Of
course "ragaz" is the verb repeated here.
But what does the
Prophet really want?
What is his
"goal" while this judgment is in view?
He says
"that I might rest in the day of trouble,
when He cometh up to the people."
This godly
Preacher wants rest and peace in a time of storm!
This verb, "nuach,"
means to settle down! To be made quiet!
A day of
"trouble" (in Hebrew = tzsarah") implies a time of affliction or
adversity or anguish or even tribulation! The "root" of this
word seems to mean a "narrow" or "tight" or "cramped place!"
This Habakkuk 3
scenario that I'm ascribing to the Second Coming of our Lord is
prefigured I think by the invasion of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar
about 40 years after Habakkuk wrote these words!
That helps to
explain the last words of the verse: "He will invade them with
his troops."
God used this
Babylonian King to invade and punish Judah for her sins!
Yet ... through
all the terror and sorrow and anguish ... Habakkuk wants so
desperately "to be quiet" and calm before the Lord God Almighty!
In times of
national distress or world-wide terror ... to be at peace!
How will he
prepare himself to do such a thing?
Well, come back
tomorrow and we shall see!
I do know this:
God can give such peace ... even in terrible times!
Praise His Name!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 2:
"What if?"
Often those two
words indicate the beginning of a season of worry!
"What if" ...
this happened, or that?
Habakkuk the
Prophet, immediately upon hearing that God's Hand of judgment
was about to strike his beloved nation Judah, began to ask
himself some questions.
"What if?"
One preacher
called Habakkuk 3:16-19 "A Psalm of Suppositions!"
Listen carefully
to the Prophet:
"Although the fig tree shall not blossom,
neither shall fruit be in the vines; 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
no herd in the stalls." Habakkuk 3:17
When God's wrath
falls ... when the enemies attack viciously ... when food
supplies become scarce ... when comforts have fled ... what will
I do?
Habakkuk imagines
the worst case situation and prepares himself for such
possibilities.
He is supposing
the very utmost of destruction!
The opening
particle "although" (in Hebrew = "kiy") is translated at times
in the King James Bible as "whether" or "until" and implies the
distinct possibility of such things occurring.
Habakkuk
reasons: If things get so bad during God's punishment of Judah
... if even the grapes fail on the vine and the cattle all die
... and all sorts of other bad things happen, what will I do?
Now this is
"risky" thinking!
Usually we are
taught that when fears or worries present themselves ... drive
them away! Fight them! Do not allow them entrance into your
mind! Reject them!
But here ...
Habakkuk seems to welcome them!
They are like
James' "trials" or tests" that often come into one's life!
"My brethren, count it all joy when ye
fall into divers temptations." James 1:2
Habakkuk seems to
"challenge" such dire conditions!
If the fig trees
all fail to bear fruit, what then?
If the grapes do
not grow ... no juice or sweet fruit to eat ... what will we do?
If the olive
trees all become barren ... no oil for light or cooking ... what
will happen?
If the farmers
all have bad years ... no crops ... including grain for bread
mind you ... will we all starve?
Even if the
cattle in the pastures all die ... or the younger ones still in
the stalls ... will we survive?
What if?
Suppose it gets
this bad?
This kind of
reasoning sounds almost like that of the Lord Jesus, Who is
prophesied to have said to His enemy (the devil) words like
these: "For the Lord GOD will help me;
therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my
face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. He
is near that justifieth me;
who will contend with
me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come
near to me. Behold, the Lord GOD will help me;
who is he that shall
condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth
shall eat them up."
Isaiah 50:7-9
Jesus trusted His
Father for Victory ... even at Calvary!
Habakkuk trusted
the very Same God for victory ... even at the time of Babylon's
horrific invasion of Judah!
Dear friends in
Christ, "what if" ... concerning America?
What if ... God
judges our land?
What if ... the
terrorists hit again?
What if ... the
dollar looses its value?
What if ... our
economy hits bottom?
What if ... bird
flu becomes pandemic?
What if ... fires
and earthquakes and hurricanes and tornadoes continue to
proliferate?
What if?
Maybe we
Christians, like the godly men and women of ages past, ought to
mentally and spiritually get ready for such possibilities!
But ... Preacher
Bagwell ... how should a real Believer react should these things
come?
That's what this
Habakkuk 3:16-19 paragraph is all about ... its very theme ...
its focus and lesson for us today!
The Prophet's
planned response is very carefully documented for us in the
next verse!
Which we shall
cover tomorrow, Lord willing!
I can hardly
wait!
"Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall
fruit be in the vines; 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 no herd in the
stalls: Yet I
will ...!"
Look at the last
three words in the Scripture above. If these things occur, "YET
I WILL DO THIS ...." says Habakkuk!
Now if our dear
Lord can help us through these kinds of events ... He is One
Great Heavenly
Father!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 3:
Habakkuk knew that hard times were
coming!
The Lord had told
him so.
The Prophet
wisely sought to prepare himself for those difficult days.
He even thought
of the things that could go wrong ... results of God's righteous
judgment upon the sins of the people of Judah.
Then ... Habakkuk
decided how he would respond when those things occurred. That
is ... if they occurred!
Here, in part, is
what the Man of God said: "Although the
fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be
in the vines; 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 no herd in the stalls ..."
Habakkuk 3:17
Look with me for
a minute at that list!
I believe things
are listed in a certain sequence!
I suspect that's
always true with the lists of the Bible ... because the Real
Author is God the Holy Spirit!
He does
everything decently and "in order!" 1st Corinthians 14:40
Habakkuk
includes:
1. The fig trees
might fail. The "sweets" of the Jewish diet then would be
eliminated! But one can live without sweets!
2. Then no
grapes, a harvest disaster! Now, no juice from the vine! But,
one could still drink water or milk!
3. Then the
olive trees do not bear their precious berries! There goes the
oil with which the Israelites cooked and burned in lamps to
light their homes! Things are getting worse by the minute!
4. Next, even the
"fields" yield no produce. Now, the grain and wheat and barley
are gone! No bread! This is getting critical! Folks could
starve!
5. Then,
disastrously, even the flocks perish. No meat! The sheep are
gone from the folds ... and the cattle from the stalls!
Can things get
much worse?
God judges sin!
But ... even with
things deteriorating so rapidly ...Habakkuk has already decided
his response!
Listen to him:
"Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my
salvation."
What, Preacher?
"Yet I will
rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation."
I shall call this
man a "minor" prophet never again!
What faith!
What resolve!
What strength!
He has prepared
himself in advance ... whatever comes his way ... He will
rejoice in God His Saviour!
For you see ...
if food and drink and other items of life disappear ... God is
still God!
He is eternal!
He is on the
Throne!
He is righteous
... which is why these calamities have come in the first place!
He is our
Redeemer.
And ... even if
we die in the crisis ahead ... we will be taken to Heaven
...where eternally we shall be with Him, our great God!
That's how
Habakkuk looked at things during his nation's crisis!
Let me say this
today.
If God is great
enough and big enough and mighty enough to help a man respond
like this to a series of disasters ... He must be almighty,
all-knowing, and everywhere present!
He must have
great comforting power!
He must be the
Giver of strength to His people!
Saved person
reading here today, we do not know what America faces inthe days
ahead either!
No doubt God will
judge our nation too!
How will we
respond?
We might all
learn some things from Habakkuk ... and his great resolve to
praise God ... no matter what!
Paul, is that
you?
What did you say?
"In every thing give thanks: for this is
the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1st
Thessalonians 5:18
Now that takes
Grace!
One thing God has
in immeasurable supply!
Amen!
Today, Tuesday,
November 22, 2006, that's been on my heart.
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 4:
The Prophet Habakkuk had decided
that whatever came his way ... his sincere response would be one
of praise to God!
Here's how he
expressed his determination: "Although the
fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be
in the vines; 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 no herd in the stalls: Yet I will
rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation."
Habakkuk 3:17-18
Now I've been
thinking, what if these things happened to us?
Would we be as
filled with praise as Habakkuk?
What things,
Preacher Bagwell?
Fig trees not
blossoming?
We could handle
that! We don't even have any fig trees!
Nor do we rely on
grape vines or olive oil or whole grains either!
And if lamb and
beef meat became scarce, there's always chicken and pork!
What's the
problem?
Well, I believe
that each of these items in Habakkuk's list could well represent
vital areas of our lives ... even in this post-modern age!
For example,
"figs," a major source of sugar to these ancient Hebrews could
symbolize the sweeter things of life. The pleasant experiences
and delightful times we've all enjoyed so much could one day
vanish!
When those hard
times come ... will we still praise the Lord?
The "grapes" and
their vines could represent our joy and happiness too. What if
God's judging Hand on our nation sapped us of the joy and
care-free living to which we have become so accustomed? No more
vacations or holidays! No more leisure-filled lifestyles.
Could we endure
these drastic changes ... and still praise God sincerely?
And the olives?
They, when pressed, produced oil for lamps. Lamps that provided
light for their homes at night! Oil was also applied to their
faces to make them brighter and appear lovelier in the sight of
others!
If we today were
to lose all electricity for weeks and weeks or maybe months and
months ... would we still praise God?
And what if folks
no longer had access to toiletries such as toothpaste or soap or
perfume (ladies) or after shave (men) or other such amenities?
These are comparable to the ancient olive oil that made their
faces more presentable!
Would our praise
to God still be heard?
And the fields
yielding no "meat" means that their grains no longer grew! No
wheat or barley for bread and nourishment!
These cereals,
especially wheat, were used by Jesus to typify Christians, real
Believers in Christ! Believers who are to bear fruit ... some
100-fold, others just 60-fold and some only 30 fold! (You
remember, the "wheat" and the "tares.")
But with no wheat
... the return is not 100-fold or 30-fold but 0-fold! No
fruit! No converts! No souls saved! For an extended time too!
What would we do,
Christians?
Could we still
praise the Lord?
Habakkuk could!
And no "flocks?"
No sheep? What cold that represent? Saved folks! The sheep
of His pasture! Members of His flock!
What would we do
if our Churches dwindled in size to nearly nobody? Would we
stay faithful?
Would we still
praise our Father in Heaven?
Do we attend
Church because of our friends and who are there ... or because
we love the Lord Jesus and praise His Name?
Some day we may
have to prove it.
And no beef? No
cattle? No "herd" in the stalls? Scripturally Paul twice
compared "oxen" to the Men of God, to Preachers of the Word,
Giants in the Faith! See 1st Corinthians 9:9 and 1st Timothy
5:18 --- "For the scripture saith, Thou
shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The
labourer is worthy of his reward."
What would we do
if the Men of God failed us? Became unfaithful! Turned away
from the Truth?
Would we stay
true to God, praising Him all the way to Heaven?
What "tests"
these are!
Yet the Prophet
Habakkuk had, with godly determination, set his course!
He would praise
God ... no matter what!
That's right!
No matter what
might come, the he is resolved: "Yet I
will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my
salvation."
Amen!
What faith!
And what a
challenge to each of us!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 5:
The resolve, the sheer determination
of Habakkuk is astounding!
This Preacher, a
Minor Prophet of the Old Testament, had strong faith!
His little Book
opens with an accusation against God? Lord, "why" have you not
answered my prayers? "O LORD, how long
shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto
thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!"
Habakkuk 1:2
Habakkuk wants
God to judge sin! To "correct" the evils in Judah!
The Lord tells
Habakkuk His plan: "For, lo, I raise up
the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march
through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces
that are not theirs. They are terrible and dreadful: their
judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves."
Habakkuk 1:6-7
Then it seems
that Habakkuk is even more upset!
Sure, Judah is
sinful ... but they are God's people!
How could God use
a filthy heathen nation like Babylon to "whip" and "chasten" the
Jews?
Listen to the
Prophet question God: "Thou art of purer
eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity:
wherefore lookest Thou upon them that deal treacherously, and
holdest Thy tongue when the wicked (the Babylonians) devoureth
the man (the Jews) that is more righteous than he?"
Habakkuk 1:13
Habakkuk's
dilemma deepens!
He decides that
the best thing to do is to climb a high tower ... enter into a
spirit of prayer ... and wait on God. "I
will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will
watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer
when I am reproved. And the LORD answered me, and said ...."
Habakkuk 2:1-2
Here's what the
Prophet learned by listening to God.
Judgment will
fall upon Judah! God-ordained judgment primarily executed by
the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnazzar.
Then ... judgment
will fall upon the Babylonians too! They also are wicked
Then some day ...
judgment will fall upon the whole earth! It too is sinful!
Until then,
"the
just shall live by his
faith." Habakkuk 2:4
The Lord God will
return to earth to prosecute that coming judgment, then ...
"the earth shall be filled with the
knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the
sea." Habakkuk 2:14
Now, knowing that
judgment is on the way, Habakkuk prepares for it!
He imagines all
the things that could go wrong ... and plans his response to
them!
Here are the
potential problems: Although "the fig tree shall
not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines;
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 no herd in the stalls!" Habakkuk 3:17
And here is
Habakkuk's planned response: "Yet I will
rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation."
Habakkuk 3:18
He will rejoice
in the Lord ... no matter what!
The opening verb
in verse 18 is "rejoice." In Hebrew that's spelled "alaz" and
means "to jump up and down in excitement and delight." In the
King James Bible it is used 16 times. Twice it is translated as
"triumph." The action of this verb is incomplete here. That
tells us that this joy was a constant thing with Habakkuk. Not
just a one-time event!
The first time
the verb is used in the Bible the enemy is rejoicing, the
Philistines! See 2nd Samuel 1:20.
The last time
it's used in in Zephaniah 3:14 where God's people rejoice!
"Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O
Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of
Jerusalem."
Sounds like we
get the last laugh!
And, believe it
or not, the second verb in our verse ("will joy") is in Hebrew "giyl"
and means "to spin round and round!" It's used 44 times in the
Bible. It's to be "glad" ten times and to "delight" once!
Also its first
Bible mention is 1st Chronicles 16:31 where the earth is
"spinning round and round!" Earth rejoicing? Yes! Why?
Because "the Lord reigneth!" Read it:
"Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men
say among the nations, The LORD reigneth."
The last
occurrence is in Zechariah 10:7 where a re-gathered Israel is
happy in the Lord! "And they of Ephraim
shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as
through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad;
their heart shall rejoice in the LORD."
Do notice that in
our verse today two Name for God are used!
"Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will
joy in the God of my salvation." Habakkuk 3:18
He is called both
"LORD" (that's Jehovah, His saving Name) and "God" (that's
Elohim, His creative and powerful Name)!
Habakkuk is
glorying in the God who is strong enough to deliver and save!
Mighty to save! That's a Bible expression ..."mighty to save!"
It is used by Isaiah in his description of the Lord's Second
Coming! "Who
is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah?
this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the
greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness,
mighty to save."
Isaiah 63:1
And notice how
the Prophet personalizes his salvation.
He calls it "my
salvation!"
Yet in Jonah 2:9
we are explicitly told: "Salvation is of
the LORD."
If salvation is
the Lord ... how did Habakkuk get it?
I would say ...
it was a Gift from God!
"The gift of God is eternal life through
Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23
And, by the way,
that noun for "salvation" is "yesha" in Hebrew. It's the root
for the Old Testament name "Joshua." His name means "one who
delivers" or "one who saves." Joshua is basically the same name
(same meaning too) as "Jesus" in the New Testament! Jesus who
"saves!"
Here in Habakkuk
3:18 we have nearly been told that our salvation is in our
Heavenly "Joshua," our Redeemer, Our Deliverer, Our Saviour, our
dear Lord Jesus Christ!
Amen!
I just might jump
and spin a bit myself ... thinking about Jesus and the great
salvation He offers!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 6:
The Prophet Habakkuk could really be
classified as a psalmist too!
In fact, the
closing paragraph of Habakkuk's short prophecy is one of the
loveliest psalms of praise in all the Word of God!
"Although the fig tree shall not blossom,
neither shall fruit be in the vines; 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
no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will
joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my
strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and
he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief
singer on my stringed instruments." (Habakkuk's last
three verses!)
That last verse
is our focus today. "The LORD God is
my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet,
and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief
singer on my stringed instruments."
The expression
about God being Habakkuk's strength is parallel to a number of
the Psalms.
I looked to see
just how many. Psalms 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 27, 29, 29, 37, 71,
78, 93, 96, 103, 105, 110, 118, 132, 140 and 144 all speak of
God's strength.
But the specific
Hebrew noun Habakkuk used, "chayil," is unusual. Of its 243
occurrences in Scripture, only 17 of them deal with strength.
But get this: 56 times the word is translated "army," 37 times
it's "man of valour," 29 times it's "host" as in the military,
and 14 times it's "forces."
Habakkuk just
told us that God is his Army, his Military, his Strength!
The word is also
used 10 times for "wealth!"
The Lord is
Habakkuk's Store of Riches or Substance too!
And what does God
do with His great Strength?
Using "chayil,"
the Lord invests us with His strength!
"For thou Lord hast girded me with strength unto the battle:
thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me."
Or again ... "It is God that girdeth me
with strength." Psalm 18:32,39
A "hind" is a
deer, a female deer. The word "ayalah" is used 8 times in
Scripture. Perhaps the female here is specifically indicated
because our Lord is seeking a bride (female) for Himself!
Hinds' feet are
very dependable and steady as they travel ... even on the jagged
rocks of the mountains of Israel, the "high places."
"High places" is
the Hebrew word "bamah." Often these locations were used for
worship purposes. The word's history is largely one of negative
connotations. The Canaanite "high places" of idolatry were to
be destroyed by the Israelites. A typical Bible use of the noun
is as follows: "Then ye shall drive out
all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all
their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite
pluck down all their high places." Numbers 33:52
But here's a good
use of the word. Look what God did for the Israelites:
"He made him ride on the high places of
the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and he
made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the
flinty rock." Deuteronomy 32:13
Again,
"Then shalt thou delight thyself in the
LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the
earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for
the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it." Isaiah
58:14
Notice this too:
2 Samuel 22:34 says: "He maketh my feet
like hinds' feet: and setteth me upon my high places."
Then Psalm 18:34 declares: "He
maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my
high places."
Have any of our
readers today ever been in one of those "high places" with the
Lord?
I sure have!
By now Habakkuk
is so excited that he wants these inspired words to be set to
music and sung publicly! The terms "stringed instruments" and
"chief musician" both prove that.
What a change
this little-known Prophet has made during the three short
chapters of his Book!
He began in
perplexity ... but ends in praise!
Probably the best
known verse in all of Habakkuk is "but
the just shall live by his
faith." Habakkuk 2:4b
Well, Habakkuk
has certainly taught us how!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 7:
Today let me
offer some summary thoughts concerning our Text.
Did you notice
all the times Habakkuk said "I" or "me," or "my" or "mine" in
this Psalm of Praise? The first person personal pronouns
literally abound in this Passage.
Let's count
them.
"Yet I
will rejoice in the LORD, I
will joy in the God of
my
salvation. 19 The LORD God is
my
strength, and he will make my
feet like hinds' feet, and he will make
me to
walk upon mine
high places. To the chief singer on
my
stringed instruments." Habakkuk 3:18-19
Eight times!
This is
personal to Habakkuk.
He knows Jesus
the Son of God!
And when the
Prophet speaks of God being his "strength," did you think of
Isaiah 40:29-32? "He giveth power to
the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth
strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the
young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the LORD
shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as
eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk,
and not faint."
Or Nehemiah
8:10? "Then he said unto them, Go
your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions
unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day
is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry;
for the joy of the LORD is your strength."
And back in
verse 16, when Habakkuk's body was quivering and his bones
became weak ... no doubt his leg bones were included! He
was so shaken he could hardly stand! He was fearful of the
coming judgment of God! "When I
heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice:
rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that
I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the
people, he will invade them with his troops." The
enemy was about to attack and defeat Judah! God allowed
this because of the rebellious sins of His people!
And there just
may be a little lesson in the olive tree clause in verse number
17. Habakkuk wondered what would happen if ... "the labour of
the olive shall fail." This is worded in an unusual way.
The Bible did not say the "fruit" of the olive (tree) or the
"produce" of it. No, it's the "labour" of the olive!
That word, "maaseh," means task or job or work! Here it is
work for the olive tree to produce its berries ... and maybe
quite a task for the berries to yield their juices also!
Now this
"olive" picture symbolizes the Holy Spirit of God! He IS
the Oil that enlightens us and warms us and feeds us the things
of God! (Olive oil was used in lamps to light homes,
burned in clay containers to warm homes and used as fuel for
cooking meals!)
But ... is it a
TASK to enjoy such fullness of the Holy Spirit?
Is there
literally a "labour" of the olive?
Yes, I believe
there is!
While God
willingly and abundantly fills His people with the Spirit of
Himself, it is not an "automatic" thing!
Being
"indwelt" of the Spirit is a trait of each Believer in Jesus.
This was so even with the carnal Corinthians! See 1st
Corinthians 6:19-20.
But being
FILLED is another issue altogether!
One must rid
his life of sin, not quenching or grieving the Holy Spirit, in
order to enjoy that fullness!
This type
of obedience and submission involves effort on our behalf!
It is work!
Salvation is a
free gift of God!
Godly Spirit
filled living is going to take some diligence!
Then, one more
thing, the way Habakkuk began verse 18 is significant. The
opening word "yet" is an adversative. It suggests an
opposing thought to that which precedes it.
Verse 17 ...
what if all these things go wrong?
Verse 18 ...
YET, still, however, but, on the other hand, Habakkuk will
praise the Lord!
May we do the
same!
Just some
"nuggets" from a little known Minor Prophet.
Lord willing,
more concluding thoughts on Habakkuk 3:16-19 tomorrow.
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 8:
The Psalm of
Habakkuk has similarities to the Psalm of Moses the man of God.
Habakkuk
begins with the possible curses that will come upon a nation
that forgets God.
"Although the fig
tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in
the vines; 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 no herd in the stalls."
Moses begins
his Song that way too!
"Moses therefore wrote this song the
same day, and taught it the children of Israel ... and Moses
spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of
this song, until they were ended ... He (God) is the Rock, his
work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth
and without iniquity, just and right is he. But ... they (the
Israelites) have corrupted themselves, they are a perverse and
crooked generation. Jeshurun (Israel) waxed fat, and
kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art
covered with fatness; then he forsook God which
made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.... And
God said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their
end shall be: for they are a very froward
generation, children in whom is no faith. I will heap
mischiefs upon them; I will spend mine arrows upon them.
They shall be burnt with hunger, and devoured with burning heat,
and with bitter destruction. I will also send the teeth of
beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust. The
sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young
man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray
hairs. I said, I would scatter them into corners, I would make
the remembrance of them to cease from among men ... to me (the
Lord) belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall
slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and
the things that shall come upon them make haste." I've
here compiled a few verses from Moses song, the first part of
it!
And just as
the two Psalms (Habakkuk's and Moses') begin the same ... so do
they end in harmony.
A harmony that
results from God's judgment falling ... and godly repentance
ensuing as a result!
Habakkuk
rejoices: "Yet I will rejoice in the
LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God
is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds'
feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To
the chief singer on my stringed instruments."
So does Moses:
"There
is none like unto the God of Jeshurun (Israel), who rideth upon
the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky.
The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the
everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before
thee; and shall say, Destroy them. Israel then shall dwell in
safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn
and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew. Happy art thou,
O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the
shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and
thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt
tread upon their high places."
Wow!
Folks,
Scripture is often built upon the sure foundation of previously
written Scripture!
Habakkuk,
knowingly or not, followed the exact paradigm Moses did.
Why?
They both were
following the divinely inspired lead of the Holy Spirit of God!
He, God, wrote
the Bible!
No wonder
Isaiah could so powerfully preach ... "For precept must be
upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line
upon line; here a little, and there a little."
The Word of
God interprets the Word of God!
And let me
show you one more quick thing too.
At the first
of Habakkuk's magnificent Passage (Habakkuk 3:16-19) he is
seeking "quiet" and peace from God. Peace ... with
devastating national judgment on the way? Yes ... peace in
the storm!
Hear the
Preacher: "When I heard, my belly
trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into
my bones, and I trembled in myself,
that I might rest
in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he
will invade them with his troops." Habakkuk 3:16
Habakkuk wants
rest!
And by the end
of the short Psalm ... he has it!
Peace has been
given to him ... the very peace of God!
More than
peace, really!
Peace ... and
joy!
See if you
don't agree.
"Although
the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the
vines; 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 no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the
LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my
strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will
make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my
stringed instruments."
By living by
faith, by keeping his eyes upon the Lord, Habakkuk ceased his
worry and found genuine peace and happiness!
Amen!
What are YOU
worried about today, friend?
In Jesus your
Saviour, there is peace!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 9:
In Deuteronomy 28:1-14 God promises certain
earthly blessings to His people Israel.
Take the time to read some of them with me:
"And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt
hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to
observe and to do all his commandments which I command
thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above
all nations of the earth: and all these blessings shall come on
thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of
the LORD thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in
the city, and blessed
shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be
the fruit of thy body, and
the fruit of thy ground,
and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the
flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be
thy basket and thy store.
Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and
blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. The
LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be
smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one
way, and flee before thee seven ways.
The LORD shall command
the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou
settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land
which the LORD thy God giveth thee. And the LORD
shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body,
and in the fruit of thy
cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the
LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee. The LORD
shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven
to give the rain unto
thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of
thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou
shalt not borrow."
Just as God promises to bless the Jews' figs
and grapes and olives and livestock ... Habakkuk, knowing Judah
has sinned grievously, now expects God's judgment to fall upon
his backslidden people.
Back to Deuteronomy 28:
"But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt
not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do
all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this
day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake
thee: Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and
cursed shalt thou be in
the field. Cursed
shall be thy basket and thy store. Cursed shall be
the fruit of thy body, and
the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks
of thy sheep. Cursed shalt thou be when
thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou
goest out. The
LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from
heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not
eat thereof: thine ass shall be violently taken away from before
thy face, and shall not be restored to thee: thy sheep shall be
given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue
them. The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours,
shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be
only oppressed and crushed alway:
Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather
but little in; for the locust shall consume it. Thou shalt plant
vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine,
nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them. Thou shalt
have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not
anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast his
fruit. Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou
shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity.
All thy trees and fruit
of thy land shall the locust consume. Because thou
servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness
of heart, for the abundance of all things."
With these promises and threats in view ...
little wonder Habakkuk says: "Although the
fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be
in the vines; 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 no herd in the stalls ...."
Habakkuk 3:17
The Prophet was just expecting God to do what
He said to this erring nation!
Habakkuk fully plans to suffer with the
people God has called him to serve! This of course is what
Daniel did, and Ezekiel and Nehemiah too.
Also note with me ... that Habakkuk, under
these dire circumstances of famine and crop failure, could bring
no "firstfruits" offering to the Lord! There just were
none to bring! Therefore ... He gave God his heart!
"Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to
God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving
thanks to his name." Hebrews 13:15
Here is indeed life on a "higher plane!"
Listen to him: "The LORD God is
my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet,
and he will make me to walk upon mine
high places."
Habakkuk 3:19
Those lovely deer, the "hinds" of the fields,
have such surefootedness that they can negotiate the slippery
places ... even on the mountain tops ... without falling!
Do we as Americans or Canadians or
Australians or wherever else in the world someone may be reading
this today ... do we expect judgment to fall our our wicked
nations?
We should!
God keeps His Word!
And ... are we ready if it does?
Habakkuk, tell us your plan one more time
please: "When I heard, my belly
trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into
my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day
of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people,
he will invade them with
his troops. Although the fig tree shall not blossom,
neither shall fruit be in the vines; 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
no herd in the stalls: yet
I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my
salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and he
will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me
to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my
stringed instruments."
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 10:
Habakkuk, at one of the darkest
times of his life, somehow learned to "encourage himself in the
Lord."
That's what King
David did during his crisis times too!
"And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of
stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved,
every man for his sons and for his daughters:
but David encouraged
himself in the LORD his God." 1st Samuel 30:6
Habakkuk, with
Judah on the very brink of disaster, resolved to praise the Lord
God Almighty ... no matter what!
"Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall
fruit be in the vines; 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 no herd in the
stalls: yet I will
rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Habakkuk 3:17-18
The Prophet even
went so far as to say that during Judah's lowest times as a
nation, God could give individual Believers great joy and real
revival!
Listen:
"The LORD God is my strength, and he will
make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon
mine high places." Habakkuk 3:19
One reason his
Nation was facing such fierce judgment from God was their
constant idolatry!
They had forsaken
Jehovah God and followed the gods of the heathen!
They had even
begun worshipping at the "high places" of wickedness.
This is where the
Canaanite cults practiced their debauchery and filth, including
child sacrifice!
Listen to
Jeremiah condemn such sins: "They built
the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of
Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through
the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came
it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause
Judah to sin." Jeremiah 32:35
Why did the
heathen worship in "high places?"
Here are two
reasons that I can find.
Those elevated
heights were thought to be nearer the gods whom they served!
Such "idols" lived in the heavens, you know! (In reality the
Lord Himself says: "I am the first, and I
am the last; and beside me there is no God." Isaiah
44:6)
Secondly, the
"high places" of the wicked were located in groves of trees!
For some reason trees played an integral part in their false
worship! Here's a verse associating idol worship with the
groves: "But thus shall ye deal with
them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their
images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images
with fire." Deuteronomy 7:5
Often heathen
temples (including the one at Ephesus) were built around a
"tree," a special tree!
Now back to
Habakkuk ... who had been in his own "high places!" But NOT the
high places of wickedness or idolatry ... the "high places" of
God!
Listen to him
again: "The LORD God is my
strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and
he will make me to walk upon mine high places."
This man of God
had found the true "high places" of life! The lost and the
wicked only thought they had a god who lived in the heavens!
It's our living God, Whose Son is Christ Jesus, Who inhabits the
heavens! If one wants to visit the real "high places" of
worship, he or she must bow before Jehovah God!
Habakkuk had also
found that God's "high places" were made possible by a tree
too! An old rugged Cross! Without Calvary and Jesus' shed
Blood, no fellowship with God would be possible at all ...no
"high places" with their delight!
But, Preacher
Bagwell, should you be associating God with "high places?"
Read this:
"Then shalt thou delight thyself in the
LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the
high places of
the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father:
for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it." Isaiah
58:14
Now, those are
the real "high places!"
When one is in
sweet harmony and communion with God ... through His Son the
Lord Jesus Christ!
Has anyone
reading these paragraphs ever been in the "high places" of joy
and praise and worship, walking hand in hand with your Lord?
Paul says we as
New Testament Believers live there ... in heavenly places! When
we were saved, God ... "raised us up
together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus." Ephesians 2:6
IA few months ago
I saw a book and bought it. The book told of a group of men who
visited the highest place in every state in America ... all 50
of them! They climbed each of those peaks too! Some of them
are really just hills, while others are gigantic mountains!
(Alaska's Mount Denali is highest of all, 20,320 feet! The
lowest "high point" of any State is Florida's Britton Hill, just
345 feet above sea level!)
Last Summer while
preaching in the area, I visited Georgia's highest place,
Brasstown Bald, elevation
4,784 feet.
I climbed the
hill to that peak and spent some time worshipping the Lord!
But I discovered
something!
The same thing
Habakkuk had found long ago! You don't need a mountain to enjoy
lofty sweet fellowship with God!
That's available
anytime ... to the follower of Christ!
Next time
hardships come ... why don't we all do as this so-called Minor
Prophet did and decide to commune with our Heavenly Father ...
in His high places of protection and love and peace!
"IN" Christ
Jesus!
Paul said it's
possible! "Christ IN you!"
He called such a
condition "the hope of glory!"
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
This Bible Study Series has helped me so much!
I pray that you also have grown in Grace by applying these
principles in your Christian life!
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