If I was to ask you to name one of the top three questions we would have for God in today’s world, I would believe one of them would be “Why God appears to allow evil to succeed or run rampant without resistance?”
Without a doubt, from the beginning of time to present day, this question esteems from a long history of Biblical roots. When we see evil lingering in the world in such a fashion that all of us are sometimes are left scratching our heads and saying, “What’s next?”
In one of todays readings from the book of Habakkuk, we find a dialogue between the prophet Habakkuk and God. In your bibles, Habakkuk is a few books after Jonah. The message from the prophet Habakkuk was originally intended for the people of Judah as the prophet was troubled by what was happening in Judah. In front of his eyes, he could see the oppression of God’s people from forcing spiritual reforms to doing ungodly acts to what some would call a nosedive into destruction. In the conversation, the Prophet asked God a series questions about why all this evil in the world.
So lets start our Journey today with the reading of Habakkuk Ch. 1 starting at verse 2. “The pronouncement which Habakkuk the prophet saw: 2 How long, Lord, have I called for help, And You do not hear? I cry out to You, “Violence!” Yet You do not save. 3 Why do You make me see disaster, And make me look at destitution? Yes, devastation and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises. 4 Therefore the Law is ignored, And justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore justice comes out confused.”
In the most expressive concern, Habakkuk cries out to God with a whaling wall of despair basically asking God, why all this ungodliness is happening and nothing seems to be done about it. Does that sound familiar today? Like Habakkuk, when we cry out to God, we expect an answer. And sometimes, the answer is not what we expect. But God does answer in verses 5-11, which He said Judah will be judged by Babylon. Wait, what? How can a just God use a more sinful people to judge a less sinful people? Normally, we maybe thinking God in his ultimate ways will judge Judah with pristine famine, striking them down with other means that shines off Gods excellence in his character. But using someone else to do the punishment? Certainly. God uses all of His creation at His disposable for doing His work. But to help answer the question how can God use a more sinful people to judge Judah, in Ch 2, God says basically, Babylon will also be judged. Sin will not be ignored. Evil is not given by the wayside, even if things appears to be so. Gods just and right purpose is given to everyone, even the sinful people of the world. It is, however, important to know that even though sin has a place here on earth, we are to not be drawn to it by its power, nor give into it by oppression. We are to resist, defile and overturn evil with good. In order to do this, we are to exercise our spiritual muscle in what the prophet Habakkuk calls “Standing the Watch.” In todays message, I would like for you to reflect on just how important it is to standing the watch, even amongst the most significant encounters we experience—Bringing our deepest concerns to God, even when we do not understand, we are to be reassured God hears our pleas, we live by faith, and we must wait on God. I will elaborate more on those later.
There is something authentic and dignifying about standing one’s ground. Sometimes it is the result of being directly challenged by someone else whereby your convictions become tested, clarified and defined of what you really stand for. Then theres the method of taking a stand. It puts your faith, action and words to the test of your own integrity on the rightness of an issue. The prophet Habakkuk in Chapter 2, directly refuses to accept at face values why evil and destruction appears to succeed in this life. He sees a much deeper meaning, some hidden clue which he could not understand. So what did he do? He did what we all should do every day, he brought it to God. And he done it in such a way as one would stand a watch, not just with some binoculars to look far away, but as to go beyond measure, get into a tall watch tower, and to see all around. Being vigilant. In chapter 2, we read “I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart [Which means on an elevated place or location], and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am correct.” Notice here the action to see what He will say, meaning God.
While in the Navy, I remember standing a many hours on watch. One of the jobs I had early on was standing whats called ‘lookout’. Basically regardless of weather conditions, you dressed appropriately, took your binoculars and your headset, and stood outside on different parts of the ship, and monitored all around your assigned area for threats or other related concerns. In addition, you stayed in constant communication with the bridge. If you did not answer the bridge, you immediately was searched for to find out why you lost communications. When the weather was in the hundreds, or freezing, you still stood the watch, knowing it was your duty to help protect your ship, fellow crew members and yourself, if immediate dangers arrived, and listen to what orders came down from the officers in charge. And even though we had radar, all kinds of sophisticated equipment, theres nothing like the human eyes and ears and that all purpose gut feeling to depend on. I remember on a few occasions I spotted ships that our radar didn’t even pick up. Go figure!
And on a side note, I fell asleep on watch onetime, and boy did I get in trouble.
So standing watch, Habakkuk, is telling us its vitally important. And its not just standing watch, its where you stand. On a high hill, tall tower, top of your house, to not only get a clear view of what your seeing to prepare yourself for what’s to come, but also what’s most important friends, is to vigilantly see what God is about to say. To have an unrestricted view of God and his Holy plan. And there are other prophets that also used the image of a watch tower to illustrate.
Prophet Isaiah 21 “Then the lookout called, “Lord, I stand continually by day on the watchtower, And I am stationed every night at my guard post.” Jeremiah 6 “And I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!” Ezekiel 3 “Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me.”
A watchman is clearly defined as someone who prepares for the Lords ways and even spreads the word to others. It illustrates Gods purpose in all our lives to be well equipped by fighting the good fight, keep the faith, as Paul tells us.
So when we prepare ourselves, we hear and wait for Gods word, even amidst evils around us. Listen to what the Lord said to Habakkuk in Chapter 2 start at ver. 2. Then the Lord answered me and said, “Write down the vision And inscribe it clearly on tablets, So that one who reads it may run. 3 For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hurries toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it delays, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay long. 4 “Behold, as for the impudent one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous one will live by his faith.”
Have you heard this statement before, “The Just or righteous will live by faith?” Habakkuk is clearly telling us evil desires and actions have no profit! Theres not value in them. “You are filled with shame instead of glory!” We are also told that in verse 3, wait for it! Basically, we wait for God to do his work. It will not be long.
You see friends, even when evil seems to linger, when we think all hope of God seems to be forgotten or lost, God is always at work.
In the Gospel reading of Luke ch. 19, we also see Gods work to a man named Zacchaeus. You might not think what Habakkuk said would relate to what we see with Zacchaeus, but it does. Lets start from ver. 3, “Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and he was unable due to the crowd, because he was short in stature. 4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up a sycamore tree in order to see Him, because He was about to pass through that way.”
What did Zaccheus do to even get a glimpse of God? He climbed the highest thing he could find to get a clear view of Jesus, and to hear him. Zaccheus was ready and willing to vigilantly wait for God to pass by. Then what did Jesus say to him? “He [that is Jesus] looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” Wow! It paid off. Zaccheus request was answered. Jesus saw him, and not only spoke to Zaccheus, but asked if He could stay with him. Scripture tells us that He received him joyfully. Even though others thought ill-will of Jesus to stay with a sinner. But what I think is the most profound here about this story, Zacchaeus confessed to Jesus, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I am giving to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone, I am giving back four times as much.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Without a doubt, Jesus was there for Zacchaeus, as He is for each of us. What was lost, has now been found. SO what does all of this mean for us? How does these things apply with us today? There are a few things I mentioned earlier that I would elaborate more on.
God Hears, and God answers. Like Habakkuk, Zaccheus and us today, we are instructed to boldly go to God to obtain mercy, grace and receive wisdom and understanding. God never turns away from our questions. We Live by Faith. As stated in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38, 2 Corinthians 5:7, our life is one of faith, not sight.
When we cry out to God, how long, we must remember, Gods view of all history, yesterday, today and tomorrow are the same. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God never changes. His actions are settled. Even justice is not a function of time. When God says judgement will come, its as if it had already happened, because Gods word is pure and true. Nothing can separate God from his word.
I know we don’t like seeing all of what the world is going through today. Even during biblical times, troubles existed. But friends, rest assured, hope remains.
Listen to the psalms, I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.
Our past, present, and future all belong to the Lord. Our times, our very lives, are in His hands. Let our hearts not be troubled. Let us remember to Trust in Him, and bring to God all our worries and cares of life. Just as Habakkuk cried out to God, God heard and answered the pleas. He has all things well in hand. Do not put our energy in trying to understanding why, when we should just say, thank you God, for I know you have it all in hand. Amen.