I was reading and meditating on Habakuk. Somehow I always learn new lessons from him. He’s kind interesting person with interesting book. He’s asking God very difficult questions. And somehow God answered him in weird kind ways. Yet without clear answer, he so called accepted God’s answer. So it’s always kind interesting to me, dialogue between Habakuk & God, and the resolution that comes as result.<\/p>\n
Below just sharing of few lessons I learnt:<\/p>\n
Basically, Habakuk’s question is similar to our modern’s day question of “Where is God when it hurts?” or “What God is doing in midst of suffering?” There’re few “key” sentences embedded in the whole entire book, how God answer those questions.<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0\u201cSee, the enemy is puffed up;\u00a0his desires are not upright\u2014\u00a0but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness.” (Hbk 2:4)<\/p>\n
On one hand, it’s answering to Habakuk’s complaint of powerful evil ruler. And God telling him that God knows what’s going on inside the evil ruler, and God will bring judgment to him. Interestingly,\u00a0God inserted<\/strong>\u00a0a statement how his people and his children should live in presence of powerful evil ruler. By his faith \/ faithfulness in some translations.<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD\u00a0as the waters cover the sea. (Hbk 2:14)<\/p>\n Again, this statement is sounds weird in midst of God’s pronouncing judgment (read v.13 & 15, and the rest). But i think, in midst of presence & future judgment of God,\u00a0He inserted<\/strong>\u00a0hope & promise.<\/p>\n 3.\u00a0The LORD is in his holy temple;\u00a0let all the earth be silent before him. (Hbk 2:21)<\/p>\n And lastly, the\u00a0concluding statement<\/strong>\u00a0in chapter 2, as how difference God with idols. While idols are nothing, God definitely the ultimate ruler of the universe. And all the earth must be silent before him. I think this is the third and conclusive lesson God’s answering Habakuk. There’s ultimate ruler, ultimate truth, ultimate conclusion, to our temporary problem & sufferings.<\/p>\n Pulling all these 3 statements together, God’s answer to Habakuk may look like this:<\/p>\n In the midst and presence of evil & sufferings, continue to live faithfully \/ by faith. The day will come when the whole earth filled with knowledge of glory of God. When that day comes, you will be at rest & peace because every evil & injustices were done. And this will surely happen, because God is the LORD has spoken.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Indeed, God has not abandoned us. He has answered human cries through His Son. This morning, as I read Paul’s letter to Corinthians, I thought, hey…this is how God answers and brings about His promise through Habakuk.<\/p>\n Now the Lord\u00a0is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.\u00a0And we all, with unveiled face,”beholding” the glory of the Lord,\u00a0are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.\u00a0<\/strong>(2 Cor 3:17-18)<\/p>\n How beautiful and wonderful the way of God is. Indeed now, we’re experiencing God’s answer. Everyday, as we’re beholding the Lord, we are transformed from glory to glory. Finally as God promised, the whole earth will be filled with knowledge of glory of God. Currently, we’re transformed into His image….we’re growing from one degree of glory to another. Eventually, the final glory of God will fill entire earth!!<\/p>\n Hence God is saying, look, I’m working on what I promised. Human eyes can’t see, for the Lord is Spirit. But we know by faith, this is true. And as result, we could sing as Habakuk sang:<\/p>\n “…<\/strong>yet I will rejoice in the LORD,\u00a0I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (Habakuk 3:18)<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I was reading and meditating on Habakuk. Somehow I always learn new lessons from him. He’s kind interesting person with interesting book. He’s asking God very difficult questions. And somehow God answered him in weird kind ways. Yet without clear … Continue reading