“The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.
How long, O Lord, will I call for help,And You will not hear?I cry out to You, “Violence!”Yet You do not save. Why do You make me see iniquity,And cause me to look on wickedness?Yes, destruction and violence are before me;Strife exists and contention arises. Therefore the law is ignored and justice is never upheld.For the wicked surround the righteous;Therefore justice comes out perverted. —- Habakkuk 1:1–4
Habakkuk - 1
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We are pleased to kick off our next “minor” prophet study and it should be obvious who our choice is ?!
Habakkuk follows Nahum, both chronologically, and in the collection of books which make up the prophetic scriptures of Israel. Like Nahum, he is a prophet without a pedigree, and we have no clue why the LORD picked him to be inspired to write what he did…. but he should be a person after our own heart! The directness, frankness, and candor with which this book opens is almost modern, in the questions being asked of a deity …. perhaps this is why the LORD picked him… for his candor and transparency !!!
Nathaniel was commended by Jesus for being a straight shooter ( “Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” - John 1:47 ) . This characteristic is shared by 144,000 men that stand with the Lamb on Mount Zion at the end time …. men that have not married … “And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. “ - Rev 14:5
If you want to walk in holiness , you must worship God in Spirit & TRUTH, and that means NO LIES, including how you may feel about Him, and Habakkuk has bared his soul for us….
Paraphrasing —— “Dear God, this planet is broken And you don’t seem to care to fix it! Everything you stand for is being trodden into the mud, your people are the most persecuted, and there is no justice!!! I cry out to you, but nothing happens!!”
Identify with this much ? We do….. we pray for the end to come soon, this farce is almost too much to bear!! The world system has sold its soul for money…. just see who or what the media will follow, comment on,lie about, just for ratings and Ad $s ——- though it’s unfair to single them out when things like healthcare & education have become predatory businesses!!! …. and still the LORD is silent…. counting His martyrs, and putting the tears of His people into his bottle… recording every injustice — (Psalm 56:8 (NASB95): You have taken account of my wanderings;Put my tears in Your bottle.Are they not in Your book?).
Well, Habakkuk got an answer , but he wasn’t going to be happy with it …
“ Look among the nations! Observe!Be astonished! Wonder!Because I am doing something in your days—You would not believe if you were told. For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans,That fierce and impetuous people Who march throughout the earth To seize dwelling places which are not theirs. “ - Habakkuk 1:5–6 (NASB95)…. the LORD goes on to describe their warlike characteristics in great detail , before saying, that they too, will suffer the consequences of their actions … “But they will be held guilty,They whose strength is their god.” - Habbakuk 11b
What? This is the answer? An army that will herald the beginning of an end to the evil being wrought in Israel?
Yes, and we see an exact parallel ( for all human wickedness ) in the book of Revelation. 7 seals, 7 trumpets, and 7 bowls ( or vials - KJV )…. here is the sixth bowl …
“And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. ——-Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that —-watcheth—-, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.——- And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” - Rev 16:12-16
We even have the same directive as given to Habbakuk …. Watch ! Observe !
When the whole world is going through tribulation, when the church has left ( Rev 14:14 ), when the remaining people on earth are absolutely under the thumb of the beast and the false prophet…. , and beaten down with Tribulation and 6 of the last plagues……., People are told … WATCH !!! Remember everything that has gone before, and have cheer, because Salvation is inbound !!!!!
Hallelujah!!!!