You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
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Yeah, and some of the messaging we had with Will this morning, I think he's coming up
with some new ideas of ways to enhance what we do here.
And he was talking about the worship service that he went through this morning.
It lasted for four and a half hours.
So just be on your guard.
I want you to open your Bibles to Habakkuk.
Some of you are going to have to tear the pages apart in this section.
If you want to know where it is, it's right after Nahum.
Turn to Matthew and make a left and go back five books and you'll find it.
There haven't been many books in the Bible that I have repeated through sermons.
In fact, I don't think there are any except for Luke going through here, except Habakkuk.
And this is actually the third time through.
Because what I find here in Habakkuk is a very highly relevant message for us.
It's one of those minor prophets that, unfortunately, we don't read very often.
But I think he speaks to us in so many wonderful ways.
I don't know if you've ever found yourself in a situation
where God shook you down to the foundations
of all that you thought and all that you believed about him.
I mean, maybe even we think about that now when you look at things on a societal level,
when you see the way our society is going and you see, you know,
it seems like evil is running rampant,
righteousness is kind of being pushed out of the picture,
and everything seems to be out of control.
And we wonder, okay, God, what are your promises here?
What are you doing?
Maybe it's on a personal level,
where God did something in your life
that was beyond your understanding and your ability to grasp.
You know, on whatever level that maybe God has ever done this,
sometimes he comes and does these things that totally changes everything.
It changes the way that we think about him.
It changes the way that we relate to him.
It changes how we think about ourselves, about his promises.
It just shapes everything.
And God does, has a way of bringing us to that place
in undoing so much of what we think.
I think that a lot of us have this view of God
that's very tame.
It's very manageable.
It's very predictable.
It's very orderly.
And functions on this basis of a nice set of well-defined rules and categories.
And we like when God is this way
because we like life that's predictable.
We like life that is manageable.
And we like it when we can use these nice formulas
and everything is predictable.
You know, if I do this, if I do this,
then I'm going to get this.
If I read the Bible to my kids as they're younger
and we do family devotions
and then my kids are going to turn out great.
If I give my money when I'm supposed to,
then God is going to bless me
and make sure that I have everything that I need.
God is going to honor what I do for him.
And after all, we've got all these promises in Scripture
that tell us those very things.
But sometimes we find out
that this God that we worship
is not that kind of God.
Sometimes He just will not
and refuses to
fit into our formulas,
our predictable, manageable
ideas
of what He is supposed to do.
Sometimes those who tithe
lose their jobs.
Sometimes really good parents
have children who are addicts.
And what do we do then?
In fact, I would actually go on to say
if your picture of God
is orderly,
predictable,
neat,
and tidy,
you do not
know Him
very well.
He is not a tame God.
He is very unpredictable.
And He lives outside of
our categories
in our boxes
that we create
for Him.
Let me tell you
a little bit about
how I was faced
with this dilemma.
And this was as a pastor.
Back in
the summer of 2009,
I was sitting
in a courtroom.
We had returned
from Hungary
after being there
for six years.
A year or so before,
my oldest daughter
had gotten married
to a guy
that we
had questions
about.
And now,
we were sitting
in a courtroom
in rural Kansas
where he had been
falsely accused
of a horrific crime.
And the jury
was about to come back
with its verdict.
And I remember
that
of even praying,
we had all these
people praying for us,
we had all these
people, you know,
supporting us
and behind,
you know,
just pleading
for God to be
who He's promised
He would be.
A God of justice,
a God of mercy.
And I also remember
that there's one thing
that I absolutely
felt that I could
not stand,
I could not handle,
was to look
into my daughter's
eyes
and hear the word
guilty.
Because my daughter
was a new parent,
had an infant son,
not quite a year old,
and this was not
the life
that I had thought
would be
for my daughter.
I couldn't imagine
her being a single parent.
I couldn't imagine
my grandson
having a father
who was a convicted felon.
I couldn't imagine.
And to deal with
the pain
of her face.
And so when the judge
pronounced the words
guilty,
everything I knew
about God
went out the window.
I didn't know
how to relate
to him anymore.
I didn't know
how to pray
to him anymore.
I didn't know
what to expect
from him anymore.
I was dealing
with a God
I did not know.
And at the moment,
I wasn't sure
I liked it.
He did not
answer my prayers
the way I thought
he should have.
Instead,
he brought to me
some of the deepest pain
I have ever felt.
And how am I
supposed to relate
to a God
who is like that?
Well see,
really,
this is the story
of Habakkuk.
Habakkuk
is a prophecy
that is very different
from all the other
prophecies.
It's a dialogue.
So many of the other
prophecies,
you have a prophet
coming with these words
of judgment
and calls to repentance
for the nation
of Israel
so they could come back
to the God
that they were
supposed to be
worshiping.
But Habakkuk
is really
a conversation
between two
very intimate
friends.
And
it is
a declaration
in a sense
of
what it means
to walk
in faith
with our
creator
and our
redeemer.
So for those
of us
who struggle
with what God
is doing
in our lives
and maybe
struggling
in our world,
Habakkuk,
I think,
is a great
place for us
to learn
how to relate
to him
in faith.
How to relate
in faith
to a God
who will not
fit
in our box.
So what I want to do,
I want us just to go
through this dialogue
in the first chapter
up through
verse 1
of chapter 2
and let's see
how this
all conversation
sets up.
Let me read
verses 1
through 4.
You can see it
there on the screen.
It's the oracle
that Habakkuk
the prophet
saw.
How long,
O Lord,
how long
shall I cry
for help
and you
will not hear
or cry
to you
violence
and you
will not
save?
Why do you
make me see
iniquity
and why
do you
idly
look at wrong?
Destruction
and violence
are before me,
strife
and contention
arise
so the law
is paralyzed
and justice
never goes
forth
for the wicked
surround
the righteous
so justice
goes forth
perverted.
Habakkuk
comes to God
opens up
this dialogue
with a complaint
and he's
confused.
He knows
who God
is,
he knows
what God
has promised,
he knows
what he has
taught
but what he
sees
before his
face
is not
what
he thinks
should be
because
he
thinks
what he's
saying here
is that
God
what it
seems
here
is that
you
have put
me in
a place
with all
these wicked
people
and these
are your
people
they are
perverting
justice
righteousness
is basically
being pushed
out of society
and you're
making me
see this
but all
the while
it appears
like you're
blind
that you
don't see it
because if you
did see it
you would
be doing
something
but you're
not doing
anything
that I
can see
and why
in fact
it's gotten
so bad
in Habakkuk's
mind
that he said
that the
wicked surround
the righteous
they're
hemmed in
they seem
to be more
numerous than
the good
folks
and there's
no justice
but notice
too how
he begins
this whole
dialogue
he says
how long
do I cry
to you
for help
this is not
the first
time
Habakkuk
has prayed
this
he has
been going
to God
over
and over
again
in this
prayer
he feels
like
is falling
on deaf
ears
and so
he's
confused
he's
and he's
going to
God
and wrestling
with him
and saying
okay
what's going
on here
this is not
right
well then we
get to verse
five and
God comes
and answers
look what he
says
he says
look
among the
nations
and see
wonder
and be
astonished
for I
am doing
a work
in your
days
that you
would not
believe
if told
for behold
I am
raising up
the Chaldeans
that bitter
and hasty
nation
who march
through the
breadth of
the earth
to seize
dwellings
not their
own
they are
dreaded
and fearsome
their justice
and dignity
go forth
from themselves
their horses
are swifter
than leopards
more fierce
than the evening
wolves
their horsemen
press proudly
on
their horsemen
come from
afar
they fly
like an eagle
swift
to devour
they all
come for
violence
all their
faces forward
they gather
captives
like sand
at kings
they scoff
and at rulers
they laugh
and they laugh
at every
fortress
for they
pile up
earth
and take
it
then they
sweep
by like
the winds
and go
on
guilty
men
whose
God
whose
own
might
is
their
God
wow
God
answers
Habakkuk
and basically
says oh
you think
I'm not
doing
anything
oh I
am
I'm doing
something
beyond
wonderful
I am
right now
at work
raising up
the Chaldeans
Nebuchadnezzar
all the
Babylonians
and they're
going to
come
and they're
going to
bring
justice
God
is
bringing
justice
on
Israel
and all
the
wickedness
that was
there
but what
was surprising
to Habakkuk
now
is that
he's
using
the
Babylonians
to do
it
to do
his
work
this
arrogant
godless
extremely
violent
people
are
going to
flood
into
Israel
and take
care of
business
wow
what do you
think Habakkuk
thought of
that
well
we look
at verse
12
through 17
and we
see
are you
not
from
everlasting
oh
lord
my
god
my
holy
one
we
will
not
die
oh
lord
you
have
ordained
them
as a
judgment
and you
oh
rock
have
established
them
for
reproof
you
who
are
of
pure
eyes
than
to
see
evil
and
cannot
look
at
wrong
why
do
you
idly
look
at
nations
and are
silent
when the
wicked
swallows
up
the
man
more
righteous
than
he
you
have
made
mankind
like
the
fish
of
the
sea
like
crawling
things
that
have
no
ruler
he
brings
all
of
them
up
with
a
hook
he
drags
them
out
with
his
net
he
gathers
them
in
his
dragnet
so
he
rejoices
his
dragnet
for
by
them
he
lives
in
luxury
and
his
food
is
rich
is
he
then
to
keep
on
emptying
his
net
and
merciliously
killing
nations
forever
Habakkuk's
response
if he
wasn't
confused
before
he
is
now
because
he
goes
to
God
he
says
God
what's
going
on
and
God
says
I've
got
a
plan
but
if
I
tell
you
won't
believe
me
and
Habakkuk
basically
says
tell
me
and
God
tells
him
and
Habakkuk
says
I
don't
believe
you
God
tells
him
and
what
he
seems
to
be
doing
is
totally
the
opposite
of
what
Habakkuk
has
known
and
he
is
more
than
troubled
in
fact
his
response
here
is
quite
brutally
honest
and
very
strong
we
can't
even
say
that
Habakkuk
is
ticked
off
and
he
cannot
understand
how
God
could
do
such
a
thing
how
could
you
take
these
arrogant
violent
pagan
people
and
use
them
to
judge
those
who
are
more
righteous
than
they
are
that
you
would
use
them
to
come
and
destroy
us
and
his
confusion
gets
the
best
of
him
and
he
just
goes
to
God
and
pours
out
his
anguish
in a
flood
and
then
we
have
the
conclusion
we
see
verse
one
of
chapter
two
where
he
says
I
will
take
my
stand
at
my
watch
post
and
station
myself
on
the
tower
and
I
will
look
out
to
see
what
he
will
say
to
me
and
what
I
will
answer
concerning
my
complaint
Habakkuk
doesn't know
what God
is going
to say
but he's
already
building
a
defense
to
argue
his
case
I
love
this
dialogue
especially
because
God
has
shown
himself
so far
outside
the
categories
that I
had
for
him
but it
also
and because
of that
it
shows
us
a pathway
of
dealing
with
God
in
faith
and
Habakkuk's
response
his
dealing
with
God
is
very
much
in
faith
but we
have to
see
how
that
looks
so first
what is
faith's
response
to
confusion
how do
you respond
in such
a situation
where God
is so
confusing
right now
you know
what do
you do
when God
throws
you for a
loop
what do
you do
when you
get
confused
how do
you respond
when you
are in
pain
or when
you are
perplexed
with all
that God
is bringing
into your
life
all this
stuff
at the
hands
of God
how do
you relate
to him
how do
you respond
to him
well there's
a couple
of ways
a lot
of us
just run
but we
run
in a
couple
of different
ways
sometimes
we just
flat
run
God
you don't
make any
sense
Christianity
is
confusing
it's not
what it
should
be
I'm
out of
here
forget
it
God
if this
is what
you do
and you
don't fit
into this
box the way
I think
well forget
it
I'm gone
in our
frustration
we just
run and
leave
we'll go
find another
religion
we'll go
find another
philosophy
we'll go
find something
else
some other
system
to help
us
grapple
with this
hard
reality
of life
we just
run
because
this
God
that we
thought
that was
so great
and loving
is now
hard
we don't
want anything
to do
with him
and so
in our
hardship
we just
leave
but there's
another way
we run
and that
is
we run
straight
into our
religion
straight
into our
Christian
practice
and that
what that
looks like
is
okay
you know
we
we stick
to what
we know
to the
doctrines
that we
have
and we
may
vocalize
them
we may
say
yeah
I know
God
is
sovereign
and we
continue to
put the
smiles on
our faces
we continue
to act
in all
of our
religious
niceties
that God
is nowhere
to be found
he is not
anywhere close
we have
basically
shielded
ourselves
from this
God
by our
religious
practice
to avoid
that
confusion
and perplexity
and pain
that comes
when we
really get
to know
him
but we're
not getting
to know
him
we're hiding
in a
system
that we
think will
make sense
of things
but
unfortunately
it will
leave us
empty
so
whether
we are
running
off to
some
other
philosophy
or we're
running
back
deeper
in our
religion
we're
still
running
we're
running
away
you know
some
of us
again
we're
running
this is
not how
Habakkuk
deals
with
the
situation
even
from the
very
beginning
when
Habakkuk
was
perplexed
he ran
but he
didn't run
away
where does
he go
with his
complaint
he goes
to God
and when
it gets
worse
what does
he do
he keeps
going
to God
it's like
he's entering
into this
this wrestling
match
with God
because he
wants to
know
and that's
where he
goes
he prays
he doesn't
just shut
down but
he prays
his prayer
in some
ways
on the
surface
is
disrespectful
it is
harsh
it's
in your
face
but it
is the
prayer of
faith
because here
he's
demonstrating
that it
was God
was the
one he
trusted
and that's
where he
was going
he didn't
understand
anything
he didn't
know what
he was
doing
but he
knew who
he trusted
and he
was going
there
I actually
think
this is the
way prayer
should be
it's not
very common
we don't pray
like this
very often
I think
we're afraid
to
to go
before the
holy
God
and just
pour out
your anger
and your
confusion
and tell
him
this is God
you're not
being fair
here
to really
be honest
with him
I don't
one thing
in my
relationship
with my
wife
the last
thing that
she wants
is me to
shut down
and not
say anything
that's the
last thing
because she
has no
idea
well she's
got a pretty
good idea
what's going
on
I'm ticked
off
but in a
relationship
it does
not help
anything
in fact
it says
something
very
terrible
about the
state of
that
relationship
when
I get
to a
place
of maybe
anger
and confusion
and I
just
suck it
up
and I
don't
talk
and that's
not what
she wants
because that
means I
have run
away
she wants
to engage
she wants
me to
trust her
enough
to give
her my
heart
let me
tell you
something
God is
no different
yes he
is the
holy one
yes he
is our
king
he is
your
father
he is
a father
that says
look you
don't
understand
come here
let's
talk about
this
trust me
with it
and that
is
the
prayer
of
faith
and let
me tell
you
something
whatever
you say
God
can take
it
he already
knows it's
there
what he
wants
is us
to engage
our hearts
in our
relationship
and not
just our
actions
or our
heads
engage
your
heart
pour
out
your
heart
he
wants
your
heart
and he
can
deal
with
it
trust
him
enough
to
wrestle
with
him
to get
to know
him
that is
the response
of faith
and to
that
prayer
of faith
God
shows
his
grace
to
Habakkuk
instead
of
just
smashing
Habakkuk
for his
insolence
because he's
so brash
and
irreverent
God
chooses to
enter into
the wrestling
match
with him
he comes
down to
Habakkuk
he reveals
himself
in a very
gentle
and a very
gracious
way
we might
think it
wasn't so
gentle
but oh
it was
but it
is a
wrestling
match
I don't
know if
you remember
the story
of
Jacob
go back
and read
Genesis
32
and in
the story
Jacob
is
perplexed
he is
coming
back
to
Canaan
coming
back
from
living
with
Laban
his
brother-in-law
being abused
living this
life of
really
deception
and so
forth
he is
about to
be
confronted
with
Esau
who is
coming
to him
with a
big
horde
of
people
thinking
that
Esau
is all
ticked
off
at him
and
Jacob
doesn't
know
where
to
turn
but
he
meets
this
angel
of
the
Lord
in
the
wilderness
and
with
that
angel
Jacob
wrestled
all
night
long
because
he wanted
one
thing
he says
I am
not
going
to let
you
go
until
you
bless
me
and
the
amazing
thing
about
that
is
that
was
God
himself
a
pre
incarnate
appearance
of
God
who
allowed
this
man
to
wrestle
with
him
all
night
long
I
mean
that
one
should
have
been
over
quick
but
it
wasn't
God
invited
Jacob
to
engage
and
when
you
wrestle
you
have
to
get
really
close
and
so
finally
at
the
end
you
know
he
could
have
just
done
away
with
Jacob
but
he
didn't
and
Jacob
said
you
know
I
will
not
let
go
until
you
bless
me
and
the
Lord
touched
his
hip
touched
the
socket
of it
something
happened
to
it
wouldn't
function
anymore
and
God
blessed
him
God
met
with
Jacob
wrestled
with
him
and
blessed
him
Jacob
limped
from
there
on
out
but
he
had
wrestled
with
God
and
had
come
to
know
him
in
a
way
he
had
never
known
him
before
and
Jacob
was
a
whole
new
man
in a
sense
after
that
in
so
many
ways
God
is
we
have
to
know
this
about
God
and
why
he
brings
about
these
situations
he
is
in
pursuit
of
our
hearts
he
is
not
content
just
with
the
performance
of
religion
he
is
not
content
with
just
right
doctrine
he
is
not
content
with
these
boxes
that
we
live
in
that
we
create
that
hides
him
more
than
reveals
him
he
says
no
you're
going to
get
to
know
me
and so
he
comes
and
tears
our
boxes
apart
in
pursuit
of
our
hearts
he
is
more
willing
to
answer
prayers
than
we
are
willing
to
pray
them
he
is
more
willing
to
engage
with
us
than
we
are
with
him
but
when
we
do
we
will
never
be
the
same
we
will
come
to
know
this
God
and
the
wonders
of
what
he
does
in
a
whole
new
level
that
looking
back
on
all
of
the
pain
all
of
the
struggle
we
would
not
trade
for
the
world
the
last
thing
I
would
want
to
do
is
to
go
through
that
whole
scenario
again
in
that
Kansas
courtroom
but
I
wouldn't
trade
it
because
now
there
is
this
God
who
is
so
much
bigger
so
much
more
passionate
about
me
and
relationship
being
in
relationship
with
me
I
wouldn't
give up
for the
world
but
there is
something
else
we need
to see
about
God's
grace
in
this
text
look at
verse 13
in
chapter
1
where he
says
you who
are of
pure
eyes
than to
see
evil
and cannot
look at
wrong
why do
you
idly
look
at
traitors
and are
silent
when the
wicked
swallows up
the man
more
righteous
than he
see
to
Habakkuk
this
was
scandalous
that
God
would
do
that
but
Habakkuk
had no
idea
how far
God
would
go
with
that
he
had
no
idea
because
in some
years
in the
future
that
verse
was going
to be
lived out
in a
whole
new
way
that
would
have
totally
amazed
and astonished
Habakkuk
in Acts 2
22 and 23
we hear these
words
men of Israel
hear these
words
Jesus
of Nazareth
a man
attested to
you by
God
with mighty
works
and wonders
and signs
that God
did through
him in
your midst
as you
yourselves
know
this
Jesus
delivered
up
according
to
the
definite
plan
and
foreknowledge
of God
you
crucified
and killed
by the
hands
of lawless
men
see God
didn't just
work that
way with
the Chaldeans
he didn't
just bring
judgment
on Israel
he went
a lot
farther
he used
wicked
men
and put
his own
son
the holy
one
of Israel
to a
cruel
death
his
son
was
unjustly
tried
and convicted
of no
crime
and then
was condemned
to die
when he
was
righteous
and this
is how
far
God
will go
in pursuit
of your
heart
he doesn't
just put us
through the
ringer
to get our
attention
he put himself
through the
ringer
to not
just get
our
attention
but to
buy us
as his
own
he
crushed
evil
so that
we can
now
relate
to him
we can
now
approach
him
we can
now
honestly
wrestle
with him
and find
in his
face
not
the
scowl
of an
angry
judge
but the
smile
of a
beloved
father
God is
in pursuit
of your
hearts
I don't
know what
he's doing
I don't
know how
he's doing
it
I do
know he
is doing
it
but I
also know
this
your place
of hope
is not
to run
away
but it
is to
engage
and let
him
expand
your
knowledge
of all
that he
is
in all
that he
has done
in Christ
you may
limp a
little
bit
but you
also find
joy
unlike
you've
never
known
before
so run
to him
run
to him
let's pray
father
we want
to know
you
we
we need
to know
you
and we
don't
and maybe
you're in
the process
of showing
us that
but father
I pray
would you
pursue us
would you
come
and draw
us deeper
into the
knowledge
of all
that you
are
so that
our rejoicing
would be
made so
much
fuller
and the
glory
that we
declare
about you
would be
so much
more convincing
father
come
make
yourself
known
and then
enable us
to trust
you
in Jesus
name
amen
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information
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50
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with
of
these
are
these
spider
the
fields
are
in
where
it
has