Habakkuk 1:1-4,
2:1-4; 17th Sunday after Pentecost; October 6, 2019;
Life in Christ
Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN;
The oracle that
Habakkuk the prophet saw. 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 1:1–4, ESV)
I will take my
stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what
he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. And the LORD
answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who
reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it
will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not
delay. “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the
righteous shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:1–4, ESV)
Grace and peace to
you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
It is easy to get
down about what’s going on in the world these days. This last week an LCMS pastor
I knew in Iowa was beat to death in his own church parking lot. The
confirmation class was waiting for him to come in and teach. The whole
community of Fort Dodge Iowa is reeling at the loss. He was very involved in his
community, as a police and first responder’s chaplain. This senseless crime
seems to be related to a robbery. It is easy to agree with Habakkuk’s
complaint. “Destruction and violence are before; strife and contention
arise.” There’s a definite uptick
also in Christian persecution in our country. To say nothing of the persecution
of Christians around the world, which is higher now than it’s ever been. As
Habakkuk says, “For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth
perverted.” God’s plan for marriage is under brutal attack. The LGBT agenda
is rampant everywhere. And their aim is not to coexist with, but to destroy
traditional marriage. Babies are dying in the womb thousands a day. And
politics… I don’t even have to say how crazy that is. And again, we echo
Habakkuk, “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?”
Habakkuk was
facing the same kinds of issues. Although the violence he was speaking of was
done by those who claimed to be God’s people. He was sent with a warning, as
God often does with the prophets. But Habakkuk complains that the more he
preaches the less effect it seems to have. “I call them back from violence and
injustice, but everything I do is for nothing. They just don’t listen. The law
is corrupt. The courts are for those who have the money to get the judgment
they want. Judgment is not equal for all.”
Now, a critical
part of the opening of the book of Habakkuk is missing between the two sections
we have in our text today. The exchange goes something like this:
Habakkuk: God how long are you going to let this
violence go on? How long is my preaching going to have no effect? How long will
you let the law be impotent?
God: Don’t worry, I’ve got everything
under control. And you wouldn’t believe it if I told you anyway. I am raising
up the Chaldeans. They are bitter and nasty. They wreak havoc everywhere they
go. Even their horses are mean. And their horsemen are like eagles. And they
come with swift violence. They laugh at city walls. And they will sweep away
all those guilty people who depend on themselves. They will punish the
evildoers.
It was not the
answer Habakkuk was looking for.
Habbakuk: O Lord! I know you see all things. But, don’t
you think that the righteous will suffer with the evil? Do you have to send
such and evil people to punish? And what about those evil people? When will
they get their comeuppance?
And then Habakkuk,
does something amazing. He says, “I will look out to see your justice.” And God
answers. “Write this down and make it plain. So that all will understand. So
that the reader may announce it to all they see. It will all come to pass in my
own time. The proud will suffer, but the righteous shall live by faith.”
God was saying two
things. First, the people who were to be led away into captivity, would return
to their land. And Second, that the Chaldeans would also be punished for their
evil. Wait for it…
Wait for it… a lot
like that feather in Forrest Gump, floating here and there seemingly undirected
but under God’s control. God’s vengeance would happen in his perfect timing. Let
it blow in the wind.
Now, I’m not
saying, necessarily, that God is going to send a foreign power to punish us.
But it could happen. We, as the church, should be on our knees in continual
repentance. God’s justice comes in His own time, and falls upon all, even those
he loves. Discipline is never pleasant, but it is necessary. We are to leave
that to our faithful God.
With the Festival
of the Reformation coming, it is timely that our text ends with “the
righteous shall live by his faith.” Despite what it looks like God is in
control of all things. It is the righteous one who puts his faith where it belongs.
And it isn’t just accepting correction. It is placing our faith in the one who
has done and is doing all things for our good.
And we know that
for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are
called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28, ESV)
It isn’t just a vague
notion of faith either, not a faith that just thinks that everything will work
out. It is faith in the one who promises to make it work out. Jesus Christ our
savior is that one. He has promised it. He does battle with the devil, the
world and our own sinful nature. He defeats Satan with his perfect life lived
in our place. He gives us that life and declares us to be righteous ones. Then he
gives us faith through the work of the Holy Spirit. We, the righteous ones have
confidence in Jesus by remembering our Baptism. Satan’s accusations against us have
no effect. He can howl and bellow all he wants. He can stir up the world against
us, but Jesus has defeated them all.
He took on the
world, in all its evil, and defeated it. And not in a way that is expected or
understood by the world. To all the world it looked like defeat and weakness.
But Jesus’ strength is evident in his willingness to die on the cross for the
sins of the whole world. He defeated the power of death through his
resurrection. That resurrection is ours as well, through faith in Jesus’
promises. The evil of the world has no response to Jesus and his death and
resurrection. They simply deny the truth and curse it.
And most of all,
he defeats our sinful nature. The sinful nature that we harbor and protect. The
sinful nature that looks at what is happening around us and falls into despair.
That is impatient for God’s justice. Jesus has defeated our sinful nature. He
calls us to recognize what he as done and put away our sinfulness.
So then, brothers,
we are debtors, not to the flesh [our sinful nature], to live according to the
flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the
Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are
led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of
slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as
sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”” (Romans 8:12–15, ESV)
He calls us to put
our faith again, in his promises. We are sons of God, in Christ Jesus. Our
sinful nature has no chance against him.
It is, in fact,
true that nothing Satan, the world, or our sinful flesh can conjure up is
stronger than the Resurrection One. We are to look at all that happens around
us, the violence, the hate for him, the agendas of those who have both feet in
the world and put our faith in Jesus. We are closer today than yesterday to his
coming again in victory. We can see the signs all around us. We see then and
rejoice because his justice is coming soon. When we face these fearful things,
we say with him, “Amen. Come Lord Jesus.” Amen.
The peace of God
that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Amen.
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