Today, I came home after my first semester at college. When I’m at home, I have the opportunity to lock wits with my father and listen to what’s on his mind, which is also freely on his tongue as well. He was talking today about how much the moral culture has changed just between his generation and mine, between the modern and postmodern times. His example was how undisciplined, irresponsible, disrespectful, and unethical the youth of today are, and especially how authority figures who traditionally could do something about that no longer have that kind of power over the people under their authority.
As it turns out, today I read in the Bible about moral decline as well. Not following God’s plans for ethics and morals is most certainly not new, and the the prophet Habakkuk had problems with what he saw around him as well. Habakkuk 1:2-4 reads: “How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen! ‘Violence is everywhere!’ I cry, but you do not come to save. Must I forever see evil deeds? Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight. The law has become paralyzed, and there is no justice in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous, so that justice has become perverted.” When I first read this, I did a double take. This sounds an awful lot like postmodern times, going on right now around me. Lots of violence, some destruction, the law being paralyzed by relativism. Both the sources I consulted told me that Habakkuk indeed written sometime around 600 B.C., but the parallel was still striking.
Then the Lord replied to Habakkuk’s questions in Habakkuk 1:5, saying, “Look around at the nations; look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it.” The Lord works in mysterious ways, I’ve been told, and this is documented in Habakkuk. The Lord was moving and doing something unbelievably amazing. And the character of God is unchanging, he is the Eternal One (Habakkuk 3:6), so we can be assured that He is still doing unbelievably amazing things in our time, despite how much the evil of the world can hide what He is doing.
Read through Habakkuk 1 and 2 and catch up to my thoughts at Habakkuk 2:13-14. Habakkuk writes in verse 13, “has not the Lord of Heaven’s Armies promised that the wealth of nations will turn to ashes? They work so hard, but all in vain!” This really got me thinking about how transient and temporary wealth and material possessions are. It is promised that the wealth of nations will turn to ashes. Ashes are not usually all that important, and they are the useless and destroyed remains of something greater than themselves. For the next week or two, people will be more materialistic than most of the rest of the year. But, when we think about it, even the vast wealth of nations is bound to be ashes, and things are not the most important part of our lives, or the most important part of Christmas. Verse fourteen continues, saying “For as the waters fill the sea, the earth will be filled with an awareness of the glory of the Lord.” Let’s have a Christmas season not about wealth which is passing, but about the world having an awareness of the glory of the Lord, who sent his Son to us that blessed Christmas night. The glory of riches is all in vain, but the glory of the Lord is, was, and always will be.
With all of the religions worshiping idols and all the idol worshiping that Israelites got themselves into, it’s no surprise that the Bible addresses idols regularly. Habakkuk has something to say about idols though that reminded me of a Psalm that I recently read, and the two passages have horrifyingly connected ideas.
“What good is an idol carved by man, or a cast image that deceives you? How foolish to trust in your own creation— a god that can’t even talk! What sorrow awaits you who say to wooden idols, ‘Wake up and save us!’ To speechless stone images you say, ‘Rise up and teach us!’ Can an idol tell you what to do? They may be overlaid with gold and silver, but they are lifeless inside.” – Habakkuk 2:18-19. No matter how attractive the idol can be, it cannot talk, it cannot save you, it cannot teach you, it cannot guide you, and it is lifeless. Now read Psalm 135:15-18: “The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them.” All who trust in idols are just like idols, verse 18 says, and idols are lifeless, Habakkuk 2:19 says, so those who trust in idols are essentially lifeless. I want you to have life and life abundantly, because Christ came so that you may have life abundantly; I don’t want you lifeless. So, check out once again what things are taking priority over God in your life (those are your idols) and rearrange your priorities. Don’t get so stuck on your idols that the destruction of the world cannot tear you from them (Revelation 9:20). Before your idols get out of hand, get them out of your life.
Habakkuk had hard questions for God, got answers, and then praised him. Read the beginning of Habakkuk’s song in chapter 3, starting at Habakkuk 3:2: “I have heard all about you Lord. I am filled with awe by your amazing works. In this time of need, help us again as you did in years gone by. And in your anger, remember your mercy.” Make this your prayer, that you are awestruck, but you need God’s help and mercy still.
The end of Habakkuk’s song is in Habakkuk 3:17-19, which says, “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.” A book in my library from Humble Creek publishing called The Everyday Guide to the Bible confirms that this is as bad as it sounds. This section is definitely about a terrible economy (Israelites were farmers/gathers) in which the people were not going to survive. And despite this, Habakkuk praised the God of his salvation, and was joyful in him. It shouldn’t surprise you if I say here that 2009 was a tougher year than usual economically, but we still have the opportunity and obligation to find our joy and strength in the Lord, and to worship him.
The Everyday Guide to the Bible relates Habakkuk’s writings to Psalm 73, which says, “But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong. They don’t have troubles like other people; they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else… And so the people are dismayed and confused, drinking in all their words. “What does God know?” they ask. “Does the Most High even know what’s happening?” …Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. I was so foolish and ignorant— I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.” (Psalm 73:2-5,10-11,21-26 NLT). I wish I could comment on this passage, but it honestly speaks for itself. Despite the world around us, God is leading us through it to a glorious destiny.
Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen! (Psalm 72:19)
-Zachariah
Amen!