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Habakkuk's Thanksgiving

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[Habakkuk 2:4]

"See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright--but the righteous will live by his faith--

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There was a prophet Habakkuk in Judah. Another prophet with whom Habakkuk was active was the prophet Jeremiah, nicknamed the weeping prophet.
When Habakkuk was active, the 17th king Jehoiakim was ruling in Judah.

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King Jehoiakim was a typical tyrant. He imposed ruthless taxes on the people for his own political purposes. He even put the people in great pain because of the task of building a splendid palace for himself.

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In the Jewish society at that time, not only the king but also the powerful did many evil things.
They were not afraid to rob the poor and the weak. They were not ashamed to use violence to get what they wanted.

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The judges, who were supposed to give a fair judgment according to the word of God, took the side of the wicked and gave an unfair judgment. Seeing this, the prophet Habakkuk prayed many times for God to punish the wicked and make the world just, but God did not answer that prayer.

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The prophet Habakkuk couldn't understand why God allows the wicked people in this world to stand still, so he complained and cried out to God again.
“Jehovah, I have cried out for help, but how long will you not hear me?
You shouted, "There is violence here now," but why don't you save me?
Why do you make me see injustice? Why do you leave evil alone?
Vandalism and violence erupt in front of me, quarrels and fights ensue.
The law is lost and justice is not enforced. Because the wicked surround the righteous, the trial is going wrong.”

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Finally, God's answer came to Habakkuk. God told how He would punish Judah.
“I will send the Babylonians to judge the wicked people. The Babylonians are a cruel and fiercely fighting people. They will go through all the land and subdue the land of others.”
The Babylon that God spoke of is a nation famous for its cruelty.
They were a nation that attacked other countries with powerful military force, destroyed them, and took the people there as prisoners of war.
God was saying that He would punish the nation of Judah through that cruel nation.

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Hearing God's answer, Habakkuk was shocked. He could not understand why God would use a cruel and evil nation like Babylon to punish Judah, God's people.
He prayed to God to tell him the reason and went up to the highest watchtower in the castle. Because he told God that he would wait for God's answer there.

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God spoke to Habakkuk at the Watchtower, the highest point of the castle.
“Write down what I show you. Write it clearly on the stone tablets so that you can read it as you run, and what I am showing you now will soon come to pass.”
Habakkuk prepared to write down everything God was saying.

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God told him that He would thoroughly judge the wicked Babylon for there sins.
These were the sins that God had promised to judge Babylon.

1) A sin committed with evil greed

2) A sin of seeking unjust profit

3) A crime against weak nations through violence and evil

4) A sin of idolatry.

God made it clear to Habakkuk that He judges all who do evil.

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Along with the judgment on Babylon, God also spoke of the promises for the righteous.

["See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright-- but the righteous will live by his aith]
(Habakkuk 2:4)

God promises that evil people will be thoroughly judged for their sins, but the righteous who live by the word of God will be protected until the end, and they will advance to the place of eternal salvation according to their faith.

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Habakkuk was so amazed when he heard the word of God that he would soon judge Babylon for doing evil and protect the righteous who serve God rightly. The promise that the righteous will live by that faith to the end changed Habakkuk. He praised and prayed with the harp to God who judges the wicked and keeps the righteous.

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Habakkuk confessed to God that he had the faith to wait for the day of God's judgment without despair even if Babylon destroyed Judah and caused great suffering.
“I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.“(Habakkuk 3:16)

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Habakkuk, who complained to God for leaving the wicked alone, praised and prayed that he would now believe in God and be happy no matter what happened.
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”(Habakkuk 3:17-18)

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Finally, Habakkuk promises to praise only God. He confessed that God alone was the strength on which he could rely and could exalt himself.
“The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments. “(Habakkuk 3:19)

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There are many times in our lives that we fall into the same thoughts as Habakkuk. There are times when we feel uncomfortable because bad people seem to do better.
So, we have more of a heart of complaining than a heart of gratitude to God.

But through today's Word, I learned that God judges the sins of the wicked, and protects those who live by faith to the end in any situation and leads them to the eternal kingdom of heaven.
Hearing God's word, Habakkuk's complaints turned into joy and thanksgiving.

I hope that you will become people of faith who can give thanks and praise like bakkuk, thinking of God's grace for saving me by giving me faith in Jesus in any situation.

(This is the sample conclusion provided by CTM. Please feel free to change the conclusion to best suit the listeners of your sermon.)