SERMON PRESENTED AT ECWA SEMINARY CHURCH, JOS

BY BULUS, JONATHAN CHARLES

DURING THE YOUTH FELLOWSHIP MEETING
MARCH 9, 2024

ECWA THEME: FOR THE VISION IS YET FOR AN APPOINTED TIME (HABAKKUK
2:3)
ESC THEME: BUILDING FAMILIES WITH A LIVING HOPE (HABAKKUK 2:3)
ESC YOUTH MINISTRY THEME: BUILDING YOUTHS WITH A LIVING HOPE
TEXT: HABAKKUK 2:3-4

Setting the Backdrop

Have you ever imagined what it would be like if you could sue God for all the
disappointments, pain and losses you’ve experienced? If you can, what would you
like to sue God for? History records about four times that people filed lawsuits against
God:

One of the strangest lawsuits in US court history was filed on September 14, 2007. Senator
Ernie Chambers—one of the first African American senators in Nebraska history—was
seeking to stop evil and injustice in the world, and he filed a lawsuit against God. The lawsuit
sought a permanent injunction [an order for God to cease certain activities] in this world.

Senator Chambers said of God, "[He] has allowed certain harmful activities to exist that
[have] caused grave harm to innumerable people in the world." The lawsuit charged God
with causing inter alia, fearsome floods, egregious earthquakes, horrendous hurricanes,
terrifying tornadoes, pestilential plagues, ferocious famines, devastating droughts, genocidal
wars, birth defects, and the like. Chambers continued in the lawsuit, saying that God has
allowed "calamitous catastrophes resulting in the wide-spread death, destruction, and
terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants including innocent babes,
infants, children, the aged, and infirm without mercy or distinction."

The lawsuit was eventually dismissed with on October 14, 2008 [almost one year later]. The
Nebraska court ruled [that] they could not properly notify God because they did not have his
address. [But] Senator Chambers disagreed with the ruling, claiming that because God is
omniscient and knows everything, he should have known he was being sued and appeared in
court to defend himself.1

While we may scoff at Senator Chambers for his pettiness, we must respect his
honesty. For centuries, different men and women have attempted to put God on trial in
some way. Whenever humans face the difficulties and uncertainties of life, God is put

1
Sermon preached by Charlie Dates (senior pastor at the historic Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago,
Illinois) titled When Good Things Happen to Bad People Psalm 73.
https://www.preachingtoday.com/sermons/sermons/2016/august/when-good-things-happen-to-bad-
people.html

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on trial.

Similarly, every single one of us has heard bad news before. We all have encountered
unexpected situations and endured unbearable hardships, which left us confused about
what to do. Whenever life hits us hard, especially as children of God, we are forced to
ask Why? Why Lord? Why me? Why now? Why this? Sooner or later, each person
wrestles with the question: “why does God allow bad things to happen to good
people?” or put differently, “why do good things happen to bad people?”

Long-time ago, a man of God experienced a similar situation, which shook him to his
very core. Today, we would see how his story unfolds, analyze significant themes
from his book, and take a few lessons home. As the Youth ministry theme suggests,
our focus is not on understanding our pain or explaining why evil lingers. Instead,we
seek to get a glimpse of God’s plan and how we fit into it. This will help us become
youths with a living hope, who remain loyal to their God, no matter what.

Thrust
Since God is sovereign over everything and everyone, we can trust Him with our
lives, our cares, and our fears.

Timely Affirmations: Never forget...

 First, God is not just a concept to be analyzed, studied, or scrutinized; He is a
person to be adored, worshiped and obeyed.
 Second, when you come to Jesus, all of your problems do not simply
disappear; but outside of him, you cannot even begin to solve them.
 Third, whenever God’s character and conduct seem to conflict, it is usually
your interpretation of things that is faulty.
 Fourth, it’s not a sin to have doubts about what God is doing, but it is a sin to
let your doubts to turn into disbelief.

OUTLINE

1. First things First: Background Information

a. The Man called Habakkuk
b. The Book called Habakkuk

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 c. Major Events at the Time
2. Habakkuk’s Crisis of Faith (Chapters 1-3)
a. God is Indifferent—Watch and See
i. Why do wicked people in Judah go unpunished? (1:1-4)
ii. The Babylonians would punish Judah (1:5-11)
b. God is Inconsistent—Stand and See
i. How can a just God use wicked Babylon to punish a people
more righteous than them? (1:12-2:1)
ii. Babylon would be punished, and faith would be rewarded (2:2-
20)
c. God is Incomparable—Kneel and See
i. God alone deserves our Prayer (3:1-15)
ii. God alone deserves our Praise (3:16-19)
3. Implications to Consider
a. Our greatest Problem
b. Our Deepest Need
c. Our Highest Honor
4. Conclusion

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Background Information
The Man called Habakkuk
Little is known about the man Habakkuk except that he was a contemporary of the
prophets Jeremiah, Nahum and Zephaniah. He may have been a Levite, and part of
the temple singers, given the psalm that he wrote for the last chapter of his book. This
means that he was probably a priest who became a prophet.

His prophetic ministry coincides with the reign of Josiah (640-609) and Jehoiakim
(609-598), just before the Babylonians invaded and destroyed their land. From the
way he spoke, it is easy to guess that he was a good philosopher who also knew the
scriptures. It can also be concluded that Habakkuk was a man of great faith rooted
deeply in the religious traditions of Israel.

Habakkuk’s name means “to embrace” or “to wrestle”, and he definitely lived out his
name. He wrestles with God over the problems of his people, and embraces God’s
promises over the people. As Martin Luther said:
Habakkuk certainly has a name appropriate to his office, for Habakkuk
means an embracer, one who embraces another and takes him in his arms. This is
what he does in his prophecy: he embraces his people and takes them in his arms.
That is, he comforts them and supports them, as one embraces a weeping child or
person to quiet and compose him with the assurance that things will go better, if
God so will.
God always has someone willing to speak on his behalf.

The Book called Habakkuk

Habakkuk is an unusual book. It is the only prophetic book which the prophet does
not address the people directly. Instead, the prophet calls God out directly, demanding
answers.

The book was most likely written between 609 and 605 B.C. which coincides with the
reigns of both Josiah and Jehoiakim. While Josiah the godly king brought great
reforms in the land (2 Kings 22:1-23:30, king Jehoiakim led the people deeper into sin
and humiliation (23:31-24:6). This must have hurt Habakkuk so badly to see the
nation decline, from a godly and prosperous one to a totally evil one. But nothing hurt
him more than to see that God was silent in the midst of all this.

If you play football, you will agree that the only thing that hurts a football team more
than a bad foul on their player is the referee saying nothing. In the sight of Habakkuk,
God was either powerless or wicked to let the evil continue. What I find interesting is
that while Habakkuk was complaining that evil continued, prophets like Jeremiah
were also being sent to call the people to repentance. God is always working, even
when it does not seem like it.

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 HABAKKUK
(“Embrace” or “Wrestle”)
THE RIGHTEOUS LIVE BY FAITH
“From Worry to Worship”
(Title from Warren Wiersbe)
Solution to Confusion
HABAKKUK 1-2 HABAKKUK 3
WORRY WORSHIP
Problems of Habakkuk Praise of Habakkuk
Hab 1:1-2:20 Hab 3:1-19
Opens in Gloom: Closes in Glory:
Begins with an Ends with an
Interrogation Mark? Exclamation Mark!
Faith Troubled: Faith Triumphant
A Wail A Song
An Inquiry An Affirmation
What is God doing? Who God is
(Doubts) (Shouts)
Call for deliverance Song of Salvation
Perplexity Perspicuity Pleasure
of the Prophet of the Prophet of the Prophet
Hab 1:1-17 Hab 2:1-20 Hab 3:1-19
Habakkuk Complains God Replies Habakkuk Sings
Hab 1:1-17 Hab 2:1-20 Hab 3:1-19
Watch and See Stand and See Kneel and See
Habakkuk Troubled Habakkuk Taught Habakkuk Triumphant
The Prophet The Prophet The Prophet
Wondering & Watching & Worshiping &
Worrying Waiting Witnessing
Habakkuk’s God’s Habakkuk’s God’s Habakkuk’s Prayer of
First Question First Answer Second Question Second Answer Praise
Hab 1:1-4 Hab 1:5-11 Hab 1:12-2:1 Hab 2:2-20 Hab 3:1-19
Why does God not Judah will be Why would God Yes, pagans will punish Words of fear and faith
punish Judah? punished use pagans to Judah, and I will punish
punish Judah? the pagans
Prophet speaks to Judah
Ca 607BC (2, 631 years ago)

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Major Events at the Time
International Power Tussle
Israel (the 10 northern tribes that had broken away from Judah after Solomon’s reign
ended) was essentially wiped out in 722 B.C. by the Assyrians. A new world power
had emerged—Babylon. They just crushed the Assyrians and Egyptians—two of the
most feared nations—and were coming for Judah.

National Depravity
However, in the land of Judah (the last two tribes that remained), it was business as
usual. Oblivious to the looming threat of the Babylonians, the people of Judah simply
rejoiced that their greatest enemies had been destroyed; so they openly lived in sin.

Habakkuk could not understand how a nation facing impending danger could live like
nothing was wrong. But he was more triggered that a God who should care was doing
nothing about it. Sometimes, as I look at the attitude of Nigerians, I wonder if we
realize how much trouble we are in as a country, and why everyone does not seem to
care about how it will ruin us. I also wonder whether God has abandoned this nation
so we can become the global laughing stock, and perfect example of what a country
shouldn’t be.

Habakkuk’s Crisis of Faith (Chapters 1-3)

Three considerations that Habakkuk made in the course of the book are:
1. God is Indifferent—Watch and See
a. Why do wicked people in Judah go unpunished? (1:1-4)
Habakkuk used words like like violence, iniquity, grievance (misery),
spoiling (destruction), strife, contention (disputes), and injustice to
describe the wickedness that filled the land. This happened because the
law was either ignored totally or twisted badly so that anyone who can will
get away with evil.

b. The Babylonians would punish Judah (1:5-11)

God responded by assuring the prophet that he knows, and has already
worked out a plan to deal with the wickedness in Judah. God was going to
deal with his people in a way that even his prophets will be shocked.
Ungodly Babylon would be his instruments.

I can immediately picture Nigerians complaining about the extent of our

suffering in this country. Then, as we wonder when the corrupt politicians,
dishonest business men, evil lecturers, demonic pastors, wicked
colleagues, and manipulative friends will be dealt with, imagine God
saying, I have prepared the Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram terrorists to
fix these ones.

2. God is Inconsistent—Stand and See

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 a. How can a just God use wicked Babylon to punish a people more
righteous than them? (1:12-2:1)
Naturally, God’s first response raised another question: of all the people
you could use, why these wicked ones? Habakkuk had 3 reasons for
wondering why God decided to be this inconsiderate:
i. God is holy: a holy God cannot use unholy people to do his
work. Well, Habakkuk did not realize that God is the only one
who can use evil without being corrupted by it. Also, God
already explored milder ways to call the people to himself, but
they refused.
ii. His people are helpless: considering how weak the nation had
become, Habakkuk wondered if they could survive the ruthless
Babylonians. He forgot that it is God who determines who lives
and who dies. Plus, God will always keep a remnant, to fulfil
his covenant.
iii. These instruments are haughty and proud:in a desperate
attempt, Habakkuk goes into detail to point out how bad the
Babylonians were. He forgot that in the sight of God, all have
sinned, and there is none who is righteous before God.

b. Babylon would be punished, and faith would be rewarded (2:2-20)

God again responded by assuring Habakkuk that his concerns were known.
God mentioned his plans both for the just and for the unjust:
i. The faith of the just will be rewarded (2:2-5)
 Write God’s vision - it is for an appointed time and will not
exceed that time. While God had plans to end Babylonian
oppression, God’s grand plan was to end the oppression of
sin
 Trust God’s plan - it is both for the sinner and the just.
While the sinner will be puffed up in what he thinks he has,
the just will live by faith. This faith saves him from certain
death; but it also carries him through life on earth. Whether
or not hardship ends, the one who lives by faith is already
free.
ii. The wickedness of the unjust will be punished (2:6-20)
God then pronounces woes on five main sins of the Babylonians:
 The selfish will be plundered
 The covetous will be shamed and disgraced
 The exploiters will become a forgotten monument
 The drunkards will lay naked and exposed
 The idolaters will be defenseless

3. God is Incomparable—Kneel and See

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 In realizing that God had plans that Habakkuk will never have thought out, he
yielded to God’s wisdom and submitted to God’s superior plan. God had lifted
him from the gloomy valley of despair to the mountain of hope.

a. God alone Deserves our Prayer (3:1-15)

i. God spoke with certainty
ii. Habakkuk believed in totality:
 God’s splendour
 God’s power
 God’s victory
b. God alone Deserves our Praise (3:16-19)
i. Wait patiently for the Lord
ii. Rejoice in the Lord always
iii. Rely on the Lord completely

Implications to Consider
1. Our greatest Problem: not doubt, but disbelief.
Generally speaking, doubt refers to “uncertainty or hesitation between believing
and not doing so”. Interestingly, the Greek word for doubt diakrino, can be
translated to mean "contending" or "judging." This will mean that doubt refers to
“being uncertain, contending or judging to know what is true or false”

From this definition, we can infer that doubt is different from disbelief (unbelief);
doubt refers to an uncertainty or hesitation to believe, while disbelief is an
unwillingness to believe. Doubt is about questioning whether something is true or
not; disbelief is a choice to not believe, despite evidence given (John 5:40). People
who doubt, seek the truth, but people who disbelieve reject and scoff at what is
presented as truth; therefore, if doubt is a journey, disbelief is a destination.

The opposite of faith is not doubt; it’s unbelief. While Jesus often made a way to
convince his doubters, like Thomas, he never wasted time speaking with those in
disbelief. In fact, in Matt 12:31-32 (cf Mark 3:28-29; Luke 12:10; Heb 6:4-6),
disbelief or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit has been mentioned as the
unforgivable sin. While scripture does not condemn Habakkuk for having voicing
out his doubts, scripture expressly says those who do not believe stand condemned
already (John 3:18). Habakkuk was not an unbeliever challenging God or the
Christian faith; he was a true follower of Yahweh seeking answers.

Next time you want to challenge God, make sure you are not hiding your disbelief
under the smokescreen of doubt.

2. Our Deepest Need: To trust God with our lives, our fears and our cares.
This trust goes beyond mere belief, to true faith. Faith is not merely an intellectual
proposition, but practical action. It is hinged on what God said and what He asks

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 us to do.

Niagara Falls is a huge waterfall that separates Canada from USA. Its waters are
802 meters long, 160ft deep, and rushing down at a speed of 80km/hr. It’s one of the
continent’s greatest spectacle, which attracted tourists as well as dare devils. Many
people attempted to carry out record breaking feats across the Falls. The thundering
sound of pounding waters drowned all voices as these individuals moved between life
and death to prove a point.

In the summer of 1859, Charles Blondin walked back and forth the Falls on a
tightrope, as huge crowds on both sides looked on with shock and awe. Once, he
crossed crossed in a sack, another time on a bicycle, and once he even carried a stove
and cooked an omelet! On July 15, Blondin pushed the limit walking backward across
the tightrope, and returned pushing a wheelbarrow. By this time, the crowd had gone
crazy, ooooh-ing and aaaah-ing in amazement.

Since he had proved that he was capable, he asked, “do you believe I can carry a
person across in this wheelbarrow?” The crowd shouted that yes, they believed. Then
he asked, “who will volunteer to get in?” Not a single soul agreed. It was easier to
stand and see the amazing thing he could do, but when he beckoned “come and see”,
it became too much risk.

Later, on August 17, 1859 (about a month later), his friend and manager , Harry
Colcord climbed on Blondin’s back, and together they took a ride across the Naigara
Falls on a tightrope. This story paints the picture of what faith really is. It is easy to
say, “I believe”, or to marvel at the great wonders that God performed in the lives of
others. But it is extremely difficult to let him carry us totally through the storms of life,
to our final destination.

Like Charles Blondin, God is calling us individually to go on a ride with Him,

which he completed over and over. But unlike Blondin, God will never let us fall.
Our greatest need is to trust Him completely that He will do what he said. This is
the basis for our living hope. Our living hope is summarized in two words TRUST
& OBEY.
3. Our Highest Honor: God himself carries us.
Those times when God seems to be most silent is when he is working the most to
actualize his plans. The most consoling words from God are “Never will I leave
you, never will I forsake you” (Heb 13:5). Jesus said to his disciples, “I am with
you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt 28:20). Although life is tough, God
carries us through.

Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed a dream.
As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.

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Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
One belonging to me and one to my Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me,

I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,
especially at the very lowest and saddest times,
there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.

"Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,
You'd walk with me all the way.
But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me."

He whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you
Never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you."

Conclusion
Habakkuk is so relatable on many levels. Like it was over 2, 600 years ago, faith in
Jesus still remains the only way to be saved. When Habakkuk started the book, he
wanted to put God on trial for the evil he saw. But as the book progressed, Habakkuk
realized that it was he who was on trial, and God already had plans to save him and
his people.

Similarly, we sometimes look at the evil in our country and wonder whether God is
powerless or simply unjust. But when he opens our eyes to see how loving and
merciful he is towards us, we cannot help but thank Him for not destroying us, as our
sins deserve. Through Jesus, we are being reconciled to a right relationship with God,
and made his instruments of reconciliation. Thank God that He is already dealing with
the fact of sin, fault of sin and fruit of sin in our world.

Like Paul, we are forced to exclaim:

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the
wisdom and knowledge of God! How
unsearchable are His judgments and His
ways past finding out! For who has known
the mind of the Lord? Or who has become
His counselor? Or who has first given to
Him and it shall be repaid to him? For of

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 Him and through Him and to Him are all
things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
ROM. 11:33–36 (nkjv)

It Pays to Serve Jesus

-EIl G. Christy
1 It pays to serve Jesus, I speak from my heart;
He’ll always be with us, if we do our part;
There’s naught in this wide world can pleasure afford,
There’s peace and contentment in serving the Lord.

Refrain:
I love Him far better than in days of yore,
I’ll serve Him more truly than ever before;
I’ll do as He bids me, whatever the cost,
I’ll be a true soldier — I’ll die at my post.

2 And oft when I’m tempted to turn from the track,

I think of my Savior — my mind wanders back
To the place where they nailed Him on Calvary’s tree—
I hear a voice saying, I suffered for thee. [Refrain]

3 There’s a place that remembrance still brings back to me,

’Twas there I found pardon — ’twas Heaven to me;
There Jesus spoke sweetly to my weary soul,
My sins were forgiven, He made my heart whole. [Refrain]

4 How rich is the blessing the world cannot give,

I’m satisfied fully for Jesus to live;
Tho’ friends may forsake me, and trials arise,
I’m trusting in Jesus, His love never dies. [Refrain]

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