Habakkuk

Sermon by Raijko Celic 23 July 2022

Speaker 000:03
• Good morning. Church. Happy Sabbath to all. I hope that you've had a good week. You
know, was just as, as we came onto the stage here today, I said to myself, do you say
HabakKUK, or do you say HABakkuk? And it was going through my mind, because I
learned how to say HABakkuk with my ethnic background. And so I popped over to Steve
here, and I said, Steve, do you say HabakKUK or do you say HABakkuk he said,
HabakKUK.
• Speaker 000:36
• I said, yes. Okay. So, yeah. Okay. So if I get English grammar to today wrong, can you
please forgive me? Is it DARius? Or is it DarIus?
• Speaker 000:55
• I don't know anymore. It's one or the other. You guys already butcher my name anyway. It's
not Raijkow. It's Raijko. And I remember one time in South Korea, I had an English
roommate, and he said, Raijkow, did that really irritate me?
• Speaker 001:21
• So I'm going to try and say Habakkuk. Okay, and not forget. So we are going through the
minor prophets. This is the 9th minor prophet of twelve. And let us pray before we get into
our message. Dear Father in heaven, thank you Lord that we can study these minor prophets.
Lord, we have three chapters to cover today.
• Speaker 001:42
• We'll be reading quite a bit. Some things will we will skip. And I pray Lord that we can
make applications that in the time that we are living in. Lord, I just pray that your Holy
Spirit will guide me. I pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to our hearts. I pray Lord, that
they will be open. And may you just bless us, Lord, as we have our Bible study, our sermon
this morning in Jesus name, I pray Amen.
• Speaker 002:10
• Beginning with the background of the book of Habakkuk, the date it was written about 607
BC, around this time period. And this was during the reign of King Jehoiakim, King
Jehoiakim he was a godless King, and he reigned from 609 to 597 BC. And keep in mind,
this is just about two years before Babylon comes to power. Babylon is rising to power. And
if you know Daniel, chapter two, the statue, we usually begin there by saying, Babylon came
to power in the year 605 BC. The audience, he ministers to the southern kingdom of Israel,
Judah.
• Speaker 002:51
• The northern kingdom is no longer. Over a hundred years ago had already ceased to exist.
But there are also prophecies and judgments that he will prophesy when it comes to
Babylon, literal Babylon, the contemporaries, Jeremiah and also Daniel, Daniel would have
been young. Two years of a few years later, you have Daniel. He's helping out with the
 Habakkuk

prophecy of Daniel, chapter two, maybe even Zephaniah, part of this as well. The
contemporary here, and maybe even Ezekiel. Ezekiel does come later on.
• Speaker 003:26
• The meaning of Habakkuk, is one who embraces, one who clings. Themes, nothing new
under the sun, judgment, the just shall live by faith and God's timing. Now, there's
something interesting about this book, because you have the prophet. A prophet usually
receives a message from God, and then he gives this message to the people, and it's for the
people. And there are messages here in this book where you have for the people and what's
coming. But what we see in the big way, in a unique way, is that you're going to have
Habakkuk is going to be questioning God, and it's almost like he's talking for the people.
Let's open our Bibles to chapter one, please.
• Speaker 004:18
• Habakkuk Chapter one, I'm going to read a few things from chapter one. Chapter two, I'll
read a few things and skip a few things as well. And then chapter three, I'll pretty much read
all of chapter three. So for the next 50 Min or so, we will study this book. Chapter one, verse
one, it says this. The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw and the word for burden can
also mean prophecy as well. And we're going to follow this structure of the book of
Habakkuk.
• Speaker 004:50
• And that is the prophet's first questioning to God. Verse one is more like a short little
introduction. But the 1st four verses, we're going to see he's going to be questioning God.
And if it's the first, well that means there's going to be a second one as well. Verse two, O
Lord, how long shall I cry? And you will not hear even cry out to you violence, and you will
not save. You can see this is very personal, because he says, how long shall I cry?
• Speaker 005:22
• I it is personal. And when he says, here, even cry out to you violence, this word, in the
Hebrew violence, can be translated as unrighteousness and also wrongs. Have you ever had
this question, Lord, how long? Why is this happening? Because that's exactly what this book
is all about. Why? Why me?
• Speaker 005:44
• Maybe even the last week, you've asked questions, why? Why did I have to experience this?
Why did I have to go through all of this? Last week's sabbath school lesson, there was a
quote on Friday, and it spoke to me, and we've been studying this quarter about the crucible,
and there's some trials and fiery trials to go through. And last week's lesson, it talked about
the children of Israel crossing the red sea, the story of the exodus. And then in Exodus
chapter 17, they came to a place called rephidim. And in rephidim, they were complaining
because we want some water.
• Speaker 006:25
• You've taken us out of Egypt. And the story was that Moses struck the rock and water came
out. And so there was this statement from Ellen White on Friday's lesson last week's lesson.
It comes from Review and Herald 7th of April 1903 paragraph four. It says, "But of old the
 Habakkuk

Lord led His people to Rephidim, and He may choose to bring us there also, in order to test
our faithfulness and loyalty to Him."
And then there is the sentence. "In mercy to us He does not always place us in the easiest
places."
• Speaker 006:58
• He doesn't always bring you to pleasant places. Have you experienced that? I have and some
of these things I don't want to even bring up anymore. Why? Because it brings up the
emotions of the past. And continually have to say to myself, just like Manasseh, which is
one of the tribes in Revelation chapter seven, there's twelve tribes. It's all spiritual, symbolic.
• Speaker 007:18
• Manasseh means making me to forget. So God doesn't always bring us to pleasant places.
And as you continue, Ellen White says, why God does permit these things. "He permits trial
and disappointment to come to us that we may realize our helplessness, and learn to call
upon Him for aid." And it humbles you, because you know what you've experienced in the
past. You can sometimes already sniff what's happening in the future, and you say, Lord, just
help me through this. In verse three, it says this, why do you show me iniquity and cause me
to see trouble for plundering and violence are before me?
• Speaker 007:53
• There is strive and contention arises. All of these first four Bible verses are in relation to
that. There is strife, there is contention. There's unrighteousness, there's violence, there's sin.
Why do you cause me to see iniquity?
• Speaker 008:08
• Iniquity is sin. What kind of sin? Rebellion. Now, I don't know about you, but sometimes I
already get fed up with all this negativity I see on the news, one negative thing after another.
Or you maybe go to news.com and you see these things, or CNN, one negative thing after
another. Now I haven't watched news for a long time on TV, but maybe you're waiting for
the last 2 minutes of the news where you see the sweet little panda bear. Verse four,
therefore, the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the
righteous.
• Speaker 008:45
• Therefore, perverse judgment proceeds. Perverse means unacceptable or unreasonable.
Perverse judgment proceeds because the wicked surround the righteous. And it mentions
here the law is powerless. The word for law in the Hebrew is Torah. The word Torah can
mean Pentateuch. Pentateuch five books, the 1st five books of Moses.
• Speaker 009:09
• Pentagon is a five sided shape. Pentateuch is five books, Genesis, Exodus Leviticus,
Numbers, Deuteronomy. It's the word of God. Or the word Torah here can also mean the
decalogue the ten Commandments. And when it says the word of God or the ten
Commandments, it's powerless. In the Hebrew the word powerless can be translated as it's
sluggish. One translation translated as it's paralyzed, or SDA Bible commentary says it's
growing numb. Now, friends, nothing new under the sun.
 Habakkuk

• Speaker 009:43
• I see God's law today. It's becoming paralyzed. And because lawlessness will abound, the
love of many will grow cold. That's what Jesus said in Matthew 24: 12. And this could be
even happening among God's people, because Judah is to be God's people. In verse five, it
says this, and this is where we're continuing. From verse five to eleven. You see God's reply
and prophecy of Babylon captivity and her characteristics.
• Speaker 010:14
• We're just gonna read verse five. And the 1st part of verse six, it says this, look among the
nations, and watch. Be utterly astounded. For I will work a work in your days, which you
would not believe, though it were told you, for indeed I am raising up the chaldeans. Then it
says, is a bitter and hasty nation. So in verse five, when it says, look among the nations, the
word for nations can be translated also, as in the original language, Gentiles or heathens.
And who were these that came against Judah? What does same verse six, it's the Chaldeans.
• Speaker 010:53
• The word chaldeans, is just another name for the Babylonians. They're going to come. And
in verse five, it says, for I will work a work in your days. This is in the lifetime of
Habakkuk, which you would not believe, though it was told to you. Now, there have already
been prophets of the past, like Isaiah and Jeremiah, who said, if you don't get your act
together, the Babylonian captivity is going to occur. It's going to happen. And sometimes,
I've told you the floods going to happen.
• Speaker 011:36
• Oh yes, really? The flood is going to happen. It did come. And there are certain events, as a
way of application, which I'll be doing quite a bit today, when you start the book of
Revelation, you've got modern day spiritual global Babylon, that things are going to happen,
especially events which are foretold in Revelation chapter 13. Oh no, it's not going to
happen. That really cannot happen. Well, yes, it will happen.
• Speaker 012:01
• And when you study that second beast, it's very interesting, because I've even heard
Seventhth day Adventist from the United States saying, no, it will never happen because
they're sometimes too proud of their own nation. But things will happen. Well, why do I
believe it will happen if it hasn't happened yet? Because of what God has said in the past, it
has come to pass. It gives me faith to trust that things are going to happen in the future as
well. Now, it says here in verse six, I am raising up the chaldeans. What God is raising up is
the Babylonians, we have already studied in the past, that God can use pagan heathen
nations to fulfill His purposes, to fulfill His judgments, just like He did with Assyria against
the northern kingdom of Israel.
• Speaker 012:42
• And Babylon was rising to power. The book was written, this book here was written around
607 or so BC. And Nabopolassar, who was Nebuchadnezzar's father, came to power around
626 BC. In 612 BC, Ninevah was taken over by Babylon. Ninevah was the capital city of
Assyria. And so King Nebuchadnezzar's 1st reign was in the year 605 BC.
 Habakkuk

• Speaker 013:12
• And that's when he came to Judah. You start to read about this in Daniel chapter one. And in
the 1st invasion of Judah, there were three and he deported some 10,000 of Jerusalem's
leaders to Babylon. Now we're not going to read everything here in this chapter, but there
are some characteristics of Babylon. There's about some 16 or 17 different characteristics of
Babylon. She's bitter. Now, bitter is when you feel unhappy about someone who has treated
you unfairly, you feel bitter.
• Speaker 013:45
• She's also hasty. She moves very fast. Conquers very quickly. She marches through the
breadth of the earth. This shows her power. She's got an army. She possesses, or takes over
dwellings or places that are not theirs.
• Speaker 014:00
• Is spiritual. Babylon also going to take over things which is not theirs. She's terrible, she's
dreadful. Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves. That's what verse seven
says. Their judgment proceeds from themselves. That word judgment can be translated as
their law proceeds from themselves. Who cares about God's law? We have our own law. We
can do whatever we want. We make our own rules. In verse eight, her horses are swifter than
leopards. Now I really thought about this.
• Speaker 014:34
• Isn't the leopard faster than the horse, maybe on the short distance. I don't know. I didn't do
homework on this, but horses, I know they can run for a long time. They are more fierce
than evening wolves. This is talking about literal Babylon. In verse eight, their charges, or
their chariots, charge ahead. In verse eight, the Calvary comes from afar.
• Speaker 015:00
• We know that literal Babylon came some 15 hundred kilometers, and they came all the way
to Israel. They came to Jerusalem. And if they come from a far distance, I can still see that
they're respecting their King and they want their kingdom to grow. In verse eight, they fly as
the eagle that hastens to eat. An eagle. It's a bird, it's a predator. Babylon all come for
violence. In verse nine, they gather captives like San in verse ten, not only do they scoff at
kings, but also scoff at princes.
• Speaker 015:34
• They make fun of Princess, are you are nothing. Yeah. You think you're a political leader
way greater than you. They deride strongholds. They make fun of strongholds. Nothing can
stop them. We don't care about what you have.
• Speaker 015:55
• Yeah, you've got all these defenses, you've got your security cameras. Nothing's going to
stop us. Nothing. They seize the earth and land. They take over territory. Do not
underestimate literal Babylon, but also do not underestimate spiritual Babylon as well. You
have nothing to be afraid, by the way, Jesus is the answer to everything, as long as you have
Christ, don't be afraid.
• Speaker 016:24
 Habakkuk

• In verse eleven, it says this, then his mind changes and he transgresses. This is talking about
literal Babylon. He commits offense, or God is offended, ascribing this power to his god.
When you go to Jeremiah, chapter 50, verse two, the chief god of the Babylonians was Bel,
or sometimes known as Merodach. Merodach was the chief god of the Babylonians. And
guess what kind of God it was? The sun god.
• Speaker 017:00
• You ever heard something interesting around 321 AD that there was a certain decree that
everyone needs to worship on a particular day because it's the day of the sun. Will there be
something similar before Christ comes back again? Continue applications. We studied
Zephaniah last time, and and we saw a statement from prophets and kings that what
happened in the time of Zephaniah. Ellen White says we can give with equal force
application for the end time, and similar things can happen with the book Habakkuk. Let's
continue.
• Speaker 017:35
• The prophets second questioning to God, verses twelve to 17. Let's read verse twelve.
Habakkuk says, are you not from from everlasting. O Lord, my God, my Holy one, we shall
not die. O Lord, you have appointed them for judgment. Talking about Babylon, O rock, you
have marked them for correction. I like this Bible verse.
• Speaker 018:01
• In the beginning here it says, Habakkuk is saying, are you not from everlasting? You are
eternal. He confesses that God is eternal. Now it makes me think of another minor prophet
which gives a messianic prophecy, Micah 5: 2, where he talks about that God, you are from
everlasting to everlasting. But it also says here, we shall not die. There is some hope. This is
in the context of where Babylon, literal Babylon, will come and take over Judah.
• Speaker 018:31
• And here you have the prophet saying, we shall not die. There is hope. Here there is this
faith. Notice this statement, Prophets and Kings (p386.1), it says, and then he is talking
about Habakku's faith, reaching out beyond the forbidding prospect of the immediate future
and laying fast hold on the precious promises that revealed God's love for his trusting
children. The prophet added, we shall not die. With this declaration of faith, rested his case
and that of every believing Israelite in the hands of a compassionate God. At the end, my
dear brothers and sisters, what's going to rescue you and save you is your faith in God. It's
your faith in God, we shall not die.
• Speaker 019:23
• Now the Bible teaches that there are two kinds of deaths, aren't there? The 1st death is where
you die in the Lord Jesus Christ and you are resurrected. And then there's the second death.
At the end of revelation is the lake of fire. It's total annihilation. There's no point of coming
back to God then. Now there's going to be certain people who will not die.
• Speaker 019:47
• They're gonna be alive at the second coming of Christ, but then there will be those who
probably will pass away. But praise God that Jesus said in Matthew ten, verse 28, and do not
 Habakkuk

fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul or life, but rather fear him who can kill
both body and soul. There are two types of death. So even if you die the 1st death, well,
you're not really dead, because you will be resurrected, and you have eternal life in Jesus
Christ. Here it says, in verse twelve, O Lord, you have appointed them for judgment. Literal
Babylon will be appointed for judgment. Here it talks about Babylonian captivity.
• Speaker 020:27
• But there's hope. No one will die during that time. And then you have Habakkuk calling. He
calls God the rock. Deuteronomy 32: 4. God is the rock. Psalms 95: 1, God is the rock of our
salvation.
• Speaker 020:45
• Daniel, chapter two, there's a rock coming 1 Corinthians 10: 4. That rock was Christ, and a
number of times in the New Testament, Jesus is the Chief cornerstone. Then in verse 13, he
says this, you are a purer eyes then to behold evil. He's talking here about God. His eyes are
pure. God has a sinless nature.
• Speaker 021:08
• He cannot tolerate evil. You just have to reap. Psalms chapter five, verse four to six, it says
this, for you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with you.
The boastful shall not stand in your sight. You hate all workers of iniquity. You shall destroy
those who speak falsehood. The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
• Speaker 021:28
• But look at verse 13 again. You are of purer eyes then to behold evil and cannot look on
wickedness. Why do you look on those who deal treacherous talking about literal Babylon
and hold your tongue. You don't say anything. When the wicked devoured a person more
righteous than he. What he is saying here is, God, we are more righteous than the
Babylonians, the Babylonians are much worse. Why are you using them to bring judgment
upon us? Doesn't seem fair.
• Speaker 022:03
• It's like he's complaining. Let me ask you again a question. Have you ever had those
thoughts where you're saying, God, why me? Why me? Why us? Verse 14, it says this, why
do you make men like fish of the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler over them? The
righteous men is often as dumb and helpless under a wicked oppressor as a fish are in the
nets of fishermen.
• Speaker 022:38
• And then in verse 15, it says talking about Babylon, literal Babylon. They take up all of
them with a hook. They catch them, Israel in their net, and others as well, and gather them in
their Dragnet. Therefore, they rejoiced and are glad. Let me ask you a question. How many
of you enjoy fishing? Okay, a few of you enjoy fishing.
• Speaker 023:01
• Okay, when you catch something, do you rejoice? Okay, you didn't raise up your hands a lot
when I ask you whether you fishing as soon as a do you rejoice? And are you glad? Most of
 Habakkuk

you went? Okay, I'm not saying don't eat fish. Jesus ate fish. Okay, the sermon, but there's
rejoicing.
• Speaker 023:20
• How did you catch your fish? Use bait, didn't you? And sometimes, like when you have a
lure, you have the plastic kind of fish thing, right? And you throw that in and you're trying to
trap the fish, deceive the fish. I'm not saying that's the wrong thing to do, don't get me
wrong. But literal Babylon, they catch in the net by deception, by lying, by trickery. And
spiritual Babylon, be careful, friends.
• Speaker 023:52
• It's a dwelling place of demons. It's a place that deceived. Notice, once they've caught the
fish, notice how they react. This is literal Babylon, verse 16, therefore, they sacrifice to their
net and burn incense to their Dragnet. They're giving thanks to their gods, because by them,
their share is sumptuous, and their food plentiful. Sumptuous means very expensive. And
looking very impressive.
• Speaker 024:22
• Is spiritual Babylon. Expensive. Is spiritual Babylon impressive. Yeah. Revelation, chapter
17, you just go read about the woman, she's called a harlot adorned with all kinds of jewels.
When people go to her church, people get awed but the theology is not biblical. By the way,
God still has people in that system.
• Speaker 024:49
• They sometimes just don't know better. Then in verse 17, it says, this shall they therefore
empty their net and continue to slain nations without pity. They have no pity, they have no
sympathy. This is literal Babylon. They actually don't care. They just live for themselves.
Next Habakkuk demands an answer.
• Speaker 025:15
• Chapter two, verse one, it says this chapter two, I will stand my watch, and I set myself on
the rampart, or ramp it can also be translated as tower, or stronghold, and watch to see what
he will say to me and what I will answer when I am corrected. Here you have the prophet
saying, okay, God, I'm questioning you. Why this? Why that? But I'm going to come to a
point where I will stand my watch. That word for watch in the Hebrew can be translated.
• Speaker 025:48
• I will wait for it, Lord. And Lord, if I need to be corrected, yep, I'll take that on. And I will
trust in you. And I'll put my faith in you. No matter what happens, I'll put my faith in you.
God's reply, verses two to four. Then the Lord answered and said, write the vision and make
it plain on the tablets that he may run who reads it?
• Speaker 026:13
• Put it on the tablets, usually tablets of stone. And I've read that this is to be probably put into
a public space where all people of Judah can see it and make it that it may run who reads it.
I've read that this word run simply means write it down smoothly and fluently so that people
can understand it as they read it. For the vision, and this is talking about Babylon, is yet for
 Habakkuk

an appointed in time, but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie though it tarry. That
means delays. Wait for it, because it will surely come.
• Speaker 026:49
• It will not tarry. The Babylonians are coming to Judah, it will come. Okay, yes, it looks like
it's tarrying. It looks like it's delaying. But there will be a time where it will come and write
these things down. And then we have verse four, behold the proud. Look at the proud. His
soul is not upright in him.
• Speaker 027:11
• But this is contrast. Now, but the just shall live by his faith. The just shall live by faith. This
word, just in the original language is Sadik. Sadik can mean just. It can also mean righteous,
righteous man. Now let me ask you a question.
• Speaker 027:32
• What does the word just mean? Righteous? What does the word righteous mean? Just?
They're synonyms. By the way, see, when you read your English Bible, you might think that
just and righteous are two different words, but no, it's the same Hebrew word.
• Speaker 027:51
• And even in Greek, when you read the New Testament in English, you read justification,
righteousness. It's actually the same Greek word. You may get confused. Now, I speak
Serbian. I read the Serbian Bible. We only have one word for righteousness and justification.
It's pravednika. In Samoan they only have one word, by the way, so you can use these things
synonymously.
• Speaker 028:14
• You know that the just shall live by faith, the righteous shall live by faith. So in this context
of Habakkuk, there is a time where all of these things are happening. Babylon is rising to
power, but God has a people where the righteous man, that just, the Sadik, will live by faith,
no different than for the future. No different for the present as well. No different, no
different. Let me quote Prophets and Kings here, (p386) the 1st part we've already read, and
then I'm going to continue reading. And then his haak faith, reaching out beyond the
forbidden prospect of the immediate future, and laying fast hold on the precious promises
that revealed God's love for his trusting children.
• Speaker 029:05
• The prophet added, we shall not die. With this declaration of faith, rested his case and that of
every believing Israelite in the hands of a compassionate God. This was not ha bau's only
experience in the exercise of strong faith. On one occasion, when meditating concerning the
future, he said, I will stand upon my watch and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see
what he will say unto me graciously. The Lord answered him. And then Ellen white quotes
haak chapter two, verses two to four, which we just read. She quotes that and then she says,
this, the faith that strengthened hau and all the Holy and just in those days of deep trial, was
the same faith that sustains God's people.
• Speaker 029:55
 Habakkuk

• When today, in the darkest hours, under circumstances the most forbidding the Christian
believer may keep his soul state upon the source of all light and power, day by day. Through
faith in God, his hope and courage may be renewed. The just shall live by his faith, not your
faith, his faith in the service of God. There need be no despondent, no wavering, no fear.
The Lord will more than fulfill the highest expectations of those who put their trust in him.
He will give them the wisdom their varied necessities demand. Revelation 14, verse twelve.
• Speaker 030:37
• Here's the patience of the saints. Here are those who keep the Commandments of God and
have what faith of Jesus. And when you study the Bible, it's a message of justification by
faith, or righteousness by faith. As you continue reading verses five to verse 19, and I've
included verse 20 here, about verses five to 19, it enumerates or mentions the national sins
of Babylon. What are some of the sins of Babylon? In verse five, it says, Babylon is proud,
not satisfied, gathers to himself all nations. Heaps up for himself all peoples.
• Speaker 031:12
• Babylon has many pledges, and I've read that this means it has heavy debts, debts of right
and justice also. In verse seven, it says Babylon has borrowed from creditors, which will rise
against her. And historically, yes, she's borrowed from others, but they will rise against her.
And historically, the Medes and the Persians came against her. And it's interesting. Have you
ever read revelation chapter 17, there's a woman, and then there's these ten horns, and they
give all their power to the woman, but then they regret that they've given power to her, and
I'm guessing they're going to rise against her. Babylon also plunder and takes booty and
God says there's going to be judgment upon Babylon, and she will be plundered. And that
took place by the Medes and Persians.
• Speaker 032:00
• Babylon coverts evil gain for their house. Babylon cuts off people in the Royal family.
Babylon builds a town, or a city with bloodshed violence. Babylon establishes a city with
iniquity or rebellion. There's also going to be judgment that will fall upon Babylon. When
you read it in verse 13, and he talks about fire.
• Speaker 032:22
• It's interesting. Jeremiah 51: 58 also talks about literal Babylon, that there'll be judgment,
and her high gates shall be burned with fire. Spiritual Babylon in the future also happen the
same. There's a lake of fire. In verse 14, it says, for the earth will be filled with the
knowledge of the glory of the Lord. People will know that literal Babylon will fall.
Remember second angels message, Babylon is fallen, is fallen.
• Speaker 032:56
• People will know in the future as well. Verse 15, it talks about how Babylon has wine, which
makes and cause people drunk, and then also naked. So, literal Babylon, it makes people
drunk, no different in spiritual Babylon. Are you continually seeing the connections? If
you're not, then I want to encourage you go and read Revelation. Acts of the Apostles, page
five 85, says all the books of the Bible meet and end in the book of Revelation. Now, you
can't understand revelation if you don't study the other books.
 Habakkuk

• Speaker 033:31
• But having all these foundations helps you to understand Revelation better. You want to see
a revival. Ellen White says study the last book. Okay, study the last book. And let me also
add, not just revival, but reformation. I need reforming.
• Speaker 033:52
• I need revival in my heart. I know that. Okay, day by day, day by day. So spiritual Babylon
also has wine, but also God has a cup of wrath too for spiritual Babylon. I'm not try and
scare you in any way. And in verse 18, let's read verse 18 by the way, there's five woes here
between verse five and verse 19. You actually read about five different woes when it comes
to Babylon.
• Speaker 034:23
• Verse 18, it says, what profit is the image, that its makers should carve it, the moulded
image, a teacher of lies, that the maker of its mould should trust in it to make mute idols.
Babylon was into their idols. Woe to him who say to the wood. Now, the wood, here is
context of idols, or image. Awake to a silent stone. Arise it shall teach.
• Speaker 034:49
• Behold it is overlaid with gold and silver, yet in it there is no breath at all. It always makes
me think, I lived in Taiwan for with with Elise. We lived in Taiwan for two years. Taiwan
has the most most temples per square kilometer in the world. And idolatry is a real thing
there. You go a little bit, and you see a temple. It's kind of like the old Testament.
• Speaker 035:17
• You see idolatry. And it always makes me think of Psalms 115: 5, where an idol has a
mouth, but it cannot speak. It has eyes, but it cannot see, it has ears, but it cannot hear. It has
a nose, but it cannot smell, it has a throat, but it doesn't mutter. And then Isaiah 44: 9,10,
talks about how an image is useless. And also an image that profits him nothing. In 1
Corinthians 8: 4, an idol is nothing in the world.
• Speaker 035:49
• How can something that is made by human hands be seen as holy and as someone who you
can help you? I just don't understand that. And you're putting your faith into these things
called idols. Now, please when you see a Buddhist or a Hindu, don't go up to them and say,
hey, you're worshipping idols. It's a useless thing. Okay, that's not the way to witness, by the
way. It's not how you witness unless the Holy Spirit impresses you.
• Speaker 036:13
• But that's not how you witness. They put their trust in these idols. And it was silver and
gold. Sorry, it was overlaid, the Bible says, with silver and gold. And for the 1st time this
week, I thought maybe the big image in Daniel, chapter three, was overlaid with gold. I
never thought of that. So maybe it was just one piece of gold.
• Speaker 036:31
• Remember even the Ark of the covenant that was made of wood and then overlaid with
gold. I don't know when we get to heaven, or maybe if you have some archeological
evidence, share that with me. But you know, here, this last woe, I said there were five, and
 Habakkuk

you can go and read it for yourself. But the woe here for the last one is in context of idol.
This is in violation of commandment number two. What is an idol?
• Speaker 036:55
• Something that takes the place of God. Let me ask you a question. What day did God
command us to worship on. The Sabbath, the 7th day, Sabbath. If I worship on another day,
well, which God had not commanded, that becomes an idol Sabbath. Have you ever read
something in the Spirit of Prophecy called the idol Sabbath? ("All who will exalt and
worship the idol sabbath, a day that God has not blessed, help the devil and his angels with
all the power of their God-given ability, which they have perverted to a wrong use."
Manuscript Releases vol 14. No 1097 p91.1) But it's in context of Sunday worship? Yeah,
think about that.
• Speaker 037:26
• Then. In verse 20, it says this, but the Lord is in His Holy temple. Let all the earth keep
silence before Him. You know what I've have learned, brothers and sisters? Sometimes we
are questioning God, and yes, we can question God why, but we had better still have peace
in our hearts when we are questioning God, and not to become bitter towards God. But there
comes a time when we need to be silent and just trust in God. Just trust in him.
• Speaker 037:55
• He's so good to you. Just trust. I still have questions about certain things. I'm saying, Lord,
this is a good thing. Why didn't you open this for me? And this is all related in the context of
ministry. In this Lord, you keep on giving me false alarms, false alarms, false alarms.
• Speaker 038:11
• God, why you giving this? What are You trying to teach me? But there comes a time where I
just have to be silent. And let me tell you, it's sometimes easier said than done. You know, it
wasn't. I still remember what was I about 32, because, let me tell you my ethnic background,
always need to be in control. It's very difficult.
• Speaker 038:36
• It's my way, my calendar, my schedule. And it's not till I said, God, I give up. I give up. God,
you open, close, you open, and you closed doors. And you know what, three days later, God
answered. Sometimes we keep on fighting and fighting. Fight surrender.
• Speaker 038:52
• God, I give up. I learned the lesson the hard way. Okay? And that what, what? What I just
shared, it was in context of getting into pastoral Ministry. By the way, you know, everyone's
getting a job. I'm not getting anything.
• Speaker 039:04
• I want to do this. Okay. I've even been through that process during time in Taiwan, where
I've sent resumes to eg, United States and and to Canada and South Africa and New Zealand
and Australia, and like, no one even respond to you. And then later on, you struggle in
Australia. And then finally said, you know what? God, you need to take over. I surrender.
• Speaker 039:23
 Habakkuk

• You open door, you close doors. And what I just shared, the principle applies to anything,
applies to anything. Chapter three, you have prayer, intercession for divine action and
mercy. And then you have a vision of judgment and deliverance. Chapter three and verse
three to 16. In this chapter, Habakkuk praises. It's interesting when you read in verse one,
when you say prayer, you can also be translated in Hebrew as a hymn.
• Speaker 040:01
• And verses three to 16 is a picture of the Lord coming in judgment and for the deliverance
of his people, literal Israel. But it can also be applied and descriptive of the coming of Christ
to usher in the reign of righteousness. So let's read verse three and onwards. It says here,
God came from taon, now te a District belonging to one of the tribal divisions, the tribal
divisions of e, or a name for all of e. So verse three says "The Holy One from Mount Paran.
His glory covered the heavens, And the earth was full of His praise." When he mentions here
in Mount Paran, this is actually a reminder of God giving His law at Mount Sinai.
• Speaker 040:50
• Why do I say that? Deuteronomy 33: 2, "And he said: “The Lord came from Sinai, And
dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, And He came with ten
thousands of saints; From His right hand Came a fiery law for them." Talks about Mount
Paran. Verse four, "His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand,
And there His power was hidden." Now, when he says, here, he had rays flashing from his
hand, I think the King James version says his side, because that word hand can be easily
translated as hand or side, is having a ray coming from his side. This kind of sounds strange.
What does this mean? Well, let me read to you statement here, the Great Controversy, page
674. Can you hear me? Okay, I'm just thinking. It kind of went down a little bit.
• Speaker 041:49
• So it says page 674. Notice, "One reminder alone remains: our Redeemer will ever bear the
marks of His crucifixion. Upon His wounded head, upon His side, His hands and feet, are
the only traces of the cruel work that sin has wrought. Says the prophet, beholding Christ in
His glory, “He had bright beams coming out of His side; and there was the hiding of His
power.” [Habakkuk 3:4 (Margin)] That pierced side whence flowed the crimson stream that
reconciled man to God,—there is the Saviour’s glory, there “the hiding of His power.”
“Mighty to save,” through the sacrifice of redemption." This is the message of the cross, of
salvation.
"He was therefore strong to execute justice upon them that despised God’s mercy. And the
tokens of His humiliation are His highest honor; through the eternal ages the wounds of
Calvary will show forth His praise, and declare His power."
Beautiful, beautiful. Let's read verse five.
"Before Him went pestilence, And fever followed at His feet. He stood and measured the
earth; He looked and startled the nations. And the everlasting mountains were scattered, The
perpetual hills bowed. His ways are everlasting. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; The
curtains of the land of Midian trembled. Lord, were You displeased with the rivers, Was
Your anger against the rivers, Was Your wrath against the sea, That You rode on Your horses,
Your chariots of salvation?" When you study the Bible, Psalm 68: 17, chariots in the Bible
are also angels and angels are ministering spirits.

• Speaker 044:08
 Habakkuk

• And as a way of application, when Christ comes back again. Revelation 19: 11 portrays Him
as coming back on a white horse, now for His people. "Your bow was made quite ready."
Now, your bow, it can be also translated as your arrow was quite ready. You get the idea of
God being this warrior, this Conqueror. And Exodus 15: 3, says, "the Lord is a man of war."
"Your bow was made quite ready.
• Speaker 044:39
• Oaths were sworn over your arrows. You divided the earth with rivers." My Bible says
rivers. That word rivers in the Hebrew can be translated as floods. And it reminds me of the
story of the flood. See, Habakkuk knows God knows everything. God is in control.
• Speaker 044:56
• God is the all powerful one. Verse ten, "the mountains saw you and trembled." That word
trembled. It can be they quake. Remember the story of Mount Sinai? There was an
earthquake there as well.
• Speaker 045:08
• When Christ returns back again with the 7th plague, revelation 16: 18, there was going to be
a great earthquake, such as never was before. "The overflowing of the water passed by the
deep uttered his voice and lifted its hands on high. The sun and moon stood still in their
habitation." You ever read a story in the Bible where the sun and moon stood still? Yeah.
Okay, story of Joshua, chapter ten, God's in control. Sometimes I pray that the sun will stand
still when I preach I can have more time.
• Speaker 045:40
• I asked the kid is out there. There was about eight kids. You know, I also asked them, what
trouble are you up to. I ask them, how long can I preach for. Someone said, 45 minutes.
Someone said, 1 minute. One said, person said, one second. 50 minutes, 2 hours said one.
It's all over the place.
• Speaker 045:55
• I told them, remember, church is starting, but look at this God. He's in control, no matter if
the literal Babylon is coming, and there's going to be Babylonian captivity. Verse eleven,
"The sun and moon stood still in their habitation; At the light of Your arrows they went At
the shining of Your glittering spear. You marched through the land in indignation; You
trampled the nations in anger. You went forth for the salvation of Your people." This is a key
text. Salvation of your people.
• Speaker 046:28
• "For salvation with Your Anointed. You struck the head from the house of the wicked, By
laying bare from foundation to neck." Verse 15, "You walked through the sea with Your
horses." And it's mentioned that Psalm 77, verse 19 and 20 is related to this, with the red sea
through the heap of great waters. Verse 16, notice the reaction of Habakkuk. "When I heard,
my body trembled; My lips quivered at the voice." This is his physical reaction.
• Speaker 047:02
• "Rottenness entered my bones; And I trembled in myself, That I might rest in the day of
trouble. When he comes up to the people, He will invade them with his troops." Babylon is
coming, literal Babylon and the last part of this book is a Habakkuk's affirmation of faith in
 Habakkuk

God. Verse 17, "Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the
labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off
from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls—"
• Speaker 047:49
• So though there is no food, because we need food to sustain us, we need food for the end.
We need food today. It's very expensive. Okay, some of you may be going, wow, salad is so
expensive. We need to have our green veggies. Hey, don't worry. Your bread or your water
will be sure.
• Speaker 048:06
• Yeah, don't worry. Okay, now you better start growing, because I'll come and knock on your
door. Okay, all these things happening. Verse 18, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. No matter
what calamity comes, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Why do I have joy? Because I
have salvation.
• Speaker 048:29
• That's how simple it is. You'd better have joy. No matter what difficult challenges are
coming to you, passing you, you can still have joy. "The Lord God is my strength; He will
make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills. To the Chief
Musician. With my stringed instruments." Let me just summarize what we've talked about.
The prophet's first questioning to God, Lord, why are these happening to Judah?
• Speaker 049:00
• God's reply and prophecy of Babylon captivity and her characteristics. Number three, the
Prophet's second questioning to God. Number four, Habakkuk demands an answer, but he
also says, I will stand watch. I will wait for you, Lord. Number five, God's reply, hey, write
down the vision. Yes, it's tarrying, but you will not tarry you will come. It will come.
• Speaker 049:23
• Don't worry that just shall live by faith. God has a people. Then, number six, the national
sins of Babylon. Number seven, you have him praying an intercession for divine action and
mercy. Number eight, a vision of judgment and deliverance. And number nine, Habakkuk's
affirmation of faith in God. So what are some takeaways we can take away from this?
• Speaker 049:45
• Takeaway number one is that at the end of time, God will have a people that are righteous
and they'll live by faith. There are a number of Bible verses in the New Testament, like
Romans 1: 17 says the just shall live by faith. Galatians 3: 11, the just shall live by faith.
Hebrews 10: 38. Now, the just shall live by faith. Galatians 5: 5, the hope of righteousness
by faith. Acts of the Apostles, page 207.
• ĉi tie
• Speaker 050:14
• "Paul and his fellow workers proclaimed the doctrine of righteousness by faith in the
atoning sacrifice of Christ." Righteousness is more than just right doing. It is holiness. It is
love that is having God's character by faith. You know, I have another statement here, which
I didn't put on the PowerPoint, but it talks about how the message of righteousness by faith
 Habakkuk

was given around just before 1880 a general conference session. And we had to proclaim
this, as it says here, it's to be proclaimed with a loud voice and attended with the outpouring
of His spirit, the Holy Spirit. I believe it's a message we need to hear today. Here's the
patience of the saints here are those who keep the Commandments of God.
• Speaker 050:54
• We need to talk about the Commandments of God, but more so, the faith of Jesus, not just
faith in Jesus, by faith of Jesus. So the just shall live by faith. What's another takeaway we
can learn. There are times we need to keep silent. Ecclesiastes 3: 7, time to speak and a time
to be silent, stand still and see the salvation of God work. Another takeaway, and we can
take, is it's God's timing, not your own timing. Trusting God.
• Speaker 051:24
• He knows the best time. He knows the best time. Yes, there are times we ask God why, but
don't become bitter. May you have God's peace that encompasses you, and may you trust in
him. God opens and closes the doors my friends. Habakkuk means one who embraces, one
who clings. Friends.
• Speaker 051:46
• Are you willing to embrace Jesus? Are you willing to cling to Jesus? Are you willing to
come to the cross and say, I surrender all I give it to you. I trust you. So I hope. Are you
willing to just cling and hug him and embrace him and just trust him with all of your heart?
• Speaker 052:02
Amen. May God bless you. Let us stand up and sing our final song. Only trust him.