Finding Faith in a Time of Crisis

Sermon Transcript:

(transcribed with AI)

Promontory Community Church exists to make disciples of Jesus who know, live, and share the gospel for the glory of God.

My name's Rich Kopanki, and I'm the community life pastor here at Promontory, and today it's my joy to speak to you from God's word. We are ending a 4-week series today — a series on the Book of Habakkuk — and I need to admit something to you. I need to confess that in over 40 years of ministry and preaching, I have never preached from this book. Honestly, when I looked at it, I just couldn't see how this 2,600-year-old book could make a difference in our lives. And then Jonathan had the courage to say we're preaching Habakkuk, and we've gone through this book, and I got to tell you, these last 4 weeks have shown that I was wrong. Much of what we've read in these three chapters could have come from today's news. The way that Habakkuk himself struggles with the sin, the evil, the wrong, and talking about justice being perverted and bent — a lot of us can relate.

Today we're going to look into the final chapter of Habakkuk, but to get some background for those of you who may not have been here, let me give you a couple of verses from the beginning. We're starting in Habakkuk 1:1:

The oracle — that means the divine message — that Habakkuk the prophet saw.

God is giving this prophet a message, a revelation that he is to give to the people, and it's coming in the form of a vision. It's a message so heavy that Habakkuk struggles to accept it. We hear his plaintive cry in verse 2:

Oh 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 — or the word that literally means bent.

What we've got here is a godly man, a prophet, who is bringing God's message to the people of Judah, and he's wondering why, in a universe ruled by a righteous God, evil is not just surviving — it's prospering. What we're seeing here is a profound expression of this man's struggle with understanding God's ways, as the moral and spiritual fiber of the nation of Judah is unraveling. A century before the writing of this book, the northern sister kingdom of Israel had fallen because of the same things — they had turned their backs on God — and now the people of Judah are following in their footsteps.

If you've been with us this past month, you know that Habakkuk's concerns, the worries he expressed to God, don't go unheeded. God hears them and God answers. He says, "I am doing something. I am raising up the Babylonians, who will have free reign in attacking Judah. They will wreak havoc on the land and on the people because of their sin." And rather than bringing comfort to Habakkuk, he can't believe what he's just heard. Disciplining his fellow countrymen for their wickedness by unleashing a foreign army on them — that's bad enough. But using the Babylonians, a people even more cruel and wicked than they were? How could God ever do that? And God's answer to that is essentially, "Don't worry," and then God goes on to graphically describe how these proud, idolatrous, violent aggressors are going to get their due — their punishment — in the end.

Can you picture Habakkuk wrestling with all of this? I can imagine the shock, the disbelief on his face. He is aghast with what he's just heard. "God, don't you realize these are your people? Do you have to be that hard on them? Can't you just give them a little slap on the wrist? God, can't you give them a time out?"

We're going to turn now to Habakkuk chapter 3, and we're going to listen as this man struggles with this harsh reality. The first two chapters are Habakkuk expressing his concerns and God responding and talking about what He's going to do with the Babylonians. Now we get to chapter 3, and it's a wrap-up. Habakkuk expresses what's really going on in his heart, and we'll see how he comes to terms with what's going on.

As we do, I'm going to encourage you to think about your own life. Think back to times when God did not come through for you in ways that you thought he would, or even thought he should have. Maybe it was during a time of illness, or at the death of a loved one, or when your finances were particularly tight, or your marriage was exploding, or your kids were going wild, or a job was being downsized. Think back to those times — and particularly think of how you responded to God in those times. Then, as we go through this chapter and read of Habakkuk's response, see where your response aligns with his and where they diverge. And then let's see what we can learn from this ancient man about finding faith in a time of crisis. We're all going to experience crisis. How do we find our faith? How do we hold on to our faith at times like that?

Before we start getting into chapter 3, let's just pray for a moment.

Father, we're going to get into some things here that relate to us very closely — the struggles, the frustrations, the hurts, the questions. Lord, we need you to open our eyes and our hearts. We need you to speak to us, Lord — not just my words here, but your words from Scripture. Speak into our hearts. Show us yourself in a new way. May we be able to find faith and live faith in times of crisis in our lives, because of who you are. Thank you, Father. I ask for that in Jesus' name. Amen.

We begin with verse 1 of chapter 3:

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth.

What's happening here is that Habakkuk prays — that's basically what chapter 3 is — but it's more than a prayer. He prays it in the form of a song. What we're reading is a prayer-song. Shigionoth is a reference that some people think refers to the tune or musical setting. Later we'll see the word Selah pop up a couple of times, again thought to indicate a change in musical stanza. At the end of this chapter there's a notation to the choir master with stringed instruments. So we're looking at both a prayer and a song.

Habakkuk's job as a prophet was to proclaim to people what God told him to tell them. God says go tell them they're in trouble, you tell them — they may not like your message, they may even get upset at you, but you are proclaiming God's message to the people, and the entire book of Habakkuk does that. But Habakkuk's heart for God's people isn't going to let him just declare the message — "Hey guys, I've got a message to you from God, and it's a pretty scary message, and you are not going to like it. Good luck." He wants to provide them with something that's going to give them hope and courage and faith during the difficult days ahead. And so it's this song, taught to the people, that will give them that courage in the years to come as they sing it, reminding themselves of God's mercy and power. As faith faces the suffering and devastation of the Babylonian onslaught, this song is going to remind them that God has not abandoned them.

And so Habakkuk continues in verse 2:

O Lord, I have heard the report of you.

That word report actually literally means "the reputation of you." When you're going through difficult times, oftentimes looking back at what God has done in your life, looking back at what God has done in Scripture, can actually help you get past those times and find the courage to lean on God. That's what he's talking about here. "Lord, I've heard of your reputation. I've heard of what you've done."

Have you found that to be true in your life? Do you find the narratives of Scripture — the crossing of the Red Sea, the Jews being set free from Egypt — do you find those to be a source of reassurance and encouragement as you face difficult times? They're not just musty old stories of long ago. They tell us about the character and show us the power of God, a God who doesn't change.

I have heard the report of you and your work, O Lord. Do I fear.

In other words, "I stand in awe of the mighty things that you've done for your people — of how you've delivered them from slavery, of how you granted them victory against overwhelming odds." It's this backdrop of God's mighty actions that gives Habakkuk the courage to trust God in the cataclysm that is about to come upon them, and even the hope that God might change His mind. He goes on:

In the midst of the years, revive it. In the midst of the years, make your reputation known.

In the time between the purging judgments of Judah — which started in 597 BC when the Babylonians first conquered them, followed by the ultimate destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC — and then the consuming judgment of Babylon by the Persians in 537 BC — in the midst of these years, show yourself in saving your people. He goes on:

In wrath, remember mercy.

Habakkuk is fully aware that nothing but the undeserved mercy and grace of God is going to be able to sustain these people through what's about to happen. The wrongs they've committed as a nation are real, but so too was God's compassion — His desire to forgive and restore.

This godly man is going through the same kind of struggle that many of us have. He has some flawed beliefs about God, and we get a hint of it here. He's realizing and learning that God is not some kind of a pushover who's going to continually tolerate sin amongst His people — sin is going to have a consequence. Through God's revelation to Habakkuk, Habakkuk's view of God is beginning to change. He's being challenged to think of God differently. There's a new faith, a new understanding of God and His ways developing within Habakkuk. He's heard God's verdict of judgment on His people. He understands that God will discipline His people through a pagan army. He knows that God will not play favorites — that both the Babylonians as well as his own people are going to suffer because of their sin. But he's still clinging to the hope that God's mercy is going to break out in some way, and somehow God's going to change His mind.

And so he lays his heart bare. He prays, and he grounds his beliefs about God in historical reality. Now I need to warn you — the next verses are going to leave some of you scratching your heads. He's going to be talking about a God who has revealed Himself to our world in many different ways, about historical events that show the greatness of God, events that maybe some of us have never heard of before. And then he's going to talk about God's greatness using poetic language, word pictures, and metaphors, which might leave some of us scratching our heads. But he's doing all this in order to provide hope and courage to a people filled with terror of what's coming next. In essence, he's saying, "It's going to be bad. But never forget — our God is powerful, and we can trust Him."

Let's see how he says that. Moving into verse 3:

God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran.

"The Holy One" is a reference to God. It's important, because it's His holiness that will not allow God to play favorites — to ignore the corruption in Judah while at the same time decimating the Babylonians because of their sin. These two towns are alongside the southeastern edge of the Sinai Peninsula, and they help define the area where God gave His people — the newly freed slaves from Egypt — the Ten Commandments. For these people looking at disaster that's coming, they've just been given a word of hope: the God who came to His people in the past, the God who shepherded His people through the wilderness, is the same God who will come to them at their time of suffering and will ultimately restore them. No wonder the verse ends:

His splendor covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.

Do you find assurance, comfort, and even courage in knowing that the God who watched over His people way back then is the same God who watches over you and your family right now? Does that help you to trust, to lean upon Him when struggles come your way?

Then he goes on. Look at how powerful our God is. Verse 4:

His brightness was like the light; rays flashed from his hand.

Was this possibly a reference to the lightning at Mount Sinai when the Ten Commandments were being given?

And there he veiled his power. Before him went pestilence, and plague followed at his heels.

Does that bring your thoughts back to God using plagues to persuade Pharaoh to let His people go?

He stood and measured the earth; he looked and shook the nations. Then the eternal mountains were scattered; the everlasting hills sank low. His were the everlasting ways.

The eternal mountains are a symbol of permanence. This is speaking to the people back then — and to you and me — making the statement that God's character, His everlasting ways, will always be the same. You can depend on Him.

I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.

These people were enemies of Israel who trusted in their impotent idols and refused to look to the true God, and the result is they're filled with fear. They've got no confidence. It makes me think sometimes — can we be like them? Do we sometimes put our trust more in the things we have, the size of our bank account, than we do in God? And do we ever experience the kind of fear that comes when we realize that what we've got in the bank, the things that we own, cannot always buy our way out of trouble?

Then Habakkuk speaks personally to God, describing His presence and action in both nations and nature. Verse 8:

Was your wrath against the rivers, O Lord? Was your anger against the rivers, or your indignation against the sea, when you rode on your horses, on your chariot of salvation?

Think back to when God held up the waters of the Jordan River so that His people could cross over into the promised land, or when He parted the Red Sea so that His people could flee Pharaoh's army. Does that speak to you about a God who is powerful and can make a difference? He goes on:

You stripped the sheath from your bow, calling for many arrows. You split the earth with rivers. The mountains saw you and writhed; the raging waters swept on. The deep gave forth its voice; it lifted its hands on high. The sun and moon stood still in their place, at the light of your arrows as they sped, at the flash of your glittering spear. You marched through the earth in fury; you thrashed the nations in anger. You went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked, laying him bare from thigh to neck. You pierced with his own arrows the heads of his warriors. You came like a whirlwind to scatter me, rejoicing as if to devour the poor in secret. You trampled the sea with your horses, the surging of mighty waters.

Habakkuk has done a masterful job of showing us God's power, expressing it in ways that people back then — and hopefully we today — can understand. But now in verse 16, he switches gears. Instead of showing us the awesomeness and power of God, he shows us his own heart:

I hear, and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound. Rottenness enters into my bones; my legs tremble beneath me. Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon the people who invade us.

We have just been given front-row seats to a powerful change in this prophet's heart and life. Something huge is going on here. He admits his own fear at what's coming next for Judah, and at the same time he has relinquished his plea for God to spare them and accepts that Babylon is coming, that Babylon will conquer, and that Babylon will devastate Judah. He realizes that while Babylon may throw the first punch against God's people, God is going to throw the knockout punch, and justice will be restored.

Habakkuk has become a new man in these three chapters. He's no longer relying on his own perspective, thoughts, and abilities — he's leaning on the potency of God. And that's what enables him to wait in faith, even when the wicked rule the earth. God's historical display of power over the centuries allows Habakkuk to accept God's restraint in the present. Because God's people have experienced and remember His presence in the storm, they can be sure of His presence even when God may seem silent.

And this is what enables this man of God to pen some of the most courageous and bold words ever written in Scripture. Look at verse 17:

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places.

Here is a man who knows it's going to be a horrible long wait as the people look forward to God intervening and finally setting things right. What's being described here is a nation's worst nightmare — starvation, the death of thousands. And still Habakkuk is prepared to live by faith. He knows that his faith can safely be put in God's grace. He knows that ultimately his existence, and that of the nation of Judah, will not be based on whether the crops do well or not, but rather upon God Himself.

So let's pause for a minute. What do we need to do with all of this — with what we've heard this morning? What have we found over this past month in this short book that will help us to live victoriously for God no matter what kinds of struggles and setbacks we encounter?

To answer that question, I want us to go back to verses 18 and 19 and look at Habakkuk's response to all the horror that's coming his way. Verse 18:

I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

Habakkuk's first choice has to do with his attitude. Honestly, he has no reason to rejoice — he knows that even though God will ultimately come through, he will still have to suffer alongside the rest of his people. And honestly, that's not even fair. Habakkuk was one of the good guys, one of the righteous ones. But he also knows that lifting up our deepest pain and disappointments to God in prayer is the only way to deal with that pain. And here is how he can find joy in the midst of heartache. He knows that despite the circumstances he's facing, God is still good — God is worthy of praise. No matter how bad life can get, He is our source of hope and joy. Rejoicing in the face of suffering isn't happening because of the circumstances — good is not in Habakkuk's future for a long time. It's happening because of who God is and his faith in Him.

So again, look deep within yourself. Is this your attitude as you face struggles? Are you finding joy and hope in who God is? Is your faith maturing, even in the face of setbacks and suffering?

I know that joy and hope are often not the first response we have in dire circumstances — at least not for me, and I'm going to guess not for you either. Definitely not for Habakkuk in the first chapters of this book. He's wrestling — it took him a while to process what God had told him until he finally comes to the point where his faith in God is greater than his fear and his hurt. I've had that same experience, and you probably have too. Faith in God matures slowly, and as it does, we are better equipped to face the struggles that come with trusting Him. And only then can we truly say from the bottom of our heart:

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

And only then can we truly declare:

God, the Lord, is my strength. He makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places.

Just think of the turnaround we've seen in these three chapters over this past month. We've seen this prophet of God starting in depression and doubt as to God's righteousness and justice, and we now see him ending with a lively confidence in God's provision of sustaining power. Here's the key to how Habakkuk can declare praise and faith even with this terrible knowledge of what's coming — he doesn't hope or believe in what he sees, but rather in what he has been promised by God.

So is that your source of confidence and hope? Would your response be, "The harder it gets, the more I'm going to lean on God and take Him at His word"? I know some of you are going through some deep valleys right now, and sometimes we have no idea where we're going to end up. The only thing we can know for sure is that God is with us and He will help us as we look to Him.

As we close this morning, I encourage you to open your heart to several of the many promises we find in Scripture and claim those promises as your own. Choose to lean heavily on your heavenly Father. God promised in Isaiah 41:

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

And we're told in Psalm 46:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present — or well-proven — help in trouble.

And David himself assures us from his own experience in Psalm 23:

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

That is the God we serve. That is the God who helped Habakkuk find stability and confidence and even joy in the face of what was coming to his people. That is the God who will be with us in the valleys, and who will give us strength to live boldly for Him.

Father, here we are this morning. Some of us are going through valleys right now. We don't know where the end will be or what's going to happen. Lord, all we can do is look to you and lean upon you, and take you at your word as you give us these promises. I thank you for your word. I thank you for your love and mercy. I thank you that you are a powerful God, proven not just in nature but in the history of the Bible. Lord, may we place our confidence in you, may we find our strength in you, and may we have joy in you. I pray for each one here who is struggling, that they will find — as they seek you and as their faith matures — your sustaining grace. Thank you, Lord. I ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.