HABAKKUK: WEEK 2 - GOD IS AT WORK
God Is at Work
A Study Through the Book of Habakkuk
Main Text
Habakkuk\ 1:5
This sermon is the second message in our series through the book of Habakkuk. Last week we began studying the burden of the prophet and the trouble of his day. Habakkuk was a man of faith, yet he was filled with questions for God.
“Lord, do You see what is happening?”
“How is this fair?”
“Why are the wicked prospering?”
His faith had been shaken. He was troubled by the condition of the people, troubled by the sin around him, and even troubled in his understanding of God’s ways. Yet through all of it, Habakkuk kept praying.
We learned last week that God answered Habakkuk’s prayer, but the answer was not at all what the prophet expected. Rather than immediately destroying the enemies of Israel, God allowed the Chaldeans—the Babylonians—to rise up in judgment against His own people. They were violent, cruel, and oppressive, and God allowed them to invade the land.
We closed by reminding ourselves of this truth: when God is working, the finished result will always be better than what we could have designed ourselves.
Tonight I want to continue that thought and preach on this subject:
God Is at Work
Sometimes we assume that because we cannot see God moving, He must not be doing anything at all. We do not get updates from Heaven as often as we would like, so we think God is idle. But God gave Habakkuk a verse of hope.
Habakkuk 1:5
“Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.”
Habakkuk was asking, “How long?”
“Why aren’t You moving?”
“Why does sin go unpunished?”
And God answered, “I am moving. I am working behind the scenes.”
But then God said something eye-opening: “You would not believe what I am doing even if someone told you.”
Habakkuk expected immediate judgment. He likely expected God to send fire from Heaven and handle the situation quickly. But God was interested in something deeper and longer lasting.
Point 1 — The Generational Work
Notice the wording of verse five:
“For I will work a work in your days…”
God did not say “in a day.”
He said “in your days.”
Habakkuk wanted a quick solution to a long-standing problem. The burden had already weighed on him for some time because he cried, “How long?” Yet God answered in a broader way. It was as if God was saying, “During your lifetime… during your generation… during your ministry… I am working.”
Sometimes God works suddenly, but many times His work is generational.
We must remember that if we are not dead, then God is not done.
There are parents praying for wayward children who want them to come home immediately, but sometimes God allows the road to get longer so the lesson becomes deeper. God may allow someone to discover for themselves that He truly is all they need.
It has often been said: when God is all you have, you realize He is all you need.
Sometimes we are too quick to rescue people from hard circumstances, not realizing that those very circumstances may be what God is using to reveal Himself to them. If people always have someone else to lean on, when will they learn to lean on God?
National repentance and healing in Habakkuk’s day would take time, but God assured him:
“I will work a work in your days.”
There is another lesson here for Christians today.
Too many believers are living in somebody else’s day.
We talk about old revivals. We talk about former glory days. We remember what God used to do in churches, ministries, and meetings. But when was the last time we prayed:
“Lord, I thank You for what You did then, but would You do it again in my day?”
We cannot survive on yesterday’s manna.
The God who moved before can still move today.
If God ever could, He still can.
Point 2 — The Guaranteed Work
Habakkuk 2:1-3
Habakkuk\ 2:1-3
Habakkuk 2:1-3
“I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”
Habakkuk had complained to God about the wickedness around him. God answered, but the answer was not what Habakkuk wanted. The prophet struggled with it. Yet instead of walking away from God, Habakkuk chose to wait on Him.
He pictured himself as a watchman standing on the wall, faithfully watching and waiting for further instruction.
Even when he did not fully understand God’s ways, he still positioned himself to hear from God.
That is a lesson for us.
Even when life does not make sense…
Even when things are not unfolding according to our preferences…
We must continue to stand our post.
We must not abandon our responsibilities to God, to His work, or to the next generation.
Habakkuk took a teachable posture before the Lord.
He said:
“...what I shall answer when I am reproved.”
Many people know they are wrong but hope God will change His mind to agree with them. Habakkuk instead desired to get right with God.
Sooner or later, God reproves His children because He loves them.
In Habakkuk’s day, God often spoke audibly to prophets. Today, God reproves us through His Word and through the Holy Spirit.
Then God told Habakkuk:
“Write the vision, and make it plain…”
Some commentators say the writing was to be so clear that someone running by could still read it. Others say it was written plainly so that those who read it would be moved to action.
What was the vision?
Judgment was coming upon sin and injustice, including Babylon itself. But amid all the warnings, God gave this foundational truth:
Habakkuk 2:4
“Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.”
Habakkuk\ 2:4
The righteous are not to live by circumstances.
We are not to live by emotions.
We are not to live by preferences.
We are to live by faith.
Faith trusts God when His timing is slow.
Faith trusts God when His methods are unfamiliar.
Faith believes that God’s finished product will be better than anything we could have planned ourselves.
God warned against pride, greed, violence, and idolatry, but He also assured His people that He saw every injustice.
Our plans are often rushed and impatient, and the results are usually shallow. But God is methodical. He works according to His omniscience, His foreknowledge, and His perfect wisdom.
God sees the end from the beginning.
Conclusion
God is working.
Sometimes it may only seem like small movements behind the scenes, but He is still at work.
What is encouraging in this story is that God still wanted to use Habakkuk even after his complaints, frustrations, and questions. God saw beyond the prophet’s attitude and looked directly at his heart.
Habakkuk got his heart right, submitted himself to God, and kept moving forward.
May that be a lesson to us.
God still wants to use imperfect people. He still uses people who struggle, people who ask questions, and people who sometimes wrestle with discouragement.
What God desires from us is simple:
Live by faith.
Trust Him.
Repent when you are wrong.
Get back up.
And keep moving forward.
To be continued...
A Study Through the Book of Habakkuk
Main Text
Habakkuk\ 1:5
This sermon is the second message in our series through the book of Habakkuk. Last week we began studying the burden of the prophet and the trouble of his day. Habakkuk was a man of faith, yet he was filled with questions for God.
“Lord, do You see what is happening?”
“How is this fair?”
“Why are the wicked prospering?”
His faith had been shaken. He was troubled by the condition of the people, troubled by the sin around him, and even troubled in his understanding of God’s ways. Yet through all of it, Habakkuk kept praying.
We learned last week that God answered Habakkuk’s prayer, but the answer was not at all what the prophet expected. Rather than immediately destroying the enemies of Israel, God allowed the Chaldeans—the Babylonians—to rise up in judgment against His own people. They were violent, cruel, and oppressive, and God allowed them to invade the land.
We closed by reminding ourselves of this truth: when God is working, the finished result will always be better than what we could have designed ourselves.
Tonight I want to continue that thought and preach on this subject:
God Is at Work
Sometimes we assume that because we cannot see God moving, He must not be doing anything at all. We do not get updates from Heaven as often as we would like, so we think God is idle. But God gave Habakkuk a verse of hope.
Habakkuk 1:5
“Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.”
Habakkuk was asking, “How long?”
“Why aren’t You moving?”
“Why does sin go unpunished?”
And God answered, “I am moving. I am working behind the scenes.”
But then God said something eye-opening: “You would not believe what I am doing even if someone told you.”
Habakkuk expected immediate judgment. He likely expected God to send fire from Heaven and handle the situation quickly. But God was interested in something deeper and longer lasting.
Point 1 — The Generational Work
Notice the wording of verse five:
“For I will work a work in your days…”
God did not say “in a day.”
He said “in your days.”
Habakkuk wanted a quick solution to a long-standing problem. The burden had already weighed on him for some time because he cried, “How long?” Yet God answered in a broader way. It was as if God was saying, “During your lifetime… during your generation… during your ministry… I am working.”
Sometimes God works suddenly, but many times His work is generational.
We must remember that if we are not dead, then God is not done.
There are parents praying for wayward children who want them to come home immediately, but sometimes God allows the road to get longer so the lesson becomes deeper. God may allow someone to discover for themselves that He truly is all they need.
It has often been said: when God is all you have, you realize He is all you need.
Sometimes we are too quick to rescue people from hard circumstances, not realizing that those very circumstances may be what God is using to reveal Himself to them. If people always have someone else to lean on, when will they learn to lean on God?
National repentance and healing in Habakkuk’s day would take time, but God assured him:
“I will work a work in your days.”
There is another lesson here for Christians today.
Too many believers are living in somebody else’s day.
We talk about old revivals. We talk about former glory days. We remember what God used to do in churches, ministries, and meetings. But when was the last time we prayed:
“Lord, I thank You for what You did then, but would You do it again in my day?”
We cannot survive on yesterday’s manna.
The God who moved before can still move today.
If God ever could, He still can.
Point 2 — The Guaranteed Work
Habakkuk 2:1-3
Habakkuk\ 2:1-3
Habakkuk 2:1-3
“I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.
And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”
Habakkuk had complained to God about the wickedness around him. God answered, but the answer was not what Habakkuk wanted. The prophet struggled with it. Yet instead of walking away from God, Habakkuk chose to wait on Him.
He pictured himself as a watchman standing on the wall, faithfully watching and waiting for further instruction.
Even when he did not fully understand God’s ways, he still positioned himself to hear from God.
That is a lesson for us.
Even when life does not make sense…
Even when things are not unfolding according to our preferences…
We must continue to stand our post.
We must not abandon our responsibilities to God, to His work, or to the next generation.
Habakkuk took a teachable posture before the Lord.
He said:
“...what I shall answer when I am reproved.”
Many people know they are wrong but hope God will change His mind to agree with them. Habakkuk instead desired to get right with God.
Sooner or later, God reproves His children because He loves them.
In Habakkuk’s day, God often spoke audibly to prophets. Today, God reproves us through His Word and through the Holy Spirit.
Then God told Habakkuk:
“Write the vision, and make it plain…”
Some commentators say the writing was to be so clear that someone running by could still read it. Others say it was written plainly so that those who read it would be moved to action.
What was the vision?
Judgment was coming upon sin and injustice, including Babylon itself. But amid all the warnings, God gave this foundational truth:
Habakkuk 2:4
“Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.”
Habakkuk\ 2:4
The righteous are not to live by circumstances.
We are not to live by emotions.
We are not to live by preferences.
We are to live by faith.
Faith trusts God when His timing is slow.
Faith trusts God when His methods are unfamiliar.
Faith believes that God’s finished product will be better than anything we could have planned ourselves.
God warned against pride, greed, violence, and idolatry, but He also assured His people that He saw every injustice.
Our plans are often rushed and impatient, and the results are usually shallow. But God is methodical. He works according to His omniscience, His foreknowledge, and His perfect wisdom.
God sees the end from the beginning.
Conclusion
God is working.
Sometimes it may only seem like small movements behind the scenes, but He is still at work.
What is encouraging in this story is that God still wanted to use Habakkuk even after his complaints, frustrations, and questions. God saw beyond the prophet’s attitude and looked directly at his heart.
Habakkuk got his heart right, submitted himself to God, and kept moving forward.
May that be a lesson to us.
God still wants to use imperfect people. He still uses people who struggle, people who ask questions, and people who sometimes wrestle with discouragement.
What God desires from us is simple:
Live by faith.
Trust Him.
Repent when you are wrong.
Get back up.
And keep moving forward.
To be continued...
- Habakkuk struggled with questions about what God was allowing. Why do you think God sometimes seems silent or slow when we are hurting or confused?
- In Habakkuk 1:5, God said, “I will work a work in your days.” What are some ways God may be working behind the scenes in our lives even when we cannot see it?
- The sermon mentioned that many Christians try to live on “yesterday’s manna.” How can we stay expectant for God to move in our generation instead of only talking about the past?
- Habakkuk chose to “stand upon the watch” and wait on God even when he did not fully understand His plan. What does it look like practically to remain faithful while waiting on God?
- Habakkuk 2:4 says, “the just shall live by his faith.” What areas of your life right now require you to trust God by faith instead of by sight or feelings?
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