Friday Sundown Worship

The Cry of Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:1-3

The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw ² “O LORD, how long shall I cry and You will not hear? Even cry out to You, Violence! And you will not save, ³ Why do You show me iniquity And cause me to see trouble?” For plundering and violence are before me.

Habakkuk asked some fair questions of God. Why is it that all this death and destruction goes on around me and you seem unwilling to stop it? Why is it that there is all this sin and you appear to do nothing?

In light of what has happened this past week, past month, past year, past two years, past 5 years, it seems violence and a willfulness to sin abounds on every side, yet nothing seem to stop its progress.

This question has been posed to me more than once this week and the answer is difficult to explain. As we saw in our opening text, Habakkuk had these same questions that we have heard so often over the last few days.

We are quick to blame God for every big or little thing that happens that impacts us negatively. This can certainly make us question who is God and why does he not seem to care.

But the answer is complex yet simple at the same time. Simple in that it all has to do with the great controversy that developed in heaven between Lucifer, God the Father and God the Son. Lucifer desired to be like the most high God because in a nut shell he (Lucifer) was Jealous of Jesus (God the Son) for being the creator of this world.

So, what you going to do if you are jealous of someone, you desire their position, wealth or whatever it is that they have that you want. Lucifer desired, but could not have for He did not have the power to create life for he himself is a created being, just like Adam and Eve and all the angels are created being.

Also when you cannot achieve what you want, then you seek to destroy all that is of value to the one you are jealous of.

Here comes the tough part, the part that is difficult to comprehend. Satan (fallen Lucifer) made accusations that God was not fair, just, and honest. That God was a cruel God seeking vengeance upon people or beings that stepped out of line.

If God had responded to the accusation by destroying Lucifer and his evil angels, the other angels along with Adam and Eve could have said, “See, Lucifer was right.”

So in order to show the contrast between good and evil, God must allow these horrible scenes of death and destruction to take place, so that we all have the ability to judge which side of the controversy we will believe.

I can hear the objections already, but before you object to loudly or harshly, what does John 3:16 tell us about God the Father. And remember Christ came to show us the character of Our Heavenly Father.

John 3:16 states that “God so loved the world.” How much did you love the world? He loved the world so much “that He gave His only begotten Son.” What happened to His Son? He died upon the cross to save us from our sins, which Romans 3:23 and 6:23 state we have all committed. Why did God the Father and Jesus do this? So that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The last time I met someone that was mean, cruel and vindictive, I quickly found that they would not give up anything to help another.

And here is God the Father giving up Jesus to die the death we all deserve that we might sometime enjoy life with Christ and God the Father in heaven. Doesn’t sound like a mean vindictive being at all.

Therefore, there are times, when love must allow disaster and heartache to happen so that we can better see the contrast between God’s love and the character of the one that started this Great Controversy in the first place, and that was Satan (Lucifer).

When we begin to understand this concept of God’s love, then we can respond as Habakkuk did. Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in God of my salvation, ¹⁹ 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.” (Habakkuk 3:18, 19)

The events of this world are indeed tragic and sickening, but always remember, God Loves Us and desires that we all should be saved.

Amen