Habacuque 1

Habacuque 1

(Habakkuk Commentaries) Habakkuk 1:1 Commentary Habakkuk 1:2 Commentary Habakkuk 1:3 Commentary Habakkuk 1:4 Commentary Habakkuk 1:5 Commentary Habakkuk 1:6 Commentary Habakkuk 1:7 Commentary Habakkuk 1:8 Commentary Habakkuk 1:9 Commentary Habakkuk 1:10 Commentary Habakkuk 1:11 Commentary Habakkuk 1:12 Commentary Habakkuk 1:13 Commentary Habakkuk 1:14 Commentary Habakkuk 1:15 Commentary Habakkuk 1:16 Commentary Habakkuk 1:17 Commentary Chart from recommended resource Jensen's Survey of the OT - used by permission Habakkuk Drawn out in Pictures - Interesting HABAKKUK: THE RIGHTEOUS LIVE BY FAITH "From Worry to Worship" Problems of Habakkuk Hab 1:1 -2:20 Praise of Habakkuk Opens in Gloom: Begins with an Interrogation Mark? Closes in Glory: Ends with an Exclamation Mark! Faith Troubled Faith Triumphant What is God Doing? Who God Is From "Doubts" To "Shouts" Perplexity of the Prophet Hab 1:1-17 Perspicuity of the Prophet Hab 2:1-20 Pleasure of the Prophet Habakkuk Complains Hab 1:1-17 God Replies Hab 2:1-20 Habakkuk Sings Watch and See Stand and See Kneel and See Habakkuk Troubled Habakkuk Taught Habakkuk Triumphant The Prophet Wondering & Worrying The Prophet Watching & Waiting The Prophet Worshiping & Witnessing Habakkuk's First Question Hab 1:1-4 God's First Answer Hab 1:5-11 Habakkuk's Second Question Hab 1:12-2:1 God's Second Answer Hab 2:2-2:20 Habakkuk's Prayer of Praise Habakkuk Speaks: Why Does God not Punish Wicked Judah? God Speaks: Judah Will Be Punished! Habakkuk Speaks: Why Will God use Pagans to Punish Judah? God Speaks: Yes Pagans Will Punish Judah! Word of Praise 1-15 Words of fear & faith Hab 3:16-19 Oracle Related to Judah ca 607BC Habakkuk moves from burden to blessing, from wonder/worry to worship, from restlessness to rest, from a problem to God’s Person, and from a complaint to consolation. God turns sighing into singing if we (like Habakkuk) take time to wait before Him in prayer and listen to His Word. Timeline of Habakkuk BC 722: Northern Kingdom of Israel (10 tribes) falls & is exiled to Assyria 627: Jeremiah begins his prophetic ministry 621: Rediscovery of Book of Law which had been lost in House of God! Josiah's reformation (but not lasting revival) 612: Fall of Nineveh, capital of Assyria 609: Death of godly King Josiah 607: Habakkuk begins his prophetic ministry 605: Nebuchadnezzar defeats Pharaoh Necho of Egypt at Battle of Carchemish = "the turning point of world history" 605: First invasion of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon; Daniel taken captive 597: Second invasion of Judah by Babylon; Ezekiel and 10,000 taken captive 592: Ezekiel begins his prophetic ministry to Babylonian exiles 586: Fall of Jerusalem, Destruction of Temple 538: Exiles return from Babylon to Judah (relatively small number return) Note that Habakkuk's message was uttered just prior to Judah's 3 exiles. Habakkuk 1:1 The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.: Isa 22:1, Na 1:1 Habakkuk 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Oracle (Dictionary articles) (04853)(massa' from nasa' = lift up to carry or to bear) means that which is carried and thus a burden or load, focusing on the effort needed to transport something. Figuratively refers to a prophetic utterance. Massa' is used literally to describe a load or burden on an animal (Ex 23:5, 2Ki 5:17, 8:9) or man (Parts of the Tabernacle to be carried - Nu 4:15, 19, 24, 27, 31, 32, 47, 49). NET Note: Since massa' derives from a verb meaning “to carry,” its original nuance was that of a burdensome message, that is, one with ominous content. Notice also that the root Hebrew verb nasa' can mean either to bear or to lift up. Focusing on the first meaning (to bear) has led to the meaning of massa' as burden, a message speaking predominantly of judgment. Other scholars have focused on the second nuance of nasa' (to lift up - "lifted his voice" Jdg 9:7, "cry out" in Isa 3:7) and conveys the sense of lifting up (with one's voice) whether in the form of a threat or a promise. Oracle: a word or message from the Lord (2Chr 18:4; 34:21) or from a pagan god (2Kgs 1:3, 6, 16); the means by which this was delivered was not always the same and could sometimes take the form of a prophecy (Nah 1:1; Zech 9:1) The Septuagint (Lxx) translates the Hebrew noun massa' in Hab 1:1 with the Greek noun lemma (as in Nah 1:1, Zech 9:1, 12:1, Mal 1:1) which means something received (material gain, profit, income) but can also convey the sense of a burden or commission received, (2Ki 9:25, Jer 23:33, 34, 36, 38), the burden of the Word of the LORD (Zech 9:1). Lemma in Lam 2:14 describes "the false and misleading oracles" of the prophets of Judah which had they been true oracles may have reproved and corrected Judah's errant ways. The point is powerful - Preach the Word in season and out - the true and righteous oracle of God, for all else has no impact on the hearer's inherently wicked heart (flesh) (2Ti 4:2-note). Dear modern day "oracle bearer" are you redeeming the time in these evil days (Eph 5:16-note) by preaching the powerful life changing Word in the power of the Spirit? Don't be like those described by Jeremiah in Lam 2:14 - the falsity of their message resulted in the failure of their hearer's release from captivity! Heed the words of the psalmist "My soul cleaves to the dust. Revive me according to Thy word." (Ps 119:25-note) "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people." (Pr 14:34) Spurgeon on Ps 119:25: The Word of God shows us that He Who first made us must keep us alive, and it tells us of the Spirit of God Who through the ordinances (the Word of God) pours fresh life into our souls; we beg the Lord to act towards us in this His own regular method of grace (Ed: A great prayer for of us to pray with persistence!) (Psalms 119:25 - Treasury of David) In a more figurative sense as used by Habakkuk massa' refers to divine messages which were often of a negative nature (Isa 13:1, 14:28, 15:1, 17:1, 19:1, 21:1, 21:11, 21:13, 22:1, 23:1) but not always (Pr 30:1, 31:1). Massa' can refer to that which causes hardship or distress (Nu 11:11, Job 7:20, Ps 38:4), "as a figurative extension of the weariness occurring when carrying a load." (Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains). In Ezekiel 24:25 the literal phrase is "the uplifting of their soul" and refers to delight of one's heart. NET Note offers another possible meaning noting that the term "uplifting" refers to "that to which they lift up their soul, their heart's desire." However, this text is the only one listed for this use. It seems more likely that the term has its well-attested nuance of "burden, load," here and refers to that which weighs them down emotionally and is a constant source of concern or worry." Massa' - 68x in 60v in the KJV - burden 57, song 3, prophecy 2, set 1, exaction 1, carry away 1, tribute 1; 66. Ex 23:5; Num 4:15, 19, 24, 27, 31f, 47, 49; 11:11, 17; Deut 1:12; 2 Sam 15:33; 19:35; 2Kgs 5:17; 8:9; 9:25; 1Chr 15:22, 27; 2Chr 17:11; 20:25; 24:27; 35:3; Neh 10:31; 13:15, 19; Job 7:20; Ps 38:4; Pr 30:1; 31:1; Isa 13:1; 14:28; 15:1; 17:1; 19:1; 21:1, 11, 13; 22:1, 25; 23:1; 30:6; 46:1f; Jer 17:21f, 24, 27; 23:33f, 36, 38; Ezek 12:10; 24:25; Hos 8:10; Nah 1:1; Hab 1:1; Zech 9:1; 12:1; Mal 1:1 NAS has a different "Strong's Number" (04853b) which it lists in only 25v translating it as burden(3), oracle(25), oracles(1). The English word oracle "Among pagans, the answer of a god or some person reputed to be a god, to an inquiry made respecting some affair of importance, usually respecting some future event, as the success of an enterprise or battle… Among Christians, oracles, in the plural, denotes the communications, revelations or messages delivered by God to prophets. In this sense it is rarely used in the singular; but we say, the oracles of God, divine oracles, meaning the Scriptures." (Webster, 1828) THE PROPHET'S MESSAGE: AN ORACLE or BURDEN John Piper gives two reasons explaining why the OT prophet's message was called a "burden"… One is that the word of God is never light and trifling. It is always weighty and serious and heavy. I don't mean dull, or boring, or morose. I mean it is always substantial. There is no mirage in the word of God. It's always meaty—even the milk is meaty. The word of God comes to a prophet as a burden because it is so thick and rich with truth. The other reason that the word of God is called a burden is because even when it's good news, it will be rejected by many. You remember how Isaiah groaned under the weight of his preaching ministry (in Isa 6:11-note)? Why? Because even the glorious things that he spoke made the heart of the people fat and their ears heavy and their eyes shut (Isa 6:10-note). And he cried out (in Isa 53:1), "Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" So the word of the Lord is a burden because it meets with opposition. Words designed for life become the aroma of death for those who are perishing. My understanding of what it means to be a faithful pastor is that I should take up the burden of each text that I preach on, and deliver it to you as my own burden with as much of the spirit and truth of the text as God gives me. So I come this morning with a burden—a burden first because the word of God in this text is weighty and because I know that not all will believe what I say. (The Greatness of God's Electing Love)