The Biblical Path of Life

Tag: Habakkuk

  • Live by Faith

    “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.”

    Habakkuk 2:4

    What is faith? Many speak of their “faith” today. But not many mention what that faith is. Or where it is placed. We can learn many things about the faith as described in the Bible. Faith means “a term indicative of the means of appropriating what God in Christ has for man resulting in the transformation of man’s character and way of life; Christian faith; a firm and confiding belief in Jesus and His gospel…” Notice that faith is belief in Jesus and His Gospel (His atoning death, burial, resurrection, and His return one day). But faith is much more than that. It is also the appropriating what God has for each individual life, resulting in the transformation of that person’s character and that person’s way of life.

    Read some insight we have on faith mentioned in the Old Testament. “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4).

    • Upright means “ethically; a moral life; to declare right.”
    • Just means “lawful; righteous; God himself is the standard for ethics and morality.”

    Consider one who is lifted up and is not upright. This is one who has chosen to live as they so choose. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12). This death can be speaking of more than this life; it can also speak of eternity. Remember what Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). The Bible teaches us that there is either eternal death or eternal life. The difference is belief in Jesus, which makes one just before God (see Romans 5:8-9). Becoming just (righteous) is obtained by faith in Jesus. This helps us understand that Habakkuk 2:4 describes two peoples: one who is “not upright”(one who is lost and apart from Christ); and one who is “just” (one who has received the righteousness of Christ by faith). The one who continues “not upright” will end up in eternal death.

    Habakkuk 2:4 is quoted in the New Testament three times, helping us understand it even better. The first time Habakkuk 2:4 is quoted is in the book of Romans. “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17). The book of Romans explains that justification before God is by faith in Jesus, alone. This is salvation.

    The second place Habakkuk 2:4 is quoted is in Galatians. “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith” (Galatians 3:11). The book of Galatians teaches one who has trusted in Jesus how to then live that life out of faith while living here on this earth. Read the following example of this: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). A Christian no longer chooses to please self, but to please Jesus, who “gave himself for me.” We read in Habakkuk that the “just” will live by his faith. Once one has obtained faith by belief in Jesus (salvation), each Christian is to learn to live his faith in Jesus. A Christian must “hold fast” to the things that are to be learned from the Bible (see 2 Timothy 1:13). Once we learn these things and begin to live by them, what happens to that Christian life? The righteousness of God is then revealed in that Christian’s life.

    The third time Habakkuk 2:4 is quoted in the New Testament is in the book of Hebrews. “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him” (Hebrews 10:38). Understand what happens if a Christian becomes fearful and does not move forward in their Christian walk by faith. God is not pleased when a Christian does not continue forward in their Christian walk but draws back (this means they go into apostasy – forsaking the ways and truths of God’s Word). To encourage Christians, we can read of a whole chapter listing people who forsook the pleasures of this world to seek after and follow God and His Word (see Hebrews 11). Read the key to living by faith: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

    Once a Christian understands how to live and walk by faith, what will they have? “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). These things should help every Christian understand the importance of living by faith and not forsaking the teachings found in God’s Word. Why is it important to live by faith? “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7). Each Christian’s goal should be to be found “unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”

    Have you believed in Jesus by faith?

    Have you chosen to appropriate that faith into your life by continually living for Him?

    Link to learn How to be Saved

  • The Righteous Cry, and God Delivers

    “The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.”

    Psalm 34:17

    Have you ever wondered why God allows some things to happen? The world today seems to becoming overwhelmingly wicked. When Habakkuk did not understand what was going on in Judah – He asked God! 

     “The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see” (Habakkuk 1:1). The first thing we can understand is that Habakkuk had a “burden”. Burden here means “a burden; a longing or yearning.” Many prophets had a burden. See in this verse means “a vision presented to the mind of a prophet; a revelation.” Habakkuk saw something that troubled him. Consequently, he took his trouble to God. “O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!” (Habakkuk 1:2). Habakkuk saw God’s people living godless lives, lives in which God was greatly displeased. This sin became very overt to him, and it troubled him greatly. “3. Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. 4. Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth” (Habakkuk 1:3-4). Habakkuk did not understand how God could allow this iniquity to continue. See the following to help understand some words from this verse to grasp why Habakkuk was so troubled:  

    • iniquity: vainness, falseness, idolatry, wickedness; the word focuses on the planning and expression of deception – it also pointed to the consequences of that sin; this is a major Hebrew word for sin;  
    • grievance: trouble, misery, distress, sorrow 
    • spoiling: oppression of the weak; havoc; destruction; mainly refers to social injustices
    • violence: wickedness, wrong, unrighteous gain; also remember that man’s violence was one of the main reasons for the flood (see Genesis 6:11 & 13) 
    • strife: to quarrel, to contest (personal or legal); contention; controversy; disputes   
    • contention: brawling; strife; discord   

    Can you better understand why Habakkuk was disturbed over what he was seeing in his world? Remember that it was this kind of living that caused God to decide to destroy the world by flood which we can read about in Genesis. “11. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 13. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth” (Genesis 6:11-13). 

    Can you better understand why Habakkuk was so very troubled?

    It is important to understand that God sees His people and hears their troubles. Read the following verse from Psalms that David wrote to help a little in the understanding of this concept. “The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles” (Psalm 34:17).   

    Just as Habakkuk was frustrated seeing all of the wickedness in the land, we can think of others in the Bible who seemed to feel that way. Think of Lot, from the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. “7. And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8. (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds)” (2 Peter 2:7-8).

    Remember a warning recorded in the Psalms. “2. But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. 3. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (Psalm 73:2-3). The writer was becoming envious of sinners who prospered, without any apparent judgment (see Psalm 73:4-15). It seemed as if they were getting away with their sin. However, read what he discovered: “16. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; 17. Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. 18. Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. 19. How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors” (Psalm 73:16-19). Remember something we should have learned. God sees all, and your sin will find you out! “But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). 

    God saw. God knew. God had a plan. (See Habakkuk 1:5-6).

    God told Habakkuk to look among the heathen (Israel’s enemies). Habakkuk was to get ready for God to do a mighty work among His people – one that would be almost impossible to believe. And God did just what He said He would do. Habakkuk had nothing to fear, God was in control.

    Remember what David learned. “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1). When God is in control, there is nothing to be feared.

    So today, when you become discouraged at the wicked world in which we live, remember that God sees, and He has a plan. When Habakkuk did not understand, he trusted God.

    Have you learned to trust in God and not be afraid of the wickedness in the world that you see?

  • Lesson 7: Habakkuk: He Asked God Why and Was Answered

    Key Verse

    For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

    —Romans 1:17

    Key Verse Thought: Read the key verse, and understand the “faith to faith.” The first faith is believing in Jesus and He saves you. The second is living a life obeying Jesus and his commands. For as we will learn today (as it is written), the just (those who conform to God’s standard and authority) shall live by faith.

    Emphasis: We must learn to seek the Lord, learning to live a life of faith. It is then we realize we can take our burdens to God – for He will answer!

    Lesson Summary: In this lesson, we will continue our break from the kings of Judah to study a minor prophet, Habakkuk, keeping in mind that we will study them as close to where they belong in Judah’s history as possible. Remember the last kings about whom we learned: King Manasseh and King Amon. Both of them were bad kings – actually King Amon continued in his wickedness and never humbled himself before God. Therefore, we are to remember that the nation of Judah was in a deplorable condition.

    As we learn about Habakkuk this week, we will find he was a unique prophet because he recognized the condition of God’s people, and it disturbed him. When something troubled him, he took his trouble to God. He was a prophet who asked God a question, and God answered him.  God knew the problem, and He would deal with it. God was going to do such a mighty work among His people; they would hardly be able to believe it. Probably the most important verse in Habakkuk is Habakkuk 2:4, where it says: “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). We will discover that Habakkuk learned to have faith in God. We also should be as bold as Habakkuk – when we have a problem, we should know to take it to God first!

    As we learned Zephaniah’s message last week, we find much of the same message for God’s people from Habakkuk this week: Both warned the people of God’s coming judgment, but both prophets left the nation with the hope that God promised to restore His people.

    Y2Q3 – Lesson 7 Questions

    Y2Q3 – Lesson 7 Children’s Worksheets

    If you are teaching this lesson to younger children, the following is a craft idea to go along with this lesson:

    We decorated frames with stickers and placed the verse Habakkuk 2:4 inside.

  • Faith and Hope

    “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”
    Romans 15:4

    Watching events in the world today, do you ever wonder why God allows some things to happen? Have you noticed the crime, injustices, wickedness, violence, strife, and so much more that happens continually? Does it seem like ungodliness is constantly in your face, yet there is nowhere to turn and hide from it? Believe it or not, this is nothing new. This has all happened before.

    Remember back for a minute to a small book in the Old Testament named after a prophet who had much of the same question for God. He asked God, “O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!” (Habakkuk 1:2). He wanted to know why he could see so many living in such sin and wickedness, knowing that God was displeased, and why God was allowing it to continue without doing anything about it.

    God answered Habakkuk. “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 1:5). God proceeded to tell Habakkuk that He was about to do something so mighty that it would be hard to believe such a thing could happen. God’s people had been living contrary to God for so long, and they had chosen instead to involve themselves wholly in idolatry. Because of their rejection of God and His ways, God was going to allow the enemy to come into the country, steal a select group away, and destroy the rest of the people and nation. The enemy that was coming to destroy was a “terrible and dreadful” people. God was going to use this wicked people to come into Judah and destroy. However, because God knows the heart of all people, He knew whom he would allow to be spared from the wrath of His judgment upon His people. This group of people would be taken into the enemy’s land that was wholly given over to idolatry. Hearing this, Habakkuk was greatly trouble. He did not know or understand that in that place, this group of people would be cured of idolatry forever. It would be then that God would allow them to go back to their homeland and rebuild.

    When Habakkuk did not understand, he still waited to hear from God. Once again, God answered him. God wanted him to write it down for all to know and understand, because if God says something is going to happen, be assured it will happen! The greatest verse in this book, the verse that is the most instructive is found next. “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). No one who places faith in anyone or anything besides God is “upright” in God. Remember: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 14:12). The most important faith a person can have is the saving faith in Jesus. “8. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Once one has the saving faith of Jesus, that person is able to “live by his faith.” “16. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth … 17. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16-17). In the world, people think seeing is believing. God wants us to understand that believing is seeing.

    How did Habakkuk respond to this thought of living by his faith in God and His Word? The entirety of chapter three in Habakkuk is a prayer that turns into a song. Habakkuk remembered what God had done for His people in the past, and the hope God gave for the future. God had never left them. This comforted Habakkuk and gave him hope. “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4).

    Habakkuk put into practice what we should know to do: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). When Habakkuk sought God, God answered and encouraged Habakkuk.

    Does God’s Word comfort you, encouraging you to live a life of faith in this world?

  • Lesson 10: Nine Pre-Exile Minor Prophets Hosea – Zephaniah

    Key Verse

    “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,”  Hebrews 1:1

    Understanding the key verse:  “God, who at sundry times (refers to the incremental and progressive manner in which God disclosed Himself up until the appearance of the Son. It was fragmentary, piece by piece – kind of like pieces of a puzzle) and in divers manners (this word is used to qualify the manner in which divine revelation during the Old Testament time-frame was given.  It shows the diverse ways through which God disclosed His word, such as dreams, visions, angelic visitation.) spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,”

    The first nine Minor Prophets are included in the final division in the Old Testament:  Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah.  Once again we see there is an obvious division:  these are pre-exile – before the people were expelled from Israel.  Something of interest:  we know very little about these prophets.  Amos was a herdsman (Amos 7:14), Micah was from an obscure town 25 miles SW of Jerusalem who preached to the poor and oppressed, and Zephaniah was a descendant of good King Hezekiah.  NOTE:  They were just ordinary men that God chose to use.

    Our emphasis today will be to understand that God revealed himself to people through the ages in different ways at different times.  He had an extra special job for the prophets.  God has an extra special job(s) for His people today as well – if we will only obey!  Make our time on earth count for God – live for him daily.  Allow God to use us.  Respond when God calls.  It may be a minor thing God asks of us in our eyes, but very important to the kingdom of God.

     

    Optional Worksheets to be downloaded:

    Lesson 10 – Volume 1 Children’s Worksheet 1

    Lesson 10 – Volume 1 Children’s Reinforcement Worksheet

     

    Ideas for children:

    In any lesson, you may want to work on your coloring timeline – especially when it relates to the lesson.

    Review the 3×5 cards if you made them, practicing the divisions.  Focus on putting the Minor Prophet books in order for today’s lesson.

    Display the poster of the books of the Old Testament (may be downloaded from the Lesson 4 Blog). Review the Minor Prophet books (showing them on the poster).  You may have them write or draw a picture of their favorite event from the first nine of the Minor Prophets.  Because Jonah’s life is such a popular event in the Bible, you may find some Jonah stickers to work on to help them remember the Minor Prophets.  Or you may find a coloring picture that fits today’s lesson.  There are many free coloring sheets online.  Just type in a favorite and search away!

    Younger classes:  You could have the room in disarray when they come to class.  Assign different children to “clean” or “organize” the clutter (i.e.:  crayons out, papers scattered, books off of the shelf, marker on the board to be erased, etc.)  Help them understand the importance of doing what they are asked to do.  God had a special job for the prophets.  God has special things for His people to do, also.  Hand out the first worksheet to complete. After the lesson, help the students do the worksheet that reinforces what they learned in the Bible lesson.

    Younger classes:  Play “Simon Says” to reinforce obedience.  Remind them the Prophets obeyed God.

     

    Youth:  Think of a time when you were told to do something you didn’t really want to do (Have someone share, but if no one says anything, give some examples:  clean your room, be home by curfew, be nice to a sibling, etc.)  Help them see the importance of obeying (once again, give examples.)  Today, we will learn about some men that God called for a special purpose.  One of these disobeyed God.  See what happened to him!

    On the wall you have chosen in your classroom to become a huge mural:  For this week, have them each choose a Minor Prophet (1 or more to include all of them.)  Have them write a few things that they learned that helps identify them from the other prophets.  Encourage them to include the time God called them to become a spokesman for God.  Have them look for opportunities that God places before them (especially this week) to be a voice for God in this world.

    Continue to have them bring a picture, a news article, a poem they have written, a picture they may have drawn, etc. of something that is relevant to each week’s lessons.  Encourage everyone to participate.  Watch as it grows weekly, as they express what God is revealing to them through our study of how the Bible fits into His plan to help us become more like Him.

    Minor Prophets Pictures