How Long, O Lord – Part 7

The Overwhelming Glory of God– Hab. 3:3-15

Crosspoint – Dave Spooner – May 19th, 2024

Intro:

• It takes a lot of courage to stand up in a pulpit and proclaim the word of God. First, because those who teach in the church will be judged more strictly (James 3:1-2). Second, what is said influences how people live. Third, people’s eternal state is on the line. Fourth, you become a main target for the enemy.
• The positive side of this is that all this weight drives you to your knees, and drives you to the Word, and drives you to stay close to the Good Shepherd. Also, there is an eternal reward for those who do it well (1 Peter 5:1-4).
• The Bible is no ordinary book; it is the very word of God (1 Thess. 2:13). It is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Heb. 4:12). And at the end of the book of Revelation, there is a warning that if anyone adds to this book, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city (Rev 22:18-19).
• This is a serious work, and this is a powerful book like no other. We must have courage to speak it and be careful to teach it well. We must apply this book to our lives, honor God who gave us this book, and worship Him as He has revealed Himself.
• If they don’t like something that is written in this book, many people ignore it or twist it to their liking. However, as Christians, we do not conform the Bible to fit our image; we conform ourselves to fit its image. I was in a church service last weekend where the preacher was finishing a series on how to love your neighbor. She was preaching out of Romans 12, and when she got to the part where we are to leave room for the wrath of God, she said, “Oh, Paul, we believe in a god of love,” which placed her opinion above that of the Scripture and distorted the reality of who God is. God have mercy on that congregation and may she be convicted of twisting the word of God and repent.
• We have to rightly wrestle with the God who is, versus the god we prefer. Who He is, is right and perfect and just and loving and powerful and merciful. The image of God that we see today in our passage, is all of these things. We have to do business with this, and embrace the reality of who He is, understanding that He is perfect, and that His ways are just and true and right.
• Last week, we focused on these verses:

Hab 3:1-2

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth. 2 Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.

 This chapter is a prayer in the form of a song, that is, a look back at the acts of God, with a request that He will do the same in our time and in the future. It is also a request that in His wrath against evil, violence, injustice, wickedness, and sin, He will remember to extend mercy, which, of course, He will, because of His covenant promises to all who believe in Jesus Christ, the promised one, who took the wrath of God for us so that we may receive mercy and be saved (Eph. 2:8-9).

• Here is the sermon in a nutshell: God is expansively glorious and overwhelmingly powerful. He will deliver His people and devour all evil. Shelter in His mercy or be destroyed in His wrath.

God is expansively glorious

 Hab 3:3-4 NIV

God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. 4 His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden.

 This is a picture of God as He and His people were coming into the promised land. Teman and Mount Paran are south of Israel, where the people of God were living in the wilderness. This is the place where they received the commandments, and this is the place where they were preparing to enter the land. This is the place where they came to know God.

• His glory covered the heavens, and His praise filled the earth. His splendor was on display for all to see. There was fire by night and a cloud by day. There was lightning and thunder and power on display, in the earth, and on command. This is the God of all the earth. He is glorious and praiseworthy. He has splendor and all power.

 God is overwhelmingly powerful

 Hab 3:5-7 NIV

Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. 6 He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed—but he marches on forever. 7 I saw the tents of Cushan in distress, the dwellings of Midian in anguish.

 This is remembering the power of God as seen in the Exodus, where God delivered His people from sin, slavery, and wicked rulers. Plague went before Him; pestilence followed His steps. This is the waters turning to blood, multitudes of frogs invading the land, gnats swarming like the darkest night, flies overwhelming all life, all livestock dropping dead, boils transforming the skin of His enemies, hail destroying everything, locusts consuming all things that grow, stifling darkness overtaking the light, and death to all the firstborn (Ex. 7:14-12:36).

• The earth shook, the nations trembled, and the things that are considered ancient and unmovable crumbled and collapsed as the one who is before and above and beyond all things marches on forever. Those who were standing in opposition to God (Cushan and Midian) saw and were in destress and anguish.
• And then Habakkuk, by the Spirit of the Lord, reaches back further and remembers when God devoured evil while showing mercy to Noah in the flood.

 Hab 3:8-10 NIV

Were you angry with the rivers, Lord? Was your wrath against the streams? Did you rage against the sea when you rode your horses and your chariots to victory? 9 You uncovered your bow, you called for many arrows. You split the earth with rivers; 10 the mountains saw you and writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on high.

 God commanded the streams, and the rivers, and the sea, and the deep waters and the rain and overwhelmed the earth in His power. This is God Almighty, who is not lacking in power and does everything He pleases (Psalm 115:3).

 God will deliver His people

 Hab 3:11-13a NIV

Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of your flying arrows, at the lightning of your flashing spear. 12 In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations. 13 You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one.

 God does these things because of His love for His people and His anointed one. His wrath is fueled by His love, and His glory is seen in His goodness. He is right, and just, and loving to deliver His people with His wrath.

• Praise Him, trust Him, worship Him. Stand in awe of Him and cry, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (Rev 4:8). Obey Him, follow Him, bow before Him. Tremble at His presence.

 God will devour all evil

 Hab 3:13b-15 NIV

You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot. 14 With his own spear you pierced his head when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though about to devour the wretched who were in hiding. 15 You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the great waters.

• Sin and evil and all those who align themselves against God and His people to devour them, in the end, will be devoured by the might and majesty of God. No one can and will stand against Him, and every knee will bow to Him.

Conclusion

• After all these things have been remembered, revealed, and recorded, Habakkuk responded in this way:

Hab 3:16

I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.

 This should be our response as well. Michael will unpack this and the rest of the book next week.

• God has come to the aid of this people in the past; God certainly will come again to their rescue; and at the end of time God will come once and for all to vindicate those who belong to him and to exercise judgment on those opposed to him (The Bible Speaks Today Commentary series on Habakkuk p. 265).
• It is good for us to understand that there are parallels between the judgments in the book of Exodus and the judgments in the book of Revelation. God has, God is, and God will once and for all deal with the wickedness on this earth which is the question Habakkuk asks in the beginning of this book. (Adapted from the Biblical Theology Study Bible.)

• God gives mercy to His people and wrath to His enemies. Hide in Him or hide from Him. Turn to Him for mercy. At the cross, God gives us mercy from His wrath. Put your trust in Christ, the only shelter from the wrath of God against evil.

Testimony and Spoken Word – Ali Rogers

 Benediction

May God give you peace, confidence, and courage as you “wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess 1:10).

 Questions for Small Groups

• Is there anything from this message that surprised or startled you?
• What is the right and good response to God, who has revealed Himself as recorded in scripture?
• List all of the ways you can think of how God reveals himself in His creation, action, and word.