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T H E K I N O ’ S B U S I N E S S
April, 1940
upon which faith rests. Hence, Habak kuk turned to hear what God would say to him; he set himself upon his watch and hearkened to the voice of God, ready to answer concerning his complaining (cf. v. 1, margin). And the Lord answered him. The vision was for a future time, but its fulfillment was sure, although patience was required for the waiting days.* At length, all'questions would be answered, and God’s reasons for His strange ways would be made plain. Habakkuk finally would understand the reasons for God’s seeming slowness in judging the wicked. The truth contained in the closing words, “the just shall live by his faith,” occurs three times in the New Testa ment and should be considered. In Ro mans 1:17, the emphasis should be placed upon the “just” ; in Galatians 3:11, upon- “faith” ; in Hebrews 10:38, upon “live.” All doubt is removed when God, His person and character, is un derstood. Point» and Problems 1. “Art thou not from everlasting . . . mine Holy One? We shall not die” (Hab. 1:12). In the preceding verses, 6 to 10, the prophet was given a vision of the terrible army of the Chaldeans as they would soon come marching through the land of Palestine to devas tate and destroy. Moreover he is told that the coming invasion is a judgment raised up by God Himself upon the cho sen nation. Humanly speaking, the pre dicted invasion seemed to spell com plete destruction *£o Israel. But in this crisis it is deeply instructive to see where the prophet turns for hope and consolation. He falls back on pod, and particularly two attributes of God: first, the eternity of God, and second, His holiness. Because God is “everlast ing” and “holy,” Habakkuk argues, “We shall not die.” That is, neither judg ment nor calamity can utterly destroy the nation of Israel because, first, the very holiness of God will require that He keep His covenants made with the nation, and second, the fact that the God of Israel is eternal guarantees the perpetuity of His people. If Israel as a nation could take refuge in God’s eternity and holiness, how much more can we who are members of the true church cry, “Art thou not from ever lasting . . . mine Holy One ? •We shall not die.” Let us not forget the lesson: Our only hope lies In what God is, not in what we are. 2. “O mighty God” (v. 12). The He brew term is simply “Rock,” reminding us of the great passage in Deuteronomy 32:4, "He is the Rock, his work is per fect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without inquity, just and right is he.” It was no mere acci dent that Habakkuk thought of God as the “Rock” in this crisis of his people. 3 . “And makest men as the fishes of the sea . . . that have no ruler over
Jehovah—the One who controls all things and works all things after the counsel of His own will (cf. Isa. 46: 9-11; Eph. 1:11). n . T he T est of F aith (1:13-17) While contemplating the eternity of God, Habakkuk also was assured that God was “ of purer eyes than to behold evil” (v. 13). He was One who could not “look on iniquity” (v. 13). In the light of this fact, the prophet could not understand why things were as they were in the world. There were many who dealt treacherously, devouring the righteous, and apparently God was not moved, nor did He even appear to take any notice of the evildoers. If God could not look upon iniquity, if He was indeed the Holy One "of purer eyes than to behold evil,” if His will; was always being executed, then why did He not step in and bring to an end the wickedness and suffering that sur rounded this prophet Habakkfik? The wicked continued uninterrupted in their evil designs upon the weak. They angled for human souls as fish ermen angle for their prey. They re joiced in their ability to catch the un suspecting in their nets. Moreover, they were so certain that their nets were the Source of all their good that they Worshiped these implements of injustice. It would seem that God was unaware of what was transpiring. How could He remain inactive in the midst of such conditions ?. Thus human reason would argue, as it argues today, in the midst of all the warfare, and sorrows, and evil by which we ourselves are sur rounded. But human reason, together with all else connected with fallen man, is too-debased and ignorant to judge properly of passing events. The supreme test of faith is simply to rest in what God is, the Holy One, then to wait patiently for Him to make all things plain in His own time and way. m . T he P ath of F aith (2:1-4) In the face of what was known of God—what He is, and what He is doing —there was just one thing for the prophet and the people to do, and that was to trust God whatever appearances might be. This kind of trust is fully warranted by the promises of God. These promises are the basic stones BLACKBOARD LESSON
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