Dick H. - Hab. Part 2

God’s Transformation of the Church – “The Hard Way” Habakkuk – Part 2 of 3

Pay attention to the word of the prophets II Pet 1:19

Habakkuk’s purpose: give understanding for the transformation

Vision - 1998 Acts 2:17

3 angels released Terrorism Financial meltdown Pandemic for the transformation

of God the Father’s wife (unfaithful Jerusalem of the earth) Ezk 16

Of God the Son’s bride (unfaithful Jerusalem of above) Gal 4:26; Rev 18:4; 19:7; 21:2

because of the Old Covenant (written on stone; earthly)

Because of the New Covenant (written on minds and hearts; heavenlies)

Premise • Christians are trying to experience life through what destroys – idolatry and oppression – and in most cases we don’t even know it because we are deceived. • God intends to separate His Church from what destroys in order to bring her to Him alone that we might experience true life.

Definitions of Idolatry and Oppression

IDOLATRY Love something else with all your heart OPPRESSION Love yourself at your neighbor’s loss and with all your soul and with all your mind

Under the New Covenant greed is idolatry • Coloss ians 3: 5  Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatr y. 6  B ecause of these, the w rat h o f God is coming. 7  You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.

Examples of Oppression • Prov 10:18 He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool. • Prov 11:13 A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret. • Prov 12:18 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. • Prov 14:1 The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

Examples of Oppression • Prov 13:24 He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him. • Prov 15:27 A greedy man brings trouble to his family, but he who hates bribes will live. • Prov 29:5 Whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet.

Habakkuk - prior • 1st complaint – “God, why don’t you do something about this oppression you make me see?” • God’s response – “I will bring the Babylonians.” • 2nd complaint – “Why are you using those more wicked to bring justice?”

Part of God’s Response • Hab 2:2  Then the Lord replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. 3  For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. 4  "See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright-- but the righteous will live by his faith--

the righteous will live by his faith quoted in Rom 1:17 Gal 3:11 Heb 10:38

How could God declare to Habakkuk that there was anyone “righteous”? • Jer 5: 1  "Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city. 2  Although they say, 'As surely as the Lord lives,' still they are swearing falsely." 3  O Lord, do not your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain; you crushed them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent. 4  I thought, "These are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God. 5  So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God." But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds.

the righteous will live by his faith Rom 1: 16  I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17  For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

How could God declare someone righteous who was unrighteous based upon the law? • Deut 27: 9- 14 Then Moses and the pri ests, who are Lev ites , said to al l Israel, "Be silent, O I srael , and li sten! You have now become the peopl e of the Lor d your God. Obey the Lord your God and f ol low hi s commands and decrees that I give you today. " O n the same day Moses com manded the peopl e: “W hen you have crossed the Jordan, thes e tr ibes shal l …stand on Mount Ebal to pr onounce cur ses : Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebul un, D an and Naphtal i. The Lev ites shal l recite to al l the peopl e of Israel i n a loud voi ce: ” Deut 27: 26 "Cursed is the man who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out."

the righteous will live by his faith • Gal 3 : 10  All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." 11  Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." 12  The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them." 13  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree."

How could God declare to Habakkuk that any would live? • Ezk 3 3:10  "Son of man, say to the house of Israel, 'This is what you are saying: "Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?”

the righteous will live by his faith • Heb 1 0: 30  For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31  It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 32  Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. 33  Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34  You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.

the righteous will live by his faith • Heb 1 0:3 5  So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36  You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37  For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. 38  But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him." 39  But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.

God intends to shake not only the earth but the heavens as well (Heb 12:26) because the Church is seated both in the heavenlies (Eph 2:6) and on the earth.

How does the shaking of the earth and heavenlies relate to each other? • Eph 3:10  His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11  according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

A Shaking is Here and is to Come In 1998 I saw in a vision 3 angels sent from the throne to resolve the idolatry condition of the Church. I understood these would manifest in 3 ways: • terrorism to remove our emotional security apart from God • financial crisis to remove our financial security apart from God • pandemic to remove our physical safety apart from God.

Next week - Part 3 • Part 1 – the two complaints and God’s responses • Part 2 – the righteous will live by faith • Part 3 – joyful Hab 3:16-19

God’s Transformation of the Church – “The Hard Way” Habakkuk – Part 2 of 3