Dick H. - Hab. Part 3

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

3 Part Series from Habakkuk • Part 1 – two complaints and God’s responses • Part 2 – hope – “the righteous will live by faith” • Part 3 – joy – “yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior”

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?” • God’s response – “The righteous will live by his faith.” and “The cup of the Lord’s right hand will come to Babylon later.”

Habakkuk’s Prayer • Hab 3 :1  A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.

2  Lord, I have heard of e your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.

Complete change in his attitude towards God. What changed?

Habakkuk’s Vision (~ 30 years after his 1st complaint) • Hab 3:3  God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah 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. 5  Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. 6  He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble.

Habakkuk’s Vision • The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed. His ways are eternal. 7  I saw the tents of Cushan in distress, the dwellings of Midian in anguish. 8  Were you angry with the rivers, O Lord? Was your wrath against the streams? Did you rage against the sea when you rode with your horses and your victorious chariots?

Habakkuk’s Vision • 9  You uncovered your bow, you called for many arrows. Selah 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. 11  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.

Habakkuk’s Vision • 13  You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot. Selah 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.

Habakkuk’s Response • 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.

Habakkuk’s Response

• Hab 3 :17  Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18  yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 19  The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.

• A resultant peace and joy in what God will do even though there will be a financial collapse. He sees the long term goodness of God’s judgments.

Jesus’ example • Heb 12: 2 • Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Shaking the heavens and the earth.

• He b 12:1 8  You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19  to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20  because they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned." 21  The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling with fear."

Shaking the heavens and the earth.

• Heb 1 2:2 2  But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23  to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24  to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Shaking the heavens and the earth.

• Heb12 :25  See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?

26  At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." 27  The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken--that is, created things--so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 28  Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29  for our "God is a consuming fire."

a kingdom that cannot be shaken • Greed, which is idolatry, and Oppression – these are what God is shaking out of the kingdom. • Let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29  for our "God is a consuming fire”

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 yet 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.

How about you? • Hab 3

17  Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18  yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 19  The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.

God’s Transformation of the Church – “The Hard Way”