Habakkuk’s Prayer of Awe and Joy
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
9/18/2016 PM
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Text:
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Habakkuk 3:1-19
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Psalters: |
248, 295, 166, 253 |
- His awe.
- Habakkuk experienced great awe of God: “was afraid” (2), “trembled” and “lips quivered” (16).
- Habakkuk’s awe was because he “heard Thy speech” in the previous chapter.
- Habakkuk was awed when he heard of God’s judgment because Judah and he are worthy of the same.
- Awe is not only consciousness of my own sin, but also amazement at the might and holiness of the Most High Majesty.
- First, we must see God in His holy temple above history and every circumstance of time.
- Second, reverence and godly fear are ours as we consider all that did in the creation to deliver Israel out of Egypt and bring them safely through the wilderness (3-15).
- His prayer is that God would “revive Thy work” and “make known.”
- His focus is now on God’s Word, God’s cause, God’s purpose, and God’s name.
- “Revive” means to preserve, in the sense of purifying and correcting something which needs renewal and restoration.
- God’s “work” is creation, but also and especially His work of saving unto Himself a people in the promised Messiah.
- Habakkuk adds “in wrath remember mercy” because he was well aware of how Judah deserved wrath.
- Though he trembled, yet Habakkuk’s faith enabled him to “joy” and “rejoice” (18).
- We are not to found our joy in ourselves nor our earthly circumstances, but “in the Lord” and “in the God of my salvation.”
- When we are afraid, we are to consider what God has done to save His people in the past.
- This God will surely bring us through and do so in strength (19).