PRAYING FOR MERCY AND REVIVAL BEFORE CERTAIN JUDGMENT...HABAKKUK 3--Lesson 17

 Even though he might not fully understand what God was doing, "Habakkuk" (to 'wrestle' or 'embrace') has wrestled through his beliefs and understanding of God having finally come to the place of resting in or embracing God's sovereign will. In our own lives, we might understand what it means to go from a place of worry in a hard place to a place of whole-hearted worship...in that same place. Our outward circumstances did not change--except, perhaps, to get worse. The radical change that took place was in our hearts that are being continually transformed by the renewing of our minds. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

In Chapter 1:1-17, we saw the prophet complaining to God from a watch-and-see perspective.  Things are not always as they appear. Though he could never have anticipated how God was at work, God--who is always at work--was not standing idly by as the people around Habakkuk continued to live in sin. In Chapter 2:1-20, we saw God's reply while the prophet was standing eagerly watching for God's answer. Today, as we look at Chapter 3:1-19, we see Habakkuk singing. Having had his focus properly aligned, he kneels to watch...yielding to God's will, the prophet waits quietly for the certain judgment that is to come. Coming to God with questions at first, in the end he trusts his God; and faith in who God is causes him to worship in reverential awe. We, too, must be still and know that He is God as we read and are transformed from glory to glory with Habakkuk.

Attached is something I want to begin to incorporate into my posts. It is a tool that I use before I ever begin to really dig into a passage of Scripture for interpretation. Part of observation, it is something I learned a long time ago. I never thought I was very good at it, but I have been doing it a lot lately as we have been studying the Psalms in our Bible study. This is a tool that may or may not be helpful to you at all. That's okay. Just disregard it. It's what I learned as "structuring" a passage, although I think there are other names for it. It helps me on several fronts: (1) It slows me down to really observe things I might otherwise miss; (2) Things jump out at me that make me stop and ask questions of the text; (3) I'm a visual learner, so I like to really interact with the text in this way. Anyways, it's here if it helps you. And, trust me when I say if it is something you would like to do, if you are like me...a lot of practice makes not even close to perfect. But that's okay. Yours might not look like mine, and mine might not look like yours. It's to help you, not to make you crazy! The first example is without markup.

Habakkuk 3 Structured

Habakkuk 3:1-2 Markup

Only looking at the first two verses today, just notice on the structured copy verse 1 talks about a prayer, and LORD is a reference to Israel's covenant God. Habakkuk has heard from God which leads to "fear" (yare=reverential awe) that induces prayer in the prophet. The prophet/God's people are in light blue. Every reference to God is highlighted in yellow. Imperatives are underlined in red and parallels have navy lines drawing them together where not obvious. 

3:1-2--A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth. LORD, I have heard the report about You and I fear. O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years. In the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.

The MacArthur Study Bible breaks this chapter down like this:

III.    The Prophet's Prayer (3:1-19)
        A.    Petition for God's Mercy (3:1,2)
        B.    Praise of God's Power (3:3-15)
        C.    Promise of God's Sufficiency (3:16-19)

So, we see a natural sequence in this book of seeking the Lord's face when we are perplexed, eagerly waiting and expecting God's response, then submitting to God's will as we yield our hearts to Him in prayer. It's part of this fight for faith we see all throughout Scripture. This is one place in which the believer can never say he or she has arrived. It doesn't matter if you are a prophet or consider yourself just an average 'alien' believer walking with Christ through this world. This is a lesson we all need to learn over and over again as we experience trials so our faith continues to grow and is strengthened in our continuing sanctification. Because Christ 'lives' in the believer and God's Spirit is working in us to conform us to the image of God's Son, no Christian should ever be stagnant in faith. But it happens...but for the grace and mercy of God!

I'm not usually one who regularly compares my default NASB with the NLT version, but I liked how it was translated in these verses. NLT--"I have heard all about You, LORD, and I am filled with awe by the amazing things You have done. In this time of our deep need, begin again to help us, as You did in years gone by. Show us Your power to save us. And in Your anger, remember Your mercy."  This verse reminds us that our faith grows in difficult circumstances as we remember who God is, His works--how He has worked in the past--and His promises. The prophet could trust God's power to save because He trusted God's character. Jeremiah in a dark place wrote in Lamentations 3:21-23--This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The LORD's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." This is Christianity 101. If your faith doesn't allow for a doctrine of suffering, you are missing a large portion of the puzzle you need to see the whole picture!

Here, we must stop and ponder. God has revealed to Habakkuk that Judah is under divine judgment. What is his first response? Is it to curse his culture, throwing up his hands in disgust as he turns on Fox News every evening to see how the politicians are going to fix things? No! He falls on his knees and pleads for God's mercy on Judah in the certain judgment to come. Only those who know God's mercy know how important it is to plead for His mercy on behalf of others. Our God is the God who saves. We see save/salvation five times in this small book. The word is yesha root of Yeshua=Johovah saves=Jesus. He turns his immediate attention not to earthly rulers but to the King of kings, his covenant-keeping God, the God who saves, pleading for Him to remember mercy in His wrath.

"Prayer" in verse 1 speaks of a hymn or a sacred song. What we first notice about this prayer that stands out in stark contrast to what we might pray today is the fact that Habakkuk doesn't pray that the Lord would not judge Judah...that His wrath would be turned back...that He would turn from this judgment. What he prays for in a spirit of reverential fear is for revival and mercy. 

In awe of his great God, Habakkuk bows his spirit before our holy LORD, and without the specific words acknowledges that God's judgment is always right and just. He knew what the author of Hebrews came to know much later in history when he said: It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (10:31) Our God is holy. Habakkuk stood in the middle of God's judgment of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C. and the judgment to come for Judah by the Babylonians in 587 B.C. The first judgment had already happened. God doesn't just give empty threats. If He says judgment is coming, we can know as sure as we know our own names, that it is coming. What is left to pray for is God's mercy in that judgment.

Judgment was coming for that nation of Judah. However, the prophet knew that he could pray for revival. In the days of Hezekiah, Judah had revival that spared them from judgment at that time. We know that Nineveh in the days of Jonah was spared judgment at that time. 

What is revival? First, it's not revival of lost souls who are dead in their trespasses and sins. They need resurrection. They need to be born again to new life. Revival is for God's own...that the spark of love for God, love for His work, and for His people would be fanned into a flaming fire. The hearts of God's children should be overflowing with joy and gladness all day, every day of the week. They should know the presence and power of the Holy Spirit as that which is normal. They should have an intense burden for the lost that they would be saved. 

Revival cannot happen without first a work of the Spirit in the heart that leads one to confession and repentance. In a sense, we pray for the Lord to forgive us and have mercy upon us to rescue us from this dull apathy. It can happen when we get swept up in the things of the world, the busyness of life, and the cares and burdens of daily troubles. This is why we must always be about the business of heart work, praying that He would help us guard our hearts from all that would distract us from Him. W.A. Criswell said: "Bleeding, crying hearts coming back to Calvary, that is the beginning of real revival." When we come naked, with bared souls before this One who sees all and knows all, confessing that we are not what we ought to be, what by the grace of God we can be and are going to be...He will revive us! Lord, help us!

There is unity or oneness in the body of Christ in revival. Hearts are fully joined together sharing the one life of Christ with intercession as normal as conversation with the most dearly beloved family member. It is a spirit that hungers and thirsts after God, seeking Him in all things. This is the spirit that draws men who are watching to the Lord.

Habakkuk says, "O LORD, revive Your work"...God is in business of saving souls. It's the greatest of all works even over the work of creation of the world because it was the goal of creation to gather unto Himself, to have for Himself, a people who would love, adore, and glorify Him and who would be glorified in Him. It's only the divine power of resurrection that can save a soul. For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6)

If we're to be a people who know and experience revival in our midst, in our nation, we must get back to the Book. We must be a people of the Word. We must love the Word, know the Word, trust the Word, and minister the Word in season and out of season. We must stand unflinchingly on the truth of our convictions as He leads us into all truth. 

We can look at our country and see the hand of God's divine judgment is coming. Romans 1 gives us all the proof we need. 2 Timothy 3:1-7 describe the day as never before in my lifetime: But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power. Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

That is what we see with physical eyes. What we know for certain is that God's Word is able to give wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Because all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

LORD, remember mercy in the wrath to come. Even so, come Lord Jesus!