Transcript

Podcast Introduction

Today is Prophecy Friday and we’ll read the book of Habakkuk. I’m calling today’s episode “The Conversation.”

Comments on Habakkuk

There is a lot of conjecture on just who this prophet Habakkuk was. The fact is, we don’t have much information about him. The Jewish Rabbis have their ideas. Roman Catholicism has theirs, based on one of the books of the Apocrypha. 

What we do know is that this is a book of Habakkuk’s statements to God in the name of the people, and God’s statements to the people through Habakkuk. That is the textbook definition of what a prophet is. 

One sentence in the book should have certainly stood out to you if you have studied Martin Luther and the Reformation at all. Did you hear it? It was chapter two, verse four. Here it is again: “But the one who is right with God will live by faith.” Or it might be more familiar to you from the King James Version: “but the just shall live by faith.”

You might not have known that this was from the book of Habakuk. You might have thought that it was from Romans 1:16-17. Here it is, again from the King James Version: “16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

There in Romans, Paul was quoting Habakkuk. And the phrase, “The just shall live by faith” is the verse that caused Martin Luther to begin questioning the Roman Catholic church’s practices. It’s an important piece of church history that I recommend you study if you’re not familiar with it.

The first two chapters were a sort of conversation between Habakkuk and God. And then in chapter three we read a prayer of the prophet. In the translation we read today, this is verse 2:

2 Lord, I know how famous you are. I have great respect for you because of your mighty acts. Do them again for us. Make them known in our time. When you are angry, please have mercy on us.

But listen to it from the NASB: 2Lord, 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.

In this verse, Habakkuk is asking God for something that you’ve heard me ask for during our prayer times together. He is asking God for a revival. He is asking God to do what He has done in the past. To bring people to Himself. Beloved, most of the problems we see in the world around us are because people have turned their backs to Him. They have shut Him out. Imagine how things would be different if people served Him instead of shunned Him?

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. NIRV

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Transcript

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STEVE WEBB – 0:00
Paul was quoting Habakkuk.

INTRO S12E269 – 0:09
It’s the Lifespring Family Audio Bible coming to you from Riverside, California. Podcasting since 2004, I’m your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. This is the daily show where we’re reading through the entire Bible in a year. Today’s Prophecy Friday, and we’re going to read the book of Habakkuk. I’ll have some comments for you. We’ll have an On This Date in Church History segment, and we’ll have a time of prayer. The show notes page for today’s episode is at lifespringmedia.com/s12e296. My email address is st***@*************ia.com. Let’s begin.

HABAKKUK 1 (NIRV) – 0:44
Habakkuk, chapter one.

(1) This is a vision the prophet Habakkuk received from
the Lord. Here is what Habakkuk said.

(2) Lord, how long do I have to call out for help?
Why won’t you listen to me?
How long must I keep telling you
that things are terrible?
Why don’t you save us?
(3) Why do you make me watch while
people treat others so unfairly?
Why do you put up with the wrong things
they are doing?
I have to look at death.
People are harming others.
They are arguing and fighting all the time.
(4) The law can’t do what it’s supposed to do.
Fairness never comes out on top.
Sinful people surround those
who do what is right.
So people are never treated fairly.

(5) The Lord replies,
“Look at the nations. Watch them.
Be totally amazed at what you see.
I am going to do something in your days
that you would never believe.
You would not believe it
even if someone told you about it.
(6) I am going to send the armies of Babylonia to attack you.
They are very mean. They move quickly.
They sweep across the whole earth.
They take over places
that do not belong to them.
(7) They terrify others.
They do not recognize any laws but their own.
That is how proud they are.
(8) Their horses are faster than leopards.
They are meaner than wolves in the dark.
Their horsemen charge straight into battle.
They ride in from far away.
They come down like an eagle
diving for its food.
(9) All of them are ready to destroy others.
Their huge armies advance like a wind out of the desert.
They gather prisoners like sand.
(10) They laugh at kings
and make fun of rulers.
They laugh at all of the cities
that have high walls around them.
They build dirt ramps against the walls
and capture the cities.
(11) They sweep past like the wind.
Then they go on their way.
They are guilty.
They worship their own strength.”

(12) Lord, haven’t you existed forever?
You are my holy God.
So we won’t die, will we?
Lord, you have appointed the Babylonians
to punish your people.
My Rock, you have chosen them to judge us.
(13) Your eyes are too pure to look at what is evil.
You can’t put up with the wrong things people do.
So why do you put up
with those who can’t be trusted?
The evil Babylonians swallow up
those who are more godly than themselves.
So why are you silent?
(14) You have made men as if they were the only fish in the sea.
They are like sea creatures that don’t have a ruler.
(15) The evil Babylonians pull all of them up with hooks.
They catch them in their nets.
They gather them up.
So they celebrate.
They are glad.
(16) They offer sacrifices to their nets.
They burn incense to them.
Their nets allow them to live in great comfort.
They enjoy the finest food.
(17) Are you going to let them
keep on emptying their nets?
Will they go on destroying nations
without showing them any mercy?

HABAKKUK 2 (NIRV) – 3:37
Habakkuk, chapter two.

(1) I will go up to the lookout tower.
I’ll station myself on the city wall.
I’ll wait to see how the Lord will reply to me.
Then I’ll try to figure out how to answer him.

(2) The Lord replies,
“Write down the message I’m showing you in a vision.
Write it clearly on the tablets you use.
Then a messenger can read it
and run to announce it.
(3) The message I give you
waits for the time I have appointed.
It speaks about what is going to happen.
And all of it will come true.
It might take a while.
But wait for it.
You can be sure it will come.
It will happen when I want it to.

(4) “The Babylonians are very proud.
What they want is not good.
“But the one who is right with God
will live by faith.

(5) “Wine makes the Babylonians do foolish things.
They are proud. They never rest.
Like the grave, they are always hungry for more.
Like death, they are never satisfied.
They gather all of the nations to themselves.
They take their people away as prisoners.

(6) “Won’t those people laugh at the Babylonians? Won’t they make fun of them? They will say to them,

“‘How terrible it will be for you
who pile up stolen goods!
You get rich by cheating others.
How long will that go on?’
(7) Those you owe money to will suddenly rise up.
You charge them too much interest.
So they will wake up
and make you tremble with fear.
Then they will take away
everything you have.
(8) You have robbed many nations.
So the nations that are left will rob you.
You have spilled man’s blood.
You have destroyed lands and cities
and everyone in them.

(9) “How terrible it will be for the Babylonians!
They build up their kingdom with money
they gained by cheating others.
They have tried to make the kingdom
as secure as possible.
After all, they did not want to be destroyed.
(10) They have planned to wipe out many nations.
But they have brought shame on their own kingdom.
So they must pay with their own lives.
(11) The stones in the walls of their homes will cry out.
And the wooden beams will echo that cry.

(12) “How terrible it will be for the Babylonians!
They build cities by spilling the blood of others.
They establish towns by committing crimes.
(13) I am the Lord who rules over all.
Human effort is no better than wood that feeds a fire.
So the nations wear themselves out for nothing.
(14) The oceans are full of water.
In the same way, the earth will be filled
with the knowledge of my glory.

(15) “How terrible it will be for the Babylonians!
They give drinks to their neighbors.
They pour the drinks from wineskins
until their neighbors are drunk.
They want to look at their naked bodies.
(16) But the Babylonians will be filled
with shame instead of glory.
So now it is their turn to drink
and be stripped of their clothes.
The cup of anger in my powerful right hand
is going to punish them.
They will be covered with shame instead of glory.
(17) The harm they have done to Lebanon
will bring them down.
Because they have killed so many animals,
animals will terrify them.
They have spilled man’s blood.
They have destroyed lands and cities
and everyone in them.

(18) “If someone carves a statue of a god, what is it worth?
What value is there in a god
that teaches lies?
The one who trusts in another god
worships his own creation.
He makes statues of gods that can’t speak.
(19) How terrible it will be for the Babylonians!
They say to a wooden god, ‘Come to life!’
They say to a stone god, ‘Wake up!’
Can those gods give advice?
They are covered with gold and silver.
They can’t even breathe.

(20) But I am in my holy temple.
Let the whole earth be silent in front of me.”

HABAKKUK 3 (NIRV) – 7:11
Habakkuk, chapter three.

(1) This is a prayer of the prophet Habakkuk. It is on shigionoth. Here is what he said.

(2) Lord, I know how famous you are.
I have great respect for you
because of your mighty acts.
Do them again for us.
Make them known in our time.
When you are angry,
please show us your tender love.

(3) God, you came from Teman.
You, the Holy One, came from Mount Paran. Selah.
Your glory covered the heavens.
Your praise filled the earth.
(4) Your glory was like the sunrise.
Rays of light flashed from your mighty hand.
Your power was hidden there.
(5) You sent plagues ahead of you.
Sickness followed behind you.
(6) When you stood up, the earth shook.
When you looked at the nations,
they trembled with fear.
The age-old mountains crumbled.
The ancient hills fell down.
Your mighty acts will last forever.
(7) I saw the tents of Cushan in trouble.
The people of Midian were suffering greatly.

(8) Lord, did your anger burn against the rivers?
Were you angry with the streams?
Were you angry with the Red Sea?
You rode your horses and chariots
to overcome it.
(9) You got your bow ready to use.
You asked for many arrows. Selah.
You broke up the surface
of the earth with rivers.
(10) The mountains saw you and shook.
Floods of water swept by.
The sea roared.
It lifted its waves high.

(11) The sun and moon stood still in the sky.
They stopped because your flying arrows flashed by.
Your gleaming spear shone like lightning.
(12) When you were angry, you marched across the earth.
Because of your anger you destroyed the nations.
(13) You came out to set your people free.
You saved your chosen ones.
You crushed Pharaoh, the leader of that evil land of Egypt.
You stripped him from head to foot. Selah.
(14) His soldiers rushed out to scatter us.
They were laughing at us.
They thought they would easily destroy us.
They saw us as weak people who were trying to hide.
So you wounded Pharaoh’s head with his own spear.
(15) Your horses charged into the Red Sea.
They stirred up the great waters.

(16) I listened and my heart pounded.
My lips trembled at the sound.
My bones seemed to rot.
And my legs shook.
But I will be patient.
I’ll wait for the day of trouble to come on Babylonia.
It’s the nation that is attacking us.
(17) The fig trees might not bud.
The vines might not produce any grapes.
The olive crop might fail.
The fields might not produce any food.
There might not be any sheep in the pens.
There might not be any cattle in the barns.
(18) But I will still be glad
because of what the Lord has done.
God my Savior fills me with joy.

(19) The Lord and King gives me strength.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer.
He helps me walk on the highest places.
This prayer is for the director of music. It should be sung while being accompanied by stringed instruments.

COMMENTS – 10:17
There’s a lot of conjecture on just who this prophet Habakkuk was. The Jewish rabbis have some ideas, and Roman Catholicism has theirs based on one of the books of the Apocrypha, but really about all we do know is that this is a book of Habakkuk’s statements to God in the name of the people and God’s statements to the people through Habakkuk. That’s kind of the textbook definition of what a prophet is, right?

One sentence in the book should have certainly stood out to you if you’ve studied Martin Luther and the Reformation at all. Did you hear it? It was in chapter two, verse four. Here it is again: “But the one who is right with God will live by faith.” Or it might be more familiar to you from the King James Version, “But the just shall live by faith.”

Does it surprise you that that was from the book of Habakkuk? You might have thought that it was from Romans 1:16 and 17. Here it is again from the King James Version, Romans [1:]16 and 17: . “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Verse 17, “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”

So, as you can see, there in Romans Paul was quoting Habakkuk. In the phrase, “The just shall live by faith” is the verse that caused Martin Luther to begin questioning the Roman Catholic Church’s practices. It’s a very important piece of church history that I recommend you study if you’re not familiar with it.

So the first two chapters were sort of a conversation between Habakkuk and God. And then in chapter three was a prayer of the Prophet. In the translation we read today. This is verse two:

“Lord, I know how famous you are. I have great respect for you because of your mighty acts. Do them again for us. Make them known in our time. When you are angry, please have mercy on us.”

But listen to it from the New American Standard: “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.”

So in this verse Habakkuk, is asking God for something that you’ve heard me ask for during our prayer times together. He’s asking God for revival. He’s asking God to do what he’s done in the past, to bring people to Himself. Beloved, most of the problems we see in the world around us are because people have turned their backs to him. They’ve shut him out. Imagine how things would be different if people served him instead of shunning him.

What do you think? Let me know on the show notes page at lifespringmedia.com/s12e296.

Tomorrow is Gospel Saturday, and we’ll read Acts 9 and 10. And I forgot to mention it when we started reading Acts, that this is the last book in the section of the Gospels for this season of the Lifespring Family Audio Bible. And you remember that we started reading Deuteronomy this past Monday, which is the last book in the Law. So that makes two sections from the seven sections of the Bible that we are in the last books of or of which we are in the last books. The bottom line is we truly are in the last weeks of the season.

Boost!

300TH EPISODE MILESTONE PROMOTION – 13:41
And speaking of the last weeks, the end is fast approaching. Next Tuesday, June 28, will mark show number 300, which means there’s only 64 episodes left after Tuesday’s episode. Now here’s an interesting statistic for you. Each episode average is about 23 minutes long, so by episode 300, the total for the season to that point will be in the neighborhood of 6900 minutes or 115 hours. And if you’ve been listening from the beginning, thank you for putting up with me. Well, to mark the 300th episode milestone, let’s do a special promotion again. Normally, a one-time donation of $300 would earn an Executive Producer credit but for this episode, you’ll receive a Distinguished Producer credit with your $300 donation. And during this time, a $130 donation will earn you an Executive Producer credit and just a $30 donation will earn an Associate Producer credit. And as a thank you, I’ll send a softcover copy of my book “Webb’s Easy Bible Names Pronunciation Guide” to every person who donates at the Associate Producer, Executive Producer or Distinguished Producer level.

So what you’re going to need to do when you make your donation, put a note in telling me your mailing address and I’ll send your copy right out to you. Now that cut off time will be Monday, June 27, 2022 at 4pm Pacific Time. As I said, Episode 300 will be on Tuesday the 28th, so I’ve got to start production of the show no later than 4pm on the 27th which is Monday. And of course, as always, the equivalent value in satoshi will apply for these credits. And with the volatility of Bitcoin these days–it’s up and down, mostly down–I’ll use the value as of the cutoff time plus or minus 5%. Of course, you can boost the sats using a Podcasting 2.0 app. Or there’s also a widget on the support page if you don’t have one of those apps. If you’ve been thinking about making a donation now would be a good time to do it. All you have to do is go to lifespringmedia.com/support.

ON THIS DATE IN CHURCH HISTORY – 16:01
On this date in church history, June 24, 1941, the two-day Constitutional Assembly of the Nippon Kirisuto Kyodan opened, during which the United Church of Christ in Japan was formed. Today 1/3 of all Japanese Protestants belong to the United Church.

CLOSING PRAYER – 16:28
Let’s pray. Our Heavenly Father just as Habakkuk prayed, we ask you for a revival today. Everywhere it’s apparent that people have rejected you and the world is in turmoil because of it. Use us Lord to do your work to share the Good News to point people to you. I ask Lord that you bless the Lifespring family today. And I pray this in Jesus name, amen.

If you have a prayer request or a praise, go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com.

OUTRO S12E296 – 17:02
Comment on the show at lifespringmedia.com/s12e296. I’d love to get an email from you. Send it to st***@*************ia.com. Thanks to the team, Kirsty, Sean of San Pedro and Denise. Thank you for sharing your day with me today. Support the show at lifespringmedia.com/support.

Remember the Monday deadline at four o’clock Pacific time and until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb.

Bye.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Corrected by Denise