November 14, 2011

THE WHIPPING BOY

Habakkuk 2

Brad Gaultney
Monday's Devo

November 14, 2011

Monday's Devo

November 14, 2011

Central Truth

We who are in Christ do not have to worry! The Lord is sovereign and just. God not only lovingly disciplines His sons, but punishes those who persecute the poor and weak. Those who wait on the Lord will see justice perfectly executed.

Key Verse | Habakkuk 2:14

"For the earth will be filled
With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD,
As the waters cover the sea."
(Habakkuk 2:14)

Habakkuk 2

I will take my stand at my watchpost
    and station myself on the tower,
and look out to see what he will say to me,
    and what I will answer concerning my complaint.

The Righteous Shall Live by His Faith

And the LORD answered me:

“Write the vision;
    make it plain on tablets,
    so he may run who reads it.
For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
    it hastens to the end—it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it;
    it will surely come; it will not delay.

Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
    but the righteous shall live by his faith. 1 2:4 Or faithfulness

Moreover, wine 2 2:5 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scroll wealth is a traitor,
    an arrogant man who is never at rest. 3 2:5 The meaning of the Hebrew of these two lines is uncertain
His greed is as wide as Sheol;
    like death he has never enough.
He gathers for himself all nations
    and collects as his own all peoples.”

Woe to the Chaldeans

Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say,

“Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own—
    for how long?—
    and loads himself with pledges!”
Will not your debtors suddenly arise,
    and those awake who will make you tremble?
    Then you will be spoil for them.
Because you have plundered many nations,
    all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you,
for the blood of man and violence to the earth,
    to cities and all who dwell in them.

“Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house,
    to set his nest on high,
    to be safe from the reach of harm!
10  You have devised shame for your house
    by cutting off many peoples;
    you have forfeited your life.
11  For the stone will cry out from the wall,
    and the beam from the woodwork respond.

12  Woe to him who builds a town with blood
    and founds a city on iniquity!
13  Behold, is it not from the LORD of hosts
    that peoples labor merely for fire,
    and nations weary themselves for nothing?
14  For the earth will be filled
    with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD
    as the waters cover the sea.

15  Woe to him who makes his neighbors drink—
    you pour out your wrath and make them drunk,
    in order to gaze at their nakedness!
16  You will have your fill of shame instead of glory.
    Drink, yourself, and show your uncircumcision!
The cup in the LORD's right hand
    will come around to you,
    and utter shame will come upon your glory!
17  The violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you,
    as will the destruction of the beasts that terrified them,
for the blood of man and violence to the earth,
    to cities and all who dwell in them.

18  What profit is an idol
    when its maker has shaped it,
    a metal image, a teacher of lies?
For its maker trusts in his own creation
    when he makes speechless idols!
19  Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake;
    to a silent stone, Arise!
Can this teach?
Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver,
    and there is no breath at all in it.
20  But the LORD is in his holy temple;
    let all the earth keep silence before him.”

Footnotes

[1] 2:4 Or faithfulness
[2] 2:5 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scroll wealth
[3] 2:5 The meaning of the Hebrew of these two lines is uncertain

Dive Deeper | Habakkuk 2

I remember the day my granddad bought my younger brother a real, leather bull whip. What possessed him to do so, I'll never understand. What I do know is that I wanted that whip! Naturally, taunting my brother seemed like the logical way to vent my covetous heart, and my brother decided he would respond with a quick dose of his newfound power -- right across the chest. Sure, it stung a little -- but my screams demanded cold, swift justice. Okay, I may have "embellished" some, but I was the victim here! In the end, I was punished for my whining and taunting, but it was well worth it to see that whip forever go in the attic.

Habakkuk 2 reminded me of that classic Gaultney family story. God had just finished proclaiming merciful discipline on His rebellious, chosen people, and His prophet has the chutzpah to ask (paraphrased), "But what about the wicked Chaldeans!?!?" In chapter 2, God essentially says (again, paraphrased), "Rest assured, Habakkuk, I am sovereign and will dispense justice fairly among all people, as the waters cover the sea." I'm reminded that there are consequences for my taunting of God. I am not a blameless whipping boy. In fact, all of us are the taunters and the whippers.

Above all, this chapter reminds me that justice is highly valued in God's Kingdom (see Deuteronomy 16:20, Isaiah 1:17, and Matthew 23:23). The Perfect Judge ensures that justice will be perfectly satisfied. But how can a mere human fully satisfy God's justice? What does a God who loves mercy AND justice do?

He sends His very Son to be our Shepherd, teaching us to "[d]o justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly" with God (Micah 6:8b). Jesus fulfills Scripture from Genesis to Malachi, memorizing, praying, and teaching from the Text. Christ becomes the whipping boy, so that Jew and Gentile may be healed. He is hung on a tree to take the curse on Himself. The Blood of the Passover Lamb saves us from the judgment we deserve. In Christ, "it is finished." (John 19:30)

Discussion Questions

1. Why does God discipline His followers like sons? (Hebrews 12:7-8)

2. When we feel like we've been wronged, why is it better to bless our enemies than to take revenge? (Luke 6:28)

3. How can we be instruments (rather than perverters) of God's justice in this world (Isaiah 1:17)?

4. Is there an area of your life that God is calling you to trust Him for justice and/or bless those who have wronged you?

WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY

HABAKKUK 2-ZEPHANIAH 3 (NOVEMBER 14-18)

Read Habakkuk 3:17-19.

What hard circumstances is Habakkuk describing in verse 17? Raising crops and livestock was how the people worked and made their living. Why would not having all of those things be so hard? What did Habakkuk say he would do in verse 18 even though things were hard? Is it hard to trust the Lord when things are not going well?

Read Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalm 46:1-3, Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 145:13, & Hebrews 10:23.

Why can we trust God? What are hard things that could happen in your life that would be like having empty fields and no cattle? How can you remember to trust God even in those circumstances?

ACTIVITY: In verse 19, Habakkuk refers to having feet like a deer, what did they help him do? Who gave him the ability to navigate the hard circumstances? Now think about other animals and what they have that helps them in hard situations -- i.e., the bird's wings to escape danger, or the cheetah's quickness to catch what it needs for food. What would you like to have to help you in a hard circumstance you are facing? (Example: When friends say hurtful things about you, having feet to walk away from the circumstance or the right words to be bold to stand up.) Remember that every good and perfect gift comes from the Lord (James 1:17), so pray He will give you what you need to withstand hard things.