Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-6

C.I.: Habakkuk: “When Faith and Reason Collide”

While most prophets speak for God to His people – Habakkuk talks to God on behalf of God’s people.
Habakkuk is trapped between the conviction that things should be better & despair that he can’t change them!
Today God will allow us to catch a glimpse – of how He works things out – when faith & reason collide.

I. The Only “Reasonable” Thing to Do is to Live by “Faith” (Habakkuk)

A. A Reasonable Person Would Ask, “Where is God in a World Gone Mad?!” (1:2-4)

1. “How long, O Lord, will I call for help, and You will not hear? – I cry out to You, ‘Violence!’ Yet You do not save. – Why do You make me see iniquity, and cause me to look on wickedness? – Yes, destruction & violence are before me; strife exists and contention arises. – Thus, the law is ignored & justice is never upheld. – The wicked surround the righteous; so justice comes out perverted.”
a. ILLUST.: Sunday’s front page of the paper . . . has anything changed?!!
b. Faith & Reason collide at the point of suffering & evil?
1) Problem of EVIL – has always troubled people. - Atheists have asked, “If God is all-loving & all powerful, why does evil exist?” They reason, “If God can do something but won’t – He isn’t all loving. If He wants to do something and can’t – then He isn’t all powerful!”
2) Reason says, – “IF I WAS GOD I WOULDN’T ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN!”
3) Our problem, however, - is that we are we are making decisions – using limited information.

B. The Lord’s First Response to Those Who “LIVE BY REASON” (vs. 5-11)

1. (v. 5), “Look among the nations! Observe! – Be astonished! Wonder! - Because I am doing something in your days – you would not believer if you were told.”
a. Habakkuk believes God isn’t doing anything (v. 2) – so God lets him know He is busy …
1) (Jn. 5:17-18), “Jesus said, ‘My Father is working until now & I am working.
2) Faith = Reasoning from God’s perspective! We’d “get it” if we saw things from His vantage!
b. (vs. 6-7), “For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that fierce and impetuous people – who march throughout the earth – to seize dwelling places that are not theirs. – They are dreaded and feared. – Their justice & authority originate with themselves.”
1) God works thru good/bad people – to accomplish His goals (Acts 2:22-23; Phil. 2:12-13).
2) For God’s way always works out – for those who put their faith in Him – (Rom. 8:28)!

C. A Reasonable Person Would Ask, “How Can a Holy God Use Unholy Means?!” (1:12-2:1)

1. (vs. 13), “…Your eyes are too pure to approve evil – and You cannot look upon wickedness with favor. … Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they?”
a. God’s plan doesn’t seem reasonable to Habakkuk – so he asks God to rethink it!
b. All of a sudden – the wicked people in Judea - are not as bad as Habakkuk originally thought.

2. Many are those who shake their fist in the face of God – “How could You…” – “Why did You…”
a. Yet Habakkuk is willing - to allow God the opportunity to respond to his complaint.
b. (2:1), “I will stand on my guard post – and station myself on the rampart; - I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, - and how I may reply when I am reproved.”
D. The Lord’s Second Response to Those Who “LIVE BY REASON” (2:2-4)

1. (vs. 2-3), “Then the Lord answered and said to me, ‘Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, - that the one who reads it may run. – For the vision is yet for the appointed time; - it hastens towards the goal, - and it will not fail. – Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay.”
a. The time is coming soon (H. is the last prophet to prophesy before Jerusalem’s destruction).
b. For God is going to deal - with both – Jerusalem’s sin & the Chaldean’s wickedness

2. (v. 4a), “As for the proud one, his soul is not right within him…”
a. “Proud one” = In context it refers to the Chaldeans – but applies to all who trust in SELF!
1) (2:7), “Their justice and authority originate with themselves.”
2) (2:11), “They whose strength is their God.”.
b. The Chaldeans are useful for Him to discipline His people – but their evil will not go unpunished!

3. (v. 4b), “…but the R. will live by faith.” – this point is so important it is repeated 3x in the N.T.
a. In what do we PLACE our faith? - (Rom. 1:16-17) – In the Righteousness of God!
b. In what do we NOT place our faith? - (Gal. 3:11) – In our own righteousness!
c. In what do we KEEP our faith? - (Heb. 10:38) – “My righteous one will live by faith; and if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”

E. The Lord’s Judgment upon Those who “LIVE BY REASON” (2:5-20)

1. God pronounces 5 “woes” – upon those who live by “reason” – but not by faith
a. (v. 6), “Woe to him who increases what is not his….” – Reason tells us that it’s the ambitious people who “get ahead” – but God says their selfish ambition has a price.
b. (v. 9), “Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house” – Reason tells us that “looking out for #1” is what’s best – but God says this is spiritual suicide!
c. (v. 12), “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed” – Reason tells us to love things and use people to get them! – God tells us to love people and use things to help them!
d. (v. 15), “Woe to you who make your neighbors drink” – Reason tells us that gaining an advantage over others - however you can - is really smart! – God says that it’s actually pretty dumb!
e. (v. 19), “Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, ‘Awake!’” – Reason tells us that we create with our own power our blessings. – God says that our power isn’t nearly great enough!

F. The Response to Life’s Situations by a Person Who “LIVES BY FAITH” (Chapter 3)

1. Habakkuk has learned - the only reasonable thing a person can do – is to live by faith!!!
a. Faith in God is not the absence of reason – it is trusting in God even if we don’t know His reason.

2. The person who “lives by faith” – will trust in God – even when it doesn’t seem “reasonable”!
a. (vs. 17-19), “Though the fig tree should not blossom, - and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail, - and the fields produce no food, - though the flock should be cut off from the fold, - and there be no cattle in the stalls, - Yet I will exult in the Lord, - I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. – The Lord God is my strength, - and He has made my feet like hind’s feet, - and makes me walk on my high places.”
b. Today – where do you place your trust? Self or Jesus?! – Rom. 1:16-17; Mk. 16:15-16.