Habakkuk: The Man Who Questioned God. Get To Know Habakkuk “If you don’t have any doubts, you are either kidding yourself or asleep. Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving.” Habakkuk goes to God with his questions and his doubts. Setting The Stage: Habakkuk Hebrew History 101! Civil war splits the nation not long after Solomon’s death. (1 Kings 12) Israel is a troubled disaster. Judah starts well but falls into chaos. Habakkuk comes in near the end around 600 BC. God’s Story In Habakkuk Habakkuk questions God about the state of his nation. Question #1: Why does evil go unpunished? HAB 1:2-4. “How long, Lord?” God’s Reply #1: HAB 1:5-6. “Say hello to the Babylonians…” Habakkuk does NOT like God’s answer. Question 2: How can a just God use wicked Babylon to do his bidding and punish a people more righteous than they are? (HAB 1:13) God’s Reply #2: HAB 2:2-4. This vision is so absolute and important, that the righteous will live by their faith and hope in this vision. Don’t worry, God’s going to judge Babylon as well. (HAB 2:2-20) Habakkuk Speaks Today. God is not bothered by our problematic questions. When we work through the paradoxes/apparent contradictions of our faith, we can gain a new confidence in God. Jehovah works in spite of the wicked violence of nations. His plan overwhelms them all. His promises will outlive them all. His people will outlast them all. Habakkuk’s Final Response: We Walk by Faith, Not by Sight. HAB 3:16-19 …I will wait… Habakkuk finally understands – he finally gets it. He will trust in, hold on and cling to what God says about their situation. He will live by faith, not by sight. God’s will is, and always has been, for his people to walk by faith and not by sight. God had to remind Habakkuk. Where is God reminding YOU to walk by faith, and not by sight, today? Discussion Questions: Habakkuk Did you ask a lot of questions as a kid? Did people ever get exasperated with you? Israel’s history started well and quickly descended into chaos. What do you think are the reasons? What wisdom is there for our own lives or our church? What “big questions” are you wrestling with right now? Share how the message of Habakkuk was worked for you, or maybe how it didn’t! Share an area where God is reminding you to walk by faith and not by sight. Prophet Prep for Nov 5: Read Zephaniah