The
Book of Habakkuk
The
Conversation of Prayer
Conversing
with God
It
is easy to make prayer a duty and lose the wonder of being able to
converse with God. Prayer is more than sharing a Christmas list with
God for prayer is not a time of talking at God but a chance to share
our hearts with God as God shares His heart!
CAN
YOU IMAGINE THAT! The creating, patient, redeeming and loving God
wants to talk with you! The God who spoke creation into existence
wants to speak with you! The God who spoke you into existence wants
to talk with you!
Real
person, real God
The
book of Habakkuk is a conversation prayer that can guide us. As you
read this conversational prayer what stands out to you? Does this
compare with how you pray with God? What can you learn from
Habakkuk?
This
book will not be a guide to you if you do not accept Habakkuk as a
real person conversing with a real God. Indeed the only true God!
Before reading the book of Habakkuk pray and ask God to help you
discover Him. As you read ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to what
God has for you. After you read see how you can apply this.
Preparing
for the study
Notice
Habakkuk begins by sharing his “burden” with God. Though it is
best to start talking with God offering our thanks and praise there
are times when the burden is so great we must cry our burden out
first!
Before
looking at the different parts of this conversation take time to read
the whole book looking for the parts of the conversation. This is
especially important if you have never read the book of Habakkuk
before.
How
would you converse with God about your burden? What would you say if
God answered you like Habakkuk?
Habakkuk’s
prayer
1
¶ The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw.
2
O LORD, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to
You, "Violence!" And You will not save.
3
Why do You show me iniquity, And cause me to see trouble? For
plundering and violence are before me; There is strife, and
contention arises.
4
Therefore the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth. For
the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore perverse judgment
proceeds. (Habakkuk
1:1-4 NKJV)
Habakkuk
sees the brokenness of his nation and cries out to God. Habakkuk
lifts his “burden” to God and then cries out his frustration at
God’s inactivity!
Does
Habakkuk’s situation seem familiar to you?
Do
you ever feel a “burden” for the community, nation or world in
which you live?
Do
you feel a “burden” for yourself?
Have
you ever asked God to fix or “heal” the problems around and in
you?
Have
you been angry at God because of God’s seeming inactivity?
Habakkuk
does not just see the evil surrounding him but is burdened by it!
“Why
do You show me iniquity, And cause me to see trouble?”
Habakkuk
even blames God because he has to see all this sin and trouble!
Do
you think Habakkuk is more worried about the troubles or about having
to see them?
Is
Habakkuk blaming God for sin? Do you?
List
the ways Habakkuk describes the troubles like iniquity.
God’s
answer
5
¶ "Look among the nations and watch—Be utterly astounded!
For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe,
though it were told you.
6
For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, A bitter and hasty nation
Which marches through the breadth of the earth, To possess dwelling
places that are not theirs.
7
They are terrible and dreadful; Their judgment and their dignity
proceed from themselves.
8
Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And more fierce than
evening wolves. Their chargers charge ahead; Their cavalry comes from
afar; They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat.
9
"They all come for violence; Their faces are set like the east
wind. They gather captives like sand.
10
They scoff at kings, And princes are scorned by them. They deride
every stronghold, For they heap up earthen mounds and seize it.
11
Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense,
Ascribing this power to his god." (Habakkuk
1:5-11 NKJV)
God’s
response to Habakkuk’s burden is a call for Habakkuk to “look”
and to “watch”. God is very aware of what is going on and of
those who are being abused and are victims of those who violate
others and God’s law.
Do
you believe God sees the sin and pain in the world?
Why
did God respond to Habakkuk in this way?
Does
this answer from God fit into your understanding of God?
The
Chaldeans were a vicious people who used ethnic cleansing on anyone
who stood up to them. They were horrific in conquest and celebrated
this in their history and art.
Make
a list of God’s description of the Chaldeans?
Can
God use judgment here on earth so we do not face the eternal judgment
to come?
How?
