It's OK When We Don't Understand
It's OK When We Don't Understand
BY: Dr. Danny Purvis
As I write this, I am in the middle of preaching through the very short book of Habakkuk during Sunday morning worship. I know that this is an Old Testament letter that more than likely the vast majority of Christians have ever read. In fact, they may not have even heard of it. I get it. Christians have a complicated relationship with the Old Testament. The unusual names. The unusual circumstances that are hard for us to identify with. Constant references to the Law. Prophets getting verbal announcements from God Himself. Constant prophecies regarding foreign nations conquering Israel. Kings, Judges, and Prophets. Some folks simply do not really know what to do with the Old Testament.
But remember. As far as word count goes…the OT makes up 75% of the entirety of God’s Word. Jesus told us that the OT pointed directly to Him. The point is that we absolutely need to read the OT in order to understand Who God is and what He does. And despite the fact that many of the people had weird names and lived in weird times, how God interacted with them is how he interacts with us today. The times and the circumstances are, or course, not the same. But the principles and truths relayed to us in these amazing texts are timeless. They directly affect us as much as they did the people who initially experienced them. That is especially the case with Habakkuk. I am betting you haven’t read this book of the Bible. And if that is the case…you are really missing out. Here’s why.
Habakkuk is living in a terrible time. His nation (Israel) has turned their back on God. There is rampant lawlessness, violence, idolatry, and injustice. Sound familiar? That us where we live today. There is no difference. In his frustration, Habakkuk cries out to God and he basically states that it seems God is not listening and He is not doing anything to fix these issues with this nation. Sound familiar? How many times have we felt the same way about the lawlessness, violence, anti-Godness in our nation? So Habakkuk asks God why he is not doing something about it. So, God answers him and tells Habakkuk, in part, what He is going to do. Habakkuk’s response? He then asks God: Why are you doing it this way?
Habakkuk is us, by the way. How many times have we lamented the idea that God is not “doing something” only then to question the way He chooses to do it? But God does something extraordinary for Habakkuk and for us early in this letter. As He tells Habakkuk what He is about to do, God provides to us a measure of faith and peace that is glorious…if we will listen. What does God say to Habakkuk and us when He works in ways we do not understand?
“Look among the nations and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told” (Habakkuk 1:5). This is one of the most astounding statements God ever made throughout His Word. Habakkuk is confused about God’s actions. They do not make sense to him. Sound familiar? So before God tells him in general what His plans are, He makes sure we have to understand something of vital importance. And this is it. He tells us: You will never be able to understand the totality of My plans.
He said we would not believe even if He explained every single aspect of His plans. And we will not believe it, because we cannot believe it. We cannot possibly understand the actions He takes to orchestrate His will in a world of 7 billion people. Our ways are not His ways. Our thoughts are not His thoughts. He tells us this in His Word. He is telling us…don’t worry about trying to understand what you cannot understand. Instead, focus on simply trusting Him. The entire letter of Habakkuk is about God encouraging us to trust Him when He seems not to make sense. When we don’t understand His actions.
Because that is the essence of faith. It is easy to have faith when He is acting in ways we like and ways we want Him to. The hard part is having faith when His actions are the exact opposite of what we want and what we desire. To be able to say: Thy will be done…no matter what. Most times we only mean ‘Thy will be done’ when it also happens to our will as well. But sometimes His will involves pain. Suffering. Disappointment. Loss. Sometimes His will doesn’t make sense to us in our limited, finite minds. But again, that is the essence of faith.
God was about to do the unthinkable (as far as Habakkuk was concerned). And what He was saying to Habakkuk and to us is: Trust Me. He knows these things don’t make sense to us. But He says: Trust Me. He knows we do not understand. But He says: Trust Me. I do not want my circumstances to determine my trust in Him. I want my trust to be in Him simply because of Who he is. And the result? It’s the same result He told Habakkuk: “Wonder and be astounded”.
All because of our trust in the holy God of the universe. See what I mean? Read the Old Testament. There is all kinds of cool stuff in there.
-Dr. Danny Purvis
BY: Dr. Danny Purvis
As I write this, I am in the middle of preaching through the very short book of Habakkuk during Sunday morning worship. I know that this is an Old Testament letter that more than likely the vast majority of Christians have ever read. In fact, they may not have even heard of it. I get it. Christians have a complicated relationship with the Old Testament. The unusual names. The unusual circumstances that are hard for us to identify with. Constant references to the Law. Prophets getting verbal announcements from God Himself. Constant prophecies regarding foreign nations conquering Israel. Kings, Judges, and Prophets. Some folks simply do not really know what to do with the Old Testament.
But remember. As far as word count goes…the OT makes up 75% of the entirety of God’s Word. Jesus told us that the OT pointed directly to Him. The point is that we absolutely need to read the OT in order to understand Who God is and what He does. And despite the fact that many of the people had weird names and lived in weird times, how God interacted with them is how he interacts with us today. The times and the circumstances are, or course, not the same. But the principles and truths relayed to us in these amazing texts are timeless. They directly affect us as much as they did the people who initially experienced them. That is especially the case with Habakkuk. I am betting you haven’t read this book of the Bible. And if that is the case…you are really missing out. Here’s why.
Habakkuk is living in a terrible time. His nation (Israel) has turned their back on God. There is rampant lawlessness, violence, idolatry, and injustice. Sound familiar? That us where we live today. There is no difference. In his frustration, Habakkuk cries out to God and he basically states that it seems God is not listening and He is not doing anything to fix these issues with this nation. Sound familiar? How many times have we felt the same way about the lawlessness, violence, anti-Godness in our nation? So Habakkuk asks God why he is not doing something about it. So, God answers him and tells Habakkuk, in part, what He is going to do. Habakkuk’s response? He then asks God: Why are you doing it this way?
Habakkuk is us, by the way. How many times have we lamented the idea that God is not “doing something” only then to question the way He chooses to do it? But God does something extraordinary for Habakkuk and for us early in this letter. As He tells Habakkuk what He is about to do, God provides to us a measure of faith and peace that is glorious…if we will listen. What does God say to Habakkuk and us when He works in ways we do not understand?
“Look among the nations and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told” (Habakkuk 1:5). This is one of the most astounding statements God ever made throughout His Word. Habakkuk is confused about God’s actions. They do not make sense to him. Sound familiar? So before God tells him in general what His plans are, He makes sure we have to understand something of vital importance. And this is it. He tells us: You will never be able to understand the totality of My plans.
He said we would not believe even if He explained every single aspect of His plans. And we will not believe it, because we cannot believe it. We cannot possibly understand the actions He takes to orchestrate His will in a world of 7 billion people. Our ways are not His ways. Our thoughts are not His thoughts. He tells us this in His Word. He is telling us…don’t worry about trying to understand what you cannot understand. Instead, focus on simply trusting Him. The entire letter of Habakkuk is about God encouraging us to trust Him when He seems not to make sense. When we don’t understand His actions.
Because that is the essence of faith. It is easy to have faith when He is acting in ways we like and ways we want Him to. The hard part is having faith when His actions are the exact opposite of what we want and what we desire. To be able to say: Thy will be done…no matter what. Most times we only mean ‘Thy will be done’ when it also happens to our will as well. But sometimes His will involves pain. Suffering. Disappointment. Loss. Sometimes His will doesn’t make sense to us in our limited, finite minds. But again, that is the essence of faith.
God was about to do the unthinkable (as far as Habakkuk was concerned). And what He was saying to Habakkuk and to us is: Trust Me. He knows these things don’t make sense to us. But He says: Trust Me. He knows we do not understand. But He says: Trust Me. I do not want my circumstances to determine my trust in Him. I want my trust to be in Him simply because of Who he is. And the result? It’s the same result He told Habakkuk: “Wonder and be astounded”.
All because of our trust in the holy God of the universe. See what I mean? Read the Old Testament. There is all kinds of cool stuff in there.
-Dr. Danny Purvis
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1 Comment
Bravo. Hubakkuk is us, just 2000 years earlier.