Trinity Evangel Church

This final paragraph is what living by faith looks like. This is what living by faith sings like. This is how trust in tension responds when it's about to get worse before the glory of the Lord covers the earth. This is living with dissident joy (dissident comes from dis=apart and sedere=to sit, so to sit apart), when we oppose the world’s official narrative in the peace of God which surprises their understanding.

These final verses of Habakkuk are often referenced at weddings; they have a "in sickness…in want…in sorrow” vibe. That said, the original context belongs to the economic devastation due to war. Some marriages are a battleground, but this has a bigger application.

The covenant people of Judah were corrupt, Habakkuk asked why the LORD seemed to be allowing it. The LORD said He was raising up a foreign nation to judge Judah, Habakkuk asked how it was right for the LORD to use such a wicked people. The LORD said He would judge them too, He purposed judgment for everyone who was puffed up. Habakkuk wrote a psalm as his reply.

The song started with Prophetic Requests in verse 2; Lord, work! Remember mercy! Verses 3-15 were Prophetic Remembrances, celebrating times when God showed up, through natural means and among the nations to do His work. Now the Prophetic Resolution comes in verses 16-19. It is the end of the song, and a fitting final paragraph to the book.

Habakkuk's resolution is a declaration of faith to rejoice amidst ruin.

The revelation of ruin on Babylon caused visceral reaction.

I hear, and my body trembles;

This is full-body feedback, from head to feet, into the guts and skeleton. The body is more like the “belly” (KJV) or one’s insides; his “stomach churned” (NET), and trembles could be like "pounded." The lips quiver like a mouth-seizure making it hard to speak intelligibly. The bones are supposed to be the structure and support system, but they are being eaten away. Legs could be translated "feet" and they are wobbly, unsteady; he’s gone limp.

I hear follows up with “I have heard” in verse 2; Habakkuk got the message. And so he will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon the people who invade us. This isn't the catastrophe and captivity of Judah, this is the calamity on the Chaldeans. That trouble won't be the end of Judah's troubles, at least not immediately, it will be worse for everyone.

The body keeps the prophecy, so to speak, and who knows how long it will be while God’s judgment runs the course. When we see and fear and laugh (as in Psalm 52:8)—taunts included, we can’t skip the fear (where Habakkuk’s song started too in verse 2).

It's a resolution with concession: “Even though, still.” It’s all a piece, one sentence.

Though the fig tree should not blossom,

Six lines of progressive collapse, disruption, and scarcity provide the context. There’s loss of options, luxuries, and essentials. Figs/dates were more sweet and like treats, fruit on the vine was grapes for wine. No olive oil and no wheat, then no baking and no bread. Now we're talking food basics not on the table. Without a flock there'd be no milk and little for sake of clothes, and no herd in the stalls meant no help for the work, and together no meat.

The land has been gutted, the supply chain broken. They didn't even have the Fed print worthless money to get these levels of inflation. The Chaldeans consumed the land and their own loans defaulted, now no one had the goods. This isn’t just a downturn or decline, it’s distress and devastation.

Verse 18 is the single resolution of the whole psalm (verses 1-19), said in two parallel ways to emphasize Habakkuk's faith. It’s a contrast, a “counterexpectation” (Kenneth Barker). When society crashes is when faith won’t crash.

He will rejoice. The reason will not be sight, it will be salvation. His hope is not in earthly goods but in God. I will take joy, “I will joy in” (KJV). “I will exult/triumph and I will shout in exultation.”

The integrated and comparative categories do work here. When we live by faith we do not ignore bread and wine, clothes and work. When we live by faith and God blesses us, our faith is integrated. We trust God for, and with, the stuff. If the stuff was bad, then Habakkuk’s rejoicing would be because of the losses not in spit of them. And yet comparatively, if we do not get the stuff, we are no less glad with God. Both hunger and plenty, abundance and need are tests, but rejoicing in God belongs with both.

The song helps the rejoicing, the corporate nature of the singing helps the rejoicing. Also, declaring the resolution to rejoice helps the resolve and the rejoicing. When the trouble burdens us, so much so that the body is wasting away, the inward man is renewed in his resolve to rejoice day by day.

Here is strength not just in potential but in practice.

GOD, the Lord, is my strength;

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.

Note that GOD is all caps in the ESV, and the Lord is lowercase "ord" unlike verse 18. It's Yahweh Adonai in Hebrew, which the NASB turns into "Lord GOD" and the NIV makes "The Sovereign LORD." Names for God are many, and all of them good for us to know. This pulls us into remembrance of His covenant/promise=Yahweh, His office/position=Lord, and His work/power=strength. He is “my salvation” (verse 18) and my strength.

The final two lines of the song make the same point and show one way the strength works (an analogy found also in Psalm 18:32). Feet of a deer is the last image, why? Deer bound around, but with agility and stability. They are known for their ability to navigate difficult terrain without fear or failure and falling. They are sure-footed in places where it's hard to hold on. Being made to tread on high places means we can navigate uncertain and even dangerous ground.

A few final things as we finish Habakkuk's burden.

The whole book is a framework of faith: See. Complain. Hear. Submit. Sing. Or the fuller version:

This is living.

By way of application, it doesn't hurt to see the LORD's instructions for the captives in Babylon.

But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. (Jeremiah 29:7)

We’re not burying our heads in the sand, the Ostrich Option. We’re not digging deeper bunkers to hide. When it’s bad, we do what we can, knowing that it could be better, and one day will be better when God’s glory is known on earth, and in that tension we trust Him to work.

In a world that is negative toward Christianity, we are guerrilla rejoicers, those who rejoice in our salvation as part of our resistance. "Take my stuff? Okay, you can't take my joy” (see Hebrews 10:34). A dissident opposes the official policy of anger and anxiety. In order to take joy in God we've got to have faith to "see" better from up where the deer run.

Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, rejoice. To exhort you to this again is no trouble to me and is safe to you. The LORD is your strength and your song. May the Lord renew your strength, and may He bless you with deer’s feet, ready to run and rejoice and not hold back.

[May you be] strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. (Colossians 1:11–12 ESV)

This final paragraph is what living by faith looks like. This is what living by faith *sings* like. This is how trust in tension responds when it's about to get worse before the glory of the Lord covers the earth. This is living with *dissident joy* (dissident comes from *dis*=apart and *sedere*=to sit, so to sit apart), when we oppose the world’s official narrative in the peace of God which surprises their understanding.

These final verses of Habakkuk are often referenced at weddings; they have a "in sickness…in want…in sorrow” vibe. That said, the original context belongs to the economic devastation due to war. Some marriages are a battleground, but this has a bigger application.

The covenant people of Judah were corrupt, Habakkuk asked why the LORD seemed to be allowing it. The LORD said He was raising up a foreign nation to judge Judah, Habakkuk asked how it was right for the LORD to use such a wicked people. The LORD said He would judge them too, He purposed judgment for everyone who was puffed up. Habakkuk wrote a psalm as his reply.

The song started with Prophetic Requests in verse 2; Lord, *work*! Remember mercy! Verses 3-15 were Prophetic Remembrances, celebrating times when God showed up, through natural means and among the nations to do His work. Now the Prophetic Resolution comes in verses 16-19. It is the end of the song, and a fitting final paragraph to the book.

Habakkuk's resolution is a declaration of faith to rejoice amidst ruin.

# Reaction (verse 16)

The revelation of ruin *on Babylon* caused visceral reaction.

> I hear, and my body trembles;

> my lips quiver at the sound;

> rottenness enters into my bones;

> my legs tremble beneath me.

> Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble

> to come upon people who invade us.

> (Habakkuk 3:16 ESV)

This is full-body feedback, from head to feet, into the guts and skeleton. The **body** is more like the “belly” (KJV) or one’s insides; his “stomach churned” (NET), and **trembles** could be like "pounded." The **lips quiver** like a mouth-seizure making it hard to speak intelligibly. The **bones** are supposed to be the structure and support system, but they are being eaten away. **Legs** could be translated "feet" and they are wobbly, unsteady; he’s gone limp.

**I hear** follows up with “I have heard” in verse 2; Habakkuk got the message. And so he will **quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon the people who invade us**. This isn't the catastrophe and captivity of Judah, this is the calamity on the Chaldeans. *That* trouble won't be the end of Judah's troubles, at least not immediately, it will be worse for everyone.

The body keeps the prophecy, so to speak, and who knows how long it will be while God’s judgment runs the course. When we see and fear and laugh (as in Psalm 52:8)—taunts included, we can’t skip the fear (where Habakkuk’s song started too in verse 2).

# Resolution (verses 17-18)

It's a resolution with concession: “Even though, still.” It’s all a piece, one sentence.

> Though the fig tree should not blossom,

> nor fruit be on the vines,

> the produce of the olive fail

> and the fields yield no food,

> the flock be cut off from the fold

> and there be no herd in the stalls,

> yet I will rejoice in the LORD;

> I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

> (Habakkuk 3:17–18 ESV)

Six lines of progressive collapse, disruption, and scarcity provide the context. There’s loss of options, luxuries, and essentials. Figs/dates were more sweet and like treats, fruit on the vine was grapes for wine. No olive oil and no wheat, then no baking and no bread. Now we're talking food basics not on the table. Without a flock there'd be no milk and little for sake of clothes, and no herd in the stalls meant no help for the work, and together no meat.

The land has been gutted, the supply chain broken. They didn't even have the Fed print worthless money to get these levels of inflation. The Chaldeans consumed the land and their own loans defaulted, now no one had the goods. This isn’t just a downturn or decline, it’s distress and devastation.

Verse 18 is the *single* resolution of the whole psalm (verses 1-19), said in two parallel ways to emphasize Habakkuk's faith. It’s a contrast, a “counterexpectation” (Kenneth Barker). When society crashes is when faith won’t crash.

He will **rejoice**. The reason will not be sight, it will be salvation. His hope is not in earthly goods but in God. **I will take joy**, “I will joy in” (KJV). “I will exult/triumph and I will shout in exultation.”

The integrated and comparative categories do work here. When we live by faith we do *not* ignore bread and wine, clothes and work. When we live by faith and God blesses us, our faith is integrated. We trust God for, and with, the stuff. If the stuff was bad, then Habakkuk’s rejoicing would be *because* of the losses not in spit of them. And yet comparatively, if we do not get the stuff, we are no less glad with God. Both hunger and plenty, abundance and need are tests, but rejoicing in God belongs with both.

The song helps the rejoicing, the corporate nature of the singing helps the rejoicing. Also, declaring the resolution to rejoice helps the resolve and the rejoicing. When the trouble burdens us, so much so that the body is wasting away, the inward man is renewed in his resolve to rejoice day by day.

# Recognition (verse 19)

Here is strength not just in potential but in practice.

> GOD, the Lord, is my strength;

> he makes my feet like the deer’s;

> he makes me tread on my high places.

>

> To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.

> (Habakkuk 3:19 ESV)

Note that **GOD** is all caps in the ESV, and **the Lord** is lowercase "ord" unlike verse 18. It's *Yahweh Adonai* in Hebrew, which the NASB turns into "Lord GOD" and the NIV makes "The Sovereign LORD." Names for God are many, and all of them good for us to know. This pulls us into remembrance of His covenant/promise=Yahweh, His office/position=Lord, and His work/power=strength. He is “my salvation” (verse 18) and **my strength**.

The final two lines of the song make the same point and show one way the strength works (an analogy found also in Psalm 18:32). **Feet of a deer** is the last image, why? Deer bound around, but with agility and stability. They are known for their ability to navigate difficult terrain without fear or failure and falling. They are sure-footed in places where it's hard to hold on. Being made to **tread on high places** means we can navigate uncertain and even dangerous ground.

# Conclusion

A few final things as we finish Habakkuk's burden.

The whole book is a framework of faith: See. Complain. Hear. Submit. Sing. Or the fuller version:

- see (the corruption and sin)

- complain (in prayer to the Lord)

- hear (His Word)

- submit (to His purposes for judgment and glory)

- sing (Psalms)

- together (under the direction of the choir director)

- all by faith

*This is living.*

By way of application, it doesn't hurt to see the LORD's instructions for the captives in Babylon.

> But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. (Jeremiah 29:7)

We’re not burying our heads in the sand, the Ostrich Option. We’re not digging deeper bunkers to hide. When it’s bad, we do what we can, knowing that it could be better, and one day *will* be better when God’s glory is known on earth, and in that tension we trust Him to work.

In a world that is negative toward Christianity, we are guerrilla rejoicers, those who rejoice in our salvation as part of our resistance. "Take my stuff? Okay, you can't take my *joy*” (see Hebrews 10:34). A dissident opposes the official policy of anger and anxiety. In order to take joy in God we've got to have faith to "see" better from up where the deer run.

----------

## Charge

Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, rejoice. To exhort you to this again is no trouble to me and is safe to you. The LORD is your strength and your song. May the Lord renew your strength, and may He bless you with deer’s feet, ready to run and rejoice and not hold back.

## Benediction:

> [May you be] strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. (Colossians 1:11–12 ESV)

Habakkuk himself didn’t know it, but we're told that those who are filled with the Spirit and richly indwelt by God's Word speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:18-19; Colossians 3:16). We're told that anyone who is cheerful should sing psalms (James 5:13, the command is psalleto). And we're also given a prophetic example that when there is corruption in the land, and when God sends ruin not revival, the right response is to (write and) sing a psalm.

Habakkuk 3 is described as a prophet’s “prayer" (3:1), just as chapters 1-2 were introduced as a prophet’s “oracle” or burden. But the final note in chapter 3 is that it was for the "choirmaster," so a corporate not just personal prayer-song (which follows the taunt-song in 2:6-20). We also see three uses of the word "Selah," which is some sort of musical notation, and the only books of the Bible that have "Selah" are Psalms and this chapter in Habakkuk. So Habakkuk 3 is a prophet’s prayer-psalm.

Of the commentators I read, only one argued that verse 2 is a refrain/chorus which he thought would be sung between three sections as titled before each Selah. Others weren't as certain of that breakdown. But you can see the changes of person. Verse 2, and again in verses 7 and 16-19, have the first person "I." Verses 3-6 talk about God's works in the third person, and verses 8-15 address God directly in the second person, "You." The ESV adds a break with a heading between verses 16-17, and that's...odd.

I think we can see the Prophetic Request (verse 2), Prophetic Remembrance in two parts (verses 3-15), and Prophetic Resolution (next time, in verses 16-19).

That’s the framework of the song, but the song itself belongs with the framework of faith (a phrase used by O. Palmer Robertson in his commentary). The just shall live by faith, requesting help and remembering God’s previous help in history. Go to God with questions and complaints, get perspective from God on what He’s doing, and then worship God with the saints.

The only Asks in the entire prayer come in verse 2.

O LORD, I have heard the report of You,

The initial framework of faith: hear and fear. This pairing is found four times in Deuteronomy (13:11, 17:13, 19:20, 21:21). The prophet heard when the LORD said, “I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told” (Habakkuk 1:5), and he was awed by it. “I hear You!”

The repeated phrase in the midst of the years seems to refer to the time between Habakkuk's questions and the fulfillment of the LORD's answers. This would at least be after Josiah’s death in 609 BC, then during Judah’s anticipation of then captivity to the Chaldeans, up until the Chaldeans got what they deserved. Since Cyrus took control of Babylon in 539 BC, the "midst" could have been the 70 or so years. That said, we are still waiting for all Babylon's daughters to shut their mouths in silence, as well as for the knowledge of the glory of the Lord to cover the earth. We are at least in a related "midst" of waiting.

The three requests are: 1) revive it, meaning revive the work of the LORD. “Bring it!” 2) make it known, again the work of the LORD. And 3) remember mercy in the midst of the wrath, which is a word for wrath that relates to angered agitation. Knowing that the judgment is deserved, and knowing that the judgment will be brutal, does not mean we cannot pray that there would be mercy.

The just shall live by faith—with trust in tension, and here is faith longing for the Lord to work and depending on the Lord for His mercy.

There are two approaches to the prophet’s remembrances, descriptive (third person) and then direct address (second person). But all of this reminds us about the value of knowing our history, especially the history of the works of the Lord.

The just live by faith, not by waiting to gather all possible data. We often don't feel comfortable because we think we don't have enough information. For some decisions that makes sense. But for sake of our peace, even when the foundations are crumbling, the inspired psalms demonstrate that we should not lean on our own understanding but trust in the God of deliverance.

Habakkuk rehearses the work of the Lord in a way that expects the Lord to show up again and work.

He starts: God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran, which are places near the southern border of Judah, places that recall when God delivered Israel out of Egypt and then near Sinai where He revealed Himself and gave them His law. That was where His splendor covered the heavens and the earth was full of His praise. Selah.

Verses 4-5 recall God's works in and through nature. He can raise up nations, like the Chaldeans, but He also uses lightening and what men call "natural" disasters to accomplish His supernatural purposes.

That God measured the earth shows the scope of His dominion. Even the parts of creation that seem the most dependable, such as the mountains, tremble compared to Him. The eternal mountains and everlasting hills can't stand or last, though His were the everlasting ways.

In verse 7 Habakkuk slips back into first person, and though Cushan is only mentioned here in Scripture, Midian is a place that recalls Gideon’s conflict with the Midianites in Judges 7. His men blew 300 trumpets and the Midianite soldiers killed one another in the confusion. This is what happens when the LORD goes to work.

Verses 8 to 15 speak directly to the LORD.

The questions about the wrath against the rivers and indignation against the sea seem to be obviously no; God was not mad at them. But during the flood and at the Red Sea the waters God shook them out of their normal patterns for His purposes.

The imagery of horses and bow and arrows at the end of verse 8 and into verse 9 remind us that God battles with all resources available in His arsenal.

More waters in verse 10, then the sun and moon in verse 11, and that they stood still in their place recalls the day God made long to enable victory for His people under Joshua (Joshua 10:12-13).

Amidst all this wrath there is mercy.

You went out for the salvation of Your people,

The LORD does His work in both judgment and salvation. The parallelism indicates that Your people (a singular collective noun) and Your anointed (also singular) refer to the same group (see also Psalm 28:8). Salvation TIMES TWO is emphasized for the saints!

Verse 14 is a reference to providential self-destruction, You pierced with his own arrows the heads of his warriors.

“Rather than being terrified at the strength of their enemies, God’s people ought to rest confidently in the assurance that the strength of the enemies’ power only displays their capacity to destroy themselves.” (Robertson)

More about horses and water and effective judgement in verse 15 to complete the prophetic remembrance.

We'll see Habakkuk's resolution in verses 16-19 to finish off the psalm next Lord's Day.

Unprecedented times? More precedented praise!

“history…is the master and commander of the good and blessed life, from which all our usages proceed and from which all experience concerning public administration and policy is brought to life.” —Ermolao Barbaro, introduction to his translation of Aristotle’s Physics, published in 1480

Recall God’s works in creation, the Exodus, different battles, His power over nature and nations.

The song/psalm in the third chapter is distinct from the burden and complaints in the first two chapters. But it is the last response of the prophet to the news of ruin. Here is a test to know whether you're living by faith or not. Do you hear and fear? Can you trust Him enough to request mercy? Can you remember His works and ask Him to work again? Can you sing psalms?

Here is the framework of faith, to seek mercy and salvation while singing psalms with the saints.

There are many kinds of music, and many of the many can be enjoyed, cranked up, danced to, sung in the shower. All are yours. And make sure the Psalms are in your arsenal. Are you suffering? Pray a psalm. Are you cheerful? Praise with a psalm. Encourage one another with psalms!

“For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand!”

But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:8–11 ESV)

Habakkuk himself didn’t know it, but we're told that those who are filled with the Spirit and richly indwelt by God's Word speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:18-19; Colossians 3:16). We're told that anyone who is cheerful should sing psalms (James 5:13, the command is *psalleto*). And we're also given a prophetic example that when there is corruption in the land, and when God sends ruin not revival, the right response is to (write and) sing a psalm.

Habakkuk 3 is described as a prophet’s “prayer" (3:1), just as chapters 1-2 were introduced as a prophet’s “oracle” or burden. But the final note in chapter 3 is that it was for the "choirmaster," so a *corporate* not just personal prayer-song (which follows the taunt-song in 2:6-20). We also see three uses of the word "Selah," which is some sort of musical notation, and the only books of the Bible that have "Selah" are Psalms and this chapter in Habakkuk. So Habakkuk 3 is a prophet’s prayer-psalm.

Of the commentators I read, only one argued that verse 2 is a refrain/chorus which he thought would be sung between three sections as titled before each Selah. Others weren't as certain of that breakdown. But you can see the changes of person. Verse 2, and again in verses 7 and 16-19, have the first person "I." Verses 3-6 talk about God's works in the third person, and verses 8-15 address God directly in the second person, "You." The ESV adds a break with a heading between verses 16-17, and that's...odd.

I think we can see the Prophetic Request (verse 2), Prophetic Remembrance in two parts (verses 3-15), and Prophetic Resolution (next time, in verses 16-19).

That’s the framework of the song, but the song itself belongs with the *framework of faith* (a phrase used by O. Palmer Robertson in his commentary). The just shall live by faith, requesting help and remembering God’s previous help in history. Go to God with questions and complaints, get perspective from God on what He’s doing, and then worship God with the saints.

# Prophetic Requests (verse 2)

The only Asks in the entire prayer come in verse 2.

> O LORD, I have heard the report of You,

> and Your work, O LORD, I do fear.

> In the midst of the years, revive it,

> in the midst of the years, make it known,

> in wrath remember mercy.

The initial framework of faith: *hear and fear*. This pairing is found four times in Deuteronomy (13:11, 17:13, 19:20, 21:21). The prophet heard when the LORD said, “I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told” (Habakkuk 1:5), and he was awed by it. “I hear You!”

The repeated phrase **in the midst of the years** seems to refer to the time between Habakkuk's questions and the fulfillment of the LORD's answers. This would at least be after Josiah’s death in 609 BC, then during Judah’s anticipation of then captivity to the Chaldeans, up until the Chaldeans got what they deserved. Since Cyrus took control of Babylon in 539 BC, the "midst" could have been the 70 or so years. That said, we are still waiting for all Babylon's daughters to shut their mouths in silence, as well as for the knowledge of the glory of the Lord to cover the earth. We are at least in a related "midst" of waiting.

The three requests are: 1) **revive it**, meaning revive the work of the LORD. “Bring it!” 2) **make it known**, again the work of the LORD. And 3) **remember mercy** in the midst of the **wrath**, which is a word for wrath that relates to angered agitation. Knowing that the judgment is *deserved*, and knowing that the judgment will be brutal, does not mean we cannot pray that there would be mercy.

The just shall live by faith—with trust in tension, and here is faith longing for the Lord to work and depending on the Lord for His mercy.

# Prophetic Remembrances (verses 3-15)

There are two approaches to the prophet’s remembrances, descriptive (third person) and then direct address (second person). But all of this reminds us about the value of knowing our history, especially the history of the works of the Lord.

The just live by faith, not by waiting to gather all possible data. We often don't feel comfortable because we think we don't have enough information. For some decisions that makes sense. But for sake of our *peace*, even when the foundations are crumbling, the inspired psalms demonstrate that we should not lean on our own understanding but trust in the God of deliverance.

Habakkuk rehearses the work of the Lord in a way that expects the Lord to show up again and *work*.

He starts: **God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran**, which are places near the southern border of Judah, places that recall when God delivered Israel out of Egypt and then near Sinai where He revealed Himself and gave them His law. That was where **His splendor covered the heavens and the earth was full of His praise. Selah.**

Verses 4-5 recall God's works in and through nature. He can raise up nations, like the Chaldeans, but He also uses lightening and what men call "natural" disasters to accomplish His supernatural purposes.

That God **measured the earth** shows the scope of His dominion. Even the parts of creation that seem the most dependable, such as the mountains, tremble compared to Him. The **eternal mountains** and **everlasting hills** can't stand or last, though **His were the everlasting ways**.

In verse 7 Habakkuk slips back into first person, and though **Cushan** is only mentioned here in Scripture, **Midian** is a place that recalls Gideon’s conflict with the Midianites in Judges 7. His men blew 300 trumpets and the Midianite soldiers killed one another in the confusion. This is what happens when the LORD goes to work.

Verses 8 to 15 speak directly to the LORD.

The questions about the **wrath against the rivers** and **indignation against the sea** seem to be obviously *no*; God was not mad *at* them. But during the flood and at the Red Sea the waters God shook them out of their normal patterns for His purposes.

The imagery of horses and bow and arrows at the end of verse 8 and into verse 9 remind us that God battles with all resources available in His arsenal.

More waters in verse 10, then the sun and moon in verse 11, and that they **stood still in their place** recalls the day God made long to enable victory for His people under Joshua (Joshua 10:12-13).

Amidst all this wrath there is mercy.

> You went out for the salvation of Your people,

> for the salvation of your anointed. (verse 13)

The LORD does His work in both judgment and **salvation**. The parallelism indicates that **Your people** (a singular collective noun) and **Your anointed** (also singular) refer to the same group (see also Psalm 28:8). Salvation TIMES TWO is emphasized for the saints!

Verse 14 is a reference to providential self-destruction, **You pierced with his own arrows the heads of his warriors.**

> “Rather than being terrified at the strength of their enemies, God’s people ought to rest confidently in the assurance that the strength of the enemies’ power only displays their capacity to destroy themselves.” (Robertson)

More about horses and water and effective judgement in verse 15 to complete the prophetic remembrance.

# Conclusion

We'll see Habakkuk's resolution in verses 16-19 to finish off the psalm next Lord's Day.

Unprecedented times? More precedented praise!

> “history…is the master and commander of the good and blessed life, from which all our usages proceed and from which all experience concerning public administration and policy is brought to life.” —Ermolao Barbaro, introduction to his translation of Aristotle’s _Physics_, published in 1480

Recall God’s works in creation, the Exodus, different battles, His power over nature and nations.

The song/psalm in the third chapter is distinct from the burden and complaints in the first two chapters. But it is the last response of the prophet to the news of ruin. Here is a test to know whether you're living by faith or not. Do you hear and fear? Can you trust Him enough to request mercy? Can you remember His works and ask Him to work again? Can you sing psalms?

Here is the framework of faith, to seek mercy and salvation while singing psalms with the saints.

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## Charge

There are many kinds of music, and many of the many can be enjoyed, cranked up, danced to, sung in the shower. All are yours. *And* make sure the Psalms are in your arsenal. Are you suffering? Pray a psalm. Are you cheerful? Praise with a psalm. Encourage one another with psalms!

“For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand!”

## Benediction:

> But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:8–11 ESV)

Automated transcript of the sermon audio, generated with OpenAI Whisper (small.en). It has not been checked against the recording and may contain errors, especially in names and Scripture references.

Father, thank you so much for your grace in our lives. Thank you for the gifts of in-laws. And I pray that you would use your word and my message to encourage us to consider our behavior with our in-laws and how we can make that better or even bring the gospel into that to bring life. So may you bless our time. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. So tonight I will be speaking about living with your in-laws in an understanding way, and how to cultivate godly and growing relationships with them. It was not until studying this, for this message that I thought about the impact that our parents can have on our marriages, whether negative or positive.

I was not saved when I got married, and my in-laws did not come to our wedding, so they weren't really involved in my life until at least a year or two after we got married. So I realized the difficulties that we had working through some of those things, but it just wasn't on my thinking. So it's been kind of cool to think about it, and for any of us who are going to be in laws if you have family, sooner or later it's going to happen. It's good to think about your own relationships and how you're interacting with those people that are on either side of your family. But I have come to believe that it's an important subject for couples considering marriage and for them to think about the families that they are marrying into. When a man pursues a woman for marriage, they do need to consider the whole package of the family they're going to marry because a couple getting married is bringing two families into that.

When a couple gets married, it's not a marriage isolated on an island, so it's not just they can keep away from the family. They don't live happily ever after without their parents. Marriages includes their future spouse's family. It is a sinner marrying another sinner and bringing their sinning families into the relationship which ultimately multiplies the probability and complexity of problems. And no matter what kind of good or crazy you marry into, the thing that you must understand that if you're a Christian, you owe it to your in-laws to consistently behave like a Christian. Your character matters. You have to learn how to handle conflict in a way that brings God glory and your in-laws good.

You must be able to self-regulate and remain calm in relationship struggles and troubles. To cultivate godly and growing relationships with your in-laws is going to take a lot of faith, work, and repentance. We must trust God with our in-laws. This means we are called to obey His word which can equip us for the good work of inlying. Consider 2 Timothy 3, 16 and 17 which says, "...all scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." In-law relationships are a good work that God calls us to walk in daily.

Before we can live with our in-laws in an understanding way, we must make sure we understand what it means to leave father and mother. Genesis 2.24 tells us, therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife and they shall become one flesh. When our children get married, they are called to leave their father and mother. And before I get into what leaving involves, I want to make two quick points about what it does not mean. Firstly, leaving father and mother does not mean that adult children stop honoring their parents. The fifth commandment is always in play.

Deuteronomy 5.16 says, Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God has given you. Also Jesus rebuked the Pharisees because their traditions trumped this commandment. In Mark 7 9 through 13 it says, and Jesus said to them, you have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition. For Moses said, honor your father and your mother and whoever reviles father or mother must surely die, but you say if a man tells his father or his mother whatever you would have gained from me as Corbin that is given to God then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father and or mother thus making void the Word of God by your tradition that you have handed down and many such things things you do. Secondly leaving father and mother does not simply mean moving out of your parents house. There is a way for your child to move to another state and still not have really left their parents as God intended. When a husband or wife

do not leave their parents it will cause problems in their marriage. What leaving does mean is that the conditions of the relationships have changed. There are things that leaving involves putting off and on and it is important that we understand these regardless of how obvious they may be. What leaving Involving involves putting off. Children must put off an inordinate dependency on their parents when they get married. A wife needs to learn to rest in her husband and depend on his leadership and provision for the household. A husband needs to learn to protect, provide, and leave his household as he trusts and obey God and his word.

When they leave their parents, they are establishing a new household. The husband needs to lead and the wife needs to submit to his leadership. And while they can seek counsel and wisdom from their parents, they are to go about it in a way that is more dependent on the husband's leadership and God and his word. Children must put off a natural tendency to imitate or react to their parents. In other words, leaving their parents means being prepared to examine the things in ways their parents did to see whether they are biblical and to determine whether they pleased God and would be beneficial for their new household.

It goes beyond if they like or don't like what their parents did. But as a new household, they need to consider the outcome of both their parents' way of life and imitate their faith and advance in making progress and joy in the faith. Children must put off an inordinate reliance on their parents' approval. When a husband and wife come together, they must seek the Lord's approval over their parents. Sometimes the Lord approves what our parents would not agree with or approve. Being more concerned with what our parents think and need than with what our spouse thinks or needs is not leaving your father and mother as God intended.

Children must put off the temptation to place blame on their parents. We have to learn to be content and thankful with the parents that God has given us. Do you believe that your parents are a gift from God? I do, and I know how difficult they were. And I love them. Most of us turn out better than we should, and that is because of God's grace. While there is more that can be said about leaving and all that it implies, the point I want to make sure that we understand is that when a couple says, I do, the relationship changes. It would benefit both parties, husband and wife, and their parents to understand and work towards building a relationship that honors God and gives the new household freedom to cultivate their marriage and family values according to God's word and not according to the traditions set by their parents.

What are some practical boots on the ground kind of ways that we can live with our in-laws in an understanding way? First, I want to repeat, if you're a Christian, you owe it to your in-laws to behave, you owe it to your in-laws behavior that's consistently Christian in character. You cannot go wrong with that. Things will go way better when you are acting like a Christian than if you are like not.

I know that's obvious, but I often have heard, I've heard the quote, it's easy to be like Jesus until you have to be like him. So whether it includes loving them, praying for them, forgiving them, or asking them to forgive you for your sins, the idea here is Colossians 3, 12 through 14 which says, put on then as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another, and if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other as the Lord has forgiven you so you also must forgive and above all these put on love which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Second one is bring the love. Meditate and cultivate a 1st Corinthians 13 kind of love with your in-laws. You know you can't go wrong by spending time meditating on it, writing it out and considering that as a really like a foundation for when you are dealing with your your in-laws or extended family. 1 Corinthians 13 4 through 8 says, love is patient and kind, love does not envy or boast, it is not

arrogant or rude, it does not insist on its own way, it is not irritable or resentful, it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, love never ends. Just imagine the impact this world would have, this would have actually just imagine impact that this would have on your relationship with the end laws if you really put that into practice and that kind of love was pouring out into the relationship. Third is bring laughter and become playful. Don't take yourself so seriously. And Shawn mentioned this in Benedict, I know the end of the sermon, but consider Psalm 52, 6-7 which says, The righteous shall see in fear and shall laugh at him, saying, See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction.

God can use proper laughter to turn hearts towards him and one another. Practice smiling and have a disposition of joy. Often times with my in-laws, some of the ways that we actually were able to get past some difficult times was by me laughing at myself and making a joke about me just because I wanted to try to make things better. And obviously, either I can get offended at them or I can just make a joke about me. Fourth is practice becoming an active listener. Often, we engage our in-laws with pre-loaded presuppositions, emotions, feelings, and perspectives. We would help our relationships with our in-laws by emptying our own thinking and hearing what is being communicated.

in return and also letting them know that you are hearing what they are saying and understanding that. Because oftentimes, when you get into conflict, at least I've learned this about me. But sometimes I am thinking of how I'm looking at it or how I would, my perspective, how I'm thinking about it. And that is not necessarily the person in law in front of me's thinking or perspective. So when I say empty your thinking, I'm not saying let all wisdom go, but just make sure you understand where they're coming from. Because oftentimes in a complaint or an argument, someone's just trying to communicate something. And if you can listen and understand what that is, it would actually help the relationship and maybe quit the strife.

Practice Ephesians 4.29, which says, let no corrupting talk come out of your mouth, but only such as it is good for building up as fits the occasion that it may give grace to those who hear. How easy it is to use our mouths to tear down and destroy our in-laws. We should not be using our mouths as a weapon. We should be looking for ways to build them up and to speak respectfully about them. When we speak of our parents or in-laws, we must speak in a way that does not bite and devour one another. Sixth would be practice Matthew 18. If you have a problem with someone or something that is done in the family, whether a parent or an in-law, then you should go talk to them privately.

There are sins that love needs to confront, and on that note, learning when to cover and when to confront takes wisdom and practice. But if you believe someone is an ongoing, unrepentant sin or is caught in any transgression, your goal should be to restore that family member in the spirit of gentleness. and six, one. Talking about it with others and doing nothing about it is a sin. As a Christian, we bear responsibility to help our in-laws fight and work through their own sins. Seven, don't be afraid of setting healthy boundaries. Dr. Henry Cloud has said in a book, you get what you create and what you allow. And in some ways that's brutal because if you're getting what you don't like, that's your fault.

So what do you do, so what, you know, there are times when an in-law might be controlling or get out of their lane and in these moments it would be wise to improper to pray and consider how to address the situation in hopes of strengthening a relationship and setting boundaries to create a better environment for one another to grow in the grace of the Lord. And obviously we We all have different situations with our end laws, but there are times when you do need to set healthy boundaries so that way you can allow it to thrive. Maybe there's options for cutting them off. I don't really think that would be an option in my book, but I feel like there are ways to work through difficult situations.

I've worked through some of my own. I've never had the idea that I just want to cut my parents or my in-laws off and just be done with them because life would be way better without them. Because in my opinion, it wouldn't. So they are a blessing to me and I see them as a blessing.

Learn to not be easily offended. Number eight, a way to grow here is to choose to love others and see the best in them. As Dave Light, famously says, look for the pony in the poop. consider like the good in them. Don't focus on the negative or the things that you don't like because we all have things that we do that probably annoy our in-laws and we may not even know about it. So like learning to understand one another and that we're really just trying to cultivate some really sweet fellowship and that that's not gonna be like a Thomas Kincaid painting like meaning there is a mess in the pursuit of getting that.

And if you are always easily offended, you're never going to have a good time with your family or people in your life. Proverbs 10, 12 says, hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. When you have cultivated genuine love, it protects you from being offended. Another reason to laugh well and to be more playful is that most people I know who do these well are the type of people that you really can't rattle that well. They are thick and have a lot of nerve. Learn to keep short accounts. People who own their sin and are repenting as needed will be less likely to be offended. Because if you are seeing yourself as a sinner and your problems, it should allow you to have grace to see that it ain't as bad with other people.

Imagine if everyone was like you. So, nine, husbands and fathers must be proactive in leading and pulling the family into better fellowship with in-laws and extended family. Help your household have a godly perspective on family relationships. Encourage them to practice Christian character.

Again, you get what you create and what you allow. And as the father and the husband, you should be influencing them towards things that are gonna benefit. Show your family what it looks like, yeah, show your family what it looks like to be like Jesus when it is hard and difficult. Watch how you speak about your in-laws and extended family around even your children or other family members. Fathers, the husbands and fathers who grumble and complain will not pull, be able to pull their families into better fellowship. Take responsibilities for the actions and choices of your family. One of the ways that I actually tried to cultivate this better with my in-laws would be, and even my parents, my side was we actually started having like family fellowships once a month where we would invite them over to spend time with them and be intentional with, you know, just loving them and having time together as a whole group.

And then the other thing is like birthday parties. Like, my, our families didn't really jive with each other. So, at first we kind of separated it, didn't want it to get messy and all that kind of stuff. But then we're probably reading a book. I thought, no, we'll just bring them together and see what happens. So, and it was difficult, but I don't regret it. I actually am thankful. And it still has to this day has not resolved some of the issues, but I was thankful because it gave people opportunities to live life together even in the midst of having ill feelings towards one another. But yeah, I am always trying to find ways to help cultivate that and I think that's wise for you men in this room.

Ten, praying I believe might be one of the best ways to cultivate love for end laws. It is hard to hate those whom you are taking to the Lord in prayer. Prayer is a call to action, and the Lord may show that you are the problem. I know in my own relationship, like one of the books I read, which is Free from Bitterness, like showed me that I was better towards family, and I was encouraged by that book to take steps towards not, you know, asking the Lord to help me fight that bitterness so I can show up and be a better in-law. And it did. It was, oh, and actually I bought the book for, for Jolyd because she, she had problems with one of our in-laws and that actually resolved on its own.

She never read it. I don't know if she, have you read it yet? Okay, nice. A couple of passages of scripture that come to mind in regards to prayer is, first is Philippians, Philippians 4, 4 through 7, which says, rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. What would your character look like to those watching if in the middle of family conflict you rejoiced, you let your reasonableness be known, and you were confident in the Lord who is at hand, and you took all of your troubles to him while remaining thankful?

Why not be that kind of character in your story? You know, and speaking of confidence, one of my favorite passages is Hebrews 4.16. Let us stand with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time and of need. And in fact, in Men to Men, I still take taken back by the covenant household where Doug Wilson challenges men to go pray without saying anything other than to the Lord. And I find that is, it seems good to me, and I actually been trying to practice that where if I have a concern and it's not a major thing, I just take it to the Lord and see what the Lord will do.

But I don't think that you always need to tell every in-law your complaint or your problem and where they need to fix it. Like I think sometimes praying allows the Lord to enter into the conflict in a way that he can work in hearts that you can't, so. Number 11, learn not to fuss or freak out. There are some things we just need to let go of. Maybe we fuss because we feel like God owes us better. I mean, if God wants to put you into a marriage with soul sucking in-laws, who are we to fuss about that? According to Romans 828, it is all for our good and his glory. And I get how hard some providences are. I totally can relate to that.

But we must believe that when it comes to our in-laws, or whatever the situation may be, that God did not make a mistake. Your in-laws are a gift. Whatever it is, is a gift. And I know that in my own world, there are things that I fight to actually see gifts, but I think that it's worth fighting for to see these hard things as gifts.

What does it look like to love your in-laws into loveliness? Maybe God is using your marriage for the good of those who may not know him, or need a godly and growing example for their own growth and grace in the Lord. Remember that this story is not about your glory, but God's glory. And for us as Christians who know the gospel, know how to die to self and how to bring life, like that should be our first and primary goal with our end laws is that they become better because of our interactions and how we are with them.

And in terms of speaking of story, number 12, learn to live a better story. Consider the story that you are living before God in your household when it comes to your in-laws and extended family. How are you showing up? One of the reasons that I love fiction is that it helps me to consider the story that I'm in and you can read it and you're like, oh, I don't know if I would respond like that. Okay, that's exciting. But you can totally put yourself in that but then it makes you really think about your own story that you're living. And I read a book that I, I don't have a problem recommending that you guys may not like it, but it's called A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, How I Learned to Live a Better Story.

And two quotes that I really loved from this book. The first one was, if what we choose to do with our lives won't make a story meaningful, it won't make a life meaningful either. And so every day we have choices to make, and every day we can make things better or worse. And this one, the other quote is, his life was like the roots of a tree that went miles into the soil and miles around its trunk and came up in my cousins, in their faces, and their voices, and their character. And it reminds me of Psalm 1, but I mean that's the kind of character that I want. We've got some deep roots and it's coming out, the fruit's coming out of all of the people that are coming after me or who are with me.

So the book certainly helped me to think about my character and the story I'm living before, not only my household and in-laws, but y'all and friends and family. What choices can you make that will help you cultivate a meaningful story in life? I can't stop thinking about that question. And the idea of having a life that impacts my in-laws and extended family is a good work that's worth getting after not only for me but for everyone.

To wrap up my message, I want to share some of my story with you. You know, well, Joel and I were not, like I already mentioned this, but we were not believers when we met. Her parents were not excited about what they saw in my life and I totally am okay with that. Like they asked me to stop pursuing her and I did not honor that request. And for that reason they did not attend our wedding and for many years, even after we were married, I was not welcomed into their home. And I would say, like, we got killed in getting married and if Cameron was like me, I would have said no. So I know that I was troubled and I was not a worthy man for anybody to give away their daughter to.

God was gracious and I'm thankful for that, but I do think ultimately honoring the Lord is really important. You know, and but even in that moment, which is I find this weird, even though I wasn't a Christian, I didn't get bitter and you know, and I could have fought my way or complained about how hard they were or wasn't fair. But instead I did what I knew I had, what I knew how to do, which is love Jolie and extend invites to them to come in her home. Caitlin was the one who bridged that, which was great. I mean, so God did a great work with Caitlin, Jolie's mom. She passed away, but when Caitlin was coming around, like, they, you know, Jolie was like, well hey, we've got to try to figure out how to get this all together.

And Caitlin changed her heart and for the most part we had a good relationship. She would always challenge me with the gospel about my lifestyle choices and I'd always tell her, I know, it's totally fine. I'm a Christian and that's for you, not for me. The Lord ended up changing my heart, which I'm thankful for. I went forward some years and God started doing a work in our hearts and our reconciliation actually started slowly after Caitlin was born and the relationship started to grow. And then after God did call my mother-in-law home, he used some things to show me that I was not a Christian and I had not put my trust and faith in him and that's when I actually turned my life to the Lord.

Since then, and I was 2006, God has grown me my in-laws in such a way that I could not have ever imagined. This growth has not been all cupcakes and rainbows, but over the years I have had to take some hard stands for my family and our choices and they did not always agree or approve of that. But it was hard work and I learned how to put into practice some of these boots on the ground ideas that that we talked about. So let's pray and then we can have our discussion. Father, thank you again for your word. And Lord, I know that each of us has our own trouble or difficulties in some ways within laws. And pray that you would bless our time as we have a discussion about how to love our in-laws and even maybe showing up better.

And Lord, you know where each of us are. And I just pray that you would continue to work and bless our time as we have questions and answers. In Jesus' name, amen. Bazin does not have any questions in this series so far, so here's our first one. So my parents having in-laws as my grandparents, when your grandparents are not Christians or your in-laws. How do you find the pony in the poop without being deceived by non-Christian lies? So like, you obviously want to love your people that you've been given, but that's going to look a lot different when they're not Christians, and there's naturally kind of a like distrust there. So how can you, since there's no Christian fellowship, what's an accurate expectation for non-Christian to Christian fellowship?

Yeah, good question. I mean, first thing I would say is you can totally be thankful for them because you are here because of them. And so, and I'm sure that there are some things about them that are good and respectful. Now granted, it's not salvific, but clearly some of the good traits that your parents have probably came from them. I mean, God's grace is working even through unbelieving parents. I mean, my parents were not believers, and I feel like I've turned out way better than I could have. I could have been a train wreck. But in regards to the relationships between someone that's a Christian and not a Christian in the family.

I mean, I would just be first and foremost praying for them, but then looking for ways to have conversations, ask questions, do it in a way that's inviting and not necessarily like a hammer time. And I think that would hopefully draw them. I mean, I know that after I'd gotten saved, my brother-in-law did not get saved. So after my mother-in-law passed away, I got saved and then my brother-in-law last. And there was times that I was a jerk as a Christian and I regret that. But I do feel like we did have some good moments. But I've learned through that time how to engage people and talk about the things that the Lord.

But ultimately being excited about who God is and what He's doing in your life is something that would speak volumes to them. Because I mean, we just had some friends over yesterday and they were asking Julie about her joy. And she's trying to read her Bible more and all these things which it was a good opportunity to talk about how God just does give you joy. I mean, I don't know. That's like extreme bubble joy, but it's OK. So I don't know. Does that answer your question? No? Well, I mean, yeah. That's good. It sounds like, huh? Can I elaborate on anything more? No, that's OK. You'd probably just turn into a discussion.

Yeah. So thank you. Yeah. I don't really have a question. I just wanted to see Sean walk all the way over here. So but since he did. So it would seem like I'm going to kind of put you on the spot here for a second if I, and maybe you could share an example that you'd be comfortable sharing. But it seems like a way to honor your in-laws and your parents, even in the midst of disagreement. You said there toward the very end, there are some areas where you have not I've seen eye to eye and it's been hard but it's been good. It would seem like the idea there is to apply all those principles, those dozen or so that you rattled off, can you share some examples as to what that looks like?

Maybe the best way to do that would be, what would be an example where you didn't see eye to eye with your in-laws? Or it could be later on even after Sandy passed. So it's just your father-in-law. Where you had to navigate some disagreement and you totally came out still in fellowship. But without necessarily agreeing. That's a good question I am thinking. I mean I know with my father and mother, like they, you know, when we had birthday parties we, this is a small thing, but they really did have a problem. They do have a problem with alcohol being available. And so whenever we had, even our, I think it was Addison's birthday party, and this was quite a few years back, they really had problems with that.

So we just stopped bringing it out. I mean, I felt like love would find the relationship more important than, hey, what does it matter, fighting. But that's like one example with Jolie's family. I mean, when we, yeah, one thing that comes to mind would be, like when we left the church that we were all at, because after the Lord had saved, you know, me, we actually started going there because that church ministered to us in ways that was really awesome. And we got involved and loved the people. And things kind of, things went south within the leadership.

And so I actually, after having conversations, was really the outcast. I mean, I told Joel before that, my relationship went bankrupt, and it was even worse than that. Meaning, I had put myself in a pretty bad hole where they did not agree with me leaving. and the choices that I was making. And at that point, then a lot of things would actually be even magnifying glass and making issues of things that may not even have been an issue. But I think the way that we worked through that was just me being consistent in really loving them and wanting to be with them. On one level, it was really the idea of reading, I think, free from bitterness.

Because I think the main issue that I had was with my brother-in-law, because he really felt like I had sinned against him when I had departed and like stranded him and the family. And so that took a lot of work to build. But it was just consistently showing up and at one point just making fun of myself, laughing at myself, being okay, not being easily offended. And the Lord slowly but surely has restored our fellowship better than it was even then. And then some levels deeper. Like some of the relationships in the family are really sweet to us, to Joe and I. And there are some that they're not, I mean, I love them all, so I'm not complaining, but there are some that just the Lord allowed to take better roots than others.

But I don't know why, but in terms of like, You know, my, Jolie's dad, I call him dad. He's like a dad to me. We're, we are pretty tight. So he comes over a lot. We have coffee or talk, play games, but trying to think of some other things, but I mean, does that kind of give you? Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I mean, it seems like if you are applying these principles that you rattled off, it is going to be broadening a platform or someone say making deposits in the account before you have to make any withdrawals. So building that platform for influence so that when those times of disagreement come, you can actually weather those and come out healthier, even better on the other side.

It seems like you're doing some of that. I think a lot of it too depends on, it really depends on the maturity of the in-laws. an interesting anecdote from our marriage was my wife's dad is Hispanic and his family in their Mexican culture is very family oriented and without being controlling very well meaning he He candidly suggested that we just live with them when we got married before we can get established. And we said thanks but no thanks right away. And that was actually before really even having any sort of platform with them. So that could have gone really, he could have been really offended by that. but instead was like, okay.

And so it seems like the maturity of the other party also goes a long way in terms of the preservation of those relationships. And that's not as much anything you can control, but I think your list is good and helpful. And if you adhere to those, it would seem like you're gonna have that sort of credibility to be able to honor, even in disagreement, without the other party getting wounded. So, yeah. Yeah, well, we recently, not recently, but maybe in the last six months, we had a situation where I had to invite over all my end laws to sit down and talk about the situation that was not godly and growing, and it was actually really good.

I mean, all the little nieces and nephews came, and they were confessing, and it was really, really a good time. And sometimes it's just more about trying to be OK, be uncomfortable, because none of that is fun. Who likes to sit down with the whole family and have a powwow over things that are sinful? And actually trying to gracefully call people out so that way they can at least work through it. But I do feel like maybe things are better now. I think in maybe years past, if we had disagreements, we just would need to maybe not talk, but maybe give it some time. Yeah, the amount of time. I don't really know if there probably is an answer to this question.

But like, when there's a significant blow up, what do you think is the reasonable amount of time to expect it's gonna take before that gets resolved? Because it seems like even in your story, we're talking measuring in years. We're not measuring in hours of afternoon conversation. We're talking about years of, as Jonathan's illustration, you know, putting into the account, showing joyfulness as a family, talking when you're able to talk about it, but it seems like it's not often, in your case has been more extreme, maybe, than other people, but I'm sure that there are people who don't like the tension of the family dynamic.

So do you have any thoughts on how long a person should expect or anticipate before some of these things might even start to see better fruit. Yeah, I mean I would say, you know, depending on the family member, I think sometimes things moved a little bit. You know, it didn't take a long time. I mean with me, I don't really like to let the... I mean, I learned with Jolie, like this is a good example, but like if you let something just tuck away, like it could go on forever. I mean, it could take forever to figure that thing out. So I actually will maybe give it a day, but I mean, one of the ways I think that I helped cultivate building that account was by connecting, reaching out to them.

I mean, some of you may even know this, but I like, I can reach out, call, text, And so I often would actually reach out to them a lot to try to pour in, you know, to invite them over. I think that's why we did the Family Fellowship was because I wanted to purposely have them come over. I mean even in the midst of them grumbling about like, like, you guys are way too busy, like we don't ever get to see you. I'm like, well, here, I'm inviting you. Like, I don't know when the last time you've invited me, which I'm not complaining about you not inviting you. But I can say they would laugh, but I mean, but trying to find a way to, yeah, to just connect with them.

And like if we're driving by, because they all live in, you know, like, well, not like Steve. It's like Marysville on the sunny side side. So we'd swing by. If I'm coming home, I would swing by, say hi. You know, so, but those things really helped out. And I think just them watching us, you know, because like we're, our family, Joel and I are the only household would actually invite church people to our gatherings. So they thought that was weird. They just stayed in and really liked it. We loved it and we had no problem with having people from our church in our home. But that allowed them to see, even some of the family would pursue Joel and I for talking about their own struggles and things that they're trying to work through.

they would see like you know and I think that we try telling them like hey like your church matters like it makes it does make a difference with your community and how you're connecting because if you just and I'm not saying this about them but if you are only going to church and then you leave and there's nothing going on after that well you don't have a really you have a real hard time cultivating building relationships and support that we could help you through those things. So I mean, I know like one example would be one of the in-laws, they came and had me go talk to their future husband because they were concerned.

And they didn't have any help. So I went and talked to them. And lo and behold, which I don't know, I was just being frank with the guy. He ended up getting saved after that because he realized that he wasn't really a Christian. and he thought he was. But it was just getting uncomfortable, going out, having some coffee, talking about life, and just what I think about marriage. And then they ended up, they were both very humbly, did exactly what I had actually encouraged them to do, but then they did work through it and get married. So it was a praise to the Lord. So. The Lord definitely blesses your ability to handle awkwardness.

He keeps doing that. Good evening. Okay. So you've talked about how to deal with the in-laws. Well, I'm an in-law now. And so what advice do you have, because I've got two son-in-laws now who have just, I've got to defer to their, that's their leadership in their home now. We might disagree on certain things or we might love it and we don't want to be overburdened or we want to help. So what advice, sir, because you're about to be in the same corner, what advice do you have for the in-laws?

Well the way I would handle, if I was an in-law and my son and daughter, because I would say that I would put them on the same footing, like if they get married, like when Cam and Caitlyn get married, like I do feel like I'm gaining the son, you know, and I feel like it's appropriate to have them on the same footing, not favoritizing one over the other because that's gonna cause problems. And if you had problems like with your son-in-law, like that could be a problem too. But I mean, I always, I mean this is where my my in-laws would have disagreed. I always felt like it needed to be on the man. If the dude needs help, he needs to be humble enough to ask for it.

If he's not, then he needs to learn how he's going to provide for his household. Because I don't feel like hand-holding is a good option. Like, I mean, if you need something, ask. And I think that I would totally be willing to help out. But I don't want it to be the way to be placed on the proper shoulders, not on someone actually just coming and swooping them up and taking care of them because they can't humble themselves to ask for help. Because I don't know if they need help or not. I don't know if that answers your question or not. Yeah, I mean, just I think letting them have freedom to cultivate their own traditions and household.

You know, because they got a, I mean, because they're drawn from your family, his family, like, and how do you work all that out, you know. And I feel like for me, trying not to have any expectations or being grabby, oftentimes, it could be as simple as you extending an invite to them for dinner or whatever and trying to find ways to have them in your life. But if they don't ever invite you, then I guess it's hard, but maybe be okay with that. I'm not saying this, but maybe you're the problem. Like, maybe they don't want to come hang out with you because you're a pain in the rear. I don't want to make sure we're not done.

I would ask. I'd say, yo, like, what do you think about me? Yeah, I mean, so because I have been living with my in-laws, like, literally living with my in-laws for 20 years. Are we at 20? 21, yeah, so almost half my life. And that is not what I had in my mind when I was a kid, that when I grew up and got married, I would be living in the same house as my in-laws. And I think one of the things that, in fact, beyond walking in the spirit, which is crucial for, which is living like a Christian. I think that the fact that my father-in-law does not expect to be the boss of the household, but in many ways, not because he doesn't care, but he is intentionally deferring to letting me have the responsibility.

So we're actually able to partner in a lot of things and when we need to make a household decision, it's not like all the rest of them just look at me. But in terms of day-to-day things and a lot of the operations, he, I think about it as, well, he raised his household and now he sees it as my responsibility to be taking care of this household. So he is supportive of it and that actually does make me want to ask as opposed to the, I mean I suppose it's a dance whether you just wait to be asked or you insert yourself. But I have really valued the availability and the presence without the pushiness. The input, willingness to, you know, it's not like if I would ever ask a question, he'd be like, oh, well, it's your deal, not mine.

So it's not like he was trying to distance himself from it. But in a very honorable way, there's a gravity that came from not being grabby. And it was visible to me paying attention. And I think that that's how it worked, to actually be living under the same roof. And I am assuming that that has a lot of application for those even who are living in separate places of the availability and the presence. But the conscious support of, sure, this is great when you find that thing. I was thinking even with Bazin's questions earlier, like when we define fellowship as agreement, we're in trouble. So either we can find ways to fellowship with people that we don't agree with or we're never going to have fellowship.

Either we can find something to honor in what they offer without, again, fully being able to support everything or we're never going to be able to honor anybody. So being able to, even from the dad to the son-in-law, to honor the great things I see Taylor doing does not require me, and I actually don't know what I disagree with Taylor about, but I'm not looking for those. I'm looking to support the things like, this is awesome, way to go, I like this. And you're welcome to have what's here, but we love what you're doing. So that kind of support of his responsibility is what I got from my father-in-law. And again, that increased my interest in what he had to say.

It didn't make me want to just distance myself from him. Yeah, another thing real quick that I was thinking about, especially within laws, is you know, like just like with Jolie, like there are times that I've actually had to protect her, which is really awkward. But at the end of the day, she is my wife. And I need to make sure that if family members, even if it's her sister or brother or whoever, speaking to her in a way that's not good, that I need to have a conversation. And we've had to do that. But it's totally fine. But I feel like sometimes people get worried about it. but these things only make you stronger.

They really do. Like I don't know. I mean, because I think that if you're hoping and believing the best, sometimes we just say something stupid or act in a way that's not godly. And if you don't say anything, then it's just gonna continue to grow and increase.

I really appreciated what you said about just living like a Christian, acting like a Christian. One thing for our family, not my in-laws, but his in-laws, my parents are not believers. And one thing that we noticed pretty quickly is honoring them does not look or feel how they would like to be honored because we are living like Christians. And so I think that is good to keep in mind and staying open-handed about that. They have not liked or wanted to receive the way that we have honored them as we try to honor the Lord. And in turn for us, being the kind of in-laws Lord willing someday with our kids spouses is to just stay open-handed.

And yeah, with unbelieving parents and family, the aroma of living like a Christian is a stench to them.

So having, while keeping that in mind, that does take wisdom, that takes a different kind of wisdom, and yeah, continuing to love them, them, that also in loving them means not indulging, indulging in their simple habits or condoning them or even engaging in their fussiness and unthankfulness and in turn continuing to show them what Christian gratitude and fellowship looks like and interestingly enough the way that our kids interact with my parents tends to have tends to hit home for them in a different way and they they actually accept it love it from us but yeah all that to say again loving and honoring in-laws does take a different kind of wisdom that only the Lord can give and it has made it has made family times sweeter as the years have gone on but still taking that stand and still loving them in the process. Yeah one of the ways that I've always tried to cultivate the honor with especially with my parents is try to find ways to invite them in to my world where I like my dad or my mom would you know because there

times that I don't really, you know, the way that they approach it is not helpful.

But like I'm trying to look past that and figure out, okay, like, is my parents, how can I invite them in so that way they can be a part of my world and feel like that I'm actually I love them and I am trying to honor them. I mean, I know after I left my parents business, I got pretty bitter, but at one point I really said no, actually I really want to like honor and respect my parents even in the midst of this. So I started calling my parents, you know, at least once a week to just talk to them. And so those little things that you can do, but you know, sometimes life gets busy, so trying to figure out how can you cultivate, you know, those touch points with your parents. Not because, and then, but also the other problem is that if they get fussy because, well, I told you what you should do, you didn't do it. Like that's another conversation, but at least, I I think taking the effort to find ways to invite them in so they can be a part of your world is one way to show them honor and respect.

One of the things to add to what Sean said is the reason, I think, Gail and I, to do this well is because of Morgan's influence. And the lesson here is that generationally, I think our church, you know, For those of you that are just getting into this, realize your kids are watching you handle the awkward situation. Morgan was the one that taught me not to jump in. Because our first year, we had, you know, we bought that house to try to remodel it and everything. We were doing all these things and I was barking orders and she got me aside and said, look, this is Sean's house, you're going to live in it. But, you know, he's the dude.

You're, and that took me a while to understand that. And Sean was able to not make me feel underneath that, but I needed to realize, wait a minute, I gave her to him to run her life. Gail and I are coming in kind of after we've raised these kids and they're in different places. And we've chosen to live with Morgan and LD stayed down in LA, but it's interesting even to watch him learning through what we've done handle his in-laws and the way she handles us coming up with us. She's so much more relaxed being around our craziness than she is even with her parents. So generationally all these things can have an effect on people.

And you can do things that really build up both parties in really bizarre ways. And I always like to remind people when they think it's crazy how we live, most of America had farms or businesses where the generations came up in them. They did live close together. And certainly biblically, they're all wandering around intense as families and tribes taking care of their sheep. And everybody knows everybody, so you don't get out of it. But remember that we're trying to change the way the church reacts generationally. The next church should be more open. You should be able to talk to the leaders. You shouldn't fear all this stuff.

And we're all growing together, like John said. our confession all together is not that I'm gonna go over and whisper every secret sin I have or whatever to everybody, but you realize, hey, we're just working through it like you guys are too. So that part really is good. So generationally, we're all growing and I'd love to see all the stair steps that are here.

I think Yale wants it. From the women's point of view, Nancy Wilson has a great audio book Canon Plus and it's called Grandma's and Mother-in-laws and it's on to the next step. So if it's a really good resource of setting boundaries for yourself and expectations of building those new relationships because it is different being a grandmother than a mother. I think you know like co-living with the the Higgins's of discipline would be one where we don't get involved in that at all. We go rat on them and tell their parents. And I'm not very good at that. I'm still learning that, but just learning boundaries where I normally would have jumped in if it were my kids.

I don't get to do that and I get in trouble with it when I do. So the resource I think is really good. another generally living family? Yeah, I mean I think that all these points are good. Expectations are something that needs to be put in check because if, Theresa just asked me, like her family, especially her mom, was like every birthday including the 45th one or the 42nd one or the 37th one, those all were super important and were having a big birthday party. Well, there's a lot of people, so like are we driving two and a half hours for this birthday party? And are we driving again for this birthday party? So having expectations for like in our case, like we live in the same house, we share the house, and basically everything above our ceiling is Ian's responsibility.

You know, like, and he takes that. But like, if I have expectations for them and I don't say it, well, then that's on me, right? So I think that we have to be careful with having expectations that, you know, even a bunch of us live really close. You know, so if Grant and Becca were thinking that every single, I'll make this up and it's not too far fetched, every single soccer practice and every single soccer game I'm going to be at, well that expectation isn't really a good expectation, right? So I'm going to try to be there, but if that's going to wreck their day, that's going to make a mess pretty quickly. So I think that expectations are one thing, having the understanding that it's Ian's family.

So he is in charge, and they are in charge. I love how much farther up on our shoulders they're standing. Just like Gail said, we don't do any discipline. So that's a bonus for us because we just get to love on them. I literally, I think the last picture in my phone is Teresa making pancakes with all five of the grandkids in our tiny little kitchen. Some of them sitting on the counters, like, okay, well, that's super cool. And like, I'm not in charge of disciplining them at all. You know, so just living with them in, hey, you're doing this, you're going to do it better than we did it, and you're going to have a bunch of learning to do, I think those are all really good things that we get to watch and experience and grind through all together.

Yeah, it's good because even thinking about our in-laws coming over, Dilla and I would actually really lean on the parents. So we expected their parents to actually take care of their kids and we would go to them with the things. And sometimes we would actually try to figure out, like, okay, so what are you expecting with your kids in our house? How can we set up an environment of success so that way your kid has fun rather than and I are like all like just like like really like trying to figure out how to protect everything you know because at one point like I mean there was one of the kids that just like to eat food and but not eat it throw it away and everyone's like man like I would have eaten that and so well then I say well hey if their parents love to meet whatever and they can throw it away then we just need to put plan and make whatever we can that would be worth throwing away

It never works out to work without God, let alone to work against God and against His ways. It would not work out for Judah, and Habakkuk wondered in prayerful complaint to God why it seemed like corruption and violence were going unchecked (Habakkuk 1:1-4). God answered that the Chaldeans were coming, give it time, and they would make captives out of the covenant people who had become so corrupt (Habakkuk 1:5-11).

This provoked a deeper complaint from Habakkuk (Habakkuk 1:12-2:1). How could the brutal Babylonians be one of God's instruments to judge those who were, by comparison, at least some more righteous? The Lord's answer takes up Habakkuk 2:2-20.

In verses 2-5 the contrast is between the “puffed up” (mostly a reference to the Chaldeans) and the believers (which must have been only a small remnant in Judah). The arrogant were bent against what is right, the righteous keep living faithfully to God by faith. In verses 6-20 the Lord reveals what's coming to the Chaldeans. It will be the Lord's doing--so He is not letting them slide. And also, the Lord gives lines to the survivors.

Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say, (6a)

The these are "all nations" and "all peoples" from verse 5, those that Babylon swallows up. The him is the singular reference, not just to Nebuchadnezzar or one of his future heirs, but to the Chaldeans collectively.

There will be taunt or “taunt-song” (NASB), scoffing, and riddles for him, or these last two combined as a “taunting proverb” (KJV). The Chaldeans will become an international proverbial punchline. In Hebrew it’s easy to see multiple double-entendres, rhymes, and word plays. In a day that "will surely come" (2:2), the impossible will be possible, and the superpower will be the super-loser.

There will be taglines, ditties, jokes, one-liners. There will be memes, memes that are both clever and condemning, sober but with real faith-driven taunting.

While the “all these (who) take up their taunts” are those who are hurt by the Chaldeans, these taunts are by faith. The taunts are pre-captivity. They are announcing the woes before, because they ask “for how long?” They ask, “will not” these things happen, and talk about future tense, “the stone will cry out” and “the earth will be filled.” The just shall live in tension, and the just shall learn to taunt.

The Lord gives five smooth taunts (so to speak) for us to pick up and put in our verbal arsenal. While this is a big chunk, it's obvious that the woes address the same general group of people, and it's easy to outline, woe by woe. We won't cover every phrase, but we'll get the point. The puffed up will be poked at and put down.

There are also two key contrasts, one in verse 14 and another in verse 20. If living by faith is the key to Habakkuk, knowing what we're having faith for is what the key gets us into.

The first three woes have some similarity in taking someone else's stuff for opportunistic benefit, future security, and building a public name for oneself. Here is the first: Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own. In verse 8 the description is: you have plundered many nations, with plundering as violent acquisition of others goods and property, often during a time of disorder.

They would also make loans to survivors in defeated cities, to make even more from interest and exert their own power. But those debtors would come calling, and all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you. What goes around comes around isn't a Bible verse, and yet it is a pattern of Providence.

The second woe is looking not just to one's current bank account but to one's financial security, even legacy. Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house, and while that has application to his today, it probably means more about his future, with his house doing double duty as a reference to his property and posterity.

They were making piles of their riches, and trying to set themselves up to be unreachable, safe from the reach of harm! This is likely metaphorical, not topological; his nest is a reference to a secure place he puts valuable things (like we refer to our nest egg), not to a tall tree-house.

But cutting off many peoples to take his cut will result in cutting off his own life. And even the lifeless materials used for the walls will be a witness; the stone and the beam from the woodwork will cry out. When the sheetrock and two-by-fours mock you there will be no dynasty.

The third woe looks to those who want to extend the party to the city. These are a different sort of city planners, violent visionaries. Woe to him who builds a town with blood, and founds a city on iniquity.

This is the center woe, and verses 13 and 14 need some extra attention.

Behold, is it not from the LORD of hosts

Riddles and taunts have proverbial power, and this smells of Solomonic wisdom-cynicism. Only those with the perspective of faith, so those who can see beyond the sun by the Lord's Word, know that everything is vanity and striving after staying warm. They need fire so they don't have to eat raw meat, and they need fire so they don't have to freeze at night. Wow. Much impressing. Is that all you can do?

Whole nations weary themselves to get a big ZERO for what matters and what will last. This is the LORD's doing. He made it that way for the puffed up people. They think that they are glorious, that their progress is inevitable, and all their efforts are merely fuel for the fire.

By contrast,

For the earth will be filled

This is where I want to be, don't you? This is what we long for. This is the truest target for our "How long?"s.

See Numbers 14:21 for glory all over, along with Isaiah 11:9 with knowledge all over (as an explicit reference to the Messiah’s millennial kingdom), but Habakkuk makes clear: knowledge of the glory of the LORD.

Every thumb's-width. The rocks and the hills cry out. Deep and wide; deep calls to deep. Wherever there is sea there is water, it's a tautology, true by definition. Without waters there is no sea, and at the appointed time, there will be no spot on the planet that does not know the glory. Every measurement--height, depth, breadth, length, through and through. Everything not attached to this vision is vanity.

This hasn't happened yet. We don't even have cell signal covering everywhere yet, and while many of the taunts against Babylon are in syndication re-runs. This faith-stretching and faith-strengthening vision from the Lord to Habakkuk goes hard.

This woe is about gross levels of entertainment; it’s the back rooms in Hollywood and politician’s offices. Woe to him who makes his neighbors drink...in order to gaze at their nakedness.

Turns out, they will be made drunk and show off their own uncircumcision. They forced shame on others, you will have your fill of shame. The perversion they poured out will come back to them from the Lord.

Lebanon is mentioned in verse 17, a place of great trees, used for buildings and ships. Foreign rulers knew about this lush and productive forrest, and the Chaldeans must have wrecked it for sake of their aesthetic selfishness. Such violence would be done back on them.

Here is the last woe, which could be the first in terms of a motivation for their violence and greed and debauchery and shamelessness. They were following the counsel of silent idols.

We become like who or what we worship. And the Chaldeans became profitless, the product of lies and fake news. Speechless idols is the phrase ʾilləmîm ʾeălîlîm, or “dumb nothingness,” a mute nonentity. Their gods are laughably silent.

Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise.

It's all show, all smoke, all veneer of gold and silver but there is no breath in it. This is insult to idolatry.

But the LORD is in his holy temple;

We sing it, ironically then not being silent. And, it's ironic that this verse leads to Habakkuk's response of a song in all of chapter 3. But the puffed up really should shut their mouths and reckon with the LORD.

Faith is trust in tension, and these lines given by the Lord are so the just will learn to taunt by faith. They are not taunts down as a power play, they are taunts up to those in unrighteous power. These are not taunts to the broken and humbled, but to those who are puffed up. These are not even taunts after the fact, but in faith trusting that the Lord is now in His holy temple.

Not everyone needs to put a taunt in their Twitter bio. And, not everyone who taunts does it by faith for the glory of the Lord. But the just know that Habakkuk 2:14 is the great telos of our faith, the end for which God created the world. Woe to all who work against it.

The righteous shall see and fear and laugh at those who will not make God their refuge, who trust in the abundance of their riches. The righteous seek refuge in the anointed Son, and “blessed are all who take refuge in Him.” Remember all that is yours as those who are Christ's.

[May you] have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:18–19 ESV)

It never works out to work without God, let alone to work against God and against His ways. It would not work out for Judah, and Habakkuk wondered in prayerful complaint to God why it seemed like corruption and violence were going unchecked (Habakkuk 1:1-4). God answered that the Chaldeans were coming, give it time, and they would make captives out of the covenant people who had become so corrupt (Habakkuk 1:5-11).

This provoked a deeper complaint from Habakkuk (Habakkuk 1:12-2:1). How could the brutal Babylonians be one of God's instruments to judge those who were, by comparison, at least some more righteous? The Lord's answer takes up Habakkuk 2:2-20.

In verses 2-5 the contrast is between the “puffed up” (mostly a reference to the Chaldeans) and the believers (which must have been only a small remnant in Judah). The arrogant were bent against what is right, the righteous keep living faithfully to God by faith. In verses 6-20 the Lord reveals what's coming to the Chaldeans. It will be the Lord's doing--so He is not letting them slide. And also, the Lord gives lines to the survivors.

> Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say, (6a)

The **these** are "all nations" and "all peoples" from verse 5, those that Babylon swallows up. The **him** is the singular reference, not just to Nebuchadnezzar or one of his future heirs, but to the Chaldeans collectively.

There will be **taunt** or “taunt-song” (NASB), **scoffing**, and **riddles for him**, or these last two combined as a “taunting proverb” (KJV). The Chaldeans will become an international proverbial punchline. In Hebrew it’s easy to see multiple double-entendres, rhymes, and word plays. In a day that "will surely come" (2:2), the impossible will be possible, and the superpower will be the super-loser.

There will be taglines, ditties, jokes, one-liners. There will be memes, memes that are both clever and condemning, sober but with real *faith-driven taunting*.

While the “all these (who) take up their taunts” are those who are hurt by the Chaldeans, these taunts are *by faith*. The taunts are pre-captivity. They are announcing the woes *before*, because they ask “for how long?” They ask, “will not” these things happen, and talk about future tense, “the stone will cry out” and “the earth will be filled.” The just shall live in tension, and *the just shall learn to taunt*.

The Lord gives five smooth taunts (so to speak) for us to pick up and put in our verbal arsenal. While this is a big chunk, it's obvious that the woes address the same general group of people, and it's easy to outline, woe by woe. We won't cover every phrase, but we'll get the point. The puffed up will be poked at and put down.

There are also two key contrasts, one in verse 14 and another in verse 20. If living by faith is the key to Habakkuk, knowing what we're having faith *for* is what the key gets us into.

# Woe to those who take what isn't theirs. (verses 6b-8)

The first three woes have some similarity in taking someone else's stuff for opportunistic benefit, future security, and building a public name for oneself. Here is the first: **Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own**. In verse 8 the description is: **you have plundered many nations**, with plundering as violent acquisition of others goods and property, often during a time of disorder.

They would also make loans to survivors in defeated cities, to make even more from interest and exert their own power. But those **debtors** would come calling, and **all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you.** What goes around comes around isn't a Bible verse, and yet it is a pattern of Providence.

# Woe to those who seek selfish security. (verses 9-11)

The second woe is looking not just to one's current bank account but to one's financial security, even legacy. **Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house**, and while that has application to his today, it probably means more about his future, with **his house** doing double duty as a reference to his property and posterity.

They were making piles of their riches, and trying to set themselves up to be unreachable, **safe from the reach of harm!** This is likely metaphorical, not topological; **his nest** is a reference to a secure place he puts valuable things (like we refer to our nest egg), not to a tall tree-house.

But **cutting off many peoples** to take his cut will result in cutting off his own life. And even the lifeless materials used for the walls will be a witness; the **stone** and the **beam from the woodwork** will cry out. When the sheetrock and two-by-fours mock you there will be no dynasty.

# Woe to those who build by blood. (verses 12-14)

The third woe looks to those who want to extend the party to the city. These are a different sort of city planners, violent visionaries. **Woe to him who builds a town with blood, and founds a city on iniquity.**

This is the center woe, and verses 13 and 14 need some extra attention.

> Behold, is it not from the LORD of hosts

> that people labor merely for fire,

> and nations weary themselves for nothing? (verse 13)

Riddles and taunts have proverbial power, and this smells of Solomonic wisdom-cynicism. Only those with the perspective of faith, so those who can see beyond the sun by the Lord's Word, know that everything is vanity and striving after staying warm. They need fire so they don't have to eat raw meat, and they need fire so they don't have to freeze at night. Wow. Much impressing. Is that all you can do?

Whole **nations weary themselves** to get a big ZERO for what matters and what will last. This is the LORD's doing. He made it that way for the puffed up people. They *think* that they are glorious, that their progress is inevitable, and all their efforts are merely fuel for the fire.

By contrast,

> For the earth will be filled

> with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD

> as the waters cover the sea. (verse 14)

This is where I want to be, don't you? This is what we long for. This is the truest target for our "How long?"s.

See Numbers 14:21 for glory all over, along with Isaiah 11:9 with knowledge all over (as an explicit reference to the Messiah’s millennial kingdom), but Habakkuk makes clear: ***knowledge* of the *glory* of the LORD**.

Every thumb's-width. The rocks and the hills cry out. Deep and wide; deep calls to deep. Wherever there is sea there is water, it's a tautology, true by definition. Without waters there is no sea, and at the appointed time, there will be no spot on the planet that does not *know* the glory. Every measurement--height, depth, breadth, length, through and through. Everything not attached to this vision is vanity.

This hasn't happened yet. We don't even have cell signal covering everywhere yet, and while many of the taunts against Babylon are in syndication re-runs. This faith-stretching and faith-strengthening vision from the Lord to Habakkuk goes *hard*.

# Woe to those who degrade others for pleasure. (verses 15-17)

This woe is about gross levels of entertainment; it’s the back rooms in Hollywood and politician’s offices. **Woe to him who makes his neighbors drink...in order to gaze at their nakedness.**

Turns out, they will be made drunk and show off their own uncircumcision. They forced shame on others, **you will have your fill of shame**. The perversion they poured out will come back to them from the Lord.

**Lebanon** is mentioned in verse 17, a place of great trees, used for buildings and ships. Foreign rulers knew about this lush and productive forrest, and the Chaldeans must have wrecked it for sake of their aesthetic selfishness. Such violence would be done back on them.

# Woe to those who listen to silent gods. (verses 18-20)

Here is the last woe, which could be the first in terms of a motivation for their violence and greed and debauchery and shamelessness. They were following the counsel of silent idols.

We become like who or what we worship. And the Chaldeans became profitless, the product of lies and fake news. **Speechless idols** is the phrase * ʾilləmîm ʾeălîlîm*, or “dumb nothingness,” a mute nonentity. Their gods are laughably silent.

**Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise. **

It's all show, all smoke, all veneer of **gold and silver** but **there is no breath in it.** This is insult to idolatry.

> But the LORD is in his holy temple;

> let all the earth keep silence before him. (verse 20)

We sing it, ironically then not being silent. And, it's ironic that this verse leads to Habakkuk's response of a *song* in all of chapter 3. But the puffed up really should shut their mouths and reckon with the LORD.

# Conclusion

Faith is trust in tension, and these lines given by the Lord are so the just will learn to taunt by faith. They are not taunts *down* as a power play, they are taunts up to those in unrighteous power. These are not taunts to the broken and humbled, but to those who are puffed up. These are not even taunts after the fact, but in faith trusting that the Lord is *now* in His holy temple.

Not everyone needs to put a taunt in their Twitter bio. And, not everyone who taunts does it by faith for the glory of the Lord. But the just know that Habakkuk 2:14 is the great telos of our faith, the end for which God created the world. *Woe* to all who work against it.

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## Charge

The righteous shall see and fear and laugh at those who will not make God their refuge, who trust in the abundance of their riches. The righteous seek refuge in the anointed Son, and “blessed are all who take refuge in Him.” Remember all that is yours as those who are Christ's.

## Benediction:

> [May you] have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:18–19 ESV)

There are only two kinds of people in the world: those who break down everything into twos and those who don't. We can get ourselves confused by trying to make some things too simple, but we can also confuse ourselves making the simple complex.

In the world that God made, we can either love Him or not, either be in fellowship with Him or out. We can be righteous or in some level of rebellion. We can trust Him, or trust something or someone less wise and strong as Him. Some are of the seed of the serpent, some are of the seed of the woman, and the difference is where they put their faith.

God tells us what to want and how to get it. He tells us the dangers of wanting other things as well as the consequences of wanting the right things but pursuing them the wrong way. What is before us is one or the other: life or vanity.

We are about to hear the Lord's response to Habakkuk's second complaint. Habakkuk lamented the violence in Judah (and for interesting/ironic connection, in Hebrew the word for violence is pronounced (c)hamas), and the Lord replied that He was raising up the Babylonians to take the covenant people captive. Habakkuk questioned this, because how could it be right to punish the wicked by the hands of even more wicked? We're about to see; the Lord's answer takes up the rest of Habakkuk 2.

There are two parts to the reply, and the second part comes in five WOES in verses 6-20. But in verses 2-5 we get what is arguably the key to Habakkuk’s book and burden. It is no exaggeration to say that it is the key to life.

Here is not merely a reply, but dependable revelation for Habakkuk and all who would hear him.

And the LORD answered me:

The content of the vision will come in verse 4, with clarification in verse 5. The capture of the vision should be written on tablets, which is unique (an article and plural), and even echoes the writing of the 10 Commandments on two tablets. There is a permanence to this vision: etched in stone. There will be relevance beyond Habakkuk’s day.

This will also make it so he may run who reads it, which either means simple like a sign/billboard that's legible for someone running by it or simple for sake of a herald rushing around to give the announcement.

The context of the vision is that it will take place soon but not immediately. As the Babylonians were appointed, so the vision is appointed, and certain, it will surely come. From Habakkuk's standpoint it might seem slow, but getting all the pieces in place in the Middle East is always a work of God.

We don’t even know what the announcement is yet, but here is a call for faith in tension. Knowing that it will be, but not knowing when.

The vision narrows the options to the binary.

“Behold, his soul is puffed up;

"Look at this," says the Lord, Behold. The his is a collective reference to the Babylonians, and the Lord gets right to the heart: his soul and within him.

Two problems: puffed up and not upright. The second half of the verse shows the contrast, and it is critical. The puffed up man is bloated, swollen with the hot air of autonomy. Hw worships his own strength (see Habakkuk 1:11). They've made a massive miscalculation at the very core of decision making—trusting themselves, and so all the other decisions/judgments of right will be skewed.

But the righteous shall live by his faith. We know that Paul quoted this in his letter to the Romans (1:17) and Galatians (3:11) contrasting justification by works with justification by faith. And we see how this word to Habakkuk belongs in that discussion. But Habakkuk's concern and context was different, and this revelation has to do with how you'd get into Hebrews 11 (as evidenced by the quote of Habakkuk 2:4 at the end of Hebrews 10:38) not how you'd get into heaven.

The righteous are the “just” (KJV). The Lord does not tell Habakkuk that those with faith will be counted righteous (which is true), but that those who are righteous will live (in ongoing righteous conduct) by faith, in systemic trust. Trusting God is how they live their lives, trust in the Lord touches everything. It turns out that the righteous here start by faith as well, humble before the Lord rather than puffed up in self. But they live from faith to faith, by their “faithfulness.”

By faith, Habakkuk and those who listened to him accepted God’s judgment and were taken into captivity. By faith they sought the good of the foreign city (per Jeremiah 29:7). By faith they returned to the land (Ezra and Nehemiah). By faith they fought and built, Jerusalem’s walls and temple.

What living by faith did not allow was pietistic passivity. The faith of the righteous was enfleshed.

Before the five woes of the Lord’s judgment there is a bit about the drunken deceit brought by the Babylonians on themselves.

“Moreover, wine is a traitor,

It’s an interesting personification of wine. Later copies changed it the word to "wealth," and that would work, but wine does even deeper work by analogy. Their self-trust, like wine, went to their head (Baker).

God says that wine gladdens a man's heart, but if not received as a gift, it can turn a man into its slave, and so an addict, always needing more. The Babylonians would be drunk on their power and luxuries, and like Sheol or the grave, never satisfied. This vision from the Lord shows that they will get what they want, and be consumed by their consuming.

As a comment about Babylon’s coming judgement, we know that Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar’s son, was in the middle of a feast where he called for the gold and silver cups from Jerusalem’s temple to be brought for drinking (Daniel 5:1-4). That was his last night in power, his last night alive (Daniel 5:30-31), and the last night of Babylon’s reign.

We hate tension, so we seek fun/distraction rather than live by faith. We hate tension, so we use force/power to get to the expectation our way, and faster, no waiting required.

Faith is trust in tension. Faith is the assurance of better but later. Faith fights doubting and double-mindedness (see these opposites of faith in James 1:6-8). Faith is lifestyle. Enfleshed faith, put flesh to faith, not flesh rather than faith.

Sell, spank, read, write, vote, run, lift, mow, build, brew, study, teach, play, sleep, laugh, love, and do it all because of humble dependence on the Lord. Faith knows that unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Faith also knows that when the Lord builds the house He’ll call us to get off the couch.

You must not be puffed up, and you have no excuse to be passive. You must not be puffed up, and so you had better pray before and during and after whatever work you offer to the Lord. You must not be puffed up, nor puff up any other man, any politician or political scheme, as if we could even make a seed grow let alone make a soul repent, or a nation.

The contrast is not between quiet-internal-right-thoughts (faith) and doing things (works); Hebrews 11 is filled with active/living faith-ers. But, what/who are we trusting in while in tension? Faith is the key to Habakkuk’s burden, and the only way for the righteous to live.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

May your hands be ever faithful and never manipulative.

[M]ay our God make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:11–12 ESV)