Christ in Habakkuk -- The God of Our Salvation

The prophet, Habakkuk, wrote his book just before Nebuchadnezzar first invaded Judah in 605 B.C.  As we have studied in the other prophetic books, God’s people had turned from worshiping Him, neglected His laws, and had adopted a lifestyle of idolatry and complacency.  Habakkuk’s contemporaries, Isaiah and Jeremiah, described the king of Judah, Jehoiakim, and his kingdom’s people in the following verses:

This faithful town has become a prostitute! She was full of justice; righteousness lived in her—but now murderers. Your princes are rebels, companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and pursues gifts. They don’t defend the orphan and the widow’s cause never reaches them. (Isaiah 1:21, 23)

But you set your eyes and heart on nothing but unjust gain; you spill the blood of the innocent; you practice cruelty; you oppress your subjects. (Jeremiah 22:17)

In the first chapter of his book, Habakkuk questions God.  He cries out to God, pleading with Him to end the wickedness, violence, and injustice that surrounds him.  And immediately, God answers him:

“Look among the nations and watch—be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days which you would not believe, though it were told you. For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans, a bitter and hasty nation which marches through the breadth of the earth, to possess dwelling places that are not theirs.” (Habakkuk 1:5-6)

But Habakkuk didn’t like the answer God gave.  The Chaldeans (Babylonians) were even more evil than the Judeans!

Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You cannot look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor on those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they? (Habakkuk 1:13, New American Standard)

I love this section of the book of Habakkuk.  It shows us that Habakkuk was just like us!  Even though he loved God and he knew that God is holy and righteous, he also knew that God was patient and kind.  He was not afraid to question God in reverence and in complete faith.  We see in the first verse of chapter two how the prophet waited in eager anticipation for God’s answer and instruction.  This verse should be a verse we all remember every day as we look for God’s answers to all our questions and as we seek to follow him in every step we take every day of our lives:

I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected. (Habakkuk 2:1)

Immediately, we read God’s answer to Habakkuk’s questions.  First of all, God tells Habakkuk to write down His answer.  He wanted all the people who were about to suffer under His judgment to understand why they were being judged and to understand what He requires of His people.  Next we read God’s two-fold answer.

First, God’s timing is not necessarily OUR timing, but His timing is perfect: 

For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. (Habakkuk 2:3)

And second, the overarching theme of Habakkuk’s prophecy, God expects His people to live by faith:

Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2:4)

These two themes, repeated over and over in this book, point to the coming of Christ, who is our ultimate Judge, but also who is our Salvation.  All the sacrifices and traditions of the Jewish people were only tools which pointed to the coming Christ, right on schedule with God’s perfect timetable:

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:4-5)

And God is still working according to His own timetable.  As we anticipate the second coming of Jesus Christ, we often wonder, “How much violence, injustice, and evil can God stand?  Why is God allowing His people to be marginalized, persecuted, and even beheaded by an evil, terrorist faction?  When will You send Your Son to save us and rule on earth?”  His answer is found, not only in Habakkuk, but also in the words of Peter.

But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. (1 Peter 3:8-9)

And God still expects His people to be a people of faith – not a blind faith, but a faith in Him, knowing all His attributes: knowing that He is righteous and just, and that He cannot tolerate evil; knowing that He loves all his creation, and that He does not want any man to perish in his sin; knowing that He sent His son to die for us, even for those who hate us and would do us harm; knowing that He is patient and longsuffering, but that His patience will someday end; knowing that He is jealous and is not tolerant of our indifference to Him; knowing that He Is Who He Is, not some god we might create in our imagination to be the kind of god we want Him to be:

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17)

But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” (Galatians 3:11)

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

“For I am the Lord, I do not change.” Malachi 3:6a

Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3:13-14)

The book of Habakkuk ends with chapter three, in which the prophet praises God with a psalm.  Even in his psalm, Habakkuk looks forward to the coming God of Salvation:

You went forth for the salvation of Your people, for salvation with Your Anointed. You struck the head from the house of the wicked, by laying bare from foundation to neck. Selah. You thrust through with his own arrows…  (Habakkuk 3:13-14a)

The word, “Selah,” might be translated, “Stop and think about that!”  So, let’s stop and think about what that verse says!  God, Himself, provided for the salvation of His people.  He did not leave it to us to do enough good works or to offer enough sacrifices.  HE provided for our salvation with His Anointed, Jesus Christ.  When Christ was crucified, He conquered Satan who is the chief, the head of the house of the wicked.  And how did Christ achieve our salvation?  He used the cross, Satan’s own device, his own arrows, meant for Christ's death, to bring us life!  Stop and think about that!

This week, I hope you will join me in praying, just as Habakkuk did, for God to make Himself known to the nations of our world, in anger, but showing mercy:

Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.  (Habakkuk 3:2, New International Version)

Unless otherwise indicated, scripture is from New King James Version

Christ in Nahum -- The Comfort of God

The prophet Nahum (Hebrew for “comforter” or “consoler”) tells us that he was an Elkoshite, probably referring to the area where he lived.  We cannot say for sure, but some people believe that Nahum was from the city later called Capernaum, which means “the village of Nahum,” on the Sea of Galilee.  It doesn’t much matter, but I like thinking that he came from the area where Jesus later walked and calmed the sea, especially because one of the major themes of his prophetic book is the comfort of God.  His book was written sometime between 663 B.C. (the date of the destruction of the Egyptian city of Thebes) and 612 B.C. (the date when Nineveh was destroyed).  Nahum referred to the destruction of Thebes:  

Are you better than Thebes, situated on the Nile, with water around her? (Nahum 3:8, New International Version)

And he warned of the eminent destruction of Nineveh, the oldest and largest of the Assyrian cities, near modern day Mosul in Iraq.  This is the same Nineveh where Jonah preached, some 100 - 150 years earlier.  Nineveh repented, but apparently they failed to pass on what they had heard from Jonah to their children and grandchildren, since by the time Nahum wrote, the city had returned to her evil, wicked ways.  (We need to remember this, lest we fail to teach our children and our grandchildren all that we know about God, His sovereignty, His justice, and His love for us.) They had become even more violent, they had returned to the worship of idols, and they were arrogant, even seeing themselves as equals to God.  They were especially brutal in their conquests, not just conquering other kingdoms, but hanging the bodies of their victims on poles and putting their skins on the walls of their tents.  In chapter 1 of Nahum, we see God’s judgment against Nineveh described in minute detail.  In 612 B.C. Nineveh was utterly destroyed, exactly as Nahum had predicted.  

But with an overwhelming flood He will make an end of Nineveh; He will pursue his foes into the realm of darkness. (Nahum 1:8, New International Version)

I will leave it to you to read the short, three chapters of Nahum for all the details.  As you read it, especially the first chapter, know that Nineveh’s destruction was so complete that the exact location of the city was unknown until archeologists found its ruins in 1841 A.D., almost 2500 years later.

God’s sovereign judgment is definitely a major theme of this book, but we are assured that God is not indiscriminate in His wrath and anger.  He reserves His wrath for those who oppose Him:

 

God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; The Lord avenges and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies; (Nahum 1:2, New King James Version)

God’s people, Judah, took great comfort in the fact that God would avenge the evil that had been done to them by the Assyrians.  And that comfort is the theme where I want to focus our attention today.  We are told in Malachi 3:6, “I am the Lord, and I do not change,” so we can be assured that God is still jealous, He still avenges, and He is still furious with those who oppose Him.  He will still take vengeance on His adversaries, and He still reserves His wrath for His enemies. 

Just as we have seen in all the other prophetic books, we see God’s comfort in Nahum:

Although I have afflicted you, Judah, I will afflict you no more. Now I will break their yoke from your neck and tear your shackles away. (Nahum 1:12b – 13, New King James Version)

Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace! Celebrate your festivals, Judah, and fulfill your vows. No more will the wicked invade you; they will be completely destroyed. (Nahum 1:15, New King James Version)

Not only were those words a comfort to Judah at that time, they also look to the coming of Jesus, the Prince of Peace!

 

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the Lord returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes. Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem. (Isaiah 52:7-9, New King James Version)

Paul repeats this verse when he refers to Jesus in Romans 10:15 (New King James Version), “And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’”

God has made peace with us through the blood of Jesus Christ.  We each deserve His wrath and punishment, but when we accept the sin sacrifice paid for us by Jesus, we are declared innocent by our merciful, gracious God.

This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him. (John 3:16-18, The Message)

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7, New International Version) 

The book of Nahum even looks forward to the time to come, when Jesus comes again, places His feet on Mt. Zion, and rules there in His Kingdom! 

Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion. (Revelation 14:1a, New International Version)

Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. (Psalm 2:6-7, King James Version)

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. (Hebrews 12:22-24, New International Version)

I hope you will join me this week as I praise God, just as Nahum did in chapter 1, verse 7, and as I renew my commitment of my will to His:

 

(You, oh Lord, are) good, (my) refuge in times of trouble.  (You) care for those who trust in You!  (Help me to know You better.  Help me to trust You more. Take my life, and use it for Your purposes.  Amen.)

Christ in Micah -- The Everlasting Ruler

The prophet Micah lived in an area near Jerusalem, and he preached at the same time as Isaiah, about 700 B.C.  Much of this book’s seven chapters are dedicated to warning the divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel of their coming destruction by the Assyrians.  The reasons for God’s judgment are spelled out in chapter two. Chapter three continues with God’s indictment against His people, and especially against those who claimed to be His prophets, but were, instead, leading the people away from Him, taking bribes, and preaching only what made the people feel good (and give more generously to those greedy, self-serving priests).  Then, skipping to chapters six and seven, we see God’s indictments against His chosen people and their replies – much like a formal hearing in a courtroom.  By the end of that hearing, beginning in chapter seven, we see Israel’s desperate reply, “Woe is me!”  The case was made against God’s people and they knew it.  But the book ends with an epilogue, assuring God’s chosen people that the coming destruction would not be their final judgment, but only a temporary punishment for their disobedience.    We have seen this pattern of prophecy all through the books we have been studying over the last several weeks – a coming judgment, the reason for the judgment, and a promise of restoration.

But since we are specifically looking for Christ in every book of the Bible, it is most important for us to look at the middle of the book of Micah.  Chapters four and five might be seen as set apart in parentheses in the middle of all of Micah’s dire prophecy.  Here, in the middle of the doom and gloom of disobedience and punishment, we see God’s promise of deliverance -- Messiah!

Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it. (Micah 4:1)

Beginning with this verse through verse eight, Micah describes the Millennial Kingdom which Christ will rule from His throne on Mt. Zion.  Then, beginning in verse nine Micah describes the suffering that will precede Christ’s earthly Kingdom, the tribulation.  Then, in chapter five, Micah gets very specific with his prophecy.  He predicts the birth of Jesus Christ in the little town of Bethlehem, His first coming:

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me, The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2)

And then in the verses following, Micah proclaims His second coming and His rule in peace over a reunited Israel:

And He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord His God; and they shall abide, for now He shall be great to the ends of the earth; and this One shall be peace. (Micah 5:4-5)

As exciting as it is to read about the second coming of Jesus Christ and His Millennial Kingdom, we need to be careful to take to heart the judgment and chastisement that Micah was preaching to God’s people.  After all, we are not that different from them, and we need to be careful that we do not fall into the same traps that they did.  As much as I love God, and as much as I love to study His Word, I can fall into bad habits of idolatry (worshiping the gods of self, political correctness, expediency, laziness, worldliness, etc.)  I sometimes jump headlong into worry, rather than into prayer.  I sometimes place my faith in politicians or earthly governments to fix my problems, rather than trusting God who loves me and knows what is best for me.  I sometimes waste my time and energy on things that have no eternal value, rather than investing in things that matter to God.  I sometimes forget to thank God for all He does for me and praise Him for all that He is.  If Christ returns today, I hope He will find me being faithful and obedient to Him.  So my prayer this week will be taken from Micah 7:7-8.  Even though I know I will still fail from time to time, I will trust God to pick me up and forgive me.  I trust that He will not allow Satan to find any pleasure in my life.  I hope you will join me in this prayer:

I will look to (You,) the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; (You,) my God will hear me. Do not (allow my enemy to) rejoice over me; when I fall, I will arise; when I sit in darkness, The Lord will be a light to me.

All Scripture is from New King James Version

Christ in Jonah -- The Peace of God

Almost any child who has been to Sunday School can tell you the story of Jonah, the prophet that God sent to preach repentance to the evil Assyrians in Nineveh.  Jonah, being a proper Jew, did not want to defile himself by going into the city of Nineveh, even though God had sent him there.  Instead, Jonah went in the opposite direction, away from Nineveh.  Because of his disobedience, God caused a great storm to endanger the boat on which Jonah was sailing.  When crew members discovered Jonah sleeping below deck, they blamed him for the storm and threw him overboard.  Jonah was then swallowed by a great fish where he languished for three days until the fish vomited him up onto the shore.  There Jonah repented from his disobedience and went to Nineveh, preaching as he went.  All the people in Nineveh listened to what he had to say and turned to God and believed Him.  As a result of their obedience, God spared Nineveh from destruction.  Rather than being happy for God’s compassion on those “foreign” people, Jonah sulked.  He allowed His pride in his Jewish heritage to blind him to the fact that God loves all people, even those who were of a different background, nation, and lineage.  The book of Jonah ends with a picture of a very angry, bitter man.  He had reluctantly obeyed God, but we are not shown that he ever developed a heart of compassion and brotherly love for anyone except for his own people.

We can see a lot of parallels between Jonah and Jesus Christ.  Remember what I wrote in a previous blog, when we are given a “type” of Christ, the “type” always falls short of the Real Thing.  So, for all the parallels between Jonah and Christ, there are also many, many differences.  Today we will examine some of the parallels, and at the same time, mention some of the differences.  I’m sure there are more, so, as I always say, I hope you will read the book for yourself and see what God reveals to you.

• Jonah’s name means “dove,” and we all know that the dove is a symbol of peace.  Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I give to you not as the world gives. Don’t be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27)

• Both were from the area of Galilee.

He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamath to the Dead Sea, in accordance with the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher (5 miles from Galilee). (2 Kings 14:25)

They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.” (John 7:52)

• God sent Jonah to preach repentance to a Gentile city; Jesus came to bring repentance to all the nations.  Jonah first disobeyed, then went reluctantly because he had been punished; Jesus came willingly because of His great love for us.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” (Matthew 28:18-19)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. (Romans 1:16)

• Both Jonah and Jesus slept on a boat during a storm.  The crews of each boat woke the sleeping prophet and looked to him to calm the storm:  Jonah was thrown overboard, but Jesus rebuked the storm.

Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish. . .”  “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” (Jonah 1:4-6, 12)

Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. (Matthew 8:23-26)

• Jonah told the sailors what needed to be done to calm the sea (throw him overboard), but the sailors thought they knew better.  Rather than obeying Jonah, they tried to save themselves by their own strength and knowledge of the sea.  Jesus paid the price for our stormy, sin-filled lives, but we often try to save ourselves through our own good works and our own “wisdom” and philosophies.

Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. (Jonah 1:13)

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

• The sailors who “sacrificed” Jonah knew that he was innocent; those who sent Jesus Christ to the cross knew He was innocent.

Then they cried out to the Lord, “Please, Lord, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, Lord, have done as you pleased.” (Jonah 1:14)

Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.” (Luke 23:4)

When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” (Matthew 27:3-4)

• When Jonah was swallowed by the great fish he spent three days in its belly.  This is a picture of Jesus Christ in the tomb for three days.  Some theologians believe Jonah actually died when the fish swallowed him and was resurrected on the third day, just as Christ actually died on the cross, was buried, and was resurrected on the third day.  However, the second chapter of Jonah tells us that he prayed from the belly of the fish.  It really doesn’t matter, since, remember, the story of Jonah is only a picture of what was to come in Christ.  It is not intended be identical.

Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (Jonah 1:17)

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (Matthew 12:40 -- note that this was Jesus speaking of His own burial and resurrection, likening it to Jonah’s experience.)

• After Jonah was released from the belly of the great fish, he went to Nineveh preaching that the city would be destroyed in 40 days unless the people repented.  After Jesus Christ’s resurrection, He taught His followers for 40 days before He ascended to Heaven.

Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” (Jonah 3:4)

After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3)

• Jonah taught that God’s judgment would be severe, but that God would be merciful if they repented.  Jesus taught the same thing, that sin brings judgment, but salvation is a gift from God.

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. (Jonah 3:10)

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:17-18)

After all the parallels we have seen between Jonah and Christ, I think it is very sad to see the end of the book, when Jonah pouts about the salvation of Nineveh.  God still had work to do in Jonah’s heart, and I like to think that eventually Jonah came around to see that God’s love is big enough for all people.  We aren’t told as much, but I like a happy ending.  But the happy ending we can all glean from this story is that God does not use perfect people to tell His story.  He works with flawed people to achieve His purpose.  He used a reluctant, unloving Jonah; He used an impulsive, denying Peter; He used a brutal Saul of Tarsus (Paul); He wants to use you and me.  God doesn’t use perfect people, but He calls people to perfection through the redemption of Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

My prayer for you and for me this week comes from Jonah’s prayer.  I hope you will join me in a renewed commitment to follow God down whatever path He leads with praise in our mouths, sacrificing whatever time, whatever friendship, whatever cost it takes to be obedient to Him and to Him alone:

But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’ (Jonah 2:9)

All scripture is from the New International Version.