For today, One Year Bible Online links here. Christmas is coming soon. Let us remember what it is truly about, the birth of Jesus Christ. Let us strive to not be caught up in the commercialism which is what this season is about for many in our society today.
Never slander someone to their employer. This does not mean that you cannot make a legitimate complaint, but if you complain to someone’s boss make sure that what you say is fair and honest.
There will be those who will encourage us to celebrate that which should be mourned and will call on us to forget that which should never be forgotten. Let us dedicate our hearts to remembering and celebrating the joys of following God and reject the call to forget what God has done for us.
My father said that the locusts which John describes in this passage sounded like military helicopters to him. Reading it now, they remind me of military drones. Whatever John is describing, a key part of this vision is that they will inflict excruciating pain for five months on those who do not have God’s seal on their forehead. Those who suffer this pain will wish they could die, but they will not do so.
After the locusts are done another terror will strike. The next terror sounds like a conquering army that will kill one third of everybody on earth. The army will be mounted on horses that breathe fire, smoke, and sulfur. Once again the description sounds like modern military equipment. John tells us that those who survive will not repent of their multitude of sins. They will continue to prefer the worship of man-made idols to the worship of the living God.
When Habakkuk cries out to God demanding to know how long until God brings judgement on the wicked and violent, God replies that He is about to do something which no one would believe if they were told about it. This statement is something for us to remember. I believe that in every generation that God does things which if you told people it was coming, no one would believe you. I know of several things which have happened in my lifetime that I would not have believed before they happened. So, let us look and be amazed at what God is doing.
Then Habakkuk complains about the destruction which God is bringing. God tells him that He will make it plain. Those who put their trust in themselves will see their trust betrayed. The righteous will live by their faith in God and that faith will be rewarded. Those who trust their safety and future to their wealth and power will experience great sorrow.
I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.
Habakkuk begins by crying out to God and asking Him how long will He wait before He acts. Habakkuk describes a time when the wicked far outnumber the righteous and justice has become perverted as a result. God responds to Habakkuk’s complaint by pointing out that He was raising up Babylon to bring judgment against the wicked. Included in God’s response was a reminder that just because God was going to use the Babylonians to do His will it did not mean that the Babylonians were not sinners. God tells Habakkuk that He will not completely wipe out His people, He will rescue those who rely on God.
God may allow the proud and arrogant to prosper for a time, but sorrow awaits those who use violence or deception to gain wealth and power. Those who trust in their own creations will discover that their sins come back upon them. In our time of need, God will help us if we rely on Him and trust His name. Even in His anger, He will be more merciful than we deserve. God will march forth in anger to rescue those who faithfully serve Him. He will bring destruction on those who think that they can prey upon the righteous. Even in the midst of my struggles, even when things still seem to be going wrong, I will rejoice in the Lord and have faith in His wonderful love.
John describes what he sees when the fifth and sixth trumpets sound. With the fifth trumpet a cloud of locusts would swarm the earth, bringing harm only to those people who did not bear the seal of God on their foreheads. They would bring such terror that those they descended upon would desire to die, but be unable to do so. When the sixth trumpet sounds, the four angels prepared for this day would be released. They would lead an army of 200 million mounted troops. This mighty army would spread plagues of fire, smoke, and burning sulfur throughout the earth. Despite these troubles, those who survived would refuse to repent and turn to God. They would continue to worship things of this earth and in their sins of murder, witchcraft, sexual immorality, and theft. Let us pray for our friends and those God brings us into contact with that they may turn from their sins and accept God’s wonderful grace. But let us also remember that there are those who will refuse to give up their sins, even in the face of the most terrible experiences imaginable. Everyone must decide for themselves to accept, or not, God’s wonderful grace, and each person will receive the consequences of their decision.
This is a difficult psalm for me, but it reminds us that there are times when songs of happiness and joy are inappropriate. There are times for mourning and crying out to the Lord, rather than of joy and happiness.
This proverb warns against slandering (falsely claiming someone did something wrong) an employee to his employer. If you do you will anger the one you slandered and pay the price for your lies.
I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them. I hope that the Spirit is moving in others through these posts as the Spirit has definitely been convicting me.
The opening lines of Habakkuk are so appropriate right now considering the events of last week, but they would be appropriate even if the events of last friday had not happened.
How long, O Lord, must I call for help?
But you do not listen!
“Violence is everywhere!” I cry,
but you do not come to save.
Must I forever see these evil deeds?
Why must I watch all this misery?
Wherever I look,
I see destruction and violence.
We see violence and evil deeds around us all the time. We hear the cry of “Where was God when this happened?” But the problem of violence and evil deeds is not just the events like the school shooting on Friday, or the shooting in the movie theater some months back. Our cities have shootings every week, people are killed with violence. I am not going to go into a list of all the murders in our major cities, but it is in the hundreds. Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence.
God replies to Habakkuk’s lament;
“Look around at the nations;
look and be amazed!
For I am doing something in your own day,
something you wouldn’t believe
even if someone told you about it.”
God is going to do something about the wicked. Something we will not believe until it happens. I believe it will be something that few would believe, something that if you were told “God is going to address this problem by doing X,” you would respond, “How will that help?” We as a Church need to pray about the violence in our country and in our world. We need to pray for God’s Spirit to move in the hearts of people to bring about change.
God told Habakkuk that He was bringing the Babylonians to punish the wicked in Judah, but that the Babylonians were deeply guilty because they worshiped their own strength. Habakkuk responded to God’s declaration of the judgment He was bringing to ask if He was going to allow the Babylonians to continue to think that their success was due to their own might. Would God let them get away with crediting their success to something other than God?
God replies once more by telling Habakkuk to be patient, judgment may seem slow in coming but it will surely come. It will come in its time and will not be delayed. The proud trust in themselves but they do not do what is right. The righteous, on the other hand, live by their faithfulness to God. The proud stand forth and brag of their might and wealth, but God tells them that soon they will be humiliated. He tells the prophet that those who gained wealth through extortion and murder will experience great sorrow. Wealth will not buy security, those who have striven to set themselves up as powers that will not be accountable to God will discover their error. In the same way that the sea fills with water, so will the earth be filled with the knowledge of God’s glory. If we as the Church turn to God with prayer and fasting, if we turn away from our idolatrous pride and faith in our wealth, God’s Spirit will come down on this world and bring about revival. I will pray for God to reach the hearts of those I meet and interact with. I will echo the prophet, even when things look bad and I experience suffering,
“I will rejoice in the Lord.
I will rejoice in the God of my deliverance.
The Lord God is my strength.
He will set my feet like the deer.
He will let me walk upon the heights.”
Outdoor Christmas Tree
The fifth trumpet sounded and the writer saw a star that had fallen from the sky to earth being given the key to the shaft to the bottomless pit. When the shaft was opened the writer saw smoke billow forth. He saw locusts emerge from the smoke. These locusts had the ability to sting like scorpions. He describes them as resembling horses prepared for battle. Overall the description sounds a lot like some variation of modern military equipment. The locusts were told not to harm any plant, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their forehead. The torment from the sting of the locusts would last for five months. During that time people who were stung would seek to die, but would be unable to do so.
Then the sixth angel blew its trumpet. When the trumpet sounded four angels that had been prepared for this day were released. They were turned loose to kill one-third of the people on the earth. These four angels led a force that was composed of 200 million mounted troops. The writer describes what he saw. Again it sounds a lot like modern military equipment. Out of the mouths of the horses came fire, smoke and sulfur. One-third of all mankind was killed by the fire, smoke and sulfur which came out of the mouths of these horses. Yet even so, the rest of mankind did not repent of their sins, nor turn from their idolatry. I remember reading this when I was younger and thinking, how could people experience these troubles and not turn to God? Yet, since that time I have seen tragedy after tragedy and yet I have seen no major revival. Occasionally there will be an upsurge in interest in God for a few weeks or months, but then everybody returns to life as normal, even those who I perceive as Christians (including myself). I am feeling compelled to start praying and fasting on a regular basis. I will strive to do this and perhaps it will make a difference. Perhaps others will do the same, in which case I am sure that it will make a difference.
Today’s song is a song of mourning which is very appropriate right now.
Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept
What more is there to do right now as we remember what happened on Friday? But in our mourning, let us not forget the joy of the City of God. God will bring us comfort and joy once again. For now, let us mourn with those who have lost those precious to them. I want them to know that they are not alone in their sorrow.
Lighting the Third Advent Candle
