FBC Daily Devotions

They are a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor. 

⁸ Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk.

Their cavalry gallops headlong; their horsemen come from afar. They fly like a vulture swooping to devour;

⁹ they all come bent on violence. Their hordes ^[a] advance like a desert wind
and gather prisoners like sand.

¹⁰ They deride kings and scoff at rulers. They laugh at all fortified cities; they build earthen ramps and capture them.

¹¹ Then they sweep past like the wind and go on— guilty men, whose own strength is their god.”

We read yesterday that God was behind the rise of the Babylonians (Chaldeans). But the Chaldeans don’t sound godly at all. They all come bent on violence. They are powerful and it even says that their own might is their god.

How could God allow a nation like this to punish Israel? We’ll see in Habakkuk’s second complaint that Habakkuk might be wondering these very things.  But the fact that God allows a people like the Babylonians, who trust in themselves and not in God to rise to power raises a question: Why?

I know that eventually Babylon would lose its power, just as Assyria did, and later Rome and Greece would also.  But why would God allow evil people and evil countries to destroy so much? Could God have stopped the Nazis and the Holocaust in WWII?

I think he could have… but if He did, would we still have free will? Evil actions have awful consequences. If God had a bullet conveniently kill Hitler when he was fighting in WWI how would that have changed history? In this situation God is raising up a people who do not follow Him to discipline a people that has wandered far from God’s will.

How does that work? We know that God disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12:6). If it weren’t for punishment would Israel ever return to God? Like we read in the book of Judges, Israel wanders away from God, and then they are punished and under occupation, and that is when they cry out to God.

Similarly, sometimes suffering may be a punishment. I’m not saying that all suffering is due to punishment, because you can be punished without having done anything wrong. It says in 1 Peter 4:16 that if you suffer for being a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.

As Christians, we can suffer without doing anything wrong, or we could suffer because God is disciplining us for making bad choices. I hope that we can suffer blamelessly, continuing to praise God in spite of hardship.

5 “Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed.  For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe,even if you were told 6 I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, ?who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwelling places not their own.

Watch and be amazed.

That’s basically what God tells Habakkuk. But maybe our English word for amazed doesn’t fully capture the meaning. If you look at the Hebrew word, “tamahh” it can be used to mean something along the lines of fear. For instance, Job 26:11 which says, “The pillars of heaven tremble and are amazed at his rebuke.” (NASB) Or in Psalm 48:5 which says, “They saw it, then they were amazed; They were terrified, they fled in alarm” (NASB).

God has something to reveal to Habakkuk that may inspire a stunned fear and amazement.God is raising up the Babylonians. He is involved in the rise and fall of nations.  Assyria had already taken over Israel. The Babylonians will conquer both Israel and Judah.

Habakkuk had complained that there was no justice. We read yesterday in verse four that “the law is paralyzed.” People may not be following the law, but God will mete out justice on his people. If the Israelites do not follow the law, then God will be just and carry out his end of the covenant.

We see that the punishment of Israel was part of God’s plan in response to Israel’s disobedience. We read in Deuteronomy 8:20 “Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God.”

God had used Israel to punish nations in the area that did not follow God. God waited until the wickedness of the nations reached their fullest extent before Israel was asked to wipe them out (Gen. 15:16). But Israel did not finish driving out the nations that inhabited the land (Judges 1:27-36). Israel began to follow the gods of their neighbors and by the time of Habakkuk, the Northern Kingdom of Israel was under the rule of Assyria (2 Kings 17:6).

But God was not finished punishing their disobedience and the wickedness: Babylon would come and take over both the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah.

I think that sometimes its easy for us to be amazed at God in the same sense as we are amazed at a sporting event or new technology: That’s so cool. God you’re so cool… But sometimes we need to step back and realize that God is God. He has the power to cause the rise and fall of nations, and he has the power to do so much more.  God is not only a God of mercy, but a God of justice, who should inspire a healthy fear.

¹ The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet received.

² How long, O LORD, must I call for help,
but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, “Violence!”
but you do not save? ³ Why do you make me look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate wrong?
Destruction and violence are before me;
there is strife, and conflict abounds.

⁴ Therefore the law is paralyzed,
and justice never prevails.
The wicked hem in the righteous,
so that justice is perverted.

Why? In verse 1 we find out that Habakkuk is a prophet but in verses 1-4, we see that he is simply asking why? He is not praising God (not yet at least) or reprimanding the people, he is asking God, “Why?” And when we look at it closely these questions still have bite to them today.

Why does it seem that God does not hear us?

Why does it seem as though God is not answering prayer?

Why does God do nothing when there is so much violence in the world?

Why is there no justice in the world?

Why are the wicked powerful?

At first glance, it’s sort of like, really? This guy’s a prophet? Where is his faith that moves mountains? When is he going to heal the sick and raise the dead? But he’s asking questions that many people struggle with today. Old Testament prophets weren’t superheroes… they are human and God touched their lives in different ways.

I hate just leaving all these questions up there without even trying to answer them: I like knowing the answers. And we can discuss reasons why God would allow the world to have as much wickedness, violence and injustice as it does.

But in some ways this book will raise questions that aren’t going to be answered. We aren’t in any position to give God a multiple choice test.

I’m reminded of the book of Job where Job questions God. Job goes on and on and God basically tells Job that Job has no business talking like that.

“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me.” Job 38:2-3 NIV

Habakkuk was living in a difficult time during Israel’s history and he approached God with questions. We will find that God’s answers may not answer all our questions, but maybe they’ll give us insight into who God is. We still may not know why He does what He does: There is going to be room for faith.

10My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) 11Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me.

This passage highlights three Jews that are supporting Paul in his ministry. The NIV translates it as “Jews,” but the term used in the NASB refers simply to people from “the circumcision.  In Galatians we read that “neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation” (Galatians 6:15).

We are equal under the eyes of God, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t differences between Jews, Greeks, slaves, free, and male and female.

Perhaps Paul was especially encouraged by the presence of other Jews, similarly to an American in a foreign country meeting up with another American.  But the bonds between Paul and these friends go deeper than that. Paul refers to these Jews as “fellow workers for the kingdom of God.” They are Jews who follow Christ.

Aristarchus may be the same Aristarchus mentioned in the book of Acts 27:2 who traveled with Paul and was a Macedonian from Thessalonica. (One thing I wonder though is if this could be a different Aristarchus because the Aristarchus referred to in the Colossians passage is Jewish. Perhaps he could be both Jewish and Macedonian?)

Paul refers to Aristarchus by a title different from the others. He calls Aristarchus a fellow prisoner. Perhaps Aristarchus had served time in jail for his faith.

Jesus, who is called Justus, is not found elsewhere in the New Testament.

We are already acquainted with Mark from the book of Acts. Barnabas wanted to bring Mark on a missionary journey even after Mark had deserted them, but Paul did not want to bring Mark. This caused a split between Barnabas and Paul with Barnabas taking Mark and Paul taking Silas.

Like we saw yesterday in the life of Onesimus, we see change in the life of Mark. Paul had lost faith in Mark, but Mark later became one of Paul’s helpers, and now we read of Paul asking the Colossians to be welcoming towards Mark.  Mark shows how someone matured from being a deserter to being a leader in the church. It’s encouraging that God can take anyone and use them in great ways.

⁷Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. ⁸I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our^[a] circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. ⁹He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.

Back in the day, mail traveled via trusted messengers. Paul’s letters were delivered by trusted individuals who could give the people of Colossae (or wherever the letter had to be delivered) an update on how things were going in Paul’s neck of the Roman Empire.

They did more than deliver the mail. They could tell their audience firsthand how Paul was doing.  In verses 7-9 we meet two messengers who Paul refers to as “beloved brothers.” The first one is Tychicus and the second is Onesimus. We find both of these men mentioned in other places in the Bible.

This Tychicus is likely the same Tychicus who delivered Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. We also read about Tychicus in the book of Acts as someone who accompanied Paul in Acts 20.

Onesimus is interesting. In Colossians we read that Paul writes that Onesimus is “one of you.” Onesimus is a fellow resident of Colosse

But when Onesimus lived in Colosse he was a slave. We read about Onesimus in the book of Philemon. Paul became like a father to Onesimus while he was in Rome. Paul sends Onesimus back to Colossae with this letter and also the letter of Philemon which asks Onesimus’s former master to accept him as a brother.

We see that Paul is recognizing those who are delivering this letter. In the life of Onesimus we see someone who God changed to be “useful” for Him. Paul writes to Philemon, “Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me” (Philemon 11).

We can see that God uses people like Tychicus and Onesimus as part of his plan. Not everyone is going to be a Paul, or a “put your favorite Christian author here.” But God uses people like Paul, to come alongside people like Onesimus so that they can learn and grow in their faith.  Paul says that he became Onesimus’ father while he was in prison (Philemon 10).

Reading this passage makes me think of how the church can work: With older Christians coming alongside younger Christians or non-Christians, teaching and training them so that they can teach and train the next generation of believers.