² Then the LORD replied:
“Write down the revelation
and make it plain on tablets
so that a herald ^[a] may run with it. ³ For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
it speaks of the end
and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
it ^[b] will certainly come and will not delay.

⁴ “See, he is puffed up;
his desires are not upright—
but the righteous will live by his faith ^[c] -

The righteous shall live by faith.

What is faith?

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1 ESV

What does it mean that the righteous shall live by faith in this passage?

Habakkuk needs faith in a time when he doesn’t understand why things have to happen the way they do… But sometimes we need to have faith that whatever happens, God is in control.

The righteous shall live by faith.

This isn’t the only place we find this verse in the Bible. We see it quoted in one of the best-known verses of the New Testament.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Romans 1:16-17 ESV

In Galatians we see the difference between living by faith and living by works. Galatians 3:11 says “Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” (ESV)

We aren’t justified by the law… I wonder what that tells us about the story of Habakkuk. We see judgment in the book of Habakkuk. The Israelites will be judged for their misdeeds by the Babylonians, and eventually the Babylonians will be judged also.

We deserve judgment just like the Israelites and Babylonians deserved judgment.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.  This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.”                                                                                                                Romans 3:23-25 ESV

God’s gift that displays God’s righteousness is meant to be received by faith. It is not something we can earn. Like we read in Galatians, if we lived by works we would fail, because works cannot make us right with God.

That doesn’t excuse us from bad conduct now. We can live differently now, because we can live by faith empowered by the Holy Spirit.

And we see great examples of righteous people who lived by faith in Hebrews 11, from Abel to Samuel and the prophets. We read in Romans 4 of Abraham, who obeyed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.

The righteous shall live by faith.

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.

________________ (insert your name here), obey your supervisor in everything; and do it, not only when he/she is looking and to win his/her favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.

Note the attitude behind our good behavior: with sincerity (not two-faced) and out of reverence for the Lord. It is the Lord Christ whom we are serving.

Note how we are to work: with all our heart (even when no one is looking).

Note why we are to work this way: we will be repaid according to what we do.  

Three times in these four verses the idea that we work for God is stated. And it is for this reason our work ethic should be exemplary and full on for God. Not that God is a task master that we ought to work hard. Of course the passage does say that we will be repaid for doing wrong. The emphasis seems to be that we ultimately work for someone who we really want to please, namely God. That may not always be the case for our human employers. They can make our lives miserable at times. They can be mean-spirited and slave drivers. They can cause us to drag our feet, to give us bad attitudes, to want to stay in bed and only give an ounce of effort. But that’s a human supervisor. What about God? He has our best interest in mind; He does not give us more than we can bear; He desires to train us to become better servants; and He has an awesome retirement plan! When we begin to lose sight of our heavenly employer, we can begin to serve from a human perspective rather a heavenly one.

How is your attitude at work these days? Remember that we ultimately serve Jesus (incidentally, so does your supervisor). Let that truth govern the way you work. Work with all your heart. Work hard even when they aren’t looking. Be diligent because God has good things in store for those who do so.

 ¹⁹Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

 ²⁰Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

 ²¹Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

It is interesting that this week the passage addresses how one’s life should reflect the “clothing” of Christ in the home; interesting because I just taught a lesson from 1Peter 3 regarding this similar topic. And what I have seen in my studies is a pattern of this type of household behavior being commanded not just in Paul’s writings, but in Peter’s as well. Wives submitting to husbands; husbands loving their wives; children obeying their parents; slaves submitting to their masters; masters treating their slaves fairly. Why such order? 

I agree with those who believe our God is a God of order, that He has ordered the universe in a way that causes it (when all things are doing as intended) to work in a peaceful and effective way. All pieces of the “well-oiled machine” have specific roles and responsibilities; all pieces have certain functions to perform in order to keep things running in a way that is divine. When one piece fails to function as intended, all the other pieces are affected. When one piece wants to function as something other than its designed purpose, it brings confusion to the other pieces.

But we are a fallen creation. We often want what we aren’t to have. We often want to be what we weren’t intended to be. We don’t like our “assignments” or roles in life. So we take it upon ourselves to change that order rather than grow in the things of our intended purposes.

Why do I bring this up? I bring it up because this passage can be very divisive for some. The husband and the father are instructed to love their wives and treat their children in ways that may be unnatural and difficult. Some husbands don’t like to be told what kind of husband they should be. The same goes for wives. Some wives don’t like the idea of playing the submissive role in the marriage relationship. It feels demeaning. They feel like property. And what child likes to obey his or her parents? They often want to step across the line to see what it’s like on the other side. We all - children, husbands, wives, fathers (why no mention of mothers?) - sometimes want to take it upon ourselves to do what is outside of God’s intended purposes for our lives.

But who can’t relate to these commands of Paul? What wife doesn’t feel the strain that comes from the command to be submissive to her husband (even as a slave to a master - 1Peter 3:6)? What husband doesn’t feel the weight and burden of loving his wife (even as Christ loved the church - Eph. 5:25)? What father doesn’t struggle with bringing a work attitude (and its frustrations) into the home in the raising of children? These commands are given exactly because we need them. We need them in order to bring us out of the chaos of the fallen world and to make our lives a living testimony of God. If we will trust God in the roles He has given us, the world might look upon us as strange - even antiquated in our thinking. But they will see a harmony in our lives that transcends our culture. How can we communicate to the world that God’s ways really work? It really must start in the home. 

So what does it mean for a wife to be submissive? What does it mean for a husband to love his wife? And what does it mean for children to obey their parents in all things and for fathers not to exasperate them? These are tough questions. But I think the greater question is whether we are prepared to live in such a way that our treatment of one another unmistakably reflects these characteristics. Are wives willing to submit to their husbands in a way that they could be described as submissive? Are husbands willing to love their wives in such a way that they could be described as sacrificial and selfless in their love? Children… well, children are definitely a work in progress (but aren’t we all?)!

So that is my challenge for you today and for this week. Make up your mind to live the way God intended - even when it hurts! Really go for it this week, and see how things go at home. I truly believe that a submissive wife is easier to love, and a loving husband makes it easier for the wife to submit. I encourage you to try it even if your partner doesn’t cooperate or “return the favor”. The longer you are committed to living this way, the greater the rewards. And even if you don’t see the rewards in this life, know that it pleases God because ultimately you do it for Him not because your partner deserves it.

And when things get difficult, the verse leading up to this difficult section might be worth considering:

And whatever you do in word or ded, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. (Col. 3:17)

And remember, God is a God of order, and He has ordered His creation to function as He designed. There is nothing more pleasing to God and more effective for living than doing things God’s way.

——–

Unpacking this passage reveals what seems nearly impossible! I mean, look at the character of clothing Paul lists:

• compassion
• kindness
• humility
• gentleness
• patience
• bearing with one another
• forgiving one another
• and most of all… love

Every one of these characteristics is a virtue that requires forethought, diligence, and alertness. Think about your life. How do you express compassion to those around you? What about kindness and gentleness? Are you humble in your view of others? What about patience - are you showing patience toward your co-workers or your spouse or your brothers & sisters? This is tough! Are you still carrying that grudge against that person that hurt you?

I like the fact that Paul says that we are to “clothe ourselves” with these things. When do you put on clothes? If you’re a typical person, you put them on first thing in the morning (or whenever you get up). Likewise, if we mentally put these things on before we start the day, it will prepare us for whatever challenges might come our way. Yesterday I suggested you write these characteristics down on a card and have it always in sight. Might I suggest you consider reflecting on these things in the morning before you head out? Think through the day… what is planned? A meeting? A difficult task? A difficult person? Put on gentleness and kindness (for example) first thing in the morning so that you will already be in a place to react appropriately. Be always ready to forgive. Have a mind to be patient even before your patience is tested.

The word for today is: Prepare. Prepare yourself by clothing yourself with these virtues first thing with the purpose of giving glory to God.

This week we are looking at a shorter passage, but it is so full of some great truths for living. That does not make it easy, though, as you will undoubtedly see soon enough. Take a moment now and read the passage for this week:

Colossians 3:12-17 (New International Version)