God’s Glory in our Suffering

SERMON STARTER

This sermon is dedicated to brother Jim Erb, Founder of AIM Ministries. Brother Jim is an inspirational leader and he sent a word of encouragement on this theme that resonated with my heart and my personal life. Thanks to his inspiration I pursued this Biblical exploration of an interesting subject.

What do you do when you feel that God has forgotten you?

When you are overwhelmed with the misery of feeling abandoned by God? What about the time you had faith that God would relieve you and nothing happened? Or, what about the time you expected God to vindicate you and come to your aid and He used your enemies to pass judgment, condemnation and punishment on you and you felt you were the party being offended?

Curiously, God’s GLORY is often revealed in the midst of our suffering. When the night seems to be the darkest, God’s light often shines through. David puts it well in Psalm 30:5:

“For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.”

Numbers 14:21 is repeated in Habakkuk 2:14,

“For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.”

How we long for that time when the knowledge of the Glory of the Lord shall cover the whole earth!

Agape,

Pastor Phil <><<

<><<

October 18, 2008

Sheepfold Ministries - Pastor Phil Roland

God’s Glory in our Suffering

HABAKKUK Chapters 1-3

PARADOX: UNPUNISHED WICKEDNESS AND UNREWARDED GOODNESS

“God uses our enemies to pass judgment, condemnation and punishment on the righteous. His GLORY is often revealed in the midst of our suffering.” Pastor Phil

"but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD;”

Numbers 14:21

HABAKKUK = Eighth of Twelve Minor Prophets

Hebrew Root Meaning of his name – “Embrace”

SERVED: The Southern Kingdom, Judah from 650-627 BC

JUDAH’S ENEMY, CHALDEA - South Eastern Iraq – Babylon – Invaders that conquered and enslaved the Southern Kingdom, Judah

THEODICITY DEFINED:

1. A vindication of the divine attributes, particularly holiness and justice, in establishing or allowing the existence of physical and moral evil.

2. A vindication of God's goodness and justice in the face of the existence of evil. Eg. Habakkuk and Job are theodicities . . .

Book is a Series of Oracles (Dark Sayings)

I. THREE PROBLEMS IN THE MIDST OF OUR AFFLICTION

A. THE PROBLEM OF UNPUNISHED WICKEDNESS – vs. 1:2-4

“O LORD, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You,

"Violence!" And You will not save? Why do You show me iniquity, And cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; There is strife, and contention arises.” Therefore the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.”

1. God actually says He uses the wicked

2. Sometimes we are afflicted by our own hand

3. Sometimes we are afflicted by the world

4. Sometimes we are afflicted by the Enemy of our Souls

B. THE PROBLEM OF EXCESSIVE PUNISHMENT – vs. 1:12-17

1. The Prophet complains about severity of affliction

2. Chaldeans Abuse People as though they were Fish: 1:14-15

3. Chaldeans Are Idolaters in their Prosperity: 1:16

C. THE PROBLEM OF ENDURANCE – 1:17

1. How long must the Righteous suffer?

2. How long will God allow the Chaldeans to abuse the Nations

3. Sixty times the words, “How long” recorded in the Bible

FINDING GOD’S GLORY IN OUR SUFFERING, cont., p.2

4. How long can we hold on?

a. Job cried out, “How long?” – Job 7:19

“How long? Will You not look away from me, And let me

alone till I swallow my saliva?”

b. David cried out, “How long?” Psalm 13:1,2

“How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long

will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take

counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How

long will my enemy be exalted over me?”

c. God’s End-Time Martyrs cry out – Rev. 6:10

“And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O

Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood

on those who dwell on the earth?"

II. GOD ANSWERS WITH THE PROMISE OF HIS GLORY – v. 2:14

“For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD,

As the waters cover the sea.” Habakkuk 2:14

A. SIX HEBREW WORDS FOR “GLORY”

1. HA-DER – Beauty or Excellence

2. TO-HAR – Purity or Brightness

3. SEB-HI – Respect for a Prominent Person

4. AD-DERITH – Broad, Big, Unbounded

5. HO-DH – Grandeur of God

6. KA-BOD – Heavy, Weighty, Authoritative, Rich, Courageous,

One who is Taking Charge

a. When God is Present He is Taking Charge

b. When God is Absent

c. IK-ABOD – The glory has departed

d. “The Presence of God in our Midst”

B. Moses Predicts the Coming Glory of the Lord – Numbers 14:21

"but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD;”

1. Moses speaks to our own longings to see God’s Glory

2. Universal longing of mankind

C. Isaiah sees Glory coming following Great Darkness – Isaiah 60:1,2

“Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is

risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And

deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His

glory will be seen upon you.”

1. Paul’s Prophesy, Before Glory: Suffering – Romans 8:18

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not

worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

2. Pain’s Temporary Darkness Confirms God’s Parentage – Deut. 8:5

"You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son,

so the LORD your God chastens you.”

FINDING GOD’S GLORY IN OUR SUFFERING, cont., p.2

3. All God’s kids will go thru Temporary Darkness – Heb. 12:8

“But if you are without chastening, of which all have become

partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.”

D. Admonitions to those enduring afflictions – 2 Corinthians 4:16,17

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is

perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For

our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a

far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,” 2 Corinthians 4:16,17

1. Persevere – “Don’t despair!” “Don’t give up!”

2. Don’t Quit – Poem

3. Press On

4. Don’t give up your faith – Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17

"Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall

live by his faith.”

Leave It All In Jesus' Hand

Do you wonder why the blessing

That you prayed for is delayed,

While others seem to get theirs'

Before the request is made?

It's not for us to understand,

But leave it all in Jesus' Hand.

Do you wonder why your loved one

Was taken home to stay,

While other folk were left here

Who are only in the way?

It's not for us to understand,

But leave it all in Jesus' Hand.

Do you wonder why you suffer pain

While others are so healthy,

Or why you have to scrimp and save,

While other folks are wealthy?

It's not for us to understand,

But leave it all in Jesus' Hand.

Just lean upon the Savior,

Just rest at his dear feet,

His strength will prove sufficient

For the testing we must meet,

It's not for us to understand,

But leave it all in Jesus' Hand.

Author Unknown

D o n ' t Q u i t

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh;

Rest if you must . . . but DON''T QUIT!

Life is queer with it's twists and turns

As everyone of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When he might have won had he stuck it out;

DON''t GIVE UP though the pace seems slow.

You might succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out,

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are;

It may be near when it seems afar.

So, stick to the fight when you're hardest hit.

It's when things seem worse that you mustn’t QUIT!

Author Unknown

BUT AS TRULY AS I LIVE

BUT AS TRU-LY AS I LIVE,

ALL THE EARTH

SHALL BE FILLED

WITH THE GLORY OF THE LORD!

(Repeat)

THE GLO-RY!

THE GLO-RY OF THE LORD!

BUT AS TRU-LY AS I LIVE,

ALL THE EARTH

SHALL BE FILLED

WITH THE GLORY OF THE LORD!

SCRIPTURE IN SONG BOOK