Today we begin another book of study as we learn through the Bible verse upon verse and line upon line. One of the most fantastic parts of studying the Bible in this manner is that we discover the redemption plan of God is weaved all throughout scripture, and that God is interested in having a relationship with each of us. We will look at a new prophet's discovery about this relationship, and his name is Habakkuk. It's a book in the latter part of the Old Testament, so let's begin our study with verse one. Habakkuk wrote:
The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.
There is not a lot known about Habakkuk. We know he was a prophet of God. We know his name means “embrace”, and we know that he prophesied during a time of spiritual declination in Israel. It appears from the content of the book that it was just before the Babylonians conquered Judah:
For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, [that] bitter and hasty nation, (see v6)
It is interesting to note the first words of Habakkuk, “The burden”, which means “the load, lifting, tribute or bearing”. These words denote the spirit in which Habakkuk wrote this book. He was troubled, dismayed, and perplexed as he wrote, and we shall find from the content over what he was so troubled.
Judah was apostate from the Lord which means Judah was out of relationship with God. They had forsaken Him, and they were now on a path to destruction. Habakkuk or “embrace” begins to wonder about their condition and why God is allowing them to get away with it. Sometimes we know people who seem to be on such a path of destruction, and it seems that nothing is being done about it. No matter how much we try to altar their direction, it seems that they do not hear. We may even wonder if God is listening or seeing them, but we shall find from Habakkuk's burden that He indeed is concerned and we learn what we are to do about it.
What are we “burdened” over today? If we were writing this book would it start out, “The burden which …(our name)... did see?” Perhaps our meditation today should be to examine what is the “load, lifting, tribute or bearing” that we have for our world? We also might consider Jesus' burdens for the world, and as we do we can make them a matter of prayer before our Heavenly Father who loves to relate to us.
Next time we shall begin to understand about what Habakkuk was so concerned, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow...there is more...
Look for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites, www.amazon.com ; www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
No comments:
Post a Comment