As we have studied through
the larger part of the book of Habakkuk we have been learning about
God's purposes and plans that are often unknown to us. Although
Habakkuk thought God was distant, the Heavenly Father was very much
on the scene. Lately Habakkuk has been reviewing God's past
appearances for the children of Israel particularly during their
Exodus from Egypt. Today Habakkuk continues those thoughts in chapter
three and verse nine:
Your bow was made quite
naked, [according] to the oaths of the tribes, [even your] word.
Selah. You did cleave the earth with rivers.
Habakkuk's
thoughts were that God was uninvolved with the wicked in His day. He
assumed that since nothing was happening, God was not aware or
attentive. Habakkuk wrote in this verse, “Your bow was made
quite naked...” The idea is that God's bow was “unsheathed”.
In other words God Almighty grabbed His weapon, and was ready for
battle. Israel had foes, and Israel had enemies. In fact, it still
does, but this all-caring, all-powerful God who loves them and
watches over them was not and is not aloof. All those who rose up and
rise up against His beloved should have been and should be aware.
God's bow is ready to oppose any enemy to His chosen ones.
Secondly,
Habakkuk states, “according to the oaths of the tribes, even
your word.” There is nothing higher than God's word. The
Psalmist wrote in Psalms in chapter one hundred thirty-eight and
verse two:
I will worship toward
your holy temple, and praise your name for your lovingkindness and
for your truth: for you have magnified your word above all your name.
God gave
promises to the children of Israel, and God keeps His promise. His
word is magnified above all His name. This means He keeps it, and
when God provides promises, they shall be met. This is so important
to Habakkuk that he wrote the word, “Selah” after it.
“Selah” means to pause and think about it. Remember that
this third chapter of Habakkuk is a song as well as a prayer from
Habakkuk, and this would be the perfect place for an interlude, a
time of reflection and a time of pondering. God keeps His promises,
and when they are unsheathed, no one will oppose them.
Finally
Habakkuk wrote, “You did cleave the earth with rivers.”
Earthquakes are no big feat for God nor is the parting or rivers. The
Red Sea parted for the children of Israel, and when they entered the
promised land, the Jordan river parted as well. God owns, directs and
controls any element upon the earth that He desires, and His power is
demonstrated and remembered as Habakkuk recalls His workings of the
past. We too may take great comfort and assurance in this with our
situations and circumstances as we realize that God Almighty is on
the scene. He intervened in the lives of the Israelites, and He will
intervene within our lives as well. We should take from this lesson
today what Job concluded in his book in chapter twenty-three and
verse twelve:
Neither have I gone
back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of
his mouth more than my necessary [food]. Job 23:12
If we
will regard the word of God more necessary than food, we shall have
all the defense that we need to enable us to be victorious in any
situation no matter how difficult it may seem.
Next
time we will examine the earth's reaction to God's intervention, 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
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