Like most journeys this started with a dream. As a short backstory to this message let me tell you where my mind has been the past 20 years but has increased in ferocity the past couple of years culminating in 2020.  Millions of Americans are feeling this way on both sides of the aisle but most do not understand the reasons or how simple it is to correct the course.  I am writing of the state of our Country and the very perceptible slide into madness we are heading.  My concern grew exponentially when our grandchildren came into our lives and I was fearful for their future.  Fearful is an accurate word because when being fearful it is always accompanied with helplessness.  No control over situations will always have fear involved.  My fear ended on Sunday night with a very real instructional dream.

For several years I have been studying the Holy Bible.  The history was the hook and then being Irish the light went on with the dimmer switch and it turned into more than a history lesson.  I confess I do like the Old Testament as it is full of lessons and it is a roadmap of our Maker’s plan for all of us.  Studying Kings and Chronicles is like reading a daily history of our present world.  Pride is the chief cause of the fall of Kings but it isn’t only the Kings that suffer.  The people in Israel and Judea also suffered.  Many people liken America to Rome, and I was one of them but upon reading the Book of Kings I believe that we closer resemble Israel and Judea.  But this is about Habakkuk, a (minor) prophet who has a short three-chapter Book that you will easily scroll past if you aren’t careful.  It is a small but mighty Book. I never read it in its entirety and only discussed it in passing over a year ago so it was not fresh in my mind.  I believe that I was being directed to search out and study it.

It started with me walking alone in a very barren area and I was worried.  Worried about the state of our Nation; the state of my deteriorating health and of feeling lost.  Who knows how long dreams last but I awoke after hearing quite succinctly three words “Habakkuk. Habakkuk. Habakkuk.” So began my study.

Habakkuk

Habakkuk’s time of prophesy was approximately 600 – 580 A.D. and Jerusalem pretty much reflected our current state of affairs.  Societal morals and ethics were collapsing, the law was corrupted and it too was not protecting the people; the “wealth gap” was widening to levels unseen before; society forgot God.  It was a mess.

Prophets were usually God’s mouthpieces to the people.  Habakkuk was different as he spoke to God and did little communication with the people.  He approached God with honesty, courage and anger; he demanded to know why God did not set things right with the people of Jerusalem.  He complains that God was not doing enough to fix the denigration that surrounded him and asks that God come and correct it.  He looked around and asked God what many have asked “Why is it the bad do not suffer? They prosper while the good suffer.”  It is probably the most oft asked question to God down through the ages and I am sure He is bombarded with that question today.  After his prayer of complaint Habakkuk sat back and awaited God’s answer.

God’s answer to him was an answer to all who asked that question.  God told him to open his eyes wider and watch.  Just because Habakkuk did not see it did not mean that God was not planning a correction. Then to Habakkuk’s dismay God gave him the details.  He had already been aware of Jerusalem’s slide away from Him and raised the power of the Caledonians to come and conquer Judea and take Jerusalem. The Caledonians were a ferocious tribe of warriors who were part of the founders of Babylon.  When they conquered they respected nothing and laid waste to everything.  Habakkuk was stunned and all of a sudden he changed his plea.  He thought God was doing too much and wished Him to reconsider.  He argued that they were far worse than the Jews and how could He use such people to discipline His people?  Habakkuk was looking at it through his human eyes and fear colored what he viewed.  In anger and fear he argued that not only are they more evil but they will not discriminate between the good and the bad.  He even threw in a sly compliment and he tells God, “Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil”, in hopes of dissuading God’s plan.  Then as if to make his point he tells God he will go sit in his tower to watch if God follows through.

God does reply to him.  Does He smite Habakkuk down for being a stiff necked Prophet?  After all, this is the Old Testament God we are discussing.  God knows His Habakkuk just as he knows each of us and He does treat us accordingly.  So He answers Habakkuk matter of fact by first reminding Habakkuk that as a Prophet he should be writing down God’s warning on a wall for all to see so they can repent or flee and that he was wasting his time perched up on the wall.  Habakkuk did not know God’s time table and in his human mind he was expecting immediate action.  God then told Habakkuk that He was well aware of the evil that Babylon brings and that they will be held accountable as all Nations are eventually held and then He told Habakkuk that not all Jews will be killed; there will be a remnant of those faithful that would survive.  And finally, as if to say enough jabber He tells Habakkuk that the world needs to be silent now, so Habakkuk sat silent and pondered his conversation with God.

In his silent after thoughts Habakkuk came to understand and did a 180 in his thinking.  He wrote the third and final chapter in the form of a song.  We do not have the tune but his Prayer of Praise is beautifully written and just happens to fit in with Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”.   A beautiful last chapter to a short but very instructive book.

So, what did I get out of Habakkuk? It has been well over a month since I started this little study.  Facing what feels like my end I have been in bed considering my friend Habakkuk. The initial response is as a good friend mentioned – “Be careful what you ask for” – Habakkuk wanted a revival of the spirit with God leading the Jews back from their wayward behavior just as he had planned.  Habakkuk was like the rest of us. He recognized the road that the Jews in Jerusalem was following and explained and complained to God all the while he made it known that God should just correct the problem; Just as many Americans pray for a return to sanity and good government, I am sure. This goes far beyond Trump and Biden, Republicans and Democrats.  While it is always good to think through any requests; in this case God had already made His plans for Judea and Jerusalem as I am sure that He has made corrective plans for this Nation that like Israel and Judea has turned its back on Him. His plans will not be liked by most as they weren’t by the ancient Israelis.

God is a patient God.  Time to Him is but a blink which we do not understand and that is where we go wrong. We expect prayers to be answered immediately and some individual prayers are but rare is the case where God does not correct national sins over time.  Nations rise and fall. The reasons for such rises and subsequent falls are explained and taught by secular historians.  Very few look for God’s hand in those matters but when that is done a whole new dimension opens.  It allows one to understand and take corrective actions.  It is not living in the past as many will tell you, it is learning from the past.   It is a dangerously simple way of living to go along and live life ignoring the true cause and effects of denying God.

The people of Jerusalem in Habakkuk’s time were no different than the average American presently.  Their focus was on living life to its fullest, earning better wages, purchasing finer things.  Envy of their neighbors and along with wealth came the corruption of governmental and religious officials.  Very few had God in their lives.  When you look at America today what do you see?  Corruption through every level of society.  Blatant murder committed on the streets on a daily basis.  Politicians who work only for themselves.  And where is God in all this?  He is there watching, listening to the prayers of the faithful and is answering their prayers just as He did Habakkuk those many years ago.

Praise God and obey his commandments. Very simple game plan. It speaks volumes that God has given us only 10 commandments for our benefit but the “freest nation” on earth gives us a 53 volume code. And that does not include “”executive mandates” and other rules. I think therein lies the problem.