in wrath remember mercy . . . the just shall live by faith - Free sermon ...

3. Second Problem of the Prophet (greater than the first), 1:12-17Why would God permit His people to be punished by a nationmore wicked than they? Why did He not destroy the Chaldeans?II. PERCEPTION of the Prophet (Chap. 2)1. Practice of the Prophet, 2:1He took the secret problem to the secret place.2. Patience of the Prophet, 2:2,3He waited for the vision.3. Pageant for the Prophet, 2:4The great divide in humanity: One group, which is crooked, is flowingtoward destruction; the other group, by faith, is moving toward God. Thisis inevitable.4. Parable to the Prophet, 2:5-20The application is self-evident from the vision. The Chaldeans, in turn,would be destroyed. God was moving among the nations.III. PLEASURE of the Prophet (Chap. 3)1. Prayer of the Prophet, 3:1,2The prophet, who thought God was doing nothing about evil, now asksHim to remember to be merciful. Was he afraid that God was doing toomuch?2. Program of God, 3:3-17God rides majestically in His own chariot of salvation (v.8)3. Position of the Prophet, 3:18-19He will rejoice (v. 18). He has come from pain to pleasure.McGee:In the book of Judges there is put down a great principle of government, a principlewhich is also stated very clearly in the prophecy of Isaiah. All of the subsequent prophetssimply bear out and apply this principle which has already been stated. The principle isthis: There are three steps in the downfall of a nation. First of all, there is religiousapostasy. The second step is moral awfulness. And the third step is political anarchy.These are the three steps by which nations pass off the stage of human history. That hasalways been the way that it has moved. You see, the primary problem never was politicalanarchy. The primary problem never was moral awfulness. As bad as these are, the rootproblem goes back to religious or spiritual apostasy, a turning away from the living andtrue God.Freeman: The style of Habakkuk is unique. Instead of addressing the people directly asthe Lord’s spokesman, Habakkuk imparts his message as a dialogue between himself and