Thursday, April 10, 2014

Bible Scripture Reading

"Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for 10 April 2014, from Cindi, a daughter of the King of kings and Lord of lords."

Today's Blog Title: "A Hymn Of Faith"
Today's Blog Scripture Reading: Habakkuk 3:1-19
Today's Key Verse: Habakkuk 3:19 "The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills."

Starting in verse 2, we read the prayer of Habakkuk.  One of the most important things that we as Christians need to learn  is to PRAY wisely.  Habakkuk's request for speedy judgment seemed wise to the prophet.  After all, he knew that in WRATH God would remember MERCY.  Yet the prophet had no real conception of what divine judgment would mean for his people, or himself.  It is wiser for us to ask God to do what is best and to be GRACIOUS.  Otherwise the Lord may give us what we ask for--and later we will discover that is NOT what we wanted!!

"I have heard" in verse 2, shows that Habakkuk knew the stories of God's mighty acts as celebrated in song and in the feasts and festivals of Israel.  These mighty acts included: (1) The Exodus from Egypt (2) The Miracles by the Red Sea and (3) The conquest of the land.  As Habakkuk mediated on God's works in human affairs, he was overcome with an awe-inspiring sense of greatness of the Lord, and he prayed for God's renewed involvement in Israel.

"Teman" in verse 3, is a poetic reference to God's appearance at Sinai, Deuteronomy 3:2. The "Holy One" in verse 3, is a name associated with both forgiveness and judgment.  Here in this verse, JUDGMENT is in view, and Habakkuk is given visions of God acting in judgment.  It was best for Judah that God judge that nation soon.  These visions, however, were to prepare the prophet and the reader for what was to come.  We as Christians today, must be emotionally prepared and committed to holding tightly to God when troubles come.

The poetic visions of JUDGMENT in verse 3-15 are descriptions intended to pull away the veil of time and space and look beyond the material universe to sense God's elemental power unleashed in JUDGMENT.  While the specific incidents in which God's anger flared are only hinted at, the place references and descriptions suggest three historic incidents.  

The first picture is of God marching from Sinai along the path His people traveled after receiving the Law. The second is of God's punishment for their sins along the way, and thirdly, the idolatry at Midian.  Other word pictures suggest the Genesis flood, and the destruction of the Egyptian army after Israel's Exodus from Egypt.

In verse 16, Habakkuk was overcome with a sense of awe at God, as well as a sense of his own weakness.  The prophet encouraged the godly not to be anxious in adversity.

In verse 19, "the LORD God," or "YAHWEH" which is tied to the term "Adonai," which means, "Lord."  God will strengthen those who TRUST in Him, Psalm 18:32,39. FAITH is that wonderful capacity to TRUST God and find COMFORT in Him, when all in this world seems to crumble around us.  Habakkuk has sensed the disaster which will soon strike Judah and he has discovered that despite everything, he can still REJOICE in the Lord.  As Habakkuk concludes his book, he reminds us, that those who live by FAITH will have the same confidence that a sure footed deer has in climbing mountains.  We as who are righteous as God's Children, and with God's STRENGTH, will occupy "the high hills."

This concludes our study on the Book of Habakkuk. The next Blog Writing will take us into an introduction to the Book of Zephaniah. 

Click on this link www.cindi-davis.blogspot.com for a Bible Verse Writing from 1st Corinthians 6:19-20

May God's Peace, Strength, Love and Grace be with you all.  May we a Christians reach to heaven with one hand and with the other reach out to the lost and dying of this world.  May we as John at the close of the Book of Revelation say, "Come, Lord Jesus, Come."   

Your Sister in Christ,
Cindi


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