Shabbat Shalom everyone. God bless you. It's such a privilege for us to be able to be together under the sound of the Word, to be able to have the Bible open before us, and to be able to have the Lord Yeshua, the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, as the one that encourages our hearts as we study the Word of God. What a privilege it is for us to study the Scripture, and today, with the Lord's help, we are going to start to look into the book of Habakkuk, the prophecy which Habakkuk, the prophet of the Lord, have given to us, one of the minor prophets of Israel.

And it is our privilege to be able to begin today the study of the prophet Habakkuk, Hanavi Habakkuk. If you don't mind to turn with me to the first chapter of Habakkuk, and I would like to begin with simply reading the first verse and the second verse of chapter 1. I'm just going to read verse 1 and verse 2a, and I would like you to just notice how beautiful it is we begin with the word the burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see and notice what we read in verse 2 oh Lord how long shall i cry and thou will not hear and i would like you to pause here with me as we begin the study of the prophecy of Habakkuk it is very interesting because I really love the name Habakkuk, because Habakkuk comes from the Hebrew word Lechabek.

Lechabek simply means to hug, to embrace. In fact, we can call him the embracer of Israel. Habakkuk was that man that had so much concern for the people of Judah, for the people of Israel, that he was, in a sense, observing the spiritual state of Israel, and especially the southern tribes of Judah and Jerusalem, and he was so concerned that when he saw their condition among the nation of Israel, he laid his burden, his Massah in. Hebrew before the Lord God of Israel in a sense really we can say today those of us who are believers in the Lord Yeshua the Lord Jesus Yeshua the Messiah we look at the condition that exists among the people of God today in these last days of the church age of the assembly days we can look And we can see the condition, and we also, like Habakkuk, ought to embrace the believers, the body of Christ, the body of Messiah, and we also need to have concern to embrace, to hug, as it were, the people of God, and through prayer to turn to God and ask Him, O Lord, O Lord, look what is going on today among the people of God.

Don't you feel like so, beloved brothers and sisters? We can definitely say that we also need to have the same concern that Habakkuk has for Israel. We need to have the same concern for the body of Messiah, for the body of our Lord Yeshua, Jesus Christ. And so notice how the book began. It used the word the burden. The Hebrew word for burden is Massah, and it's not only Massah, but the burden, Ham Massah. It's like a load that one carries because the concern for the people of God. Or when I think about the concern that Shaul Paul had for the believers, for example, in Ephesus, if you remember in act chapter 20 he knew very well what is going to happen to the people of God in the latter days he knew very well and he was so concerned for them that he gathered the elders of the assembly of Ephesus from miltus he called them in act chapter 20 and then when they came to him, he said to them, he said, you know, from the first day that I came unto Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, serving the Lord with all humility of mine and with many tears, and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you and have taught you publicly and from house to house testifying both to the Jews and to the Greeks to the Gentiles repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Yeshua the Messiah and now behold i go bound notice that he says in spirit unto Jerusalem not knowing the thing that shall.

Befall me there save that the Holy Spirit witnessed in every city saying that bonds and affliction abide me but none of these things moved me neither count I my life dear unto myself so that I might finish my course with joy and in the ministry which I have received of the Lord Yeshua to testify the gospel of the grace of God and now you remember what he told Paul told to the leaders to the elders from the assembly at Ephesus he says to them in verse 25 of Acts chapter 20 behold I know that ye all among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God shall see my face no more wherefore i take you to record he said to them this day that i am pure for the blood of all men for i have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God and then he warned them and i believe that's the same concern that Habakkuk had for his own people our own nation.

Israel of all that Shaul Paul have a concern for the local assembly at Ephesus but all the world That happened 2,000 years ago when Shaul Paul ministered to these brethren at Ephesus like, you and I need to have this concern today, the last days of the church age. He said to them, take heed, therefore unto yourself, and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit had made you overseers to feed the assembly of God which he has purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. And notice, he says, also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

And he continued that he, I read all the way to verse 30, from verse 17 to verse 30 of Acts chapter 20. But it's in a very, you might say, Shaul, Paul, similar to Habakkuk, had so much concern for his own people. That's why his name, Habakkuk, to hug, to embrace, is the embracer of Israel who seek the welfare of his people. But he had a dilemma and that's why the whole book of Habakkuk it has to do not so much with Habakkuk preaching a message or prophesying a message to the tribe of Judah and benjamin or to the whole nation of Israel no but his dilemma he had a dilemma and he speaks to God and in a sense Habakkuk the whole book of Habakkuk the whole prophecy of Habakkuk is a dialogue between Habakkuk the embracer of Israel and the God of Israel and having concern for the people of Israel boy I wish we had the same concern for God's people today as Habakkuk had concern for his people Israel in days of old in the history of the Jewish people now i want you to notice beloved brothers and sisters that his name of course as i mentioned is Habakkuk to hug to embrace and some suggest that he may have been this is part of perhaps the Jewish history that he may have been the son of the Shunamit that is found in 2nd Kings chapter 4.

When Elisha passed the area that is called Shunem and there there was a great woman and she constrained him to eat bread and if you remember Elisha said to her in a chapter four of second Kings he said through Gehazi his servant he said in verse 12 and he said to Gehazi his servant called this shunamit and when he had called her she stood before him that is before Elisha Elisha and he said unto him say now unto her behold thou has been careful for us with all this care what is to be done for thee would thou be spoken to the king or to the captain of the host and she answered i dwell among mine own people and notice what Elisha through gehazi would say unto the shunamite or shunamit and he said what then is to be done for her and gehazi answered verily she has no child and her and her husband is old and look how beautiful we read in verse.

15 and 16 of 2nd Kings 4 and he said call her and when he called he had called her she stood in the door and he said about this season according to this time of life thou shalt embrace a son the Hebrew says k'et chaya eti choveket ben in other words choveket come from the Hebrew word chabakuk lechabek in other words in due time you will embrace a son now this is what some in Jewish realm teach that chabakuk may have been the one that is the son of the shunamit or the woman from shunem but we do not know that all what we can say that Habakkuk was a prophet of Israel that minister you might say among the people of Judah but in this particular book Habakkuk his prophecy is really a conversation between him and the God of Israel the time with respect to the date in which this book of Habakkuk was written or was presented it was in a time it had been suggested that because of the fact.

That the caladins or the Babylonian haven't yet rose to power it must have been sometime between 630 to 620 BC the people of Judah were not yet taken captive by the Babylonian but the condition among our own nation of Israel of Judah was so said that now there was a time in preparation that Judah will be taken captive by the Babylonian and as we know from history at 605 bc Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came and besieged Jerusalem and took captive some of the people of Judah which is including Daniel hananiah azariah and mishael in those three dates beginning in 605 BC, when the Jewish people were taken captive by the Babylonian.

Interesting, if we read in the book of Daniel, I'm just going to read the first verses in Daniel chapter 1. We find out these words, and I just want to read it for us. It says, in the third year of the reign of Yeroyakim, king of Judah, came Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, unto Yerushalayim, Jerusalem, and besieged it. And then we read, and the Lord gave Yeroyakim, king of Judah, into his hand with part of the vessels of the house of God. And so we notice that it's beginning of course with at 605 bc eventually the people of Judah were taken captive to Babylon but it seemed to be from what we read here that God has not yet raised the chaladins you notice that in Habakkuk 1 verse 6 he says lo i will raise the chaladins the kasdim in Hebrew that bitter and hasty nation, which eventually he would bring them to deal with his own people of Judah and take them to captivity.

So, very interesting that Habakkuk, before this event occurred, he began to dialogue with God, and he was speaking to the Lord, having concern for his people the people of Judah and we're going to see that as we study dear brothers and sisters the book. Of Habakkuk well if the date is sometime between 630 to 620 bc the rise of the Babylonian would come to pass a little bit later and then eventually they would come against the people of Judah Interesting that if we would look at Isaiah chapter 48, we will notice that the name Kaladiz, or Kasdim in Hebrew, and Babylonian are linked together. For example in Isaiah 48 and verse 20 go ye forth of Babylon flee ye from the caladins with a voice of singing declare ye tell this utter it even to the end of the earth say ye the Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob they take us of course to the restoration of the people of Israel after they have been taken by the caladins by the Babylonian captivity so Habakkuk is really in this prophecy is speaking to God speaking to Jehovah to yahweh to Jehovah and he's sharing with him the burden that he has for the things that were not right in the in his time there in the land of Judah in the land of Israel now notice that the theme very interesting that the theme of the book of Habakkuk is really found in chapter 2 of the book of Habakkuk and verse 4 there in chapter 2 and verse 4 God is speaking to Habakkuk his servant and he said behold his soul which is lifted up.

Is not upright in him but the just shall live by faith in Hebrew we say hat sadik in other words God is saying to Habakkuk when there will be difficult times when there will be problems in the history of the Jewish people the history of Israel the righteous Hebrew israeli Jewish believer doing those days he will live he will live by faith and by faithfulness to the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob that's the word tzaddik tzaddik is the righteous the just not just in himself but just in God just in in the Lord and he will live by faith trusting God in spite of persecution of the Jewish people during the days of the Babylonian captivity it is very interesting that this particular verse in a Habakkuk chapter 2 and verse 4 which is really the theme of the prophecy of Habakkuk is quoted three times by the apostle when he was sharing the word of God with the Romans with the Galatians as well as with the Hebrews now we do not know.

Who wrote the book of Hebrews but we do see that in the three new testament new covenant letters that the apostles quoted Habakkuk for example in Romans chapter 1 and verse 17 the apostle Paul says for therein namely in the gospel is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written and he's quoting Habakkuk chapter 2 and verse 4 the just shall live by faith and he's emphasized of course the word just hatzadik that every believer in the Lord Jesus the Lord Yeshua the Messiah had been justified and because we are justified we are to live by faith and trusting and living for the Lord we today who are believers in the Lord Jesus the Lord Yeshua the Messiah Paul also quote the very same verse when he wrote to the Galatians in chapter 3 there and in verse 11 he also said very interesting he said in verse 11 when he emphasized in the book of Galatians justification he said in verse 11 but that no man is justified.

By the law in the sight of God it is evident Galatians 3 11 and then he said for the just shall live by faith and you see there is emphasizing the word shall live see in Romans he emphasized the fact that we have been we receive justification because of faith in the Messiah in galatian we are now as believers to live for God because we have been justified quoting again Habakkuk chapter 2 and verse 4 where Habakkuk had to learn this from the Lord that just among the people of Israel during the days of the Babylonian that would come to judge them because of their unfaithfulness to the Lord that just from among the Jewish people will trust God and live for him doing those days when they will be taken a captive as well and notice the apostle we do not know if it is the apostle Paul in the book of Hebrews once again quoting Habakkuk chapter 2 and verse 4 in Hebrews chapter 10 and then notice in Hebrews chapter 10.

Is quoting there the same verse we read in verse 37 and 38 for yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry now chapter 10 and verse 38 of the book of Hebrews that just shall live by faith again he's quoting Habakkuk 2 and verse 4 and there in the book of Hebrews There the apostle who wrote to these Hebrew brethren, who believe in Yeshua the Messiah, to them he is emphasizing the necessity of faith and faithfulness. You notice there are six words. The just shall live by faith. Romans chapter 1, the just is emphasized. Galatians chapter 3, shall live, to live godly life is emphasized. And Hebrews chapter 10 by faith and the Hebrews needed to live their life by faith trusting God as they follow after Yeshua the Messiah and so you and i as well today beloved brothers and sisters are exhorted to trust our Lord in spite of difficult times that we may face in this world these days so we find out the name Habakkuk is the writer is the prophet the date is about 630 to 600 someone 620 sometime there bc before the Babylonian rose to power and before they took our Jewish people to Babylon where they cried by the rivers of Babylon there we sat down and we wept as we remember Zion and then we find that the theme verse of the whole prophecy of Habakkuk is simply Habakkuk chapter 2 and verse 4 and there behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him God is saying to Habakkuk but the just shall live by faith in Hebrew now it is in additional information about the book of Habakkuk the prophecy of Habakkuk is this.

That this prophecy is very unique very different you know usually when a prophet rise up in the days of the nation of Israel before the Messiah came or whether it is in the days after the Messiah came Yeshua the Messiah came in the church age a prophet would rise up and give a message and he would thus says the Lord thus says the Lord ko amar Adonai thus says the Lord in Hebrew but Habakkuk does not do so he is not so much preaching to the nation as preaching to Judah or preaching to Jerusalem we don't see it so much in this portion of Scripture but what we see a few things that i would like to mention about Habakkuk first of all he do not speak to Judah though he was a prophet of Judah but Habakkuk is really crying to God to the God of Israel and seeking answer from the Lord he seeks an answer from the God of Israel because he really have concern for his people that's why his name Habakkuk really clarified the fact that he indeed.

Was embracing the the nation of Israel the people of Judah but there were problems there that existed so he was concerned about his people secondly Habakkuk we find out that in this prophecy that Habakkuk has like a conversation with God a dialogue with God he says something God responds to him he asks a question God responds it's like Habakkuk having a conversation with the Lord that's how the book began chapter 1 verse 1 the burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see and notice how it began in verse 2 of Habakkuk chapter 1 oh Lord how long shall i cry and thou will not hear so he is crying to God he is seeking an answer from Jehovah from the God of Israel he is crying and he's seeking counsel and answer from God on behalf of his people Israel whose condition was not good in those days so not only that he doesn't speak to Judah but he's speaking to the to God he's crying to him and now secondly he has a dialogue with God.

You will see it so we find out now that in the dialogue that Habakkuk has with the Lord he really faced a dilemma why a dilemma is you notice that he used the word how long you notice that in verse 2 Habakkuk 1 verse 2 how long ad anna in Hebrew until then until when God until how long it will continue the condition that exists today you know we we look at ourselves today in the professing church of our Lord Jesus Yeshua the Messiah and we also as we know from Revelation chapter 3 we live in the last days of the church age of the assembly age in the days of the Laodicean and we can see very clearly that the condition is not good the condition is actually very poor the church is divided the church is broken into pieces false teaching existing the treatment of the believers among each other is not as healthy as it should be and the testimony of the Lord Jesus the Messiah Jesus Christ is not given to the world in the full sense of the word.

As it ought to be and you and i are part of it because we are part of the assembly of the ecclesia Habakkuk feel the same he's part of the nation of Israel and he's asking how long how long it will continue so he has a dilemma and you notice he asking twice and i'm just going to highlight it why things happening notice in verse three why does thou show me iniquity and then the Lord later on gave him an answer and then you notice a little bit later on in verse 12 of chapter 1 it's the same thing he continued he really have a dilemma and he's asking God in chapter 1 and a little bit later on he's asking God why notice the second thing that he's really asking why would God allow other nations to come and judge his own people because God mentioned that he will bring another nation this is the Babylonian to fight or to judge his own people the people of Judah so he's asking why Habakkuk is really has a dilemma that's why he.

Asked why God allow his people to behave the way they behave toward one another and the second why or the second question that you have how is it possible God that now you are going to bring other nation to judge your own people the people of Israel so you see he's really having a dilemma that's why you can see him asking this question how long verse 2 and why in verse 3 and if you go on to verse 12 on he's really puzzled that God will allow another nation to come to discipline his very own people and the people of Judah so the uniqueness of this book is that Habakkuk not speaking to Judah but speaking to the Lord Habakkuk have a dialogue with God direct conversation with God Habakkuk is facing a dilemma that God allow things to happen and he's silent but then because Israel do not repent he's going to bring another nation so he has a second dilemma and so you can see how Habakkuk has much concern about this and finally by way of.

The uniqueness of this book Habakkuk was concerned about injustice about violence about in Hebrew we call it Hamas Hamas simply mean injustice unrighteousness that existed first of all among his own people the Jewish people the people of Judah people of Israel and secondly among the nations of the world the Gentile the goyim the nations of the world who are who are treating God's people in an injustice in an unrighteous way you notice that the word violence is mentioned in this book of Habakkuk more than once i just want to highlight that you can see that the concern of Habakkuk in verse 2 Habakkuk said oh Lord how long shall i cry and thou will not hear even cry out unto thee notice of violence you see that word violence in the in the English it's come from the Hebrew word hamas or in other words it simply mean unrighteousness or injustice so Habakkuk had concern about the injustice the hamas that was going on among the people of God first you notice in verse 3 he says why dost thou show me iniquity.

And cause me to behold grievance for spoiling and violence here's the same word again hamas are before me he's looking around and you see the injustice that is going on among his people and violence and they don't treat each other right he was concerned and he was really sad when he saw that look a little bit later on in the same first chapter in verse 9 he's speaking now about the Babylonian who were going to come the Calades the Babylonian and they were not different because there it says they shall come all for violence their faces shall sup up as the east wind in other words here we go they are going to come you're going to bring them and they are not better they have violence hamas in Hebrew injustice as well chapter 1 and verse 9 if you just a little bit turn the page to chapter 2 and you notice in verse 8 Habakkuk mentioned the same word again notice verse 8 because thou has spoiled many nations all the remnant of the people shall.

Spoil thee because of man's blood and for the violence of the land of the city and of all that dwell therein here is the same word Hamas is mentioned once again in Habakkuk chapter 2 and verse 8 and he mentioned these this word once again in verse 17 of chapter 2 notice we read for the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee and the spoil of the of beasts which made them afraid because of man's blood and for the violence of the land of the city and of all that dwell therein again notice twice in Habakkuk 2 verse 17 mentioned the word hamas injustice violence so if we can say that the uniqueness of this book of Habakkuk is that Habakkuk number one is not speaking to Judah by speaking to the Lord the God of Israel secondly Habakkuk has a dialogue with the Lord he received information and he called him back he asked back again and you receive more information from the Lord thirdly Habakkuk is now a concern for the injustice and.

Violence that exists among first of all among the people of Judah secondly among the nations of the world and especially among the nation that will come to discipline the people of Judah now again beloved brothers and sisters think about the fact that in Scripture we are exhorted also today and not to have an attitude towards one another that will dishonor the Lord. You remember what Yaakov, James, wrote to the early Hebrew Christians and he's writing to us today in chapter 3 and verse 14. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom which is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. Then in chapter 4, verse 1, Jacob, James, continued to say to the early believers of the assembly, From whence come as wars and fighting among you, come they not hence even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust and have not, ye kill and desire to have, and cannot obtain, ye fight and war.

And ye have not because ye ask not you see this is similar to the issue that existed among Israel the nation our own people historically we can see that in the early days of the body of Christ the body of Messiah it was very similar the danger of constantly having this friction among the people of God. And that is kind of sad, that this existing envying and strife among God's people, it is not pleasing to the Lord even today in our present day. I'm thinking of other verses that we have in Scripture. Peter, for example, in 1 Peter 2, we read, and I'm just going to read it in verse 11, we read 1 Peter 2 and verse 11.

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. In other words, you know, you have to yourself to be careful. All the epistles there's again and again warning against as exactly as it happened in the history of Israel that there is violence there is injustice there is hamas among the people of God and that's why God is warning us against this as well you remember what we read in first corinthian 10 God remind us the apostle Paul i should say remind us that whatever happened in Israel's history is serving to be an example for us all these things first corinthian 10 and verse 11 now all these things happen unto them for an example and they are written for our admonitions upon whom the end of the world are come so whatever happened in our in Israel's history ought to teach us lessons as believers in the Lord Jesus the Messiah today who are part of the assembly of the ecclesia now here we have just general information as an introduction I I'd like just to highlight before us all the outline of the book of Habakkuk, of the prophecy of Habakkuk.

In chapter 1 and verses 1 to 4, Habakkuk, a first burden before the Lord because of the violence among the people of Israel. So in chapter 1 verses 1 to 4, Habakkuk's first burden before the Lord about the violence that existed among the people of Judah the people of Israel then in chapter 1 and verse 5 to 11 the Lord Jehovah respond to Habakkuk and he's saying to Habakkuk that he will raise the caladins to discipline the people of Judah so God tell him Okay, Habakkuk, you see this condition existing among God's people? Okay, I will raise the Chaladins. This is the Babylonian. And as we mentioned earlier, the Babylonians were rising into power and God would raise them and he will use them as a vessel to discipline his own people of Judah.

In fact, as I already read in Daniel chapter 1, you remember we read this verse, in verse 1, in the third year of the reign of Yeroyakim, king of Judah, came Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem and besieged it. And we read in verse 2, and the Lord gave Yeroyakim, king of Judah, into his hand with part of the vessels of the house of God. God would raise the Babylonians, the Chaladins, in Hebrew, the Kasdim, to bring them to discipline his very own people. Remember what we read in the epistle that Peter wrote as well, the judgment must begin at the house of God, and God will raise someone, even the enemies of God's people, to discipline his own people.

We read in 1 Peter 4 and verse 17, For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God, and if it will first begin at us, what shall be the end, Or what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? This is 1 Peter chapter 4 and verses 17 and 18. You can see, beloved brothers and sisters, that in the same way that God dealt with his earthly people, the people of Israel, God in the same way dealt with his heavenly people, the ecclesia, the assembly, the church. God has no respect of person.

If in the church age we are living in such a condition that there is, as we read here, violence, and if there is a life of unrighteousness, of injustice, first among the people of God, then God will deal with his own people. Doesn't matter what dispensation or period of time or economia we live in, God will deal with his own people in every age. He wants us to turn to him in repentance and confess and acknowledge our weakness and our failure. So we read in the outline, chapter 1, verses 1 to 4, Habakkuk first burdened before the Lord. Chapter 1, verses 5 to 11, the Lord responds to Habakkuk's concern and Habakkuk's burden.

Then chapter 1, verses 12 to 17, Habakkuk have a second burden. It is because when God said to him, I will raise the Kasdim, the Kaladins, the Babylonian, Habakkuk is having another dilemma, and now he's asking God, how is it possible, God? If you are going to judge your people, well, you're going to bring a nation that is worse than your people to judge your own people? He had a second dilemma, so he asked the Lord again. And so now in chapter 2, verses 1 to 5, Habakkuk is waiting and watching for an answer from the Lord. And as we read in chapter 2, verse 1, we read there, i will stand upon my watch and set me upon the tower he was going to watch to see what God is going to do if he said that he's going to raise the caladins the kasdim the Babylonian is there watching and the Lord had to reveal him a vision then in chapter 2 Habakkuk 2 verses 6 to 20 the Lord responding to Habakkuk with five woes of judgment which he pronounced against the kasdim the kaladins the Babylonian yes he will bring the Babylonian against his people Israel but no they cannot do as they please they can do not do to his people as they please God didn't respond he will judge and he will bring woe upon the caladins the kazdis who have dealt treacherously with the people of Judah this is in chapter 2 verses 6 to 20 and then in chapter 3 this is the last chapter of Habakkuk in chapter 3 verses 1 to 16 Habakkuk is praying this is a.

Wonderful chapter beloved brothers and sisters i wish the Lord will help us to learn from Habakkuk to pray for his people to say to the Lord Lord in wrath remember mercy you know this is so beautiful i often think of how wonderful it is to pray for the people of God yes we are to pray for Israel as well today for God's chosen people and ask God to seek the welfare and the restoration of Israel, but we also, beloved brothers and sisters, as believers who are part of the assembly, we are called to pray for the assembly, the believers, wherever they are. It's so wonderful to see the apostle Paul how he is often pray for the assemblies for example in Ephesians we read in chapter 1 verse 15 wherefore i also after i heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love unto all the saints cease not to give thanks for you making mention of you in my prayer Shaul Paul was a man of prayer he prayed for the believers in our Lord Jesus our Lord Yeshua the.

Messiah notice in chapter 3 of Ephesians verse 13 wherefore i desire that he faint not at my tribulation for you which is your glory for this cause notice Shaul Paul saying to the believers at Ephesus for this cause I bow my knees unto the father of our Lord Jesus Christ of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah of whom the whole family in heaven and in earth is named Paul was a man of prayer Paul Shaul Paul always prayed for the people of God and we also need to learn to pray for the people of God today as Habakkuk prayed for the people of Judah the people of Israel this is so important Paul in Colossians chapter 1 was giving thanks for God's people and praying verse 12 it says giving thanks unto the father which has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light and he's kind of praying and giving thanks to God on behalf of God's people what an amazing way in which the apostle Paul was a praying it says in Colossians 1 verse 9 for.

This cause we also since the the day we heard it do not cease to pray for you and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding and he said he continued that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all a pleasing being faithful in every good work and increase in the knowledge of God you see Shaul Paul like Habakkuk prayed for God's people never to pray against God people but always to pray for God's people this is essential beloved brothers and sisters one more verse in a Romans chapter 12 the apostle is exhorting the believers there to pray and now this is interesting because you see how what a man of prayer Shaul Paul was we read in verse 12 of Romans to have rejoicing in hope a patient in tribulation continue continuing instant in prayer as Paul is mentioning and we can go to other verses in which he's mentioning the essential need of prayer so this is in chapter 3 verses 1.

To 16 Habakkuk is praying and the conclusion of the book of Habakkuk with an outline is Habakkuk 3 verses 17 to 19 the confidence of Habakkuk that he has confidence in the Lord and there we find Habakkuk is so beautiful there he said although the thick tree shall not blossom and so on and yet he said in verse 18 yet i will rejoice in the Lord i will joy in the God of my salvation notice what a confident the apostle Paul had in i should say what a confident Habakkuk had in the God of Israel what an amazing an example that he have been and notice he says i yet i will rejoice in the Lord i will join the God of my salvation let's remind us of Peter as well who loved the Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah he said in first Peter 1 and verse 8 whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not ye yet believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable.

And full of glory so beloved brothers and sisters here we have as a an introduction to the book of Habakkuk chapter 1 verse 1 and verse 2a which is the introduction to the book of Habakkuk let me just please share with you the first verses verse 1 and verse 2a you notice in verse 1 we find that Habakkuk had a burden the burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see again the word for burden come from the Hebrew word massa and the word massa simply means the load Habakkuk was carrying a load and the load was regarding the state of his own beloved nation the nation of Israel whom he loved and his name Habakkuk represent his embracing he's really the embracer of Israel he loves his people and he is embracing them and have concern for their spiritual welfare in a time of decline but then you notice he's asking in verse 2a how oh Lord how long shall i cry and thou will not hear notice that how long shall i cry and thou will.

Not hear in other words God seemed to be silent when Habakkuk was living among the people of Israel the condition was not good was poor and Habakkuk was concerned because he was crying and was crying the Hebrew word for cry here is shavati i was really crying so strong i was really i had such a burden and i'm crying and crying shavati and shavati but God Lord Jehovah you do not hear And so the word here, how long, comes from the Hebrew word Adana, until when, Lord? How long will it take and you still do not come with an answer, you don't respond? Well, you remember that the psalmist of old in the history of Israel asked the same thing.

In Psalm 13 we read, Adana, how long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? Verse 1, forever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long, verse 2, shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? This is the psalmist of Israel David the psalmist the the the sweet psalmist of Israel he himself also was crying to the God of Israel on behalf of the nation and on behalf of his own condition his own need four times in Psalm 13 verses 1 and 2 David says how long how long will thou forget me how long will thou hide thy face for me how long shall i take counsel in my soul how long shall mine enemies be exalted over me ad anna ad anna how long Lord can i take it Psalm 13 verses 1 and 2 listen to Psalm 74 there we read in verses 9 and 10 again the psalmist of Israel this is at this time he said in verses 9 and 10 we see not our signs there is no more any prophet neither is there among us any that knoweth how long oh God how long adana shall the adversary reproach shall the enemy blaspheme thy name forever so again the not only David on behalf.

Of the nation and on behalf of himself cry to God asking how long then asaf asking God how long will that continue on and then Habakkuk in Habakkuk chapter one in our chapter he himself asking oh Lord how long shall i cry and thou will not hear in other words if God does not respond to the call of the Lord and you know brothers and sisters we also sometimes feel like this today in the days of the assemblies days we also feel a time the condition in the world today that is existing we pray sometime we pray for our family we pray for the salvation of our friends and our enemies we pray for the the certain certain circumstances in our life problems that exist maybe health issues maybe things that are going on and we cry Lord how can we continue on how long how long and sometimes it seems like the Lord Jesus the Lord Yeshua doesn't come immediately with an answer but eventually we know from Habakkuk that God did come with an answer.

And his answer was really severe at first because judgment must begin at the house of God so God does not want us to neglect to continue to pray that's why Paul says continue in prayer pray without ceasing always praying we find in the epistles that we read and then one more verse in the book of Revelation in chapter 6 this is during the tribulation days of course the assembly the church will be already raptured before the tribulation will begin here we see during the tribulation the saints of Israel in particular and saints from among the Gentile world who will who will be living here but also the when the seals is open and the judgment are falling down upon this world we see that even with the judgment are falling we see that the people of God cry with a loud voice and seeking for the Lord to make an end of what's going on in this world notice we read about the fifth seal that is being opened in Revelation chapter 6 during the.

Tribulation period verse 9 and when he had opened the fifth seal i saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they had held these are the martyrs who died for the testimony of the Messiah during the tribulation period and we find out that they cried now John of course see them now they are they are under the altar there and he said they were already slain they were killed they were taken out of here but their souls are crying on behalf of their people the people of Israel and the remnant of Israel the nation of the nations of the world that is experiencing tribulation and we read in verse 10 and they cried with a loud voice saying how long oh Lord holy and true dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth you see that they died for the testimony of Yeshua HaMashiach because they came to trust in him and they died they were martyrs and now because they.

Were martyred and now they've been taken to glory and from there they are crying to the to the Lord and asking him you are holy how long oh Lord holy and true does thou not judge and avenge our blood on them they died by the enemies of Israel by the Antichrist by the counterfeit Messiah by those who oppose the people who will live here or will be here during the tribulation and the persecution will be severe and so from heaven they would cry the martyrs on behalf of the nation but also those that killed them ones that avenge another one that dwell on the earth they wanted they wanted in a sense they asked the Lord how long you're going to allow Lord you allow those that that killed us that you know as it says here avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth those that brought suffering and persecution upon the saints who would live during the tribulation here in this world and some of them will die.

Because they will follow the Lord Yeshua Jesus the Messiah during the tribulation period now brothers and sisters this is the introduction to the prophecy of Habakkuk and as we begin in Habakkuk chapter 1 verses 1 and 2a. The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see. O Lord, how long shall I cry and thou will not hear. And here we have the first message in the book of Habakkuk as an introduction. And the Lord willing will continue with the study of Habakkuk. One verse at a time, one chapter at a time, we'll finish the whole three chapters of the prophecy of Habakkuk, the embracer of Israel. May the Lord bless His Word and encourage our hearts as we continue today to learn from the Word of God and follow after our Lord Jesus, our Lord Yeshua, the Messiah.

Can we say Amen to that?