Message of the Week

The Little White Community Church

Scripture: Habakkuk 1: 1-11

December 28, 2025

Message: “Strife and Conflict!"

by Pastor George Gnade

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Introduction:

1. Today is the last Sunday of the year. As I asked myself what was the best way to prepare us for the future, I was led to the Book of Habakkuk.

2. If you have been reading my sermons regularly, you would also know we have studied the Gospel of Mark as well as the Book of Colossians, followed by a series on people we should be thankful for plus messages appropriate for Christmas. 

a. That is another reason why I feel led to go back to the O.T. for a while. I like to offer you variety. I have also mentioned on various occasions my desire to share with you passages from the whole Bible. Over the last 8 years, we have covered most of the O.T., but still have not covered some of the later prophets. 

b. The Book of Habakkuk is one of them.

3. But it is the content of this little book that really matters. It describes a very troubled time in the history of Judah. In many ways, that is equally true of our country and the world we live in today.

A. Let us begin by sharing with you the context in which this book was written.

1. Habakkuk was a prophet who lived over 600 years before Jesus was born. We know very little about him.

 But we do know a lot about when he lived. 

a. The northern nation of Israel had already been taken into captivity by the Assyrians. And it would not be long before the southern kingdom of Judah would also go into captivity.

b. We live in a free country. But there are nations all around the world who are jealous of us. Many of them would love to attack and destroy us and take our wealth from us.

2. This was exactly the problem faced by the people in Judah. There was a lot of talk about peace but there was very little peace.  

a. Many of you may have heard of King Hezekiah of Judah. The Assyrians wanted to destroy Judah the same way as they had destroyed Israel. But miraculously the Lord delivered them.

b. Around the same time, Hezekiah became very sick and almost died. When he asked God to heal him, God granted him 15 more years (Is. 37- 38).

3. That is when the Babylonians came to visit the king to congratulate him on his healing and his victory (Is. 39).

a. In this moment of joy, Hezekiah bragged and showed the Babylonians all the wealth of the nation. God visited him and told him that was a grave mistake. 

b. The day would come when they would come back to take everything he had shown them. The Book of Habakkuk was written to explain to the prophet exactly when this was going to happen.

4. Unlike other prophetic books, the prophet never addresses the nation and never warns them to repent.

Instead, this whole book is a dialogue between the prophet and God.

a. The prophet keeps complaining to God about the problems and evil conditions of his day. Then God Himself answers the prophet. So it goes from the beginning to the end. 

b. The reason why I would like us to study this book is because we often ask similar questions. God’s answers are just as relevant to us.

B. Please consider Habakkuk’s first complaint.

1.In Hab. 1:2-3 , he speaks to the Lord and asks: “How long, O Lord, must I cry for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, ‘violence!’ but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong?

Destruction and violence are before me, there is strife, and conflict abounds.”

2. If you look around the world, everything Habakkuk saw, we see. And if you consider our own country, presently it is full of violence and conflict is everywhere.

3. In a country that was so mixed up, Habakkuk explains to the Lord the consequences of these conditions.

a. In vs. 4, he writes: “Therefore, the law is paralyzed and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.”

b. In all honesty, my prayers often sound a lot like his prayers. In many situations, it looks like wickedness is winning.

4. In plain words, the questions he was asking God are questions that many of us are asking too.

C. But the answer he received is not the answer he expected! Consider God’s answer.

1. In vs. 5, He says: “Look at the nations and watch- and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if I told you.”

a. In Is. 55:8, God says: “My thoughts are not your thoughts and your ways are not my ways…As the heavens are high above the earth, so so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

b. Just when you and I think we can figure out what God is doing, He surprises us. His answer to Habakkuk certainly was going to surprise him.

2. In Hab. 1: 6, God continues: “I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwelling places that are not their own.”

a. The way this is written, it had already begun. In vs. 7- 11, He says: “They are feared and dreaded and a law unto themselves. They promote their own honor…. They gather prisoners like sand… They deride kings … and laugh at fortified cities. They sweep on like the wind… guilty men, whose own strength is their god.”

3. What a strange answer! While He agrees with Habakkuk, His solution is the exact opposite of what the prophet wanted to hear.

4. God was going to use evil to conquer evil. Since the world did not want God, God was going to give the world exactly what they thought they wanted. He was in control but would appear to be out of control. That is exactly what was about to happen.

In Conclusion:

1. In the same way, Jesus warned us that in the last days, things would get a lot worse before they got better.

2. But Jesus also told His disciples: “I am telling you this before it happens so that when it does happen, you will believe”(John 14:29, see also John 16:4, 33).

a. He was about to die on the cross and appear to crush all their hopes. But when He arose, His cry of victory would rise with Him.

b. In the same way, killings and wars and suffering are going to increase before the end will come, but God calls us to believe in Him through it all.

3. Why? In the end, Jesus will come again. Then it will all make sense.  Amen!