Weekly Links (10/12/2012)

“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth.’” Jeremiah 1:7

Every one of us has a counter-argument to the call of God. “No, Lord. I am only a _________.” But what God said to Jeremiah he says to you: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you” (Jeremiah 1:5). You don’t define yourself. God does. And he never has a trivial thought. He’s not capable of it.

God also said, “To all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 1:7-8). You have been sent into this world by God. You have a mission. He handmade you for it. He is with you every day to deliver you. Do not be afraid.

To fulfill your destiny, you don’t need to mimic someone else’s identity, someone who seems to matter more than you do. The you that you are by creation and redemption in Christ – that basic you is not fundamentally a problem; that you is fundamentally a strategy.

Being who you are is a privilege from God. Trust him. Rise up and serve him, as only you can. (Ray Ortlund, You)

by Richard Shin

The quote above seems timely as the Eastbay church plant is about to begin and as many consider the Los Angeles plant as well.

Here are your weekly links.

  • It’s Pastor Appreciation Month. You won’t find it in your typical calendar, but it’s a much deserved form of recognition for the shepherd who labors for their flock. In honor of the pastor, Deep Roots Library is giving away free books. There’s an encouraging video that introduces the the giveaway. Be sure to go here.
  • This past Tuesday, the Pew Research Center released a study on the rise of secularism and the decline of protestant Christianity. It’s a sobering reality that we are now a minority.
  • Many would argue Jonathan Edwards was the greatest thinker our country has ever produced. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to share his works easily on your phone? Well, there’s an app for that.
  • Nathan Busenitz has an article on the differences between the Roman Catholic Church and protestant Christianity regarding soteriology, the study of salvation. See the side-by-side (actually, top-down) comparison between the two ideologies and the corroborating evidence for each one.
  • David Powlison, a leading figure in biblical counseling, has a series of Q&A going on the CCEF blog. So far there are two articles (part 1 and part 2).
  • Since Phil Johnson’s departure from the Internet, Team Pyro has been posting his “best of Phil” weekly series. Here, he talks about having the right kind of passion. Do you know what that is? If not, you should read this.

That’s it for now. Have a great weekend, everyone.

Coram Deo

Single Life Update

“If you want to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 7:32)

by Obadiah Lee

As new academic term begins with College Life returning to the daily grind of lectures, books, and late nights studying; career/postgraduates also begin a new term in the ministry of Single Life. Over that past year we studied through the book of Colossians, diving deep into chapter 3 we examined the love and dependence we must have in our perfect Savior. We were challenged to survey our lives before the perfection and holiness of the Scriptures and to practically love and live for Christ as career/postgraduate Christians. As single men and women, we fall into an interesting demographic when it comes to Christians among the Church population. When I have had the opportunity to speak with other brothers and sisters from other churches, the majority of the career adult ministries are female dominated (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing), non-existent or struggle to stay afloat. Lighthouse Bible Church has been extremely blessed with a committed pastor who preaches the Word through thorough exegesis and clear exposition. There is truly a uniqueness to the ministry of Single Life, as single men and women many of us have great opportunities to serve the church with our time unlike any other affinity group. We typically have more flexibility in our resources and time.

1 Corinthians 7:32-35 provides for us a clear and biblical explanation for those of us in the single stage of life. As many of us desire to be married if God wills, Scripture tells us that our interests will be divided between the worries of the world (our spouse) and how to please the Lord. Now let me acknowledge and make clear that being married does not diminish our desire or ability to please the Lord, but we must understand Paul’s desire for us to recognize the gift of being content in singleness (vv.6-7). As single adults we have a gift before us to use our singleness to the glory of God. Marriage is a beautiful thing and Scripture reveals the profound beauty that is the picture of Christ and the Church. As God provides and wills for each of us to be wed, we as singles have a weighty responsibility to steward God’s provision over us for His glory and to serve the church.

As the new term begins there are numerous things to look forward to; ministries, retreats, fellowship, and many other things. As an individual who attends Single Life, we meet on Wednesday nights at church at 6:30 with dinner served, here are three major highlights of the year that I look forward to.

  1. Each year there are new faces that come to the Singles Life ministry, some have heard about Lighthouse from friends or siblings, others found us online. Whatever the means in which they find Lighthouse, I look forward to meeting people who come not knowing Christ as their Savior but desiring to know more and those seeking a community that loves God’s and the Word.
  2. I eagerly anticipate the Bible teaching that will be preached each week. Pastor Patrick is our gifted pastor who loves God’s Word and desires the transforming power of the Word through the lives of the men and women in Single Life. During the course of the year we also have many events that our “Fun Staff” plans and organizes. Our very own Minister of Music, Eugene Park is the fearless leader of the “Fun Staff”. There are plenty of exciting events coming up so if you’re in the singles demographic, you definitely do not want to miss out.
  3. Lastly, I look forward to small groups. As someone who has the privilege to lead small groups, I am often and regularly humbled by those I find accountability. As a single guy, I have a special opportunity to minister and use my time to serve, encourage, and challenge brothers in the capacity God allows me. In small groups I’ll have the year to meet with other men and share my life with them. As the year progresses, I hope that the bond would grow and these would be men that God has taught me much from. I look forward to the accountability, fellowship, and brotherhood that can be found in small groups. (The women also have small groups as well.)

The gift of being a single adult in the life of the church is an immense blessing. As we read in God’s word, we know that singleness frees us from anxieties and allows us to serve and please the Lord with a unique capacity. As singles our interests can remain focused on the work of the Lord, my hope for the Single Life ministry is that we can seek the Lord for wisdom, as marriage is not the only distraction that we may have. Many other things hinder our devotion to God and we need to be seeking the things of Lord so that we can be on guard and examine our hearts regularly. If you’re in the single stage of life and looking for a church or community, Lighthouse Bible Church would welcome and love for you join us!

BOB – Zephaniah

by Stephen Rodgers

ZEPHANIAH IN 10 WORDS OR LESS

“A coming “day of the LORD” promises heavy judgment.”

TITLE

Like nearly all the other prophetic books, the name of the book bears the name of the prophet who was responsible for its contents (Zeph. 1:1).

AUTHOR & AUDIENCE

Beyond what we know from Zephaniah 1:1, there is very little we know about the prophet.  However, that one verse gives us quite a bit of material.

  • Zephaniah lists his genealogy going back four generations, which seems a bit unusual and overkill.  However, that fourth generation seems to be a doozy, in that it is quite likely that it refers to King Hezekiah of Judah (the only other two “Hezekiahs” in the OT both being post-exilic).
  • Considering that the same verse tells us that the prophecy was delivered during the reign of King Josiah, it seems like Zephaniah is setting up a parallel between that of his descendant and the current monarch…which makes sense considering both were spiritual reformers.
  • Interestingly, this would also make Zephaniah the only prophet (other than David and Solomon) who was also royalty.
The original audience of Zephaniah were the people of Judah, who he warned of God’s impending judgment.

DATE

Given that Josiah reigned from 640 BC to 609 BC, we can confidently place Zephaniah’s prophecy into that window.  However, we might be able to narrow it down even further:

  • As previously mentioned Nineveh was destroyed in 612 BC. Since Zephaniah prophesied regarding its destruction and the fall of the Assyrians, that narrows the window to 640 BC to 612 BC.
  • This is where things get tricky. The single most momentous event of Josiah’s reign was the discovery of the Book of the Law (2 Kings 22:8). Commentators are divided as to whether the evidence that Zephaniah prophesied before or after this event.

Per Constable:

Zephaniah ministered during the reign of King Josiah of Judah (640-609 B.C.; 1:1). Scholars debate just when during his reign Zephaniah wrote, before[E.g., ibid., p. 276; H. A. Hanke, “Zephaniah,” in The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 883; David W. Baker, Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah, p. 91; Leon J. Wood, The Prophets of Israel, p. 320; Bruce K. Waltke, An Old Testament Theology, p. 839; et al.] or after[E.g., John D. Hannah, “Zephaniah,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament, p. 1523; et al.] Josiah’s reforms, which began in 622 B.C. There is support for both views.[See Patterson, pp. 275-6, for other scholars who held each of these views.] Zephaniah made no explicit reference to Josiah’s reforms, and the evidence is really insufficient to settle the debate.

BACKGROUND & SETTING

Zephaniah is a bright light in a sea of darkness. The reforms of Josiah parallel those of Hezekiah, but they are too little and too late. Even though Josiah worked to undo the pagan influences in Judah, the progress he made would be undone by his own son within years of his death. Zephaniah saw this all in grand perspective…how a reformation that would prove futile in the short term would nonetheless ultimately culminate in the Day of the LORD and the restoration of his people.

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES

There are two main themes that pervade the book of Zephaniah:

  • Judgment. The main theme of the book is the coming “Day of the LORD” (Zeph. 1:7, 14), a day of universal judgment (Zeph. 1:2-3) as well as specific judgment against Judah (Zeph. 1:4-6) as well as other nations (Zeph. 2:4-15). Religious syncretism-a mixing of true worship and idolatry (Zeph. 1:4-6)-brings destruction (Zeph. 1:9-13), but seeking God in humility results in salvation (Zeph. 2:1-3).
  • Restoration. Zephaniah assured his audience that judgment would be followed by restoration. God would purify His own (Zeph. 3:9), bring rejoicing (Zeph. 3:14-17), and restore his people’s glory (Zeph. 3:18-20).

INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

There are no major interpretive challenges listed in the vast majority of sources I consulted, although the MSB does highlight a rather unique issue:

Some have referred the phrase “I will restore to the peoples a pure language” (Zeph. 3:9) to the restoration of a universal language, similar to the days prior to confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1–9). They point out that the word “language” is also used in Gen. 11:7. It is better, however, to understand the passage as pointing to a purification of heart and life. This is confirmed by the context (cf. Zeph. 3:13) and corroborated by the fact that the word “language” is most commonly translated “lip.” When combined with “pure,” the reference to speech speaks of inward cleansing from sin (Is. 6:5) manifested in speech (cf. Matt. 12:34), including the removal of the names of false gods from their lips (Hos. 2:17). It does not imply a one world language.

So there’s that.

LITERARY FEATURES

Per the ESVSB:

The book of Zephaniah is a typical work of prophecy, but with distinctive features woven into the tapestry. The primary genre within this prophetic book is the oracle of judgment, with an oracle of salvation coming at the expected place, namely, at the end. Zephaniah, almost uniquely among the so-called “minor prophets,” looks like a “major prophet” in miniature: it has oracles of judgment (Zeph. 1:1–18), oracles against foreign nations (Zeph. 2:4–15), and oracles of hope (Zeph. 3:8–20), with Zeph. 2:1–3 and Zeph. 3:1–7 (modulating from foreign to domestic interest, much as Amos does in Amos 2:4ff.) functioning as “transitional” oracles which make pointed application to Jerusalem.

OBJECTIONS

There are no significant objections to Zephaniah that I am aware of, aside from the stock objection that prophecy is impossible, and therefore “true” prophecies of future events (such as the fall of Nineveh), must either inform the dating of the book or the redaction of the text.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

  • Zephaniah 1:14
  • Zephaniah 3:17

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Zephaniah refers to himself as the son of “Cushi” (“the Cushite”), which is interesting, considering that the Cushites and the Israelites were rather ethnically and geographically removed from one another. While his father very well may have been a Cushite, other explanations are that he looked like a Cushite, or that his name was intended to honor Cush (which was occasionally a military ally of Israel).

Other Works Referenced

  • Apologetics Study Bible, “Zephaniah”
  • Archaeological Study Bible, “Introduction to Zephaniah”
  • ESV Study Bible, “Introduction to Zephaniah”
  • MacArthur Study Bible, “Zephaniah”
  • NET Bible, Zephaniah
  • NIV Study Bible, Zephaniah
  • Reformation Study Bible, “Zephaniah”
  • The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook, “Zephaniah”
  • Dever, The Message of the Old Testament
  • Driscoll, A Book You’ll Actually Read On the Old Testament
  • Knight, The Layman’s Bible Handbook

FOF #6: Salvation

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10)

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Chapter 5 of Fundamentals of the Faith dealt with the work of Christ on the cross and what His death accomplished. As sinners before a holy God, we were desperately in need of someone to save us. Because of sin’s effect on our lives, there was nothing we could do to save ourselves. Our lives apart from Christ are lived in abject rebellion against Him. Our hearts are so tainted by sin that it affects everything we say, think, or do. We needed help if we were going to have any hope to stand before a holy God. When Jesus came and died on the cross, He satisfied the righteous demands of God. His death paid in full the penalty we deserved. He died in our place so that we could live. By rising again from the grave, Jesus proved that He accomplished this salvation. The Bible tells us that the curse of sin is death, but Jesus beat death by rising from the grave.

Chapter 6 goes on to explain this salvation more fully. In particular, it looks at salvation from past, present, and future perspectives. From a past perspective, it helps us to understand that God is absolutely sovereign in salvation, choosing who among men would be saved even from eternity past. From a present perspective, the chapter helps us to see that the person who truly is saved is converted into a new person at the point of their salvation. Everything is different for the person who trusts in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. From a future perspective, it gives us the evidences of true conversion. How can a person know he or she is a genuine Christian? They can see the radical transformation that took place in their life when God worked in their heart.

One of the more controversial topics in the church today is the sovereignty of God in salvation. Does God choose people to be saved according to His sovereign will, or does He give the choice to people to decide whether they will accept that salvation or not? Some would argue that God wouldn’t be a God of love if He didn’t give all men the freedom to choose Him for themselves. Others argue that God would not truly be God at all if He wasn’t completely sovereign over all things including the salvation of men.

It is most important to consider what the Bible says because the Bible is the Word of God. Scripture teaches that when a person comes to know Jesus as Lord and Savior, it is ultimately the work of God in that person’s heart according to His predetermined plan. In Ephesians 1:3-6, Paul tells the church that it was God’s choice of love to predestine them according to the purpose of His will. While this may seem offensive at first, when you consider our sin condition apart from Christ, it becomes necessary. This is because our sin affects us in a radical way to the core of who we are. Because of our depraved condition, even if we were given the choice to follow God, we wouldn’t. Our minds apart from Christ are dead set against Him. If our hearts are going to be changed to choose Him, He must by necessity do the changing. If God didn’t choose us, we would be lost forever.

But when God saves us, He saves us radically from the core of who we are. He changes us from the inside out. As Ezekiel 36:26 describes, He removes the once dead heart of stone and replaces it with a living, beating heart of flesh. At that point, everything changes for the one who trusts in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Their outlook, direction, and purpose in life takes a 180. Before, everything about their lives was dead set against who God is, but now everything is about knowing God more and more and living for Him more faithfully. The conversion to Christianity involves a complete transformation within a person – from death to life (Eph. 2:1-5), from slavery to freedom (John 8:34-36), from old to new (2 Cor. 5:17). When God saves a sinner, He forgives that individual of the sin that taints their life, but He also transforms that person so that they can fight against the sin that once enslaved them.

This is the best proof of a person’s salvation. As they look at their lives, they can see in a demonstrable way that their life is different because of what God has done to them and in them. They see that they are no longer blind to the truth of the gospel but that God has opened their eyes to see. They experience that they are no longer powerless in the fight against sin, but that God mightily works within them to fight against that sin. They no longer place their hope and trust in the things of this world, but believe that one day their Savior will come again. This gives them all the motivation they need to endure patiently until the end even in spite of severe trials and difficulties.

I’m so thankful that Fundamentals of the Faith devoted an entire chapter to consider the glorious truth of salvation. The gospel is the message that all people need to hear and heed. It is the message that God provides a way of salvation for sinful men. Any true hope we have in this life is only made possible because of the gospel. Our God is a gracious God who is willing and eager by His love to save sinners.

Thou Hast Made the Lord, Which Is My Refuge, Even the Most High, Thy Habitation

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Psalm 91:9

The Israelites in the wilderness were continually exposed to change. Whenever the pillar stayed its motion, the tents were pitched; but tomorrow, ere the morning sun had risen, the trumpet sounded, the ark was in motion, and the fiery, cloudy pillar was leading the way through the narrow defiles of the mountain, up the hillside, or along the arid waste of the wilderness. They had scarcely time to rest a little before they heard the sound of ‘Away! this is not your rest; you must still be onward journeying towards Canaan!’ They were never long in one place. Even wells and palm trees could not detain them. Yet they had an abiding home in their God, His cloudy pillar was their roof-tree, and its flame by night their household fire. They must go onward from place to place, continually changing, never having time to settle, and to say, ‘Now we are secure; in this place we shall dwell.’ ‘Yet,’ says Moses, ‘though we are always changing, Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place throughout all generations.’

The Christian knows no change with regard to God. He may be rich to-day and poor to-morrow; he may be sickly to-day and well to-morrow; he may be in happiness to-day, to-morrow he may be distressed-but there is no change with regard to his relationship to God. If He loved me yesterday, He loves me to-day. My unmoving mansion of rest is my blessed Lord. Let prospects be blighted; let hopes be blasted; let joy be withered; let mildews destroy everything; I have lost nothing of what I have in God. He is ‘my strong habitation whereunto I can continually resort.’ I am a pilgrim in the world, but at home in my God. In the earth I wander, but in God I dwell in a quiet habitation.

2.27a

Weekly Links (10/5/2012)

“Since I wrote Her Hand in Marriage, I have heard more than one courtship horror story. And more than once I have consequently said that the courtship model means that we have six idiots involved instead of two.” (Douglas Wilson, 5 Paths to the Love of Your Life, p. 59).

by Stephen Rodgers

I can get away with that quote because there’s a lot of good material below dealing with both pre-marital and marriage…see for yourself if you don’t believe me. Besides…Austin Duncan was the one who originally quoted it approvingly…blame him. (Speaking tangentially from Austin now…what the heck happened to the SC Media page? It’s practically unusable now…fortunately, the GCC page is still alright).

Alright… we’ve got a ton of material for you today, so we better get started.  And when I say a “ton,” I really mean a “metric ton”…because it’s heavier.

  • First off, Ligonier ministries has been putting out quality material for a while now, but lately they’ve made huge strides in making it more available and exposed. For example, they now have a page that collects all their teaching series, and another that collects all their conferences. And if you want proof regarding that “quality material” I referenced, check out the new additions to RefNet and the latest edition of Tabletalk.
  • Speaking of sermons…Monergism.com also just finished putting together an MP3 archive that includes at least one sermon for every chapter in the Bible.
  • Since I alluded to some resources for both pre-maritial and marriage in my introduction, so here they are: Desiring God has recently released both “Preparing for Marriage” and “This Momentary Marriage” as free ebooks.  Enjoy!
  • And since we’re on the subject of free resources…you’ll want to know that Amazon is giving away a dramatized audio version of the ESV New Testament for a limited time, christianaudio.com’s free resource for this month is How Should Christian’s Vote? by Tony Evans, and Logos’ free resource for this month is The Christian Doctrine of Prayer by James Hastings. And since we’re referring to Logos resources, you might want to know that they’re doing a promotional program where some other resources have been made free for a limited time as well.
  • I’m not much of a “sports guy” or a fan of sports in general.  That being said, I’m a huge fan of Thomas Lake, and I’m thrilled that a few other folks around the Christian ‘net are taking notice of his work.
  • Since the collegians are back with us once again, I thought this would be a good time to point out this excellent article from JP Moreland’s blog on how to have a worthwhile education.
  • Anyone who’s followed John Piper’s ministry for any length of time knows that he has tried to write a Christian biography a year for several years now.  Well, Crossway is now bundling some of those together in book form, and Justin Taylor was kind enough to draw attention to the original books/talks (which are online for free at the DG resource library), as well as some lectures on church history by Michael Haykin.
  • Anyone who’s followed John MacArthur’s ministry for any length of time knows he’s rather indifferent to political issues. However he recently gave a pair of sermons dealing with the issues of abortion and homosexuality that are particularly relevant given the political issues of our time. When asked why he was suddenly getting “political,” his response was that emphatically that Romans 1 is not politics…it’s theology.

Whew!  That was a lot!  Hopefully you’ll comb through those, and we’ll see you Sunday!

Pro Rege

BOB – Habakkuk

by Stephen Rodgers

HABAKKUK IN 10 WORDS OR LESS

“Trust God even when He seems unresponsive or unfair.”

TITLE

Like the majority of the other prophetic books, Habakkuk is named for the prophet who gave the prophecy that bears his name (Habakkuk 1:1).

Per the MSB:

This prophetic book takes its name from its author and possibly means “one who embraces” (Hab. 1:1; 3:1). By the end of the prophecy, this name becomes appropriate as the prophet clings to God regardless of his confusion about God’s plans for his people.

AUTHOR & AUDIENCE

Beyond his name, we basically know nothing about Habakkuk. The fact that he is called “Habakkuk the Prophet” seems to suggest that he was relatively well-known, and needed no further identification. There is even disagreement as to whether the origin of his name itself is either Hebrew or Babylonian.

Since so little is actually known about Habakkuk, legends and stories abound in an attempt to fill the gap. Here are some of them so that you don’t get your facts mixed up with your fiction…

Per Constable:

The New Testament writers told us nothing about the prophet. There are traditions about who Habakkuk was that have little basis in fact but are interesting nonetheless. Since the last verse of the book gives a musical notation similar to some psalms, some students concluded that he was a musician and possibly a Levite. The Septuagint addition to the Book of Daniel, the apocryphal Bel and the Dragon, mentions Habakkuk in its title as the son of Jeshua of the tribe of Levi. It records a legend about him that is pure fantasy. Supposedly an angel commanded Habakkuk to take a meal to Daniel, who was in the lions’ den a second time. When the prophet complained that he did not know where the den was, the angel picked him up by a lock of his hair and carried him to the spot (Bel vv. 33-39). According to rabbinic sources, Habakkuk was the son of the Shunammite woman whom Elisha restored to life (2 Kings 4). The basis for this theory is that Elisha’ servant told the woman that she would “embrace” a son (2 Kings 4:16), and Habakkuk’s name is similar to the Hebrew word for “embrace.”

Despite everything we don’t know, the one thing we do know is that the book was originally intended for the people of Judah.

DATE

Given the date of composition, we do know that Habakkuk was a contemporary of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zephaniah.

Per the MSB:

The mention of the Chaldeans (Hab. 1:6) suggests a late seventh century B.C. date, shortly before Nebuchadnezzar commenced his military march through Nineveh (612 B.C.), Haran (609 B.C.), and Carchemish (605 B.C.), on his way to Jerusalem (605 B.C.). Habakkuk’s bitter lament (Hab. 1:2–4) may reflect a time period shortly after the death of Josiah (609 B.C.), days in which the godly king’s reforms (cf. 2 Kin. 23) were quickly overturned by his successor, Jehoiakim (Jer. 22:13–19).

Most traditional scholars therefore date the book somewhere between 609 BC and 605 BC, but it’s impossible to be very precise or dogmatic on this particular point.

BACKGROUND & SETTING

Habakkuk wrote at a time where corruption was on a distinct upswing in Judah. Seeing the rampant sin around him, he questioned God, asking Him what He would do. God’s response was that he was sending the Chaldeans (Babylonians) as His judgment on Judah. Habakkuk protested that this particular judgment was unjust, since he believed that the Chaldeans were even more wicked than the Judeans, and therefore God’s use of them was somehow unjustified. God’s response was that He would always punish evil, and that Habakkuk needed to wait and trust in Him (putting him in a similar position to Job).

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES

There are two major themes in Habakkuk:

  • Justice. Habakkuk affirms that God is holy and just (Hab. 1:12-13; 3:3), and will always punish the wicked (Hab. 1:5-11; 2:2-20) at the “appointed time” (Hab. 2:3). While the righteous may have to wait for vindication (or the evil for their punishment), it will always come.
  • Faith. Faith is needed to endure injustice (Hab. 2:4). Even when life seems confusing, God’s people are to wait and trust that He will eventually make things right (Hab. 2:3). The righteous “live by faith,” (Hab. 2:4), not by the way that things appear on the surface (Hab. 1:4).

INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

There are no significant interpretive challenges to Habakkuk that I’m aware of.

LITERARY FEATURES

Per the ESVSB:

The first two chapters fall into the dramatic format of dialogue; more specifically, they are question-and-answer exchanges between the prophet and God. The prophet’s vision of God’s appearance (Hab. 3:3–15) is a theophany, and it is followed by a personal testimony (Hab. 3:17–19). Overall, the first-person format of the dialogue, the visionary theophany, and the testimony make the book read like a personal journal.

OBJECTIONS

In some circles it is popular to advance the claim that Habakkuk 1-2 and Habakkuk 3 have different authors.

Per Constable:

The major challenge to the unity of the book has come from liberal scholars who view psalmic material such as chapter 3 as postexilic. The commentary on Habakkuk found at Qumran does not expound this psalm either. However, the continuity of theme that continues through the whole book plus the absence of any compelling reasons to reject chapter 3 argue for the book’s unity. (O. Palmer Robertson, The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, pp. 212-14.)

It should also be noted that while the Habakkuk Pesher only contains chapters 1-2,  both the Scroll of the Minor Prophets from Wadi Murabbaat and the Greek Scroll of the Minor Prophets from Nahal Hever both contain chapters 1-3.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

  • Habakkuk 2:4 (famously quoted by Paul in Romans)
  • Habakkuk 3:18

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Habakkuk records at least one potential answer to the so-called Problem of Evil: God sometimes uses one form of evil as a judgment on another form of evil…while declaring that ultimately all evil will be punished.

Other Works Referenced

  • Apologetics Study Bible, “Habakkuk”
  • Archaeological Study Bible, “Introduction to Habakkuk”
  • ESV Study Bible, “Introduction to Habakkuk”
  • MacArthur Study Bible, “Habakkuk”
  • NET Bible, Habakkuk
  • NIV Study Bible, Habakkuk
  • Reformation Study Bible, “Habakkuk”
  • The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook, “Habakkuk”
  • Dever, The Message of the Old Testament
  • Driscoll, A Book You’ll Actually Read On the Old Testament
  • Knight, The Layman’s Bible Handbook

What is Prayer For?

by Elder Mike Chon

Most Christians know that we should pray. We pray before meals and before we sleep, and even during the day. We also pray when times are difficult and when we need a “favor” from God. Did God tell us to pray so that we can ask for “favors?” Is prayer just to thank God before we eat or before we sleep? There are so many misconceptions regarding prayer that for most of us we never thought about what prayer is actually for.

For those that have been involved in the prosperity gospel movement, you may have thought that prayer is for our own good. If you have a need, especially a physical or materialistic need, that we are called to ask God in faith and that He will answer our prayers. If for some reason we don’t receive what we ask for, the only person we have to blame is ourselves since we apparently didn’t ask without doubting, per passages like Matthew 21:21-22 and Matthew 7:7-11. Is this really why God calls us to pray to Him? Is prayer only use to communicate our needs to God so that He can be our supernatural gift-giver? The problem with this understanding of prayer is that it shifts the focus on our needs and our own desires. It makes prayer into a one-way communication with God that demands our needs to be fulfilled and instead of bringing glory to God, it promotes self-centeredness (and self-deception, if we’re believing that God must answer our prayers). Those that support using prayer in this way, conveniently forget to mention a passage in Scripture that may explain the real reason why those prayers are not being answered. It can be found in James 4:3, and it explains why God does not answer selfish prayers and compares those who pray them to adulterers in verse 4. They have taken what was meant to bring glory to God and used it to glorify themselves.

Another misuse of prayer is as a means to bring attention to your own spirituality and maturity. You’ll find this in superficial churches where they find more value in outward appearances and actions than inward character. They are more concerned with how they appear than what they really are. Most are hypocrites who appear to love God, but instead hate their neighbor, disregard the needy and poor, and forsake their family for recognition and material gain. In these churches you’ll find public prayers to be long, elaborate, and very wordy. Instead of praying out of contrite and humble heart, they sound more like prayer professionals being able to use “spiritual” words in a way that they have never been used before. These are those that pray only when others are around and never alone with God. These are those that would pray a 10-minute prayer for a meal yet never pray for their children’s salvation privately. These are those that would pray with lofty words yet are in constant conflict and strife with fellow members of their own church or family. Prayer was never meant to be a means to bring attention to ourselves. Jesus Himself warned of this type of practice when He spoke about the Pharisees and Gentiles in Matthew 6:5-8.

So what is prayer for? The main focus of our prayer is not for our needs or even the needs of others. Primarily prayer is not just praying for others, even though Christ calls us to do that. Prayer is primarily meant to direct us to God Himself, therefore our prayers should be God-centered and God-focused. It is part of our worship of Him. We are called to glorify God in our prayers. When we see the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 5:9, it begins with “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” God is the focus of our prayer. We are called to praise Him, we are called to worship Him, and we are called to exalt Him in our prayers. Prayer is a call for us to exalt our heavenly Father. The most intimate worship service that each of us should be having is when we are on our knees communing with our Father in our prayers. If you are not praying biblically to God, you are not worshiping God.

May we be a church that worships our great God each and every day of our lives, and not just on Sundays.

…He Shall Pronounce Him Clean That Hath the Plague

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Leviticus 13:13

Strange enough this regulation appears, yet there was wisdom in it, for the throwing out of the disease proved that the constitution was sound. This evening it may be well for us to see the typical teaching of so singular a rule. We, too, are lepers, and may read the law of the leper as applicable to ourselves. When a man sees himself to be altogether lost and ruined, covered all over with the defilement of sin, and in no part free from pollution; when he disclaims all righteousness of his own, and pleads guilty before the Lord, then he is clean through the blood of Jesus, and the grace of God. Hidden, unfelt, unconfessed iniquity is the true leprosy; but when sin is seen and felt, it has received its deathblow, and the Lord looks with eyes of mercy upon the soul afflicted with it. Nothing is more deadly than self-righteousness, or more hopeful than contrition. We must confess that we are ‘nothing else but sin,’ for no confession short of this will be the whole truth; and if the Holy Spirit be at work with us, convincing us of sin, there will be no difficulty about making such an acknowledgment-it will spring spontaneously from our lips. What comfort does the text afford to truly awakened sinners: the very circumstance which so grievously discouraged them is here turned into a sign and symptom of a hopeful state! Stripping comes before clothing; digging out the foundation is the first thing in building-and a thorough sense of sin is one of the earliest works of grace in the heart. O thou poor leprous sinner, utterly destitute of a sound spot, take heart from the text, and come as thou art to Jesus-

‘For let our debts be what they may, however great or small,
As soon as we have nought to pay, our Lord forgives us all.
‘Tis perfect poverty alone that sets the soul at large:
While we can call one mite our own, we have no full discharge.’

2.26p

Weekly Links (9/28/2012)

 There is not a square inch in the whole world domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, “Mine!” (Abraham Kuyper, “Sphere Sovereignty”)

by Richard Shin

We have a great set of articles for you once again. They seem light (based on length), but they’re awesomely packed (based on content).

  • Josiah Grauman has LDS (Loeys-dietz syndrome). Despite his genetic disorder, his grandfather decided to have kids, and Josiah decided to do the same. He explains his well thought-out reasoning at the Cripplegate.
  • Carl Trueman pens an article reflecting on modern society’s need to stay connected. Read the article to find out his thoughts on what it might say about a Christian’s “hyperconnectivity” to the world.
  • Paul Tautges has an encouraging post about sharing in one another’s burdens, even when one is in sin. It is a sobering reminder that we are not in this fight alone. The gift of fellowship is much more powerful than many of us make it out to be.
  • Jonathan Dodson has a helpful article on having gospel fathers in discipleship. What’s a gospel father? Well, you best click through to find out.
  • Are you excited about the LBC Eastbay and LBC Los Angeles church plants? So am I. But with anything that we do, it’s all the more necessary that we pray to God regarding such endeavors. Daniel Akin gives us a glimpse into the importance of prayer.

Have a fantastic weekend y’all.

Coram Deo