If you were like me as a child, you learned quickly that you do not talk back to your parents. You don't argue, you don't make sarcastic comments, you don't mock, you certainly don't say, "NO," when you are told to do something. I tried it once and never did it again.
I think that's one application of the passage in Habakkuk: But Jehovah is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him. (Hab 2:20). God had just pronounced a judgment that Habakkuk did not think was fair. He asked God how he could allow a nation even more wicked than Judah to destroy them. While God was willing to answer Habakkuk, the prophet knew there was no sense arguing. The Creator of all the universe had made his decision. "Let all the earth keep silence before Him." No talking back.
Sometimes God makes decisions about the things we pray for that we do not understand. No matter how hard we try, it simply makes no sense to us. Perhaps we are thinking too highly of ourselves and our ability to know what is best, even though we are stuck here in time on a physical earth, unable to see the larger ramifications. It is up to us to do as Habakkuk did and accept an Almighty God's decision with the reverent attitude, "Thy will be done," and mean it.
But there is another aspect to this silence. Habakkuk contrasts our approach to God with the approach idolaters take--must take—in order to gain their god's attention—and even then it doesn't work. Woe unto him who says to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise! Shall this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it. (Hab 2:19)
Remember the contest on Mt Carmel? The prophets of Baal called from morning until noon…but there was no voice, and no one answered. (1Kgs 18:26) Elijah called out ONE TIME. That was all it took, and the fire came down immediately. This is not to negate the persistence in prayer taught in other passages, but sometimes we treat God as if he, too, were an idol who needed to be roused from sleep, when closer inspection shows that WE need to learn to accept God's decisions.
How do we know when to do what? I am not sure, but that closer inspection must surely involve a lot of self-examination. Why do I keep asking for this particular thing? Too many times the reasons are selfish, immature, or covetous. Too many times we refuse to see our own failings in the problems we have. It's much easier to blame it on someone else than to change ourselves. It's easier to blame the church than to accept individual responsibility. How many times have I heard parents say the church is the reason their children are lost? How many times has Keith heard convicted felons blame their lives on society?
The answer again is to keep quiet and listen. Keep quiet and think. Keep quiet and accept God's judgment. Repentance doesn't involve excuses—verbalizing a list. It means we face our sins and change.
God won't accept backtalk any more than your parents did.
Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling. (Zech 2:13)
I think that's one application of the passage in Habakkuk: But Jehovah is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him. (Hab 2:20). God had just pronounced a judgment that Habakkuk did not think was fair. He asked God how he could allow a nation even more wicked than Judah to destroy them. While God was willing to answer Habakkuk, the prophet knew there was no sense arguing. The Creator of all the universe had made his decision. "Let all the earth keep silence before Him." No talking back.
Sometimes God makes decisions about the things we pray for that we do not understand. No matter how hard we try, it simply makes no sense to us. Perhaps we are thinking too highly of ourselves and our ability to know what is best, even though we are stuck here in time on a physical earth, unable to see the larger ramifications. It is up to us to do as Habakkuk did and accept an Almighty God's decision with the reverent attitude, "Thy will be done," and mean it.
But there is another aspect to this silence. Habakkuk contrasts our approach to God with the approach idolaters take--must take—in order to gain their god's attention—and even then it doesn't work. Woe unto him who says to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise! Shall this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it. (Hab 2:19)
Remember the contest on Mt Carmel? The prophets of Baal called from morning until noon…but there was no voice, and no one answered. (1Kgs 18:26) Elijah called out ONE TIME. That was all it took, and the fire came down immediately. This is not to negate the persistence in prayer taught in other passages, but sometimes we treat God as if he, too, were an idol who needed to be roused from sleep, when closer inspection shows that WE need to learn to accept God's decisions.
How do we know when to do what? I am not sure, but that closer inspection must surely involve a lot of self-examination. Why do I keep asking for this particular thing? Too many times the reasons are selfish, immature, or covetous. Too many times we refuse to see our own failings in the problems we have. It's much easier to blame it on someone else than to change ourselves. It's easier to blame the church than to accept individual responsibility. How many times have I heard parents say the church is the reason their children are lost? How many times has Keith heard convicted felons blame their lives on society?
The answer again is to keep quiet and listen. Keep quiet and think. Keep quiet and accept God's judgment. Repentance doesn't involve excuses—verbalizing a list. It means we face our sins and change.
God won't accept backtalk any more than your parents did.
Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling. (Zech 2:13)
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