Faith Is Not Faith Unless It Is Tested
INTERESTING FACTS : Alexander Hamilton, REVOLUTIONARY GENERAL; SIGNER OF THE CONSTITUTION; AUTHOR OF THE FEDERALIST PAPERS; SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY
"A share in the sovereignty of the state, which is exercised by the citizens at large, in voting at elections is one of the most important rights of the subject, and in a republic ought to stand foremost in the estimation of the law." [1]
Daily Reading : HABAKKUK, ZEPHANIAH
TEXT : Habakkuk 3:17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: 3:18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 3:19 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.
THEME : FAITH
Habakkuk
Contents: Habakkuk's prayer concerning evil in dispersed Israel. God's voice to Israel and Habakkuk's testimony to God.
Characters: God, Habakkuk.
Conclusion: We must not think it strange if God sometimes suffers wickedness to prevail far and to prosper long, for He has good reasons for His attitude, and He cannot be the author or patron of sin. He takes full account of all sin committed, and will surely make men answer for it is His own time.
Key Word: Israel's iniquity, Hab_1:3.
Strong Verses: Hab_1:12, Hab_1:13.
Striking Facts: Hab_1:5. Act_13:37-41 interprets this prediction of the redemptive work of Christ with Israel in dispersion. God did "work a work" which Israel did not believe. Paul quoted this to the Jews of the dispersion in the synagogue at Antioch.
| Key Thought: | Number of Chapters: | Key Verse: | Christ seen as: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faith | 3 | Hab_2:4 | The Lord in His Holy temple. |
| Writer of the Book: | Date: | Conclusion of the Book: |
|---|---|---|
| Habakkuk | 608?590 B. C. | God is perfectly consistent with Himself, even though evil is long permitted. |
[Summarized Bible][2]
Zephaniah
Contents: Coming judgment on Judah prefiguring the coming day of the Lord.
Characters: God, Zephaniah, Josiah.
Conclusion: Those who will not improve the presence of God with them as a Father, may expect His presence with them as a Judge, to call them to account for all their contempt of His grace. The day of His wrath will strip sinners of all that they have and will leave them nothing but distress and pain with no way of helping themselves.
Key Word: Day of wrath, Zep_1:15.
Strong Verses: Zep_1:18.
Striking Facts: Zep_1:7, Zep_1:14. The day of the Lord here is a small specimen of the great "day" that is to come, in which all earth judgments will culminate, to be followed by Israel's restoration and blessing under Christ.
Zephaniah
| Key Thought: | Number of Chapters: | Key Verse: | Christ seen as: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remnant | 3 | Zep_1:4; Zep_3:13 | The Lord in Israel's midst. |
| Writer of the Book: | Date: | Conclusion of the Book: |
|---|---|---|
| Zephaniah | 639?609 B. C. | Our God is a jealous God. |
[Summarized Bible][3]
TRUTH FOR TODAY : "FAITH IS NOT FAITH UNLESS IT IS TESTED."
The text [above] from Habakkuk is one of the greatest statements of faith in the Bible. Much like Job's expression of absolute trust - "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him...." [Job_13:15a], Habakkuk states the sublime outlook towards the LORD for the Christian. In essence, Habakkuk says - "though everything is taken from me, I will still sing, praise, and believe God will strengthen and restore me." Nothing can be more of a challenge to your personal faith than that. His words goad you into thinking - "Is my faith that great?" Your goal should be that it would.
Habakkuk, a contemporary of Jeremiah [and of Zephaniah], he sees the future invasion of his country by either the Assyrians or the Babylonians [there is not much information given about Habakkuk to know with any degree of certainty too much about him]. Even so, his faith does not fail. He concludes his Book with such a statement of trust that if you did not know the times he was facing, you would be apt to think Habakkuk was reclining in the lap of luxury and living at the height of prosperity and success.
The Bible never presents its heroes [that is - God's heroes] as men or women living a life of ease and comfort. The great men and women of faith in the Bible are those who overcome or purpose to believe the LORD in the worst of circumstances. This is quite a contrast to how faith [in God] is presented today.
If you are not driving the most expensive car, residing in a multimillion dollar home, or wearing the most expensive jewelry and fashionable apparel in the world - you have no faith. One well-known preacher once said - "I can tell the type of faith a man has by the kind of car he drives." This brand of theology is unknown in the Bible. The truth is, the great champions of faith were often oppressed, persecuted, and downtrodden.
Heb 11:36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: Heb 11:37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; Heb 11:38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. Heb 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: Heb 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
Faith is not faith unless it is tested. You do not need to believe for what you already have or can see with your eyes. Faith is believing what the Bible says when you not see the promise or source of blessing.
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
This was the case with Habakkuk. What he saw was the approaching judgment of God. What he believed was the LORD's blessing. One was a matter of sight, of fact. The other was an act of the will.
Your faith will be tested. Everyone who makes a profession of faith in the LORD Jesus Christ will have that same belief tried. The purpose of testing faith is to verify it as genuine. When your faith is tested - as perhaps it is today, determine to say what Habakkuk did.
"Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places." [Habakkuk 3:17 - 19]
