The
Twenty-Third Sunday after Trinity
The
Collect.
O
|
GOD, our refuge and strength, who art the author of all godliness; Be
ready, we beseech thee, to hear the devout prayers of thy Church; and grant
that those things which we ask faithfully we may obtain effectually; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
12.Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God,
mine Holy One? we shall not die. O Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgment;
and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction. 13.Thou art of
purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore
lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the
wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he? 14.And makest men as
the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them? 15.They
take up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather
them in their drag: therefore they rejoice and are glad. 16.Therefore they
sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them
their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous. 17.Shall they therefore empty
their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations? (Hab
1:12-17) and 1. I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will
watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am
reproved. (Hab 2:1)
Despite dungeon, fire and sword (Hymn: Faith of our Fathers), the righteous of
God shall not die as Habakkuk is inspired of the Spirit to declare. God is not
only the Holy One, but One on whom each of the Elect can call upon as "mine Holy One!"
Though we may not understand His Hand of Judgment, we must face all ordeals of
life with that same spirit of Job: Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him (Job
13:15)
Just as God has ordained men and nations for blessings, He also ordains the
same for Judgment. The purpose of judgment is never to finally destroy, but to
correct. As we suffer judgment, we must turn from that behavior that led to the
judgment and embrace the love and Law of God to our health. Judgment will not
endure forever, so our wickedness must cease! Please hear, America. I have
never understood how a nation so completely blessed by the beneficent
Providence of God could so miserably turn from that Loving Providence and turn
to the filthy rags of the world. Have we lost our Anchor of Faith – our
heritage in God as our Maker and Founder? We have chosen darkness over Light,
and the darkness shall cover the land ere the Sun of Righteousness again arises
over our heaven-blessed Land.
God's eyes are too pure to regard, or to look upon, wickedness. It is for this
reason that the wicked shall be cast into outer darkness. God cannot admit the
filthy dregs of the world into His Heavenly Home. Even so, the LORD is
altogether aware of the evil thoughts, deeds and fruits of the wicked. If they
persist in evil without amendment, He will crush them with a final judgment! We
see the very issues that Habakkuk raise against the people of God being expressed
in our own society of America and elsewhere. His Hand is a hairs-breadth away
from lowering His crushing judgment against wicked powers and immoral leaders
who rule without the mandate of God. Do we not have such leaders today in
America in profusion?
The view that man has no ruler over them in verse 14 is apparent only. They all
have rulers and belong to one or the other of two families only – the Family of
God, or the Household of Satan. In view of the national character of modern
America, to which family would you consider her to presently belong? Is it time
for national repentance?
15.They
take up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather
them in their drag: therefore they rejoice and are glad. Modern
education and social media are the angle and net of the ungodly and wicked of
our day for the souls of our young. Their nets are vulgar and immoral
philosophies taught to the very young and which are impossible to overcome
apart from the fervent conviction of Christ through teaching and preaching.
These social engineers boast that they need only one generation of
indoctrination to eliminate every vestige of moral restraint. They must be
doing cartwheels at their recent success resulting from the abject silence of
parents and churches.
16.Therefore
they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by
them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous. Modern
and corrupt philosophy has become the god and altar of their very existence.
While the citizens remain silent, they redouble their approach to deceit and
mockery of the eternal principles for family and life laid down by God.
17.Shall
they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?
Shall the usurper be allowed to empty his net, full of the souls of men, women,
boys, and girls, with impunity? Shall we allow him not only to corrupt the
minds and souls of our youth, but keep them as his own? What shall the Lord do
to such a wicked and adulterous generation? Shall He allow them immunity from
judgment? Will He remain silent? Shall the judgment of the Lord not go out to
all nations who profane His Word and Will?
These are questions which the prophet asks in earnest. He has labored hard at
preaching repentance and deliverance. Now he desires the only remedy for a
rebellious nation – Judgment! He has poured his righteous heart out to the
Lord. More than anything else, he now desires an answer: 1. I will stand
upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will
say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. As
ministers and prophets, we are all like unto our military counterparts in the
Army of God. Habakkuk uses military watch terms to describe his awaiting the
Word of the Lord. He will stand – not retreat! He will watch – not slumber! He
will take the high ground of the tower from which to watch and wait upon the
Lord. He will await his orders from the High Command of God and consider how to
respond to those orders if he is reprimanded for lack of understanding. There
is no time left for America! We must either stand now on the part of God, or
slink into the darkness of the present day and side with those who say we are
no longer a Christian nations! We must either be alert to all of the abuses
taking place in our midst, or close our eyes to a blinding cloud of ignorance,
and a tolerance for evil! We must search the Scriptures for present-day wisdom
in dealing with a greater crisis (including every past war), or succumb to the
godless philosophy that stalks the landscape! The specter that stalked Europe
(see Communist Manifesto by Marx) has now come to our own fair shores! When God
reproves, shall we hear and make amendment; or shall we persist to the
washed-out bridge at the near distance?
