[Ecc 9:1-18 LSB] 1 For I have given all this to my heart and explain it that righteous men, wise men, and their service are in the hand of God. Man does not know whether [it will be] love or hatred; anything may be before him. 2 It is the same for all. There is one fate for the righteous and for the wicked; for the good, for the clean and for the unclean; for the man who offers a sacrifice and for the one who does not sacrifice. As the good man is, so is the sinner; as the swearer is, so is the one who is afraid to swear. 3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they [go] to the dead. 4 For whoever is joined with all the living, there is confidence; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion. 5 For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Indeed their love, their hate, and their zeal have already perished, and they will never again have a portion in all that is done under the sun. 7 Go [then], eat your bread in gladness and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works. 8 Let your clothes be white all the time, and let not oil be lacking on your head. 9 See life with the woman whom you love all the days of your vain life, which He has given to you under the sun--all the days of your vanity; for this is your portion in life and in your labor in which you have labored under the sun. 10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do [it] with [all] your might; for there is no working or explaining or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going. 11 I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the mighty, and neither is bread to the wise nor riches to the discerning nor favor to men who know; for time and misfortune overtake them all. 12 Moreover, man does not know his time: like fish seized in an evil net and birds seized in a trap, so the sons of men are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them. 13 Also this I came to see as wisdom under the sun, and it was great to me. 14 There was a small city with few men in it, and a great king came to it, surrounded it, and built large siegeworks against it. 15 But there was found in it a poor wise man, and he provided [a way of escape for the city by his wisdom. Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16 So I said, "Wisdom is better than strength." But the wisdom of the poor man is despised, and his words are not heard. 17 The words of the wise heard in restfulness are [better] than the shouting of a ruler among fools. 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

 

There was never an issue with God's law, the Law was God's plan for how the Israelites were to live and set themselves apart from the rest of the world or to "be holy". The issue has always been man's heart condition. As humans we allow the trials and tribulations of this life that are brought on by Satan, the world, and more often than not by ourselves, to cause our hearts to become hardened to a point where there is no love of God, people, or even life in some instances. What many people don't realize is that God already knew all of this would happen, and had already granted us a way of salvation, long before we ever knew we needed one. His prophets preached His words all throughout the Old Testament only to be mocked, ridiculed, and put to death. The truth was the human heart had become so perverted and filled with wickedness that there was no justice in the courts. Much like today wealth, favor, tradition, and politics had corrupted the hearts of many and kept people from living the holy and righteous lives that God had intended us to. The prophet Habakkuk gives us a glimpse of this in his plea to God about the corruption that surrounded Judah, and the impending Chaldean army that God was now preparing to send upon Judah. 

Habakkuk Calls For Help

[Hab 1:1-17 LSB] 1 The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet beheld. 2 How long, O Yahweh, will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, "Violence!" Yet You do not save. 3 Why do You make me see wickedness And cause [me] to look on trouble? Indeed, devastation and violence are before me; And there is strife, and contention is lifted up. 4 Therefore the law is ignored, And justice never comes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore justice comes forth perverted.

Yahweh Raises the Dreaded Chaldeans

5 "See among the nations! And look! Be also astonished! Be astounded! Because [I am] doing something in your days-- You would not believe if it was recounted [to you]. 6 "For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, That bitter and hasty nation Who walks on the breadth of the land To possess dwelling places which are not theirs. 7 "They are dreaded and feared; Their justice and exaltation come forth from themselves. 8 "Their horses are swifter than leopards And sharper than wolves in the evening. Their horsemen come galloping; Their horsemen come from afar; They fly like an eagle swooping [down] to devour. 9 "All of them come for violence. Their horde of faces [moves] forward. And they gather captives like sand. 10 "And they mock at kings, And rulers are a laughing matter to them. They laugh at every fortress And heap up dirt and capture it. 11 "Then they will sweep through [like] the wind and pass on. But they will be held guilty, They whose power is their god."

Habakkuk starts by airing his disdain to God for how unjust his own people had become, and how poorly they treated their citizens. God tells him that they will not only suffer injustice from their own people, but that He is raising up the Chaldean army to attack Judah. Habakkuk then complains again to God, for he knows the Chaldeans are ruthless and have no law but that of their law. Why would you allow this? He does not know which of these things are to be more lamented. He is deeply saddened. Are we to mourn the sin of a people or the punishment of a sin more? Either way Habakkuk knows that in both instances many people who are harmless and have good hearts will still suffer.

Yahweh Has Placed Them to Judge

12 Are You not from everlasting, O Yahweh, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. You, O Yahweh, have placed them to judge; And You, O Rock, have established them to reprove. 13 [Your] eyes are too pure to see evil, And You cannot look on trouble. Why do You look On those who deal treacherously? [Why] are You silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they? 14 And You have made men like the fish of the sea, Like creeping things without a ruler over them. 15 [The Chaldeans] bring all of them up with a hook, Drag them away with their net, And gather them together in their fishing net. Therefore they are glad and rejoice. 16 Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net And burn incense to their fishing net Because through these things their portion is rich And their food is fat. 17 Will they therefore empty their net And continually kill nations without sparing?

This is a typical human question. We often can't seem to understand why bad things happen in life to people who are righteous and holy. This is especially hard for new Christians. Often times, when we first become Christians, we think "Well this is it I'm on God's team and no more struggles for me." Oh, how I wish this were the case, but we find that is when Satan is most willing to pursue his attacks on us. We must remember though we will suffer in this world (in our flesh), that our reward is not of this world, it is an eternal reward that though we may suffer here, we will be given new bodies and everlasting life in the presence of God for our believe and following of Jesus our messiah and Lord. Sometimes a bad thing may happen, so that a good thing that shows God's love and presence to be seen. Everything in life happens for the Glory of the Father.

Matthew Henry's commentary on Habakkuk gives us some insight to God's plan and helps us to better understand some of man's "whys?" that we often have when situations don't end up as we thought they should have.

 

• I. That after God has served his own purposes by the prevailing power of the Chaldeans, has tried the faith and patience of his people, and distinguished between the hypocrites and the sincere among them, he will reckon with the Chaldeans, will humble and bring down, not only that proud monarch Nebuchadnezzar, but that proud monarchy, for their boundless and insatiable thirst after dominion and wealth, for which they themselves should at length be made a prey (v. 2-8).

 

• II. That not they only, but all other sinners like them, should perish under a divine woe.
  • 1. Those that are covetous, are greedy of wealth and honours (v. 9, 11).
  • 2. Those that are injurious and oppressive and raise estates by wrong and rapine (v. 12-14).
  • 3. Those that promote drunkenness that they may expose their neighbours to shame (v. 15-17).
  • 4. Those that worship idols (v. 18-20).

Henry, Matthew. "Commentary on Habakkuk 2." Blue Letter Bible. 1 Mar, 1996. Web. 9 Jan, 2023. <https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Hab/Hab_002.cfm>.

 

Noah and Abraham made righteous by faith in God. Through Noah and Abraham God promises to never again destroy the world by flood, and to Make Abraham's family into a great nation. Through Moses he answers the cry of His people and releases them from bondage and gives thim His glorious Law to set us apart "Be Holy" and in right standing for us to be in God's presence "Righteous".

Man eventually took the Law to a point where people sinned already having their sin offering in mind. This is the same as a corrupt person interpreting today's laws in any way that it would most benefit them rather than the way it was intended to be used. Let me tell you though friends Jesus not only changed the way the Law was thought of, He let us see our inner selves and the ways we were allowing sin to creep in and take over our lives. Yet, He also gave us a gift. Far greater than any law or treasure of man. He gave His life, an innocent life as a ransom to pay for all the sin in the world. He took on every sin man had and would ever commit, and He let the people nail them to the cross. Then he went in death and took back the keys to death and the grave. He gave us new lives and new hope. Most however did not recognize Him, as many today still do not. It is my hope that this page brings the light and life of Jesus into many homes. Not so that I bring people to Jesus but, so that Jesus may call to the many.

 

In Jesus' ministry on Earth, He lived the life of a servant, never owning homes, or possessions. He never used His Godly power on Himself but, rather on those around Him. Giving sight to the blind, cleansing leapers, restoring the ears of the deaf, resurrecting some back to physical life but, to everyone willing to call out to Him in faith and follow, He gave eternal life. In the New Testament we see that the only way one can become righteous and holy is through faith and acceptance in Jesus Christ. 

Hope for Captive Zion

[Isa 52:1-3 LSB] 1 Awake, awake, Clothe yourself in your strength, O Zion; Clothe yourself in your glorious garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; For the uncircumcised and the unclean Will no longer come into you. 2 Shake yourself from the dust, rise up, O captive Jerusalem; Loose yourself from the chains around your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. 3 For thus says Yahweh, "You were sold for nothing, and you will be redeemed without money."

 

[Isa 52:1-3 NLT] 1 Wake up, wake up, O Zion! Clothe yourself with strength. Put on your beautiful clothes, O holy city of Jerusalem, for unclean and godless people will enter your gates no longer. 2 Rise from the dust, O Jerusalem. Sit in a place of honor. Remove the chains of slavery from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. 3 For this is what the LORD says: "When I sold you into exile, I received no payment. Now I can redeem you without having to pay for you."

 

The Suffering Servant

[Isa 53:1-12 NLT] 1 Who has believed our message? To whom has the LORD revealed his powerful arm? 2 My servant grew up in the LORD's presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. 3 He was despised and rejected--a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. 4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! 5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. 6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all. 7 He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. 8 Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. 9 He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man's grave. 10 But it was the LORD's good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD's good plan will prosper in his hands. 11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. 12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.

 

The Inheritance of the Slaves of Yahweh

[Isa 54:1-17 NLT] 1 "Sing, O childless woman, you who have never given birth! Break into loud and joyful song, O Jerusalem, you who have never been in labor. For the desolate woman now has more children than the woman who lives with her husband," says the LORD. 2 "Enlarge your house; build an addition. Spread out your home and spare no expense! 3 For you will soon be bursting at the seams. Your descendants will occupy other nations and resettle the ruined cities. 4 "Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don't be afraid; there is no more disgrace for you. You will no longer remember the shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood. 5 For your Creator will be your husband; the LORD of Heaven's Armies is his name! He is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth. 6 For the LORD has called you back from your grief--as though you were a young wife abandoned by her husband," says your God. 7 "For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I will take you back. 8 In a burst of anger I turned my face away for a little while. But with everlasting love I will have compassion on you," says the LORD, your Redeemer. 9 "Just as I swore in the time of Noah that I would never again let a flood cover the earth, so now I swear that I will never again be angry and punish you. 10 For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then, my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken," says the LORD, who has mercy on you. 11 "O storm-battered city, troubled and desolate! I will rebuild you with precious jewels and make your foundations from lapis lazuli. 12 I will make your towers of sparkling rubies, your gates of shining gems, and your walls of precious stones. 13 I will teach all your children, and they will enjoy great peace. 14 You will be secure under a government that is just and fair. Your enemies will stay far away. You will live in peace, and terror will not come near. 15 If any nation comes to fight you, it is not because I sent them. Whoever attacks you will go down in defeat. 16 "I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals beneath the forge and makes the weapons of destruction. And I have created the armies that destroy. 17 But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the LORD; their vindication will come from me. I, the LORD, have spoken!

Isaiah prophesies here over 700 years before Jesus' ministry, around the period of 740-685 B.C.

from the time of King Uzziah's death until the time of Isaiah's death. The exact year of death is unknown but, tradition dates Isaiah's death to around (686-642 B.C.) during the sole reign of Manasseh. That is so amazing. God giving insight and prophecy for His people 700 years in advance. If we look harder at the scripture though we will find this is something that God had a plan for since the creation. The plan, that grafted all the world in as adopted children of God.  The apostle Paul filled with the power of the Holy Spirit explains God's plan to include the gentiles into His family in Romans 11 with a very eloquent illustration of the growth and pruning of a tree. Not only that but, he also explains this is only possibly due to grace. God's grace to be more specific. Meaning that this gift of salvation can't be purchased, our good works cannot earn it for us, and most importantly without Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection, there is no salvation.

God Has Not Rejected Israel

[Rom 11:1-36 NLT] 1 I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said, 3 "LORD, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too." 4 And do you remember God's reply? He said, "No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!" 5 It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God's grace--his undeserved kindness in choosing them. 6 And since it is through God's kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God's grace would not be what it really is--free and undeserved. 7 So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have--the ones God has chosen--but the hearts of the rest were hardened. 8 As the Scriptures say, "God has put them into a deep sleep. To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see, and closed their ears so they do not hear." 9 Likewise, David said, "Let their bountiful table become a snare, a trap that makes them think all is well. Let their blessings cause them to stumble, and let them get what they deserve. 10 Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see, and let their backs be bent forever." 11 Did God's people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. 12 Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God's offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it. 13 I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, 14 for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them. 15 For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! 16 And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy--just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too. 17 But some of these branches from Abraham's tree--some of the people of Israel--have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God's special olive tree. 18 But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root. 19 "Well," you may say, "those branches were broken off to make room for me." 20 Yes, but remember--those branches were broken off because they didn't believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don't think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. 21 For if God did not spare the original branches, he won't spare you either. 22 Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. 23 And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree. 24 You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong. 25 I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. 26 And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say, "The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness. 27 And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins." 28 Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 29 For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. 30 Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. 31 Now they are the rebels, and God's mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share in God's mercy. 32 For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone. 33 Oh, how great are God's riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! 34 For who can know the LORD's thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? 35 And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back? 36 For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.

 

Moses spoke of this same plan, when God prophesied through him to the Israelites the coming of Messiah in Deuteronomy 18...

[Deu 18:9-22 NLT] 9 "When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there. 10 For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, 11 or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD. It is because the other nations have done these detestable things that the LORD your God will drive them out ahead of you. 13 But you must be blameless before the LORD your God. 14 The nations you are about to displace consult sorcerers and fortune-tellers, but the LORD your God forbids you to do such things." 15 Moses continued, "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. 16 For this is what you yourselves requested of the LORD your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai. You said, 'Don't let us hear the voice of the LORD our God anymore or see this blazing fire, for we will die.' 17 "Then the LORD said to me, 'What they have said is right. 18 I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him. 19 I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf. 20 But any prophet who falsely claims to speak in my name or who speaks in the name of another god must die.' 21 "But you may wonder, 'How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the LORD?' 22 If the prophet speaks in the LORD's name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the LORD did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared.

God's grace, love, mercy, and salvation be upon you all! May He fill your hearts and fill you with His Spirit.