I Will Work a Work Not Believed — Leonard Ravenhill

Habakkuk’s Prayer Amid Desolation

Tonight we're going to a fascinating book in the mine of prophets. Normally called Habakkuk, but if you've been to college, it's Habakkuk. So whether it's Habakkuk or Habakkuk, we're going there. Let's look at chapter 3 and verse 1 for a moment.

It's a strange beginning, isn't it? It says a prayer of Habakkuk or Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth. Now, you know, I used to think that was an instrument, but it isn't. It reminds me of the country church where they'd had renovation and they got rugs and done the thing up got a nice new organ and somebody said the final thing we need is a lovely chandelier and the treasurer said we can't afford one and The other people objected to it.

We can't afford a chandelier. What did the other man say? We don't have room for a chandelier and someone else said well It's no God. There's no good. There's nobody in the church can play a chandelier and Finally the secretary said well, I can't put it in the minutes.

I can't spell chandelier. Well, you know, I thought something like that happened to this wonderful word Shigionoth, but actually it means irregular beat in Poetry poetry supposed to run smooth. And I think that this poetry does run smooth actually I want to deal with the verse here in the end of the little book in the third chapter in verse 17 I think I read it in there.

I find there's real rhythm in this poem. It is a poem or it's a psalm if you like. There's rhythm and there's certainly very vivid description. Though the fig tree shall not blossom. Neither shall fruit be found in the vine.

The labor of the olive shall fail. And the fields of shall yield no meat. The flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stall. Now if you were if you want to arrange those you can say they're actually six things there.

Strictly two three four five six. What's the bottom line? If you add them all up, it's a picture of absolute desolation. The prophet is in a state of desolation and consternation and aggravation. But then when you get past that verse you get to verse 18.

It changes from desolation and aggravation to glorious jubilation. Yes, I will rejoice in the Lord. I will join the God of my salvation. Actually, the Hebrew there says I will rejoice. I will sing aloud the praises of my God.

I will dance in his presence in my jubilation. Notice the next verse he says the Lord God is my strength. He will be might make my feet like hounds feet. I Remember a year or two ago. We're watching a TV nature program and they showed a man in the Rockies pursuing one of those gorgeous white goats.

He got ahead of him and there was a chasm. I Think he said 5 ,000 feet deep and that goat goat made a leap. I thought he'd go to the bottom, but he didn't. He went on to a little shelf. And then he started zigzagging.

He went down to the bottom of that chasm in seconds. Never one slipped. I couldn't have done that. I know that he will make my feet like hinds feet. It has a special power by which it's able to grip in the dangerous places.

And he says God will make my feet like hinds feet and he will make me to walk upon the high places. Now we've got to go back to chapter 1 here. Chapter 1 verse 1 says the burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.

Habakkuk’s Complaint About Violence and Injustice

Oh Lord. How long shall I cry and I will not hear you see he's in despair. The enemies got control of the country. There's no equity. He says in the Verse 4 it sounds like our day. The law is slacked.

Judgment does never go forth. The wicked doth compass about the righteous. Back to verse 2. Oh Lord, how long shall I cry? How long will I not hear? I even cry unto thee of the violence and thou will not save.

It reminds me the verse do you remember in Job where he says I go forward, but he is not there. I go I go backward, but I cannot perceive him. In other words he says is there anybody there and this man is wondering why God doesn't intervene in the affairs of men and He's got some shocks coming up the host let's station a nation is in a state of anarchy lawlessness violence.

Verse 4 therefore the law is slacked and judgment doth never go forth for the wicked doth compass about the righteous. Therefore wrong judgment precedeth. Behold ye among the heathen and regard and wonder marvelously.

Now this is God's answer to his despair to his desolation when the enemy has come in like a flood. This is what he says. And we need to take this in our day because there's a flood coming on us before long.

He says I will work a work in your days, which you will not believe though. It be told you for lo I will raise up the Chaldeans that bitter and hasty nation now. This is what terrifies him. Sure the nation isn't walking with God as it should but by bringing the communists.

That's what it means really. Bringing a violent bloody group of people to correct us. But you see we're not allowed to choose our chastening rod. We'd never choose the right thing if we did we didn't have so much self-pity.

But remember when God wanted to get Israel out of bondage, what did he do? He raised up Pharaoh? Persecuted them and They had tremendous suffering. All all that he might get them eventually into the promised land.

But you know what they didn't make it only two of them actually got into that promised land. Hey, they could have got in in 11 days and they didn't get in in 40 years. Moses could see the country afar off.

Well, you say he didn't get in either. Yes, he did. But when did he get in that Mount of Transfiguration it was a bit late. But he got there. But he missed much of the glory midst of the joy of putting down the enemies of God.

Divine Chastening and the Cost of Delayed Obedience

You know, we're all trying to skip as you say over here. We don't play Baseball in England. It's a girls game. But anyhow You Talk about skipping base one you tend to skip the first base or the other and we're all trying to do that spiritually and God says get to base one before you try and get to base two.

This man is a lamp God. Why in the world are you blind to us? Don't you see our desolation? Don't you see our hardships? Don't you see our oppression? Don't you see the gathering iniquity? Don't you see the nation is galloping in?

Aggravated disorder and God says I'll do a work in your midst. Well, I'm hanging on to that. What about you Dale? How are you doing? Mr. Farrar, what you're doing? I hang on to them. I will do work in your days, which he will not believe.

I Believe a bottom is going to drop out of our system before very long financially. And told the brother today he said well all the banks are gonna be well not all of them. But most of the last year 120 banks failed in America.

They'll be twice that number this year and savings and loans. There's no security. You say well, I've got my crew grounds hidden away. Well, I'll tell you what uncle Sam will find them. The only do it will make them illegal.

You'll have to bring them in. And they give you a credit slip for them. They'll melt them and and store them away because we're going to go back into the gold system. We're told. And everything that can be shaken will be shaken.

God says in Hebrews everything. He's going to shake the Babylonian system outside of the church and inside of it. I Don't think these big shots on TV. Well, I get into trouble saying things like this, but I'll say it anyhow.

I believe before long they'll dry up financially. You know when I lived in England, I lived on the northern peak of what's it called now? Sherwood Forest. I Used to go and I never saw Robin Hood. I've made Marion.

I Never saw a little John. He was seven feet four. I went to his grave his grave was by the college where we where we were placed we went to college. But you know in those days what what Robin Hood did he robbed the rich?

To feed the poor now. We robbed the poor to feed the rich. Why should a man with 15 ,000 a year struggling to keep his children and family together? Send money to a guy living at 50 ,000 a year. It will be unmasked that great day at the judgment all this lavishly living all these creature comforts.

The judgment seat I call it the final checkout counter or if you want it in the language of the IRS the final audits. You know there's gonna be some there's gonna be some shocking things. Now you're nervous now.

I can see that Jacob. You're gonna be found out these rich evangelists are all gonna be caught at the end of the line. No he's not rich he's just an evangelist. But you know sometimes it looks as though God is indifferent.

Why doesn't he intervene? Because he's working to his divine timetable as I've told you neither in your affairs nor in the fair of it your church or nation. God will hear your prayer, but he won't take advice.

He works everything after the counsel of his own will. Why therefore should we afraid you know this is a dark little book let me say that. But then there's some gems in it. Look at verse 12 of chapter 1.

Waiting for God’s Appointed Time

He says are thou not from everlasting O Lord my God mine. Holy one. We shall not die. O Lord. Thou hast ordained them for judgment. Almighty God thou hast established them for correction. Well if you ought nothing else for the next sentence, it's marvelous thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil or behold iniquity.

Look at chapter 2 and in verse 3 he says the vision is yet for an appointed time. But at the end it shall speak and shall not lie. Though it tarry wait for it come on now. What's that thing you're trying to rush God with you can't rush God.

God is never in a hurry, but he's never late. He keeps you to the last moment. Yeah, I remember preaching in Australia. I preached on Abraham. You know having to leave his friends behind then he goes up the hill.

Here he stays down here the bend of the river and God says go there to that mountain and there. You build an altar. He has to separate from his friends. He's already separated from his country. He's already unloaded all his wealth and God says go into that mountain and offer thy son and he goes with who he said I am the lad will go yonder and Will come again in that faith.

So what did he do? He builds he says to his boy. He must have been a very Submissive he's a type of Jesus Christ Isaac. And he says Isaac get all of that rock and let's lift it over here and they pile up the rocks.

What this for is for an altar? Doesn't it take a lot of all grace to build an altar. You're going to be sacrificed on yourself. She's going to build an altar to sacrifice somebody else. But when you build an altar and you're to be the one sacrificed.

And the patient boy lets his daddy. I think we think we say that Isaac wasn't more than 18 or 19. Do you know an 18 year old American who let his daddy gag him and bind him? Bind his hands bind his feet without saying anything.

Why me why me he doesn't say anything like that and there he is laid out and his daddy lifts the knife. God said go and offer thy son thine only son and obviously he wasn't the only son. The eldest son was supposed to get all the blessing, but he was Ishmael born out of wedlock.

We'd say. But God wouldn't take it because Abraham had cried over Ishmael might live before thee and God says I don't want the child of the flesh. You can't give God any flesh. The priest was anointed with oil and it says it ran down his beard and onto his garments onto his skirt and onto the floor.

Never on his cheeks never on his flesh. God won't sanctify flesh. He destroys it. And there's the boy laying watching the knife come down. God had told Abraham to do it. He does it. But God knew he couldn't win because Abraham says you kill my son now believe you to raise him up anyhow.

There's a famous general in America called Stonewall Jackson, I never met him, but I like I like the heroism of the man. Did not Ian Bowne said about him? He said God had to kill. God had to kill Stonewall Jackson.

Because every prayer that he prayed God answered. But he was praying that the south would win over the north and God said well, I'm sorry, but that can't be. Maybe he's the only person God ever killed because he prayed like that.

Here is Abraham with his knife coming down on his son and the voice says stay thy hand. You know most Christian would have killed him. Why. Because down there at the bend of the river the Lord told me God offer your son.

This isn't God. This is the devil. But the scripture says my sheep hear my voice and you don't always have to listen to the voice of the preacher. He gets mixed up, too. Yeah. But the Lord said stay thy hand when?

Abraham’s Faith and God’s Last-Minute Deliverance

Do you remember when they got the treasure of King Tutankhamen. King Tut's treasures were brought into Dallas? Maybe didn't see them. There was a tree. Or I can draw trees are easy to draw something like this, you know.

Branches and branches and branches, but this is a low tree and there's a goat there with his horns caught in the tree made of made of solid gold and when it was found At Luxor in it in on the Nile in 1920.

All the big shots explained all the other things. They said well, what's this goat fastened in a tree for? And one man very blushingly said after a day. You know, I used to read my Bible. There's a story there in the Bible about a man called Abraham and He offered his son and as he offered his son He looked around there was a goat with its horns caught in the tree and they'd left out buried with old King Tut or Amenhotep's a second if you're a scholar and They found that model in gold.

Well, the old fellow in Australia said to me you missed something. I said I often miss things. They said you said about Abraham going up the hill the torture of knowing he's going to bury kill his son.

Waking up in the night seeing his son then he's going to kill that son Walking and he's going to kill that son. Building an altar. He's going to kill that son lifting a knife. He's going to kill that son and then suddenly stay thy hand.

And he said at that very moment that goat got got fast in the the ram got fast in the thicket. I Said how do you know? He said because I've been a shepherd for 25 years. And I know this I said I've seen a goat.

I've seen a ram. Of the sheep trying to get through a hedge and get fast and when he gets stuck he says he puts his legs out as though they were made of iron and He'll tug away at the tree and he'll do one of two things.

He'll either pull his horns off or he'll toss that thing over his head. He won't stay there a second longer once he finds his captive. He breaks out and At the very last moment God tested Abraham's faith.

The knife was up. Maybe he could see in his eyes his son all bloody and dying and God at the last moment came in as our dear Paul said the other week when a when. Those men were put into the inner prison right in the inner prison at the last moment.

God brings the deliverance. I don't know if you know the everlasting mercy by Macefield. But he says God will forgive thee all that I despair. You Know that we have enough evidence in the Word of God to make us all infallible.

It should be the hardest thing in the world for a Christian to have unbelief. Oh, this is proven history of God's faithfulness, and we're still dumb and we're still blind and we're still hesitant. We're still fearful.

Oh. We read great stories of pioneers in faith. Well here we have a story of a man who's bewildered. He's confused. The enemy is coming like a flood. But look at his face when he says in verse 14 of chapter 2.

For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God as the waters cover the sea at the moment. There's only desolation at the moment when a state of anarchy within a state of rebellion within a state of Captivity to the enemies, but he says there's coming a moment when God's going to turn this whole thing around in chapter 3 the prayer of Habakkuk the prophets upon Shiggy honest.

Oh Lord. I have heard of thy speech and was afraid. Oh Lord Revive thy work in the midst of the years in The midst of the years make known in wrath. Remember mercy. Now, let me go over to this thing again.

In verse 17, though the fig tree shall not blossom. Neither shall fruit be found in the vine the labor of the olive shall fail. And the field shall yield no meat and the herd should be cut off from the stall.

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I Will glory in the God of my salvation. That was beautifully paraphrased by a friend of John Wesley's William Cowper. You call him Cooper maybe Cowper. He's the man that wrote that lovely hymn.

There is a fountain filled with blood. He paraphrases that though the fig tree shall not blossom. It begins it by saying sometimes a light surprises a Christian while he sings it is the Lord who rises with healing in his rings.

When comforts are declined declining he grants the soul again the season of clear shining to help it after rain. In Holy contemplation we sweetly then pursue the theme of our salvation and find it ever known set free from present sorrow.

We cheerfully can say even let the unknown tomorrow. Bring with it what it may it can bring nothing with it, but he will see us through. Who gives the lilies clothing will feed his children to Beneath the spreading heavens no creature, but is Fred and he who feeds the Ravens.

I'm glad of that that gets me in. Will give us daily bread now. There is a paraphrase though vine or fig tree neither death wanted fruit should bear. Though every leaf should wither nor herds nor flocks be there.

Yet God the same abiding his praise shall tune my voice and while in him confiding. I Cannot but rejoice. You know out of adversity came some of the greatest hymns that we have here when they read one an American in heavenly love abiding no change my heart shall fear and Safe is such confiding for nothing changes here.

The storm may roll without me my heart may low be laid. But God is round about me and shall I be afraid? Whatever he may guide me me no one shall turn me back. My shepherd is beside me so nothing can I lack?

His wisdom never ever waketh his sight is never dim. He knows the way he taketh and I will walk with him. Somebody said to a Christian once wherever you're going is I don't know. I'm not going I'm following.

And as long as you follow you'll be all right. His wisdom never faileth his sight is never dim. I Said to brother Dave I think yesterday, you know we use our scripture so often when we're in a jam. Oh, well now we see through a glass darkly and many of us want it that way.

We want to see through a glass darkly, but why in God's name don't we say well take this thing away. Let me see the thing as horrible as it may be as militant as it may be against my faith. I want to see my enemy want to know my enemy.

If I can't calculate my enemy. I don't know how to meet him and find him. Whatever he may guide me no one shall turn me back. My shepherd is beside me and nothing shall I lack. His wisdom ever waketh his sight is never dim.

He knows the way he taketh and I will walk with him. Green pastures are before me. You which yet I have not seen. Bright skies will soon be all me where the dark clouds have been my hope. I cannot measure my faith.

My path to life is free. My Savior has my treasure and he will walk with me. Well don't it seem sometimes that the whole thing is upside down. You know you Americans you don't even know your own poets bless you.

How many of you know James Russell Lowell what he wrote. One of the finest hymns ever I think let me quote part of it to you. Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide. In the strife of truth with falsehood for the good or evil side.

Some great cause God's new Messiah offering each the bloom of blight or blight. And the choice goes on forever twixt the darkness and the light. By the light of burning martyrs Christ by bleeding feet we track.

Toiling up new Calvary's ever with the cross that turns not back. New occasions teach new duties. Time makes an ancient good and truth. They must onward they must up but still an onward who would keep abreast with truth.

It is a classic as far as I'm concerned though the cause of evil prosper yet. His truth alone is strong. Though her portion is a scaffold and upon the throne the wrong. But that scaffold sways the future and behind the dim unknown standeth God within the shadow keeping watch over his own.

So often that's true truth on the scaffold. Wrong doing everything at once, but God's going to end it. And that's the confidence this precious man has. One of the greatest of modern hymns written by an American lady.

I think she's equal to an American poet anyhow. It isn't in our hymn book. Oh, we sing it. It's carrying out what I've said here. He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater. He giveth more strength when the labors increased to added affliction.

He out of his mercy. You say give me more of this. God says the only way to get it is go that way. Oh I want joy you get the oil of joyful morning. Whether it's physical morning or fear a nation or a disaster in your life.

He gives the oil of joyful morning. A Lot of you ladies don't want oil of joy. You've got oil of the lay and you think that's the whole answer. He gives the oil of joyful morning. Okay. To added affliction he addeth his mercy.

To multiply trials is multiplied peace. God will be greater to you when you go through greater trials. When you allow him to do that thing that he's been trying to do and you keep dodging him and evading him and go around.

But you'll never escape from God. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth. We pet people we pamper. God pampers. Nobody. All the greatest saints have been the greatest sufferers when we have exhausted ours.

What is it our store of endurance when our strength has failed there the day is half done. When we reach the end of our hoarded resources our father's full giving is only begun. His love knows no limit his grace knows no measure.

His power knows no boundary. No none to men but out of the fullness of blessing in Jesus he giveth and giveth and giveth again. But he doesn't give it so you can carry it as a reserve in your pocket. He gives you when you get into that state step place where you're lifting the knife to put it through some treasure thing you have and he says state thy hand and.

To your amazement he made provision. He's made deliverance. Well, I want to say actually in this I've got through my introduction now I want to talk to you about joy for a little while. I looked up today that I thought I'd memorized it, but I hadn't memorized a great quotation, but in Where in Isaiah chapter 12 in verse 3.

Drawing Joy from the Wells of Salvation

Remember, it's a common thing. We've said it so often with joy shall you draw water from the wells of salvation? Well, he's talking about something that happened way back in the history of the children of Israel.

That just as you read closely to Habakkuk He reminds them of the faithfulness of God. He says you delivered us. From everlasting to everlasting thou art God you delivered us through the seas. You brought waters out of a rock.

And that's what they're commemorating in there in the 12th chapter of Isaiah and verse 3 With joy shall ye draw water from the wells of salvation? There's a feast called the feast of tabernacles it lasted seven days and at one given point The priests in a sanctuary they went down that rugged pathway to the pool of Siloam every priest had a golden vessel on his shoulder and He went down and took water out of that beautiful pool, and he came back into the midst of the sanctuary and he poured out that water reminding of the time when God split the rock and sent them water and They commemorated it they commemorated with a blast and blare of trumpets and the crashing of cymbals.

And all the people followed and they sang praises and adoration to God the God of their deliverance. You know water doesn't mean too much to us. Now this is a strange injection. I'm going to make it anyhow.

You know only in civilized countries like America if we are civilized. I don't know but anyhow. We're not barbarians to that degree, but only in America and England do we use pure drinking water to flush our toilets?

In every other nation they use secondhand water from rivers. We run out of water. The greatest danger to America is not running out of oil. It's running out of water. I Take a city like Dallas is expanding so quickly.

It's a terrible strain on the water supply. And we don't think we turn the tap on the faucet whatever I call it and we expect a floor beautiful crystal water. They didn't do that they remembered when God split the rock a type of Jesus Christ and The rock of life and the water of life followed them and he says we joy draw from the wells of salvation.

And it was a celebration. It was a time of excitement. They were thinking of the great God Who delivered them? Well, you know 800 years passed before that happened again, oh Yes, it's a feast of tabernacles.

How wonderful. I love to see the procession of priests going down there and putting their golden vessels in and bring them up then. They pull the water out in the sanctuary. It was a set the last day the great day of the feast Jesus went into the temple.

I don't know. I read the seventh chapter when you go home. There was a price on his head if we see we'll kill him and the people said well babies. Why don't you kill him? Why. Because God was round about him and God is round about him.

We sang in that hymn and shall I be afraid? The God of majesty we don't prove God. How do I have to prove God. You've got a nice house? You got some money in the bank. You've got the refrigerator that's stacked up with stuff.

What do you want to prove him for? It's all laid on. Good night. We're so smart. We go by in our plot where we're gonna be buried. We get the right insurance. We've got pride in our burial. Don't bury me in a box.

Oh. Put a silver casket there or something. But Billy Graham used to say a man here in Texas was buried in a gold coffin. It was solid gold. And all the men gathered round the laborers and fellows on his ranch and as they lowered the casket in the ground.

One guy said to the boy that's living. You know, there's pride even in our funerals. You know man does he prepares where he'll be buried. He chooses his minister. He chooses his church. He chooses everything goes to hell.

He prepares for everything except eternity part of the insanity of our living part of the blindness of our generation, so 800 years after that celebration. And again, we don't know much about the feasts.

They're very wonderful in the Old Testament. But you can imagine this great procession of priests and then the crowd following and they sing their Hallel's. Sing their Psalms and have their doxologies.

800 years after they're celebrating again and Jesus is there in the crowd. They've gone down to the pool of Ceylon. They come back into the temple and put out water and I don't know how he got in a temple.

Less still do I know how he got to the place where the priesthood every day. And then he cried if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink. This spake he of the Spirit and out of his being. Oh my being nor his being the Holy Spirit not out of me.

He's referring to the Holy Ghost. He's not talking to me because the Spirit comes in me Easter I says out of his inmost being. Yeah, if you read Romans chapter 8 It says the Spirit. If you're really a Christian the Spirit of God dwells in you says the Spirit of Christ dwells in you.

It Says the Holy Spirit dwells in you. Well, why in God's name are we so feeble if that's true? Or is it just a neat theology. The people stood there amazed when Jesus stood there and Again, there was a celebration.

You know this joy Jesus speaks of remembering in the 14th chapter of John it talks about the 16 chapter it talks about the comfort of the Holy Ghost. When Jesus is leaving his disciples, he doesn't just say peace.

He says my peace. I live with your peace. I've tested. I'm not working it out on you. And in the 17th chapter says that your joy no man taketh it from you. You know Christian is supposed to be a joyous religion.

But why shouldn't it be? Well, let me tell you why it should be. Let me look at first Peter. I'm in our first Peter in the first chapter, you know, these people bless their hearts. They were very wonderful.

Joy Jesus is saying to his disciples I'm the essence of the father you you say shows the father you keep talking about your father. He says he that has seen me has seen the father. In that something He had the meekness of the father.

He had the power of the father. He had the authority of the father. He had the intelligence of the father. Well, if I say the spirit of the Living God lives in me shouldn't I have some authority? Shouldn't I have some divine wisdom shouldn't I have some divine strength?

And I was thinking the other day about scripture. We quote so often You should receive power after the Holy Ghost comes unto you and you should be witnesses unto me who says that Jesus. Oh Well, that's where they were gonna have power to heal us.

Forget it. It already healed the sick and raised the dead and cleansed the lepers before ever Pentecost. That's a bit shocking to some Pentecostals, but it's there in the book. Then they say Lord who without an exciting revival in my name.

We cast out devils in my name who did many wonderful things in my name. He raised he said there's something greater that rejoice that your name is written in heaven. In the Lamb's Book of Life in the honor roll of the universe.

There your name is written if you're really born again of the Spirit of God. You know what? I've told you so often. I'm staggered when I read Hebrews 11 men and women of faith subdued kingdoms wrought righteousness stop the mouths of lions obtain promises subdued kingdoms.

Dear Lord who does that anymore? But the punchline to me is this that not one of them ever had a Bible. Look at all we have to build up our faith strengthen our faith purify our faith. And what do we do?

We're scared to death of the devil and the powers of darkness. Look at this in Peter a minute, you know, if those people got excited and danced and shouted and Hallelujah, just because they got water what in God's name would they do if they witness the resurrection?

Look at first Peter first chapter here. Verse 3 says blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Which according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

You know every time I think of the thing I think of Verdi wasn't it Verdi who wrote the opera Aida? And it was first played in the Opera House in Milan, Italy. And When they finished people screamed and yelled at ten o 'clock at night and the young hits the horses from his carriage and send them down the street and they pull the carriage to a hotel and At five o 'clock in the morning.