Podcasts about Habakkuk

On today's episode of Back Porch Theology, Lisa and Allison are joined by Kristi McLelland for a rich conversation about the Minor Prophets, with a special focus on the book of Hosea. Together, they trace the threads of Hosea's powerful love story—a living illustration of God's relentless pursuit of His people. While the Minor Prophets contain sobering warnings and calls to repentance, they ultimately point to a God who never gives up on His people and whose story culminates in redemption through Jesus. Pull up a chair and join us—we're so glad you're here. Scripture References: Joel 2:28 Amos 5:24 Obadiah 1:21 Jonah 2:2 Micah 4:4 Nahum 1:7–8 Habakkuk 3:17 Zephaniah 3:17 Hosea 1:2–8 Hosea 2:1; 5–8; 14–20 Hosea 3:2 Hosea 6:1–3

In this episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal walks through Jonah 1–2, focusing on the remarkable prayer Jonah offers from the belly of the great fish. Far from a simple morality tale, the Book of Jonah presents a complex, deeply theological portrait of a disobedient prophet who nonetheless clings to the Lord in his darkest moment. Tony explores the Hebrew literary features that shape how we read Jonah's prayer, the doctrine of divine sovereignty as it operates through human agency, and the rich typological connections between Jonah and the death and resurrection of Christ. Most importantly, the episode grounds Jonah's experience in the Westminster Confession's teaching on sanctification — offering genuine hope to believers who feel buried under besetting sin, assuring them that salvation, from beginning to end, belongs entirely to the Lord. Key Takeaways Jonah is not the hero of his own story — he functions more as an anti-hero whose failures actually make him a more useful and relatable example for ordinary believers. Divine sovereignty operates through, not apart from, human agency — the sailors freely threw Jonah overboard, and yet Jonah rightly says God cast him into the deep; both are simultaneously true. The sequence debate in Jonah 2 matters theologically — whether Jonah prayed before or after being swallowed affects how we read the book; reading it as a strict cause-and-effect sequence risks turning the gospel into a quid pro quo transaction with God. Jonah's "yet I will see your holy temple" is a confession of eschatological faith — in the midst of near-certain death, Jonah expresses confidence not merely in earthly rescue, but in his ultimate destiny as one of God's people. The deep is a Genesis image — Jonah's descent into the primordial waters deliberately echoes the formless void of Genesis 1 and the undoing of creation in the flood, placing his experience within the grand arc of biblical cosmology. Jonah is a prophetic type of Christ's death and resurrection — his three days in the belly of the fish, his descent into the pit, and his emergence onto dry land anticipate and foreshadow the resurrection, as Jesus himself confirms in Matthew 12. Sanctification is real but imperfect — drawing from Westminster Confession Chapter 13, Tony argues that the up-and-down nature of Jonah's spiritual life is not an aberration but a description of the normal Christian life, in which the flesh and spirit remain in perpetual war until glory. Key Concepts Eschatological Faith in the Pit One of the most striking moments in Jonah's prayer is his declaration in 2:4 — "Yet I shall again look upon your holy temple." Tony argues that this is not merely a hope of physical rescue and a return to Jerusalem. Jonah believed he was dying. The waters had closed in to take his life; he was being dragged into underwater trenches that the ancient Semitic mind associated with the very gates of Sheol. In this context, Jonah's declaration is better understood as eschatological faith — a confession that even if God takes his life in judgment, he will still see the Lord face to face in the heavenly temple. It mirrors Job's cry, "Yet in my flesh I shall see God," and anticipates the kind of faith that says, with the father in Mark 9, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief." Sovereignty and Human Agency Working Together Tony uses Jonah's descent as a teaching moment on the Reformed doctrine of concurrence — the truth that God's sovereign decree and human free will are not in competition but operate simultaneously on different levels. The sailors made a free, agonized decision to throw Jonah overboard; and yet Jonah rightly attributes his casting into the sea to God himself. Tony draws the parallel to Joseph's words to his brothers in Genesis 50: "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good." This is not a philosophical sleight of hand. It is the consistent testimony of Scripture that God governs all things — including the underwater currents that dragged Jonah to the ocean floor — without reducing human beings to puppets or eliminating their moral responsibility. Sanctification Is Real, Imperfect, and Guaranteed Perhaps the most pastorally significant thread of the episode is Tony's application of Westminster Confession Chapter 13 to Jonah's experience. Jonah makes genuine progress in faith — his prayer is theologically rich and demonstrates real trust in God — and yet he almost immediately slips back behind the curve, making vows the sailors had already made before him, and later in chapter 4, sulking over a dead plant. Tony refuses to read this as a failure of the text. Instead, it is the text faithfully portraying the reality of sanctification: real throughout the whole person, yet imperfect in this life, with an irreconcilable war between flesh and spirit. The hope is not that we will finally overcome that war on our own, but that through the continual supply of the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part will overcome. Salvation — including sanctification — belongs entirely to the Lord. Memorable Quotes Jonah is constantly behind the curve, but for this little moment, for this glimpse in the very center of the book, the pinnacle of the book is Jonah finally catching up to the sailors. All outside visible indicators said he was going to die and he was going to hell. Yet he trusted in the Lord that he would see his holy temple again. God redeems our life from the pit. From the very depths of hell itself, he snatched us like brands from the fire. Full Transcript [00:00:08] Tony Arsenal: Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it. For their evil has come up before me." But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord.  [00:01:24] Storm and Sailors [00:01:24] Tony Arsenal: But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up. Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. So the captain came to him and said, "What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god. Perhaps the god will give us a thought that we may not perish." And they said to one another, "Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. Then they said to him, "Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation, and where do you come from? What is your country, and of what people are you?" And he said to them, "I am a Hebrew, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land." Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, "What is this that you have done?" For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, because he had told them. Then they said to him, "What shall we do to you that the sea may quiet down for us?" For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. [00:02:36] Cast Into Sea [00:02:36] Tony Arsenal: He said to them, "Pick me up and hurl me into the sea. Then the sea will quiet down for you. For I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you." Nevertheless, the men rowed hard to get back to the dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them. Therefore they called out to the Lord, "O Lord, let us not perish for this man's life, and lay not on us innocent blood. For you, O Lord, has done as it pleased you." So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea. And the sea ceased from its raging. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows. [00:03:15] Fish and Prayer [00:03:15] Tony Arsenal: And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish, saying, "I called out to the Lord out of my distress, and he answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice. For you cast me into the dep-- into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me. All your waves and billows passed over me." Then he said, "I am driven away from your sight. Yet I shall look again upon your holy temple. The waters closed in over me to take my life. The deep surrounded me. Weeds were wrapped around my head." At the root of the mountain I went to the land, whose bars closed upon me forever. Yet you brought my life up from the pit, O Lord my God. When I-- when my life was fainting away, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came to you into your holy temple. Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I, with a voice of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord.  [00:04:23] Jonah Not the Hero [00:04:23] Tony Arsenal: And the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land Jonah is an interesting book because, as I commented a year ago, Jonah is not necessarily the hero of the story. Uh, if anything, he is kind of the villain in, in some senses. But nevertheless, I think as we'll see today, Jonah still gives us a good example to follow in a sense, and that I think is really the centerpiece of this prayer, is that even as Jonah's going through all of this, his prayer is still remarkably filled with faithful sayings and trust in the Lord. We learned early on in Jonah that Jonah was a prophet during the time of the kings. Uh, he, uh, he seemed to have been a sort of a court temple. He was in the presence of the kings in Jerusalem itself, and he received a calling from the word of the Lord, and this phrase, "the word of the Lord," seems to imply a pre-incarnate, uh, visible manifestation of the second person of the Trinity. So we're not just talking about a, a disembodied voice. We're not just talking about some sort of sense or impression, but the word of the Lord itself, himself, came to give Jonah this mission, to give Jonah this task, to commission him as a prophet to Nineveh. And Jonah gets up and says, "No, thank you," and he goes the opposite direction. We see in that first section there the repeated phrase, "He goes to Tarshish. He boards a ship in Tarshish." The author here, who we, we think is Jonah, is hammering that he did not go where he was supposed to. He went the opposite direction. He went to Tarshish instead of Nineveh, which is 180 degrees the other direction from, uh, from Nineveh on the map. And he boards the, he boards the ship in order to flee the presence of the Lord. He pays, probably buys out the entire ship itself. He pays the fare for the whole ship, and the Lord hurls a great wave, uses the language of weapons. He hurls this storm like a spear. He weaponizes nature itself to correct and chastise and judge Jonah for his disobedience We get to verses seven through 17, and everyone on the boat is crying out to their chosen deity except Jonah. Jonah is asleep in the hold of the ship, oblivious to everything, totally dead to the world and dead to his Lord. The sailors begin to seek divine li- divine wisdom after they wake Jonah. He comes to the deck of the ship, and they cast lots to identify by divine, uh, revelation, sort of a strange practice in the Old Testament or the old, uh, world. Divine revelation that shows them Jonah is the source of this wickedness that is being wrought upon them, at least their impression of it. So they ask Jonah, "Who are you? Tell us who it is that has caused this great calamity." And he says emphatically, "A Hebrew am I." He identifies himself with God's people, and he says, "The Lord is my God, and he made the heaven and the earth and the sea." There's no small amount of irony, and it explains why the sailors are so afraid when he says that God created the heavens where the storm was. He created the sea where they were about to die, and he created the dry land where they were trying to get to. And so this one phrase that Jonah uses almost casually demonstrates that the Lord has total and utter sovereignty over what is going on, which is a theme that we'll see come back again and again through the book The sailors say, "Well, what do we do about this?" And Jonah says, "Throw me into the ocean, because I know that if you do so, then the storm will calm down and you will be saved." Whether he knew this because he's a prophet and it had been revealed to him, or whether he just was surmising that this was the case, we don't know. But the, uh, sailors are hesitant to do so, and we talked about how it was a little bit strange that these, uh, pagan sailors from cultures that d- had no qualms about human sacrifice were suddenly, uh, unwilling to throw Jonah over the sea a- as a, an appeasement offering to this Lord. And we came to the conclusion that they had been regenerated. They had come to faith in this God who created the heavens and the sea and the dry ground. And so they knew intrinsically that this was wrong, that there was a moral imperative not to do this. So they tried to row back to the land. They jettisoned all of their, uh, all of their goods, all of their cargo. They were making for land as best they could, and when it finally became clear that they couldn't do this, they sought the Lord's mercy in saying, essentially, "We don't understand how this is, but please don't put this man's blood on us, because you, Lord, have done as you please," right? The sovereignty of the Lord again comes to the forefront. They finally cast Jonah into the sea, and this is, this is important. They cast Jonah into the sea, and then they worship, they vow vows, and they vow to sacrifice. They offer sacrifices. They seek the Lord, they acknowledge his s- his sovereignty, and they worship him with what they have left. And then rounding out the chapter, the Lord appoints a great fish to come and swallow up Jonah. And we talked about how this, this swallowing of Jonah, although our popular children's books and VeggieTales and other stories we might read to our kids paints the fish often as the vehicle of judgment, it's actually a vehicle of deliverance for Jonah. There's this interesting grammatical feature that happens where in 1:17 the fish is masculine. The, the, the gender of the word is masculine, and then when we get to 2:1 it switches over to the feminine, almost as if to indicate that the whale was pregnant with Jonah, that Jonah was in the whale and was about to be reborn into the world in a new way And that brings us to our passage here today.  [00:10:21] Sequence Debate [00:10:21] Tony Arsenal: I'm gonna read, uh, 1:17 even though that's a little bit outside of our scope. I'm gonna read it along with 2:1 to, to make the point here. It says, "The Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the whale, of the fish three days and three nights. Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the belly of the fish." When you look at the Hebrew text, 1:17 is actually verse 2:1 and 2:1 is then 2:2 and so on and so forth. In the original Hebrew mindset of how this book goes together, these two things were linked together, him being swallowed by the whale and being in the belly of the fish and then him praying was linked together in this sequence. There's a feature in the Hebrew that's called a vav consecutive. You don't need to remember that. Nobody is gonna care about that. But it's, it's a little grammatical feature where it adds this little character to the front of the verb and it indicates a sequence. It's the narrative storytelling. When you look at Genesis 1 it's, "And then God said, 'Let there be light,' and then there was light." It tells you the sequence of events. Sometimes it indicates that it is a strict sequence of events. This happened and then that finished and then the next thing happened and then that finished. And many of the commentators use this passage to justify a perspective of Jonah where Jonah is this rebellious, stubborn prophet who holds out his stubbornness until the very last minute. He's swallowed by the whale, he's getting digested by stomach acid and he sort of finally relents to the Lord and cries out for deliverance and the Lord acquiesces in response to his prayer. That's certainly a possible interpretation. There's lots of good reasons in the, the text here to think Jonah was kind of a chucklehead and was not paying too much attention to what the Lord had for him The other option is to see this as a way for the author of the text to situate this prayer in contrast to other prayers that are not necessarily talked about directly in this text. And I'm gonna take that later view here, and I think it's important. This makes good sense of the text, and we'll explain exactly why that is when we get to the next little section here. But it also protects us theologically if we understand it this way. Jonah is already a book, uh, as I've alluded to, that tends towards a sort of crass moralism or fabulism. We tend to read it as sort of an allegory of if you do the wrong thing, God punishes you, and when you finally do the right thing, He blesses you. And there's a certain level of common grace wisdom to that approach, right? The whole book of Proverbs is-- are these proverbial sayings that if you do this, then the God-- then God will do this. If you raise up your children in the way they will go, they will not depart when they are older. But we also learn in the Book of Job and the Book of Ecclesiastes that those proverbial sayings, although generally true, it's not a magic formula. And so we have this tendency to read Old Testament literature as though it was this sort of like equation, that God punishes us when we're bad. He, uh, He relents from His punishment when we say we're sorry, and we have to be careful about that. If we understand what I'm about to teach from the next section here, that this is not a strict sequence of events, that Jonah began praying before he was swallowed by the whale, and this is simply recording the prayer that was actually within the whale. It helps protect us from seeing Jonah in this sort of quid pro quo, this for that kind of thing. I think we should simply understand this as saying Jonah was in the water, he got swallowed by the whale, and then when he was in the whale, he prayed. It doesn't say anything about whether he was overly stubborn or whether his stubbornness held out. It simply tells us that he was in the pray-- in the whale when this prayer occurred [00:14:23] Sheol and Descent [00:14:23] Tony Arsenal: He says in verse two, he calls out to the Lord out of his distress. He, and God answers him. Out of the belly of Sheol, Jonah cries, and God hears his voice This here tells us that he began praying, right? He was in the water, he was in the deep. All of this descriptive language we're gonna see later on about how deep he was, how quickly the current took him. He was wrapped up in seaweed, his life was fading from him. It was in the midst of all of that that he cries out in his distress. It's a pretty distressing situation. And Jonah, like all of us would, like even most atheists would, cries out to the Lord, even just out of instinct. I think it's kind of crazy for us to think that this man who's now been cast overboard and is being swept to the bottom of the ocean is sure he's gonna die. Somehow, he overrides all of his instinct and his entire life teaching and refuses to pray to the Lord. It just doesn't make sense, and it doesn't make sense of what the text presents here Jonah was in the belly of Sheol. He was in the very, the very womb of Sheol. And there is this interesting contrast that he goes from the belly of Sheol into the belly of the whale. This phrase, the belly of Sheol, is probably roughly equivalent to our phrase about being at death's door, right? It, it may or may not come from some sort of Mesopotamian, um, mythology. It may be a phrase of sort of co-opted into Hebrew, kinda like our phrase at death's door is actually co-opted in from Greek mythology, where there were actually literal doors to the underworld, and people would go there and when they were about to die. Jonah's point is that this was not a small thing. When we watch VeggieTales, he gets thrown in the water, and, like, 13 seconds later, the, the whale comes up and takes him. Jonah was swept down into the water almost supernaturally quick. He was drawn down to the very bottom of the ocean. We talk about the miracle of him surviving in the whale, and it was miraculous for sure, but the miracle of him being swept to the bottom of the ocean and not being crushed by the weight of the water, by the pressure, is equally miraculous. It's no more difficult for God to do that than it is for Him to preserve him in the whale or to raise Jesus from the dead or to create everything from nothing He finally starts to catch up with the pagan sailors. A theme in Jonah is that everyone around Jonah who shouldn't know any better somehow gets to the right conclusion before he does, right? The sailors begin to worship the Lord. They recognize this is divine wrath while Jonah is still asleep in the hold. Later, we'll see that, uh, the, the Ninevites recognize God's mercy and grace and thank Him for it, and Jonah is still mad because the plant he was sitting on d- uh, dies, right? Jonah is constantly behind the curve, but for this little moment, for this glimpse in the very center of the book, the pinnacle of the book is Jonah finally catching up to the sailors. [00:17:34] Sovereignty Explained [00:17:34] Tony Arsenal: He recognizes that it was God who cast him into the depths. This teaches us something about the doctrine of sovereignty and how it relates to human freedom, right? We, we often ask the question, what, what causes rain? Well, you can answer that by saying tiny particles of dust collect water in the air, and once they have enough weight, they fall out of the sky 'cause the air can't hold them up anymore. That's true, and it's good, and that's what nature teaches us. It's also equally true that God causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust alike, and those two things are not contradictory. So when Jonah says, "You cast me into the sea," he's recognizing, like Joseph does in the Book of Genesis, that what the sailors in this case meant for good but what the brothers meant for evil, God purposed and caused for good. What the sailors did by their own volition, their own free will, they exercised their own, uh, autonomy in the, the horizontal sense to cast Jonah into the sea, God also cast him into the sea As I said, the text here uses language that we may not catch in our English translations to indicate that it's not just the sea here that's the problem. God's sovereignty continues to affect and act on Jonah. The word that we read here as the, the water or the flood, other places refers to the current of a river. The, um, the Euphrates itself is sometimes referred to this, the large- sort of the largest river apart from the Nile that the Egyptian or the, um, Israelite mind would have is the Euphrates, right? This underwater river, this underwater current, the undertow sucks him to the bottom of the ocean. It's like if you're swimming at the beach at the ocean and you get caught in the undercurrent. There's not a lot you can do about it. Y- sometimes even the strongest swimmers can't overcome this, and Jonah in all of his Middle Eastern robes, all of this stuff, probably with all of his baggage, his, his own equipment, things he had on him, is caught in this undercurrent that sucks him to the bottom of the ocean. And it's not just below the surface of the water. He's dropped down into the heart of the sea, the very core. We're seeing this language of him being pulled to the depths. In, in chapter one he goes down, down, down, and now he's being drawn into the belly of the ocean, into the pit of Sheol, into the heart of the waters The picture here is that Jonah doesn't just get thrown in the water and sink. He is actively pulled down to the bottom. This is not just a judgment where perhaps he can swim to the top. Just as the mariners hopelessly tried to reach land, Jonah would've been hopelessly trying to swim against this. We don't actually have any indication he tried, but had he tried, there would've been no chance He goes on to say that the God's breakers and his waves roll him. This is the picture we see if you ever watch surfing competitions on the ocean, where a surfer will get hit by the wave and he just gets rolled over and rolled over and rolled over, and it can be incredibly dangerous. That's why they have like the little lifeguards on the jet skis that zip out there to get them. Because when you get caught in that breaker, you just get rolled over and rolled over and rolled over, and soon you lose track of which direction is up, and even if you did, you couldn't get out This process is not just the forces of nature doing what they do. This is, again, the Lord weaponizing the forces of nature to execute judgment on Jonah This tumultuous and supernatural rapid descent showed Jonah that this is not only the moment in which God wanted to take his life, but was actively casting him away from the g- from the presence of the Lord [00:21:47] Yet I Will See [00:21:47] Tony Arsenal: It says here, um, in verse four, Jonah says, "I am driven away from your sight If you do a word study on this, you start to see that Jonah is pulling language from the creation account. He's pulling language from the fall. He's pulling a lot of language from Genesis itself. He's also pulling from the Psalms, which are pulling from the Genesis account. This word driven away could also be tran- translated as banished. He's cast out of the presence of the Lord. Just as in Genesis 3, we read, "God drove the man out at the east of the Garden of Eden. He placed cherubim and flaming swords." He drove the man out. Genesis 4:14, Cain says, "You have driven me away from the ground." And in Jonah 1:3, we see that Jonah was trying to get away from the presence of the Lord. And I wonder if there was this moment where he goes, "Ooh, I guess I got what I was looking for." Now, the second half of Jonah f- 2:4 here does something a little bit weird, and it's hard to translate. I think we should be honest at times. Hebrew is a language that in some senses is mysterious to us at times. There are still parts of the Hebrew Bible that we're not always 100% sure of. This verse here could be translated... In, in Hebrew it's just a statement. It's, "I, um, I shall again see the holy temple, or your holy temple." How that fits into the text itself is tricky. Some read it as, uh, as a question. "How shall I see your holy temple?" It's actually a statement kind of reaffirming the doubt and the fear and the idea that God was banishing him Most translations translate it as sort of a contrast. He says, "I was driven away from your sight, yet I shall again look on your holy temple." The force of this is even though you're driving me away, even though you're casting me out of your presence, I have faith, I have confidence that I will again see your holy temple The question here, and this is where I think Jonah becomes our example It's certainly possible that Jonah was asserting his belief that he would be rescued from this calamity and he would make his way back to Jerusalem and he would return to the holy temple. I think that what he says in the rest of this, he's recounting what he was praying. What he was praying in this context is not that he would return to the temple. He was confident God was taking his life. He says in verse five, "The waters closed in over me to take my life. The deep surrounded me. Weeds were wrapped around my head." The other way that the phrase holy temple is used in the Old Testament is to refer to the place that God lives in heaven. Jonah was asserting faith that even though he was being cast out of the presence of the Lord in this life, even though he was being justly punished for his sin, even though he was about to enter the belly of Sheol and to enter the pit, the very abyss, that he would see God again in His holy temple. This is a statement of Jonah's belief in his own destiny as one of God's people, destined to be saved by faith in God. In this moment, Jonah trusts the Lord despite all of the appearances that God was out to get him It's not all that different than when we read in Mark chapter 9, where this father brings his, uh, demon-possessed child to Jesus, and Jesus says, "I can heal him." And he says, "If you can do anything, Lord," I'm paraphrasing here. He says, "If you can do it, please, Lord." And he says, "If? All things are possible for me." And the father desperately cries out, "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief." It's this raw, unfiltered statement of just the human condition on this side of glory, right? I believe in the Lord, but there's always that little part in the back of my head that isn't sure, because we're never going to be perfect. Now, I've said before, and, and this is becoming my new catchphrase, I think, I'm not here to rob you of your assurance of faith. Our, our confession, the Bible, this church, our Reform, broader Reform tradition, the assurance of faith of the Christian is the rightful possession inheritance of every person in this room who trusts the Lord. But it is a reality that at times that assurance is shaken. And if there's ever a time for your assurance to be shaken, it's when you're being dragged to the bottom of the ocean, right? One of the words in here, I don't have it-- I don't actually have it in my notes for some reason, but one of the note, words here, uh, s- about the roots of the mountain, I believe, in the next verse. It's not just that he was dragged to the bottom of the ocean. This word root of the mountain is like the word that's used to cut. He's not just being dragged to the bottom of the sea, he's being dragged to the bottom of a deep sea crevasse. He's literally being pulled into the pit, right? Many, uh, in the ancient Semitic world would have seen these underwater pits. They would have theorized or thought about these underwater crevasses as the actual entry into Sheol. And Jonah sees himself being drawn down into these things. Yet, he believes he will see the good presence of the Lord We read a similar statement, I won't, uh, I won't make us go there for time. We read a similar statement in Job. Job goes through this long speech about all the things that God has done to him, and at the very end of it, he says, "Yet I will see the Lord with my eyes, and he will stand up next to me on, on the earth." Right? Even though Job was going through this unimaginable grief, and we know that Job didn't deserve it in the strict sense, he still was saying, "I'm gonna be destroyed. God is shooting arrows at me," right? "His sword is in my side. He's targeting me. He's sending hornets after me." All of these terrible, vibrant images that he's using to show what God is doing to him, and yet he still trusts. I would say that he trusts that he would see the Lord in the flesh. This is not only Jonah's faith, it's a-- or Job's faith, it's a prophecy of Christ This is alien to our modern mindset. We've been talking about this in the Psalms. Weston's been leading us through the, the lament Psalms We often think that suffering and trials and difficulties are the opposite of blessing and favor. And we might recognize that in some sort of way that in God's economy, one thing leads to another. And again, there's an element of truth to that. James says, "Count it all joy when you face trials of every kind." He's not saying that the trials you're facing are in themselves joyful. You don't have to love when you get sick. You don't have to, you don't have to man up and put a smile on or s- pull yourself up by your bootstraps or whatever analogy you wanna use. It's okay to be sad when bad things happen. It's actually good, right? If we're to weep with those who weep, there's an element of sadness that must come with that, not to mention the one who's weeping is not chastised. But the idea that that only leads to this, that that's just one step in the chain, that's not really the mindset the Bible has. All across the Psalms, in the lament Psalms, all across the prophetic literature, the Book of Lamentations, Habakkuk has this long prayer at the end that's very similar, the entire Book of Job, suffering and sanctification, trials and joy and restoration, they're all sandwiched right there, and there is usually this statement in the middle of it that God will do what is right This is Jonah's example for us, and what an example it is. We'll talk in a little bit about all the ways that this whole scenario is typological of Christ. We'll, we'll get to that. But just for a minute in the middle of this book, Jonah is not such a bad guy. And it's because he still has all his faults that he can be this example for us [00:30:26] Genesis Deep Imagery [00:30:26] Tony Arsenal: As though it wasn't clear enough, Jonah in verse five says that the purpose of the waters closing over him was explicitly to take his life. He's now in the belly of the sea. He's being dragged down to the very roots of the mountain, to the very core of the earth in his mind. He, he thinks he's going to hell in the, the Hebrew mind. There's both this idea that God is dragging him to hell in a very real sense. The Hebrew mind, Sheol was a physical place that people went to, and we learn more about it and that becomes clarified as revelation is progressive, not contradictory, but as, as it's clarified But he uses this word deep, and this is where he's drawing again from Genesis. Genesis 1:2, he says, "The earth was without form and void. The darkness was over the face of the deep." The deep is this sort of like unformed chaotic water. It's what exists before God makes everything orderly and good. And in the fall, and especially in the flood in chapter seven, uh, chapter seven verse 11, the f- the flood itself is a sort of undoing of the order. God opens the floods from beneath, from the bottom of the earth, from the wellspring of the deep, as well as the chaotic waters from outside the firmament, and it all pours back in together and the entire world becomes again this deep, primordial, chaotic water And just as in Genesis God separates the land, in, in Genesis 7 or in Genesis 8, he separates out the land by drying it up, drying up the water. We also see that Jonah has this trust that he will return to the dry land. Again, he's the God of heaven and sea and dry earth. We could even read this phrase, depending on the context, as the abyss, which is this, a- again, is some borrowed language from Greek here that the Hebrews use. But it's this deep, watery, murky place th- full of shadows and darkness. Sounds familiar, I think, right? Christ says that those who are apart from him who refuse to obey will be cast into the outer darkness. This is the imagery that Jonah is seeing. All outside visible indicators was that he was gonna die and he was going to hell. Yet he trusted in the Lord that he would see his holy temple again Apart from God's gracious intervention, Jonah was right. So although God is the one that's bringing him to the depth, bringing him to the pit, dragging him down, using the very currents of the sea, weaponizing these underwater currents that only thousands of years later do we understand, and even then only this much, he also graciously rescues him from this by miraculously appointing a whale or a great fish who comes and swallows Jonah, takes him whole, and keeps him there in his own belly, keeps him there in her own womb when we get to chapter 2. In chapter six, or in verse six, Jonah makes this pivot. Again, he says he's brought to the very bottom of the sea, to the roots of the mountain, which is these deep underwater trenches. He conceptualizes himself now in this locked city behind bars. Again, this jail imagery, this pit imagery, it's all meant to evoke this idea of the final punishment of the wicked. This place of murky, gross water, this place of darkness and, uh, limitations of freedom, he's being taken there. This is the section here where people would actually argue that Jonah dies. He actually dies and is resurrected when he's swallowed by the whale. This comes from language where it says God does not prevent him from going to the pit. God actually draws him to the pit and then raises his life up from the pit. Now, I'm not convinced, um, that we should think that Jonah actually died. I don't, I don't think that the text fully supports that. But it certainly is using this imagery [00:34:45] Christ Typology [00:34:45] Tony Arsenal: This is where we get to some typology about Christ. This is where Jonah really shines as a prophet. Sometimes people wonder why the Book of Jonah is considered a prophetic book, and this along with it is part of that. Jonah, although the sign of Jonah in Matthew and in the other Gospels refers to the belly of the whale, that just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days and three nights, so also Christ will be in the heart of the earth, the pit, for three days and three nights. When we're talking about typology, we can't get too tripped up on the details. We're not talking about strict allegory where this figure is that person and this signpost represents that thing. This isn't Pilgrim's Progress or Chronicles of Narnia, which is not allegory, but it's similar. Topology functions often on sort of these big picture concepts, right? Although there are some typological references that are super detailed, there are also some that are just sort of evocative The idea that Jonah died and was raised to life and sort of incubated in the earth, in- incubated in the whale and sort of reborn into the world, that certainly sounds a lot like a picture of the resurrection And I think we should see it that way. When Christ says that the sign of Jonah is roughly His resurrection, He is tying it to the three days and three nights, but He's not limiting to that Jonah comes to this pivot, and now he starts to reflect on the context of his deliverance. This whole s- this whole prayer should be seen sort of in the light of the thanksgiving psalms. There's a situation in which Jonah is in, and then God rescues him, and he begins to praise him for it. There's elements of lament, but it's really a thanksgiving psalm that he's drawing on here or that he's, he's writing In 2:7, Jonah is either dead or he's actively dying. I don't know about you, but if you've ever, uh, dove into a pool and got a little deeper than you thought you were, and you-- there's that, like, two seconds before you get to the top where you're sure the lights are going out and you've really only been underwater for, like, 45 seconds, but everything in you tells you if you don't get there, you're gonna die. Every instinct you have is to scramble for the surface. Think about how long it took Jonah to be dragged to the bottom of the ocean. Even at this accelerated pace, we're talking about a long time. And we have no reason to believe, and lots of reasons to think otherwise, Jonah was not preserved from the pain and the terror and the difficulty of feeling like you're drowning because he was drowning. He was without oxygen. His life was fading away. And it is in this context of him being on the brink of death, at death's door, in the belly of Sheol, being drawn into the very pit itself, that his prayer reaches the Lord in His holy temple. Right? This gives further evidence to the thought that Jonah is not talking about the temple in Jerusalem. There was, there was theology, and I, I think it's fine theology, that God lived in the temple in a special way. This is the reason that Daniel faces Jerusalem when he prays. There is a sense in the Old Testament that God's special place of presence is the temple in Jerusalem, and that the prayers of the people physically go to that place to be received by God. But Jonah doesn't know which direction the temple is. He's underwater. He's been tossed around by breakers. He has no sense of geography at this point He knows that his prayers are reaching the Lord in his heavenly temple. And they reach him in his heavenly temple just as his life is being lost in the pit. And it is from this moment that God raises him to life, or preserves his life, depending how you read it, and appoints the well to come reach him And some read this next verse as a little bit of a step back for Jonah, and it may be.  [00:39:02] Vows and Idols [00:39:02] Tony Arsenal: He reads, "Those who pay vain regard to i- regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I, with the voice of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. And what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord." Jonah didn't see the sailors on the ship vow their vows and offer their sacrifices. That happened after they threw him into the pit and the current sucked him under So we may read this with a little bit of a, "Thank God I'm not like that tax collector," kind of a lens. And there's probably some wisdom for us in that, to recognize that Jonah still hasn't quite gotten there. But it's also very common in the Old Testament to recognize that God treats His people differently because they are different. God brings people to a place of sanctification, and through that process of sanctification, they cease to worship vain idols. And it is absolutely true that those who worship vain idols forfeit their hope of steadfast love from the Lord. That's straight out of the Ten Commandments, right? He visits the iniquity of, specifically of idolatry. He visits the iniquity unto the children to the third and fourth generation. But for those who love the Lord, He loves them with a steadfast love unto thousands We can recognize in Jonah that although he had made great progress in faith, that he still wasn't there yet. And we can recognize that in him because we can recognize that in ourselves. Jonah is the example in this because he is not perfect, because he has not arrived, 'cause he doesn't do a 180 about-face and get everything right going forward We can read this in light of Jonah in chapter four, where he takes big steps back Or we can read this as the regular up and down progress of sanctification in the life of all believers everywhere It is also ironic again, we're back now to Jonah being a little bit behind the curve. He was sent to Nineveh to evangelize the heathens, some of the worst enemies that Israel was going to face, and he ignores that call. And he, instead of going to Nineveh, he goes to Tarshish. He goes the opposite direction, and he does something that would be unthinkable to most Israelites. He goes out on the open ocean. That's just insanity to someone living in the ancient world He should have recognized that the sailors were fearing the Lord when they refused to throw him overboard. I think we all have a sort of innate sense when someone's behavior suddenly changes, and I think most of us, and not in some sort of strange, kooky, charismatic sense, but I think most of us can sort of go, "I think I know why that is." Right, when you, when you see someone at work that suddenly stops lying about everything and stops backbiting and stops taking credit for other people's work, and then you find out a little while linger- longer that they've come to faith in Christ, if we're being honest, we're not all that surprised. But Jonah doesn't get it. Jonah here promises the same things that the sailors already did, so now we're again back behind the curve [00:42:37] Sanctification Confession [00:42:37] Tony Arsenal: To wrap this out, I, I wanna, um, I wanna ground this in something that I think is really vital for us to understand. As I said, Jonah is an example to us because he demonstrates the limited nature of sanctification, but he also demonstrates in a certain sense the fact that sanctification is real and has real effects. So this is a little out of the ordinary, but grab your Trinity Hymnal from the pew in front of you. If you happen to have a copy of the Confession, you could use that if you'd prefer. But open with me to page 927 I have, um, I've been, uh, broadly Reformed most of my Christian life and didn't realize it until I got to seminary. And since I discovered the Westminster Confession of Faith a decade ago, it's not new, uh, not new to me, um, I realized how valuable this resource was. This is essentially a search engine without the internet. And so I wanna just read a little bit out of chapter 13 here, which is our Confessions chapter on sanctification. I'm not gonna read the whole thing, but the, the first, uh, the first section here essentially says that sanctification is real, and it happens throughout the whole person. We talk about total depravity, and there is a sense in which the Christian remains totally depraved after regeneration, in that there still is, there still is corruption within our entire being, uh, that is depraved. There's also an equal sense in which we can say we are totally sanctified in Christ because sanctification is throughout the whole man in which we are renewed after the image of God. So that's section one. And then section two says, "This sanctification is throughout," again, throughout the whole man, "in the whole man, yet imperfect in this life. There abiding still some remnant of corruption in every part, whence ariseth a continual and irre- irreconcilable war, the flesh left lusting after the spirit, and the spirit lusting after the flesh." Now, that may feel like just a crushing burden if you stop reading there, but it lines up with our experience, right? This is Paul in Romans 7, "The good things I wanna do, I do not, and the bad things that I, I kn- I do not want to do, I somehow do. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." We shouldn't read that as though somehow our spirits are purified entirely and our bodies are what's really causing us to sin. This is a picture of the spirit being, uh, our, our spiritual part of us. The part of us that's regenerated is willing, but the part of us that remains corrupt is our flesh And our confession goes on to say, "In which war, although the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail, yet through the continual supply of strength from the sanctification- sanctifying spirit of Christ, the regenerate part doth overcome." And so the saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. This is revolutionary in our broader evangelical world. The storybook Bible, Jonah did a bad thing and he gets punished, and he did a good thing and so he gets better, cannot understand this concept. This is why I think we have to be so careful when we choose what books to give to our little ones, right? I, I make jokes about VeggieTales. I loved VeggieTales when I was in VeggieTales age range. I probably would sit down and watch VeggieTales with Augie when he gets old enough. But we have to be so careful not to let those messages come to our children, or to ourselves for that matter, uninterpreted by the scriptures first and foremost, and our Reformed tradition that we all believe. Amen.  [00:46:49] Assurance in the Pit [00:46:49] Tony Arsenal: This is vital for us When all is said and done, salvation, whether we're talking about justification, sanctification, glorification, resurrection, all of the different stages and phases of our salvation, it is entirely of the Lord. And it's for this reason that Jonah says, "I, with a voice of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will pay." Salvation belongs to the Lord So this is the application of the sermon, loved ones. No matter how close to or actually into the pit itself we have fallen The, the chapter on assurance of faith, I won't go there, but the chapter in our confession on assurance of faith is very honest with us that our assurance will be shaken, and at times we may not feel as though we have any assurance at all But even when we have fallen that deep into the pit of despair, even when we feel as though we are in the very depths of hell No matter how much our spiritual or physical life is fainting away as we starve for spiritual breath, as we feel that impulse in us that recognizes we're moments away from losing the faith entirely. No matter how much the remnants of corruption in every part swirl around our heads like seaweed, how often do we feel wrapped up in sin? Whatever it is, I don't need to get specific 'cause I'm sure all of you are thinking of something in your head right now that has been swirling around you for years. Maybe it's months, maybe it's years. Maybe you've never felt, since coming to Christ, you've never felt like it wasn't wrapped up around you like seaweed. Besetting sin is something that we need to be serious about, and it's a good cause for us to think hard and deep about our status as Christians, and to go to our pastor and seek the elders' assistance in this. But besetting sin is not, is not a mark that excludes you from, from Christianity. Right? We're justified by faith alone, in Christ alone, by His grace alone. Not because we've overcome our besetting sin alone, right? That's not one of the five solas God redeems our life from the pit. From the very depths of hell itself, he snatched us like brands from the fire And though it is the case that we often are shaken, and at times God, just as he let Jonah, he let Jonah go to Tarshish. God had every ability to stop him from doing a stupid thing, and sometimes he does that, right? I'm sure there's plenty of times we can think about in our lives where we were heading towards sin and God just pulled a U-turn on us, and we are thankful for that. But there are times that he does not, and he lets us, he lets us do that. He lets us suffer the consequences, and he does that to chastise us and bring us back to him And even in the context of that, it is through this continual supply of the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, right?  [00:50:19] God Beautifies His Bride [00:50:19] Tony Arsenal: Christ was anointed by the Holy Spirit from the womb beyond measure. That's in the Book of John. There was never a time where Christ did not have the totality of the infinite sanctifying Spirit of the God, of God. We do not have the totality of the sanctifying Spirit of God. Now, we can get into a discussion after the service about divine simplicity and all the complexity of that, but the reality is that God sanctifies us more and more and more, and He does it by giving us the Spirit more and more. Might be more accurate to say He gives more of us to the Spirit. He gives us to the Spirit more and more. He gives us to Jesus more and more. We are Christ's inheritance. We are His bride. And just as the bride, as they're approaching the wedding, is made more and more beautiful, they start their, their beauty treatments weeks and months ahead of time, right? They're already making their hair appointments. They're already doing what they need to do to feel as beautiful as they can and to be as beautiful as they can on their wedding day. If that's the way we treat human weddings; guys do it too, just not as much. If that's the way we treat human weddings, how much more does God treat the heavenly wedding of His Son to His beloved bride? He's beautifying us, Church. Doesn't always feel like it. Doesn't always look like it, but He is. 

Today, Will Carlisle is joined by Thomas Nelson as we conclude our study through the book of Habakkuk. Join us today on Our Daily Rhythm!

Today, Will Carlisle is joined by Abbie Montgomery as we continue our study through the book of Habakkuk. Join us today on Our Daily Rhythm!

Today, Will Carlisle is joined by Abbie Montgomery as we continue our study through the book of Habakkuk. Join us today on Our Daily Rhythm!

Today, Will Carlisle is joined by Abbie Montgomery as we continue our study through the book of Habakkuk. Join us today on Our Daily Rhythm!

Today, Will Carlisle is joined by Abbie Montgomery as we begin our study through the book of Habakkuk. Join us today on Our Daily Rhythm!

The Minor Prophets: Twelve Books for a Restless World — Preached at ROCK City Church Melbourne by Pastor Ferdinand Haratua

Book of the Twelve: Habakkuk Trevor Hoffman Habakkuk - Sermon by Trevor Hoffman

The Book of Habakkuk can help us walk by faith when God doesn't make sense.

There are some seasons that don't just stretch you — they strip you.Not all at once, but layer by layer. Things you built. Things you trusted. Things you thought were secure. And suddenly what once felt stable feels uncertain. What once felt full now feels empty. And somewhere in the middle of that grief, a question begins to form: How do I stay grateful when I don't feel grateful? How do I stay hopeful when the future feels uncertain?In this episode of Just Nona, I'm answering a heart question from a listener named Jennifer, who is navigating material loss and is honestly asking: How do you stay grateful and hopeful about the future in a season of loss?This is not a conversation about forced positivity. It is a conversation about what gratitude actually looks like when you are genuinely grieving.We talk about:Why material loss is never just about things — and what it actually represents when it's goneThe psychological reality of loss and why your whole body processes it, not just your emotionsHow loss quietly reshapes identity when you anchor your security in what you had instead of who God isWhat Job's response in Job 1:21 and Habakkuk 3:17-18 reveal about gratitude that is rooted in conviction, not circumstanceThe difference between gratitude and pretending — and why grief and faith are not oppositesThe difference between hope and optimism — and how to hold onto one when you have lost the otherAnd the question to ask yourself when you cannot figure out how to feel gratefulYou are allowed to grieve what you lost without disqualifying your faith. Grief and gratitude can coexist.You lost something. But you have not lost everything. And God is not finished writing this story.Order my books at https://www.nonajones.com/books Connect with me: https://www.nonajones.comhttps://www.instagram.com/nonanotnorahttps://www.facebook.com/NonaNotNoraIf you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm, please reach out. Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) — you are not alone, and strength is not suffering in silence.Listen to Just Nona PodcastNew episodes drop every Monday!https://nonajones.com/applehttps://nonajones.com/spotifyhttps://nonajones.com/amazon

We come to the final verses of the book of Habakkuk, but as Joseph points out in this message, the story is not done yet. So how do we continue to worship in our waiting?

Caller Questions & Discussion: Dr. Jill discusses the book of Habakkuk and trusting God’s timing. God often takes longer than we expect, but He is never late. My 28-year-old daughter and husband have both been diagnosed with depression and anxiety. They spend so much time on their screens. How do I know when their mental health struggles are legitimate concerns versus excuses for excessive screen time? I just found out that my daughter was sexually abused as a child by my son. My other daughter told me about it. How do I support my daughter, address family trauma, and begin the healing process? I’ve been in a dating relationship for 7 years. I don’t like him having dinner with a former female coworker every other month; am I being too sensitive or is it a legitimate concern?

It's Thursday, June 18th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark More countries persecute religious citizens More countries are seeing high levels of social hostilities involving religion. A new Pew Research report found 55 countries recorded high or very high levels of such religious hostilities in 2023.  That figure has risen three years in a row. Christians faced harassment in the largest number of countries compared to any other religion. Countries with very high levels of religious hostilities include Bangladesh, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Syria. Most of those countries also rank in the top 10 most oppressive countries for Christians according to Open Doors. Luke 6:22-23 says, “Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in Heaven.” Pro-family charter signed involving 20 of 54 African countries Lawmakers in Africa gathered for the Fourth African Parliamentary Conference on Family Sovereignty and Values this month in Ghana.  Attendees represented 20 out of 54 countries across the continent.  Lawmakers signed a pro-family charter at the conference, reports LifeSiteNews. The charter defends the traditional family and opposes abortion and sexually perverted lifestyles.  Britain to ban social media for kids The United Kingdom plans on banning social media for children under 16.  Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the ban on Monday which will take effect next year. The U.K. joins other countries putting restrictions on social media use for children. These countries include Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Indonesia. The U.K. ban will affect platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X. Bulgarian Christians now allowed to evangelize door-to-door The European Court of Human Rights ruled to protect door-to-door evangelism last week. The case began in Bulgaria where the government issued a broad ban on the practice.  Nicolas Bauer with the European Centre for Law and Justice told EWTN News, “Evangelizing is often viewed with suspicion in a secularized Europe. The European Court of Human Rights ruling reaffirms a basic requirement of religious freedom for believers: the right to the same freedom of expression as everyone else.” Alabama officials threaten mail-order abortion kill pill providers In the United States, the state of Alabama issued cease and desist letters to mail order abortion providers last week. The companies were illegally providing chemical abortion-inducing drugs to residents in the state.  Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said, “Alabama's law is clear, abortion is illegal in this state. These companies are not only breaking the law, they are deceiving Alabama consumers about the very real dangers of these drugs. That stops now. Anyone who tries to exploit Alabamians for profit while flouting our laws will be prosecuted to the fullest extent permitted by law.” Habakkuk 2:9 and 12 says, “Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house, That he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of disaster! … Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed, who establishes a city by iniquity!" Elon Musk became Earth's first trillionaire Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk became the world's first trillionaire last week. His company SpaceX went public on Friday in the biggest initial public offering of all time. His shares in the company at the time were over $766 billion. Combined with his Tesla shares of $280 billion, his net worth pushed past the trillion-dollar mark. This comes 14 years after Musk crossed the billionaire threshold.  Gallup: 65% of Americans say religiosity benefits society And finally, a new Gallup poll found that most Americans still believe religiosity would benefit the United States. Sixty-five percent of respondents said it would be positive for society if more Americans were religious. But that's down from 75% back in 2013. Americans are divided on whether the federal government should promote moral values. Forty-five percent say the government should be involved while 50 percent say it should not be involved.  Gallup noted, “The poll comes at a time when a Republican presidential administration has sought to elevate the role of religion in public life, including by establishing the White House Office of Faith, beginning government meetings with Christian prayers, and encouraging federal workers to express their faith in the workplace.”  Close And that's The Worldview on this Thursday, June 18th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

What Then? (Part 3) — If Nothing Changes, God Is Still EnoughWednesday, June 17, 2026What happens when you've prayed, believed, waited, and trusted, but nothing seems to change?In this powerful message from the What Then? series, we explore one of the deepest questions of faith: What if the breakthrough doesn't come when we expect it? What if the circumstances remain the same? Is God still enough?Through the words of the prophet Habakkuk, we discover a faith that stands firm even when prayers seem unanswered, expectations are delayed, and life doesn't look the way we hoped. Habakkuk teaches us that true faith is not built upon visible results, it is anchored in the unchanging character and presence of God.In this message, you'll learn:• How mature faith learns to love God beyond His blessings• Why God's presence is greater than changed circumstances• The difference between conditional peace and biblical peace• How to trust God when answers seem delayed• Why God's grace and presence are enough in every season• How God uses waiting seasons to strengthen and develop us spirituallyThrough powerful scriptures from Habakkuk, Psalms, Exodus, Romans, Hebrews, and John, you'll be encouraged to move from outcome, based faith to unwavering trust in Christ.If you've ever struggled with disappointment, unanswered prayers, delayed promises, or difficult seasons, this message will remind you that God's faithfulness is not determined by your circumstances. Even when nothing around you changes, God remains constant, present, and sufficient.Key Scripture:"Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the victorious God of my salvation!" — Habakkuk 3:18 (AMPC)Join us as we discover that sometimes God's answer to "What then?" is simply:"Then trust Me."Soul Harvest Worship CenterHosting His Presence • Revealing Christ#SoulHarvestWorshipCenter #WhatThen #GodIsStillEnough #FaithOverFeelings #TrustGod #Habakkuk #ChristianPodcast #BibleTeaching #FaithInTrials #GodsPresence #HopeInChrist #JesusIsEnough #SpiritFilledChurch #ChristianEncouragement #WednesdayNightBibleStudy

A divided world desperately needs a united Church. In this message, we explore what it means for the body of Christ to truly fit together — not by accident, but by design. Jesus prayed for our unity, and that prayer still matters today. When each part does its own special work and submits to Christ as the head, the whole body becomes healthy, growing, and full of love. Unity isn't optional — it's the witness we give to the world.

Joel and Brayden pull producer Hudson out from behind the desk and onto the couch for a catch-up episode that goes deeper than anyone planned. What starts with fast food chip rankings and AI in marketing gradually becomes one of the most honest conversations the show has had about the everyday struggle of the Christian walk.Joel shares what it's like to coach an under-12s football team and realise mid-season that his pre-game anxiety has nothing to do with the boys and everything to do with his own identity and idols. Hudson opens up about noticing his temper for the first time, not just on the sporting field but in quieter corners of life too, and what it's meant to let God reveal something he didn't know he needed to work on. They all reflect on the pull toward self-reliance and the resistance that shows up right before prayer, even when you know that praying is exactly what you need.Woven through all of it is a thread from Habakkuk, the prophet who brings his biggest frustrations not to other people but directly to God, and waits there. The guys wrestle with what it means to wait actively rather than passively, to take your laments to the one person who can actually do something about them, and to keep showing up to church even when the week has been ordinary or hard.This is the kind of episode that reminds you you're not the only one still figuring it out.

Have you ever been angry at God and didn't know if that was allowed? Have you sat in church smiling while internally asking why He felt so far away? Have you prayed the same prayer for years and still heard nothing — and quietly started to wonder if any of it was even working?This is Episode 4 of our mini-series — Things Christian Women Don't Say Out Loud — and we saved this one for last on purpose. Because this one is the deepest. And the most personal.In this episode, Tayler, Alora, and Mary go to the places most Christian podcasts won't. The doubt. The unanswered prayers. The seasons where God went completely silent and they didn't know what to do with that. The bitterness of watching someone else receive the miracle you prayed for. The anger they were afraid to admit even to themselves. This is the faith episode. And it is the most honest one yet.In this episode we talk about:Doubt as a doorway — not a dead endWhat to do when God feels completely silentPraying for your husband's safety every deployment and still living in fear every single dayThe prayers that felt unanswered and what that did to our faithBeing angry at God — and whether that's allowed (spoiler: it is)What faith actually looks like inside a military life full of uncertaintyHow to worship God through genuine bitternessComing out of the hardest season still standing — and still believingScripture anchor: Habakkuk 3:17-18 — "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines... yet I will rejoice in the Lord."Whether you are a lifelong woman of faith or you are somewhere in the middle of the hardest wrestling match of your spiritual life — you are safe here.Bring your questions. Bring your doubt. Bring the things you have never said out loud. Because we believe that is exactly where the real thriving begins.

June 14, 2026Shannon NielsenHabakkuk 3:1-19

Even if God never gives you the outcomes you've been working toward or expecting? Would you still obey? That's the question at the center of this episode — and it's one that has been deeply personal in this season. Let's unpack what it truly looks like to remain obedient to your God-given assignment even if the outcomes look nothing like you're expecting. This isn't a message against building a thriving business. It's an invitation to examine where your hope is anchored — and whether you've been leaning on His understanding or your own. In This Episode: The "even if" defiance of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3:16–18 — and what their posture in the fire teaches us about obedience without guaranteed outcomes Why Proverbs 3:7 goes beyond what we typically take from this passage — and what it means to not be wise in your own eyes as a Christian entrepreneur Psalm 37:23–24 and 31 on what it means to have your steps established, ordered, and secured by the Lord — even when you fall The Isaiah 46 reminder that He alone carries, bears, and rescues — and how the idols of recognition, achievement, income, and stages cannot answer us or save us from our trouble The stunning parallel between Daniel 3 and Habakkuk 3:17–18 — and why "even if" appearing in both passages is no coincidence The difference between the world's promises and the Lord's promises — and how to find contentment and fulfillment in the assignment itself, regardless of the outcome Scripture References: Daniel 3:16–18 Proverbs 3:5–7 Psalm 37:23–24, 31 Isaiah 46:4, 7, 10–11 Habakkuk 3:17–18 Key Takeaway: God does not promise to save us from the fire — He promises to walk with us through it. As Christian entrepreneurs, we are not called to be obedient only when the outcomes match our expectations. We are called to obey because He is good, because His plan will take place, and because our steps are ordered by a God who already knows where they lead. The assignment was never about our gain. It was always about His glory — in the full seasons and the quiet ones alike. This week's reflection question:  Even if it doesn't look the way you expected — even if the book went nowhere, the stage led to nothing, the business didn't scale the way you planned — will you continue to be obedient to what He has given you? This episode could be a sister to last week's on misappropriating glory! Listen to that episode here. LET'S WORK TOGETHERAccountability, focus, a sounding board, and strategic insight are the key reasons my clients work with me, and I'd love to bring these to your business too! Schedule a complimentary call with me to explore working with me at https://erinharrigan.com/discoverycall GOT BOOKS?Learn about my books and get your copies at https://erinharrigan.com/booksFor signed copies, please contact support@erinharrigan.com If you have the book, help us reach more readers by leaving a review on Amazon! LET'S BE FRIENDS ON SOCIALLinkedIn: @erinharriganIG: @erindharrigan SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNELhttps://youtube.com/@erinharrigan If this show brings you value, please give it a follow on  Apple Podcasts and leave a review. If you listen to Spotify, be sure to click the follow button and the notification bell so you don't miss an episode.

Habakkuk 3:8-19| June 14, 2026 | Pastor Leo BilykPastor Leo Bilyk is Teaching on Habakkuk 3:8-19 as a part of our study on the book of Habakkuk. We hope you are blessed and equipped by today's message.To find out more about Shorebreak Church or to partner financially, visit www.shorebreakchurch.comTo share your story or ask questions, contact aloha@shorebreakchurch.comMahalo for listening!

Pastor Zac preaches out of Habakkuk 2.

This message addresses the pervasive yet often unspoken struggle of doubt within the Christian life, distinguishing it from unbelief and emphasizing its dangerous potential to erode faith when left unexamined. It identifies doubt as a state of 'double-mindedness'—a tension between belief and unbelief—that manifests in spiritual instability, inner conflict, and a questioning of God's character, particularly His goodness, justice, and compassion. Drawing from biblical figures like Habakkuk, Job, and the man with the epileptic son, the message underscores that while intellectual confusion is natural, the core problem arises when doubt shifts from 'I don't understand' to 'I don't believe,' thereby challenging God's moral character and leading to spiritual hardening. The solution lies in recognizing doubt as a sin requiring repentance, actively returning to Scripture to reaffirm God's character, and cultivating a disciplined will to resist the temptation to argue with God, choosing instead humility, confession, and renewed trust.

Every worth-while journey has a "dip"—that heavy, exhausting valley between the excitement of a new start and the mastery of a deeper faith. In the finale of our Habakkuk series, Pastor Tom Kang shows how our prayers transform from a wrestling cry of "How long?" in the valley into a defiant song of worship.What do you do when you see a storm coming that you cannot stop? When you cannot read your future, you must learn to preach the past faithfulness of God to yourself. Discover how true biblical faith (Emunah) enables us to sing through chattering teeth—knowing that even if He does not rescue us from the fire, He promises to step into the furnace with us, turning our trembling feet into the feet of a deer to tread upon new heights.

Habakkuk 3:1-15

Two thousand years feels like a long time to wait. Jim Osman says that's exactly the point.Continuing through 2 Peter 3, Osman tackles the mockers' challenge in verse 4: where is the promise of His coming? Peter's answer comes in two parts, and this sermon focuses on the second: God's patience. Osman walks through what that patience actually means, tracing it back through Exodus, Isaiah, and the Psalms to show that the Old Testament's "slow to anger" God and the New Testament's patient Father are the same God, not two different ones.He works carefully through the Greek behind "slow" in verse 9, distinguishing tardiness from sovereign timing, and uses Habakkuk's own wrestling with delay as a parallel. Then comes the heart of the message: who exactly is God being patient toward? Osman pushes back against a popular reading of "not willing for any to perish," arguing from context that Peter is addressing God's own people, the elect not yet gathered in, not the whole world indiscriminately.The sermon closes with four practical encouragements, including a direct word to anyone listening who has yet to repent. This episode offers a clear, doctrinally grounded answer to anyone wondering why God seems to be taking so long. ★ Support this podcast ★

As we continue through Habakkuk 3, we take a look at how the Lord is a "big picture" God and also one who steps down into history to accomplish his purposes.

Subscribe for more Videos: http://www.youtube.com/c/PlantationSDAChurchTV Theme: Our joy comes from God not our wealth or resources. Speaker: Pastor N. Abraham Rose Title: Rejoicing Amidst The Ruins Highlights: The prophet Habakkuk could praise God amidst devastation because he understood that though he may lose his resources that God was his source. So, the basis of his joy was not his resources, but God who was his source. The believer has to assume the same attitude as he/she deals with tragedy or loss, while navigating a sinful and broken world. Series: Rejoicing with Habakkuk Key text: https://www.bible.com/bible/114/HAB.3.16-19.NKJV Bulletin/Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/223085 Date: June 13, 2026 Tags: #psdatv #joy #circumstances #God #loss #restore #restoration #resources #wealth #money #source #WhenYourWorldFallsApart #ResourceVSource #JoyDespiteCircumstances #GodIsGreaterThanMyLoss #GodRestores For more life lessons and inspirational content, please visit us at http://www.plantationsda.tv. Church Copyright License (CCLI): 1659090 CCLI Streaming Plus License: 21338439Support the show: https://adventistgiving.org/#/org/ANTBMV/envelope/startSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the difference between happiness and joy—and why does it matter? In this episode of our Fruit of the Spirit series, we're diving into one of the most misunderstood fruits of the Spirit: joy. Many of us spend our lives chasing happiness through success, relationships, achievements, or the next season of life, only to find ourselves still longing for something deeper. The Bible paints a different picture. Joy isn't dependent on our circumstances—it's rooted in the unchanging character and presence of God. Together, we'll explore: The difference between happiness and biblical joy Why joy is a fruit of the Spirit, not something we can manufacture on our own How Scripture teaches us to experience joy even in difficult seasons What commonly steals our joy (comparison, control, gratitude, and more) Practical ways to cultivate lasting joy in everyday life Whether you're walking through a mountaintop season or a valley, this conversation will encourage you to discover the kind of joy that remains steady no matter what life brings. Key Scriptures Galatians 5:22-23 Psalm 16:11 Habakkuk 3:17-18 James 1:2-4 Hebrews 12:2 Philippians 4:4 Nehemiah 8:10 Journal Prompt What circumstance have I been waiting to change before allowing myself to experience joy, and what would it look like to trust God in that area today? Buy my book ⁠Becoming Happy and Health⁠y

Have you ever wondered if God actually hears your prayers? If He does , then why does He not answer? If you have ever asked these kinds of questions then settle back and get ready for one of the most exciting, even confusing passage in all the Word of God. We are going to journey together with the prophet Habakkuk as he asked God why He is not doing something to answer his prayer. I do believe that what we are going to see will not be what the prophet was expecting to hear.

Please enjoy our midweek service

Explore the life and message of the prophet Habakkuk with Fr. Shiju Mullasseril, C.Ss.R. in this episode of 'Who's Who in the Bible.' Set against a backdrop of societal collapse and the looming Babylonian threat, the video explores Habakkuk's journey from questioning God's silence in the face of injustice to discovering peace through faith. His name, which signifies 'one who clings,' mirrors his spiritual transition from doubt to profound worship. This reflection provides a meaningful look at how we can maintain our trust in God during times of adversity. Watch this episode to gain fresh perspective and find encouragement for your own spiritual journey.  

Have you ever been angry at God and didn't know if that was allowed? Have you sat in church smiling while internally asking why He felt so far away? Have you prayed the same prayer for years and still heard nothing — and quietly started to wonder if any of it was even working?This is Episode 4 of our mini-series — Things Christian Women Don't Say Out Loud — and we saved this one for last on purpose. Because this one is the deepest. And the most personal.In this episode, Tayler, Alora, and Mary go to the places most Christian podcasts won't. The doubt. The unanswered prayers. The seasons where God went completely silent and they didn't know what to do with that. The bitterness of watching someone else receive the miracle you prayed for. The anger they were afraid to admit even to themselves. This is the faith episode. And it is the most honest one yet.In this episode we talk about:Doubt as a doorway — not a dead endWhat to do when God feels completely silentPraying for your husband's safety every deployment and still living in fear every single dayThe prayers that felt unanswered and what that did to our faithBeing angry at God — and whether that's allowed (spoiler: it is)What faith actually looks like inside a military life full of uncertaintyHow to worship God through genuine bitternessComing out of the hardest season still standing — and still believingScripture anchor: Habakkuk 3:17-18 — "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines... yet I will rejoice in the Lord."Whether you are a lifelong woman of faith or you are somewhere in the middle of the hardest wrestling match of your spiritual life — you are safe here.Bring your questions. Bring your doubt. Bring the things you have never said out loud. Because we believe that is exactly where the real thriving begins.

Habakkuk 3:1-7| June 7, 2026 | Pastor Leo BilykPastor Leo Bilyk is Teaching on Habakkuk 3:1-7 as a part of our study on the book of Habakkuk. We hope you are blessed and equipped by today's message.To find out more about Shorebreak Church or to partner financially, visit www.shorebreakchurch.comTo share your story or ask questions, contact aloha@shorebreakchurch.comMahalo for listening!

What do you do when God hands you a "wait card" you didn't ask for—a painful diagnosis, a wayward child, or a prayer that has gone unanswered for decades?In Week 2 of our series through Habakkuk, Pastor Tom Kang reveals a counter-cultural truth: waiting isn't a malfunction; sometimes, the waiting is the work.Through the Hebrew concept of Emunah (faith), this message challenges us to examine the nearest "ladders" we use to escape the watchtower—hustling, grabbing, and control—just to avoid sitting still. Discover how shifting your perspective from a delayed outcome to a Person can turn the agonizing silence of absence into a holy silence of awe. 

Summary:John Grdina shares his personal journey of discernment, patience, and faith in pursuing a community for men, emphasizing the importance of trusting God's timing and making visions plain. This episode offers practical insights on discerning God's will amidst life's busyness and uncertainty.Keywords: faith, discernment, patience, God's timing, personal growth, leadership, community for men, spiritual discipline, self-improvement, personal transformation, life faith podcastKey topics:Discernment of God's willPatience in God's timingMaking visions plain and clearPractical steps for spiritual discernmentBalancing personal ambitions with divine callingSound bites:"Is this you, Lord, or is this me?""Write the vision, make it plain.""Order your vocations: family first."

Through It All #4: From Doubt to Devotion John 20:28; Isaiah 43:2; Hebrews 13:5 I. The Isolation That Fed His Doubts A. He Was Absent from Fellowship John 20:24; Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 B. He Was Affected by Disappointment C. He Was Alone with His Thoughts II. The Investigation That Faced His Doubts John 20:25 A. Thomas Was Honest Psalm 10:1; Habakkuk 1:2 B. Thomas Was Hungry for Truth III. The Invitation That Answered His Doubts John 20:26 A. Jesus Came Presently B. Jesus Came Peacefully John 20:26, 10:10 C. Jesus Came Personally John 20:27 IV. The Illumination That Finished His Doubts John 20:28 A. His Questions Became Conviction B. His Conviction Became Worship C. His Worship Became Testimony How to DISARM Doubt D – Declare Your Doubts Honestly Psalm 62:8 I – Identify the Source Clearly John 20:25 S – Seek God Prayerfully Judges 6:13 A – Analyze the Evidence Carefully Acts 1:3; John 20:29 R – Rest in God's Sovereignty Humbly Isaiah 55:8–9 M – Maintain Fellowship Faithfully John 20:26

In this episode, we cover:Why Joshua 3 has become a prophetic mirror for this church seasonThe meaning of “stepping into the river” as a community, not just individualsEvidence of spiritual awakening and revival stirring in Boston and beyondWhat it means to carry an apostolic mantle—and who gets to define itThe spiritual and operational preparation required to steward revivalKey Moments00:00–02:10 — Opening prayer and welcoming the Holy Spirit04:05–10:40 — Moses, Joshua, and the Jordan: a prophetic parallel13:37–18:34 — “You've never been this way before”20:06–22:22 — The command: stand in the river24:11–31:55 — Is Boston near revival? Evidence and testimony39:15–46:04 — Apostolic calling and why this place matters53:20–59:56 — A congregational decision and operational readiness1:04:10–end — Stepping into the future together

Ryan Kelly | Habakkuk | 1. Perplexed by God's Silence (1:1-11) 2. Frustrated with God's Plans (1:12 - 2:20) 3. Resting in God's Character (3:1-19)

What do you do when life looks confusing, painful, delayed, or completely out of place? In this sermon, “God Knows What He's Doing,” we look at the life of Moses and see how God was working even when the picture looked impossible.From Pharaoh's death decree, to Moses floating in the Nile, to his years in Midian, to the plagues, Passover, and the Red Sea, every moment proves one powerful truth: God sees the finished masterpiece before we understand the brushstrokes.You may not understand every trial, delay, loss, or unanswered question, but you can trust the Artist. The painting is not finished. The story is not over. God is still working.Scripture Text: Exodus 5:22–23, Exodus 1:22, Exodus 2:1-2, Habakkuk 2:3, Romans 8:28, Philippians 1:6Key Thought: Don't judge the painting before the Artist is finished

1 Corinthians 12:7-10 and Habakkuk

Bridge from Habakkuk to Lamentations

June 7, 2026Robert KoehnHabakkuk 2: 18-20

Habakkuk & Zephaniah Adam Godshall, Dennis Clemons Speaker: Adam Godshall, Dennis ClemonsSeries: Beginning with Moses: Bible OverviewText: Habakkuk, ZephaniahTheme: Habakkuk & Zephaniah

What happens when worship becomes your response instead of fear or discouragement? In this episode, Carol McLeod shares biblical encouragement for anyone walking through difficult circumstances and longing for renewed faith and joy. Through the stories of Habakkuk, David, and Peter, she reminds listeners that joy is not rooted in circumstances but in the unchanging character of God.  Join us as we discover how trust in God can transform even the hardest seasons of life.   Order Vibrant at https://www.carolmcleodministries.com/shop/p/vibrant Find Timeless at https://www.carolmcleodministries.com/timeless Have a prayer request or feedback?Email Carol at: carol@carolmcleodministries.comShe and her team would love to pray for you. Stay Connected:Subscribe to the Significant Women Podcast and share this episode with a friend who needs to be reminded of her worth today.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolmcleodministriesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolmcleodministriesYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@CarolMcLeodMinistries The Significant Women Podcast with Carol McLeod is edited and produced by WileyCraft Productions. Visit https://wileycraftproductions.com/ to learn more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNfstnzLZ4Q Learn how to thrive in uncertain times by choosing faith over pride, as revealed in the prophet Habakkuk’s intimate conversation with God.

Passover - Commemorating God's Deliverance (Proverbs 29:18; Habakkuk 2:2-3) Dr. Jeff LaBorg

In this powerful episode of Kingdom Crossroads, TS Wright welcomes back author and speaker Amy Joob to discuss how journaling can transform your spiritual walk and deepen your relationship with God.Amy shares practical, biblical ways to use journaling as part of your spiritual disciplines—including prayer, Scripture meditation, hearing God's voice, documenting dreams and visions, praying over family, and recording answered prayers.Together, TS and Amy unpack how journaling becomes a tool for:Spiritual growthBiblical meditationProphetic encouragementSpiritual warfareBuilding faith through remembrance of God's faithfulnessThe conversation also explores key Scriptures such as Psalm 119, Isaiah 30:21, John 10:27, and Habakkuk 2, showing how writing things down helps believers stay grounded in God's Word and sensitive to the Holy Spirit.If you've ever wanted to strengthen your prayer life, hear God more clearly, or create a personal spiritual record of God's work in your life, this episode will encourage and equip you.In This EpisodeWhy journaling strengthens spiritual disciplinesHow to write honest prayers to GodLearning to hear the voice of the Holy SpiritRecording dreams, visions, and prophetic impressionsUsing Scripture journaling for spiritual warfarePraying biblical promises over your familyTracking answered prayers and God's faithfulnessThe connection between journaling and spiritual growthHow journaling can help birth ministry, books, and testimonyKey Scriptures MentionedPsalm 119:9–16John 10:27Isaiah 30:21Isaiah 60:17Habakkuk 2:2–3Job 22:28Joel 2:28Revelation 12:11Resources & LinksConnect with Amy Joob