Watching Over One Another

I spend quite a bit of time on the road, traveling to meetings and visiting people in their homes and other pastoral duties throughout the week. In all of that commuting time I often listen to Podcasts, which are like radio programs that you download to your phone and listen to at your connivence. I was struck by a question Christian author Emily P. Freeman, asked in her Podcast, “The Next Right Thing” in the Episode “Offer You Work with Hope” - “When we are confronted with overwhelming need, how do we decide what our role is in the midst of it?”

That question certainly rang true for Habakkuk, who was surrounded by overwhelming need. The deep need of his people, the Israelites, that wasn’t going away. When faced with the question of what to do in the face of such deep need was to stand watch for the hearts of his people. 

Sometimes it seems like we live in dark times. In times were wickedness is prevailing and like those who are praying for justice are getting beat down at every turn. However, even in the darkest of times, sadly this is nothing new. The prophet Habakkuk looked at the world he lived in - where his people were oppressed, there were invading armies, people were forgetting who they were - and he too proclaimed that the times were dark - only he didn’t stop there.

Last week, we began our sermon series by talking about the prophet’s lament - how he turned and cried out to God, asking how long until God’s justice would come. Habakkuk knew that God was able - that was part of his history, proclaiming the history of Israel - that it was God, the great I am, who rescued them out of the oppressive hand of enslavement to the Egyptians. It was God, Jehovah Jirah, the Provider, who lead them to the Promised Land. It was God, King of Kings, who kept proclaiming the law and calling the people of Israel back through the words of the Prophets when they went astray.

So the Prophet firmly believes that God has a word for him to take back to the people of Israel. A word to encourage them when it appears that the world around them is crumbling. In fact, Habakkuk we are told, is so eager for a Word from God that he stood at his watch post. 

In ancient societies the role of the watchman was of upmost importance. They were often positioned around the city wall and watched for impending invaders. They were the heightened since of awareness for the entire city. The eyes of the people who were resting. The ears of the people who were sleeping. They were vigilant so that others could be at ease. The watchman is the first line of protection and defense of behalf of an entire community. 

The prophet is just as vigilant in representing his community before God and waiting for, believing that, God will respond. He trusted that a revelation would come from God and he patiently watched, day and night, for it to come. 

And the Lord did answer, not just with a message for Habakkuk, but with one for the entire community that the prophet was standing in the gap for. When Habakkuk took the message back to the Israelites he was to make it plain to them, in words that they understood and in a way that would sink into their hearts. And the message was essentially this: Wait for God. God isn’t moving slow or tarrying. God’s word comes to pass in God’s perfect timing, but while you wait it doesn’t make it any less true. So wait on God. 

As you wait, know that the proud who don’t seek after the heart of God are not as people are to live. The proud could also be called those who are not upright. Those who lean on their own ways and own understanding. Those who are arrogant, greedy, and violent. While it looks like they may be prospering in the moment, that is not the way to live for a lifetime. Instead, live like the righteous. Those who trust God and are rooted in their faith. Those who are in right relationship with God. 

God goes on to give a word of warning to those who are not living in righteousness. Those who had been characterized as proud. This was for anyone who was oppressing the Israelites. At the moment it was more than like the Assyrians, but it was also for other nations that practiced greed and oppressed others. And that warning was actually an exclamation of doom - that once again it may look like they are winning in the moment, but it will not last as other rise up against them. The survivors of those who were oppressed will rise up against them one day. Everything they once held dear is actually just an idol, so it is time to repent and turn their hearts to God. 

These are the type of stories we like to hear. Yes, the good guys may be down at the moment, but they will come from behind and will succeed. I think its one of the reasons we like to talk about the end times so much when brokenness seems to abound in the world - we like the idea of God straightening everything out in the end and the oppressors get what is coming to them. 

But we talk little about what it means to watch over one another. To be persistent in praying for one another. To wait for the Lord’s answer on the behalf of our communities. Jesus tells a few different parables about this type of persistence in the Gospel of Luke as well. The first comes from Luke 11 and tells of a person who came to the home of a friend at midnight to get bread. The friend tells him to go away because the family was already settled into bed, but eventually gets up and gives the bread to the friend because he just kept knocking at the door. 

Another such parable can be found in Luke 18 and tells of a widow who finds herself before a judge who is known for not respecting people. She cried to have justice granted to her, but the judge refused. But that widow would not take that answer, and kept showing up, demanding justice, and eventually the judge gave in. 

Such parables can make us a bit uncomfortable, because we would quite frankly rather be given something the first time we ask and pray about it. We don’t like the idea of bothering God. But by being the watchman over his people, Habakkuk didn’t see his consistent praying as bothering God, instead he say it as an act of faith, believing that God was going to answer his prayer and intervene on behalf of the people of Israel. 

Brothers and sisters, when we proclaim that we know God as Christians we aren’t saying that we know things about God - facts that we can hold in our heads. Instead, we are saying that we know God in our hearts, and that boils down to trust and belief. That is the type of knowing Habakkuk has for God - trusting and believing in his heart that God cares and God’s going to respond. So Habakkuk situation himself at the watch post in prayer.

Are we that persistent in our prayer lives? Do we situate ourselves as folks who watch out for this community and pray for folks? When we are confronted with the overwhelming need of the world, do we believe in God enough to be a people of prayer? Let us, as the Church, be those who watch out for the hearts and souls of our communities. Amen.