Habakkuk 1:1-17 KJV
1 The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.
2 O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!
3 Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.
4 Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.
5 Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.
6 For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.
7 They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.
8 Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat.
9 They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand.
10 And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it.
11 Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.
12 Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.
13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?
14 And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?
15 They take up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag: therefore they rejoice and are glad.
16 Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous.
17 Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?

To the land Israel God spoke to the Prophet Habakkuh, who is a minor prophet. In other words he not one the well known prophets even in his day. He less read and less study, but his book short and not a bad place to start when studying prophets as far simplicity of it with a study guide or if you been reading scripture long enough to understand the Caldeans are fixing to march through Israel and lay the land to waste, destruction, killing and raping the people of Israel. God was allowing Caldeans to do this to bring judgment not only on his people but to one day bring judgment on the Caldeans for the evil they did to his people.

When we think of blessing, judgments and punishment of God it based on how one people obey God , treat God's people in the guidelines of God's commands upon the people as far as caring for people not of their own. There many people that care for their own group, but can you care for another group of people as well. It like marriage sometimes inlaws and family by birth are not accepted by both groups of people. When this happens there always a rift in couples relationship, and often it can cause a divorce unless a couple's love is strong enough to endure the problems opposition can cause. War however is much more brutal and land grab much more dangerous then most divorces. To overcome one must be able to survive even the worse situation produced on a person in the crisis. Women are often raped, and taken and men are often killed and if they survive they were enslaved and their opponent did not care if they were leaders before they would be treated the same. However royalty were often protected for education purposes and used like the people's prophets and/or religious leaders to explain the code of conduct by their new leaders. Leaders and religious leaders were often more educated then the normal everyday person.

The prophesy was coming when Caldeans would come and take Israel and trample through it. With this information. Philistines that worshipped god dagon, and called the people of the sea, were also being taken. In other words all the people in the Bible region of Middle eastern world were being taken. Caldeans were sailors and people from the North. Yet they would come to bring destruction. These men that were coming were godless people. They ruled over the fish of the sea and all that was in the earth with no regards to believing they had anyone ruling over them. They gather fish in their nets and were drunkards and looters and were happy with the food supply and their bellies full.

Painted pictures of what was coming Habakkuh wanted to know if God really need to show them these things. It like waking from in a nightmare to violence and the horrors that were coming and were already somewhat in the land of Israel. God was bring a warning to his people of what was to come. A greed of man like they never seen before. No doubt there were stories of small groups or bands of men that acted like the men that Habakkuk visions from God was showing, but it more then vision, but something that must be preached to Israel. Israel was to have a fear of God and some no longer did. It was prophesy in motion. Prophesy to come, prophesy to arise so when it seen, they knew of a remnant of the people that would still believe in God. God was not sending his people without hope with a strong warning of what was to befall them. They were choosing evil over him in their land and so with prophesy spoken when destruction came, they knew it was told to them by God, the same God that told his people if they would repent and turn from their wicked ways he would heal them and their land.

The storm of destruction by mankind, not by whirlwinds, plagues, and storms, but by evil men that come through bring a dust storm from hooves of horses. God would show both of these groups his power and his promise to his people. What do mankind have to endure for God, what does God have to put up from evil works of darkness caused by man. Choosing your own way leads to a path of destruction if not your destruction the destruction of the next generation. Each generation decides his fate, by the power of God. God talks to each generation about his Son and his promises. He tells them of his love and the hope he has given them. Now Habakkuh time period Jesus had not been born yet, His time period later, but was he here with man, as the word of God bring prophesy of destruction, hope, and deliverance to his people and people not called by his name, that if they repented would come to the saving grace of God.

Christ with the people as the word, the anointed word of God. Christ meaning anointed. God's word in the flesh being Jesus. God's word being the only salvation before it came in the flesh as a man to the world. Prophesy is important to understand the evil in our world as a reckoning day. A day of total destruction, yet it will try and rise again, yet when it arise God's judgment and destruction will come til the day of final destruction upon the earth. When that comes both heaven and earth will be destroyed and the people of God will live in the New Jerusalem built by God.

Where is our safety. What does it mean to be a soldier of the cross of Jesus. When we stand up not only for faith in God and Christ Jesus, but to walk by God's Spirit and obeying his word. None of us do it well. Is there a point when we stand up for our faith even when we must hide to protect our faith, to allow it to rise again, there certain things we can do to let our light shine for Jesus even hidden. One is to care, one is love, one is to give hope of a better tomorrow. We all have been doing it for years by saying one thing wait til tomorrow things will be better. Next year these things will not be remembered. The holocaust sill remember, the Memorial day for soldiers have not been buried, the Vetern's day not forgotten. Yet we remember for the sake of the next generation. The world is still in chaos and still has war, still have dignitaries running to and fro through the earth caring the hope of people for each nation to have peace.

What are we declaring before the world, Israel continue to carry the light of God with them and trying to do their best as believers to obey God. Those Israelites that did not obey God found a world that was far more evil then their own, that their desire to turn back was sought after. Their God not forgotten, the need of God over them was desired. Those without God know not what is to have the banner of God's love over them, that why we need to let our light shine for God and Jesus by obeying the Spirit of God.

Dear Heavenly Father, let us stay focused on the prize you set before us in our faith of heaven, and let us stay focus on the task at hand that sometime we fail at doing, at that is to remain in obedience to your Word and Spirit through faith in Christ Jesus. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Romans 5:1-21 KJV
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.