Daily Devotional

A Ministry of the Kerwin Baptist Church

September 04, 2020

by Kerwin Baptist

BIBLE READING: Habakkuk 1:12; Psalm 90
“Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die.”
Habakkuk 1:12 A

So far in our observation in the conversation of Habakkuk, he pleads with the Lord. The Lord then gives an unexpected answer of judgement from the Babylonians. Before Habakkuk continues in his conversation, he stops to praise the Lord. During his trial, Habakkuk cannot help but recognize God’s unshakable character. He first is reminded of God’s eternity, then is reminded of God’s promises through His name. Today I want us to look at the God of eternity. The Hebrew word used here is Qedem. Which is “everlasting” or also translated to “eastward.” This word is used 98 times throughout the scripture, often seen in Psalms. “Art thou not from everlasting…” For this phrase to make sense, we need to look at the culture mindset of the time. The Israelites’ orientation was set to the east. It was this way for two reasons. First, the sunrise in the east represented beginning or origins of man. Second, this was a reminder of the eternal God Himself. This oriented themselves with the One who created the sun and who is before creation itself. The Bible does not say when Habakkuk is having this conversation with God. With the significance of this statement, I believe it would have been fitting for Habakkuk to make this statement as he is watching the sunrise. After a long sleepless night of questioning and pleading, to look out at a beautiful sunrise, and be reminded of the eternity of God; The fact that God is from beginning to end, God’s eternality, should comfort us. He sees what we cannot see, and His perspective is beyond our own. The true comfort is this. Through Jesus Christ, we have access to the Father. The Father who is the Eternal God! While we may not know what lies ahead, God does! A wonderful parallel psalm reminds us this. “But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;” Psalm 103:17 No matter what happens, through Christ, we are in the hands of the eternal God!

David Fulp II