As the Waters Cover the Sea

I'd like to open the message today by turning back to the book of Habakkuk. The book of Habakkuk. There's a section of Scripture in that book that's been rolling around in the back of my mind for a very long time. It's right in Habakkuk. And Habakkuk is not only one of the most fun books of the Bible to pronounce, it's also a really interesting book that has this give and take between the prophet and God. In literary sense, this is a challenge and response format. The prophet, he'll go and he'll make a claim or he'll make some sort of statement, ask a question, and then he waits for God's response. And God in his wisdom then reveals at least a little bit more of his plan. I'd like to start in verse 1 of chapter 1. Habakkuk chapter 1 verse 1. We'll get a feel of how this works. Again, Habakkuk chapter 1 verse 1. It says, The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw, O Lord, how long shall I cry, and you will not hear, even cry out to you, violence, and you will not save? Why do you show me iniquity and cause me to see trouble?

For plundering and violence are before me, there is strife and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous, therefore perverse judgment proceeds. So this is the claim that is set forth by the prophet, and he's specifically talking about the things he's seeing and experiencing here in Judah. This is during the last stages of its life as an independent nation when things are turning south, but it's a very timeless message for all of us. Throughout all of the human experience, people have pondered this very same thing.

God responds here in the next section, verse 5. This is still in the first chapter, now verse 5. It says, look among the nations and watch. Be utterly astounded, for I will work a work in your days, which you would not believe, though it were told to you. Now the book kind of continues on here with more back and forth between Habakkuk and God. More challenges, more responses, and I want to drop down to chapter 2 now, starting in verse 1. This is again Habakkuk now. He's issuing more challenges and waiting for responses. Habakkuk 2, starting in verse 1, this is Habakkuk as he says, I will stand my watch, and I will set myself on the rampart, and I will watch to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected. So he's laying it all out on the line here and imploring God to make his plans known. Is this how it's always going to be? Is there any hope for a change? Verse 2, and then the Lord answered me and said, write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it, for the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it, because it will surely come. It will not tarry. Behold the proud. His soul is not upright in him, but the just shalt shall live by his faith. God then, he goes through a series of woes here, woes to the people, woes to this thought process that's around, woes to these sinful characteristics all throughout the nation, woes to all of the problems that Habakkuk is describing, and how mankind can be, and how we can interact with one another and misbehave when Satan's influence becomes the driving force that pushes out God's way of life. Finally, verse 12, still in chapter 2 here, verse 12, this is still God speaking as he's wrapping up the woes here, and he's bringing it all to a conclusion. Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed, who establishes a city by iniquity. Behold, is it not the Lord of hosts that the people labor to feed the fire, and the nations weary themselves in vain? And then we get to a scripture that points to an alternative. It's one of my favorite scriptures in the whole Bible. It contains a vision of the future, one that we all very much long for. Verse 14, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. As the waters cover the sea. Such a beautiful picture of God's way of life spreading so thoroughly and covering so completely when I visualize standing on the beach of an ocean and looking out and just seeing water that flows on and on forever. There's no end to it. It just seems to go on and on and on. Several years ago, when we were on Olivia's Make-A-Wish trip, we went out to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and the place that we went to was way out there. We took a boat, we traveled forever, and when we got to that Great Barrier Reef out there, you could look in all directions and not see anything but water. No even hint that there is anything else other than endless miles of ocean. It was kind of an overwhelming feeling.

This is the promise that the knowledge and the glory of God will completely fill the earth in a time yet to come. That's the promise. But up to this point, all mankind has been confronted with two ways of life that are direct opposites, two influences that cannot coexist, that push against one another, that fight for the control of the hearts and minds of all mankind. They both aim to spread and permeate and cover all. In one corner, we have the way of Satan, a counterfeit alternative and a painful way that leads to death. In the other corner, the opposite, opposing corner, we have the way of God, a joyful path that leads to everlasting life.

And while they both very much aim to spread, in the end, only one can cover all things as the waters cover the sea. Today, during this Day of Atonement, we will answer the question of how we get to the fulfillment of some of the promises made to Habakkuk, and not just there in this book, but similar promises throughout the whole Bible. How does the human experience change so that they become malleable and receptive to a way of life that as of now seems counterintuitive to them?

But which is, in fact, the only true everlasting way. How exactly will God's way of life triumph and fill the earth as the waters cover the sea? I'd like to turn back to Leviticus chapter 23. Leviticus chapter 23. This is where the Day of Atonement is laid out in God's Holy Day plan, and it's within this day itself that we start to see the different pieces coming together that will lay the groundwork for an entirely different human experience. I'd like to pick up the Holy Day theme in chapter 23 and make some observations as we consider the Holy Days as a set and how they fit together. Let's start in verse 4. Leviticus 23, starting in verse 4, says, These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. And then we launch into the familiar verse now that outlines the festivals and the Holy Days. We have Passover in verse 4. We have Unleavened Bread, and so on down the list. Let's drop down to verse 26. Still in Leviticus 23, now verse 26, it says, And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Also on the tenth day of the seventh month shall be the day of Atonement. That's today. It shall be a holy convocation for you. You shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the day of Atonement, to make Atonement for you before the Lord your God. For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. You shall do no manner of work. It shall be a statute forever, throughout your generations, and in all your dwellings. It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls on the ninth day of the month that evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your Sabbath.

So we have a command here not to work. That's not too dissimilar from the others, but a stricter application here, and a much harsher penalty for those that choose to disobey. And then, of course, we have the command to afflict our souls to fast. That's very much a different feeling than some of the other Holy Days, especially some of the other feasts. Now, as we go through the list of the Holy Days, we see that they each bring out their own unique understanding and layers to God's Holy Day plan. But yet, at the same time, there are also some similarities between the day of atonement and Passover. These two events, while definitely separate, have some interesting overlap. So much so that when I was researching this message, I kept coming across articles that said, do I need to keep atonement if I already keep Passover? Or are atonement and Passover each the same thing? They do each both have some interesting and important offerings and sacrifices. They both have sacrifices that represent Christ. They each have a lot of redemption symbology to them. They each have forgiveness of sin as a cornerstone facet. In the New Covenant Christian application of these days, they both have a series of tasks and rituals designed to help us to perform more introspection within our lives and to rekindle our understanding of how much we need God in our lives. But there's a part where they definitely start to deviate from one another, and especially on the day of atonement, that starts to shine some light on how God will finally have His way overcome and prevail. Let's drop back to Leviticus chapter 16.

The day of atonement actually isn't mentioned in this section, but the date it happens is mentioned, and of course it is today, the day of atonement. Leviticus chapter 16 will start in verse 5. Leviticus 16 starting in verse 5 says, and he, that's talking about the priests, he shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats as a sin offering and one ram as a burnt offering. We're going to get to some instructions about the offerings, but as we know, there was no ordinary setup here.

Something was different. This was an unusual and unique event. Verse 7, and he shall take the two goats and present them before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. And then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for the scapegoat. Sometimes that's translated goat of departure there. And Aaron shall bring the goat on which the Lord's lot fell and offer it as a sin offering. But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, or the Azazel goat, shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make atonement upon it and to let it go as the scapegoat into the wilderness.

Let's drop down to verse 21 now. Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat, confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of this goat, and shall send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a suitable man. The goat shall bear on itself all the iniquities to an uninhabited land, and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.

So there's definitely something interesting going on here, a change from other sacrifices and an added piece of symbolism. This is clearly different than what we see during Passover. Now, thinking back, when we go through the Passover season, we understand how our sins personally played a role and contributed to the death of Jesus Christ, how we individually played a role, and through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.

And immediately thereafter, we go out and we celebrate the days of unleavened bread. The focus is to keep that unleavened bread in us, but also to try very hard to push that sin out and to keep it out. And that's very hard. That's why we have that constant reminder every day through that festival as we struggle to keep the sin out of an otherwise very leavened world. It's hard, and sometimes that feels like a losing battle. But during the day of atonement, while we still very much understand that we need Jesus Christ within our lives and very much need our sins forgiven, and that we are to atone to be at one with him, but after atonement, we go to the Feast of Tabernacles.

There's a lot different vibe between those days. The focus is entirely different. The outlook has changed, and when that day has been fulfilled, the whole world will have changed. Well, what's the difference between those two? A very big influence that was still around during the days of unleavened bread will no longer be there in the millennium and in the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles.

That poor Zazel goat or the goat of departure in Leviticus chapter 16 starts to fill in the picture of how this is all possible. Our commentary has this. This is the UCG commentary, and it says, the Zazel goat represents Satan, who bears the responsibility for the sins of humanity because of the deception he has foisted upon mankind. The high priest laid hands on the goat and confessed over it the wickedness, rebellion, and sins of the people.

And why did he do that? As the present ruler of this world, the devil bears responsibility for his perversity and beguiling in the coercion of mankind into sin. End quote. We see this throughout the Bible, that wherever possible and in every way possible, Satan attempts to push back the waters of God's word and to stop the spread of his influence wherever possible to the best of his abilities. Now, I want to notice a thought the Apostle Paul has in 2 Corinthians. Let's go back there. 2 Corinthians chapter 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 4. We're going to break into the thought here. Paul's talking about the wonderful benefits of a New Covenant Christian, and he starts chapter 4 here with an observation.

2 Corinthians chapter 4. We'll start in verse 1. 2 Corinthians 4. Starting in verse 1. It says, Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

Notice this, though. Verse 3. But even if our gospel is vague, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the God of this age has blinded. Who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is in the image of God, should shine on them. Well, how did that work? Maybe they just didn't like Paul's message. Maybe they just didn't like Paul's message. Maybe they didn't like him as a presenter.

How can we be sure that it was Satan's responsibility that they were blinded here?

Well, Jesus Christ, he lays it out pretty plain in Luke chapter 4. Let's go back there.

Luke chapter 4. We'll start... actually, Luke chapter 8. Excuse me. Luke chapter 8. Starting in verse 4. Luke chapter 8. Starting in verse 4. Olivia got a new Bible, so I'm trying to wait and make sure she has enough time to get to all the scriptures. I just threw her a curveball there. Luke chapter 8. Starting in verse 4, we get a parable where Jesus Christ points out exactly how Satan works. Luke chapter 8. Starting in verse 4, it says, When a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to him from every city, he spoke by a parable. This is Jesus Christ now. He said, A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock, and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it out. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop of a hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He who has ears to hear, let him hear. I think this parable is one specifically that can hit a little bit closer to home, because I think all of us, most of us if not all of us, have known people in all four of these categories. And especially in the two in the middle categories, sometimes you can see this happening in real time and feel powerless to stop it.

Just a few verses later, Jesus Christ then explains this parable, and notice the words He uses. Notice where He puts the blame. Luke 8, now verse 11. Now the parable is this, The seed is the word of God, and those by the wayside are the ones who hear. Then the devil, the devil comes and takes away the word right out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, they receive the word with joy, and these have no root, who believe it for a while, and in the time of temptation fall away. Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, they go out and are choked with the cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on good ground are those who, by having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. Now Satan here is only listed as being directly responsible for the first group's failing, but his fingerprints are all over the scene of the crime for the other two unsuccessful groups. I've tried many times, especially on the Day of Atonement, I think you probably have as well, to wrap my mind around what it must have been like for the Father and Jesus Christ to see Lucifer as he goes through his transformations. He started out as being a being of great beauty, something that I would imagine could be looked at with great joy at the beginning, a great and wonderful creation.

They spent who knows how long together—I don't even know if there was a way to measure time back then—but they spent a ton of time together. But then they saw an imperfection start to bubble up, and the cracks spider through until it became bigger and bigger until he became thoroughly corrupted and looked and behaved like a completely different entity, transformed from the original intent into something twisted and tarnished. They watched as the opposite kind of transition and transformation happened. Not one where the angels cheer when they see us repent and turn back to God. No, it was a transformation going the opposite direction. And if that wasn't enough, if it wasn't enough, just go a different way, but rather he had to actively oppose and fight against his very own creator, convince others to be corrupted, and follow him down a dead-end path.

Now, as this Day of Atonement pictures, the end result of this fallen being is not one of repentance or restoration, but one where ultimately God will fully remove and cast aside forever, ultimately to never return. And when that happens, finally, the influence of Satan, which covers the earth like a gloomy, foggy yuckness—I don't know what that is—will finally be lifted and blown away. And as a result, when that happens, the knowledge and the glory of the Lord will shine all the brighter, finally unimpeded, to start to begin to envelop as the waters cover the sea. The meaning of the Day of Atonement, though, doesn't stop just there. There's much more richness to this meaning of this day that we can glean, and especially as it connects with us and our Christian walk today. I'd like to turn back to Romans chapter 3 now. Romans chapter 3. Again, we're kind of breaking into the thought here. Earlier in the chapter, Paul was talking about circumcision, the advantage of the Jews, talking about the liberation under the New Covenant, lots of different themes here. But I want to pick up the thread in verse 9 of chapter 3. Verse 9 of chapter 3, as Paul's kind of summarizing the early parts of this chapter, and he says this, verse 9, Romans 3, he says, What then? Are we better than they? No, not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they were all under sin. What follows here now is a collection of Psalms, and we could go and read them all individually, but notice how Paul puts them all together here, now unified together under a single purpose. Also, remember that this is in the same chapter that Paul acknowledges that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. That's verse 23 of this same chapter. So we're not talking about mistakes here, or slip-ups, or small deviations. He's talking about something else here, a characteristic of a different mentality. Verse 10, As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. There is none who understands, there is none who seeks after God, they have all turned aside, they have together become unprofitable. There is none who does good, no, not one. Their throat is like an open tomb. With their tongues they have practiced deceit. The poison of asps is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Now he's talking about people that do not desire the way of God, people that are not yet interested in the relationship that God wants to offer them. Our own ways are just fine, thank you very much. They have no need, no desire for a change, and even though they may wallow in pain and suffering, they cling to a fallacy at their own peril. That's a sad state of affairs, but one that seems to repeat itself throughout the course of mankind and history. Mankind always seems to think that they know better, that they long and crave for their own desires. On the day of atonement, we are fasting.

When we do so, it obviously calls to mind that we are simply frail human beings, that we cannot live without food and drink for very long. If we did, we die. By extension, we can clearly see a spiritual connection where we need spiritual nourishment that comes only from God. Without it, likewise, our spiritual life would cease to function. But there's a tie-in with this thought and what we just read. And it's more than just being hungry generally, but it's a pointed reminder of a different type of hunger for a different type of substance. And this connection only becomes stronger and more apparent as the fasting continues. The longer that we physically fast, the bigger the desire for physical substances becomes. Do we also have the same desire, the same fervent hunger and thirst for God and His way of life, and the strength and the quality of our relationship with Him? Do we have this drive within us that burns, one that is hard to ignore and that is directed directly to Him? Or is it easier to relate to the example that Paul uses, where they satisfy their hunger with all the wrong food? Do you think God had something in mind when He designed us human beings and when He designed our bodies to work the way that they do?

Because during this day of atonement, we can certainly understand a type of hunger, and hopefully we can internalize the physical in order to really comprehend the spiritual.

In Matthew chapter 5, Mr. Karelius and Wynn here, but let's go there ourselves, Matthew chapter 5, we have a simple list of Beatitudes. I'd like to head back there.

Jesus Christ taught a lot in His ministry as a physical human being, but often it was in parables or in some forms that were less direct. Here with the Beatitudes, He can't be more plain. He is basically giving us a list of characteristics that He wants to see within us. It's right here listed out for us. Matthew chapter 5, we'll start in verse 1.

Matthew chapter 5 verse 1, And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated, His disciples came to Him. Verse 2, And then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. And then, of course, let's notice this next one. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Now, the word that is used here is the same word used in Matthew chapter 4, when Christ was being tempted by Satan. After He fasted 40 days and 40 nights, it says that He was hungry. Same word. And I bet so. I bet that physical hunger was nearly or almost overpowering. At least in a physical sense, how could it not be?

Strong's uses a definition of this word hunger that points to being famished, or to be figuratively craving food.

In a physical sense, if I were to begin a multi-day fast, it would not be very long before I would be fully consumed by the craving for food inside.

Is it the same way in my spiritual life?

Well, sometimes I do feel bits and pieces of this. Sometimes if I get a new book, or I listen to a sermon, and it kind of shows me something that I've never seen before, it can be very exciting. Sometimes I'm putting together messages when it finally starts to come together, and you can feel really inspired that finally you have something that you can share.

Sometimes when I'm on a walk, and I'm listening to a podcast, and I come up to the front door, I'll do something I never like to do, and that is continue on my walk so that I can finish the podcast. Because it's exciting, it's engaging, it's inspiring to me, and that's where I want to spend my time. In a couple of days, we get to go to the Feast of Tabernacles. That's fantastic.

We get to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles in the eighth day. We get to leave the millions of things that we deal with here at home, and go be immersed in something else.

We have the opportunity to be inspired by the stories of spiritual family members we haven't even met yet.

We have the time, without our jobs, and without our household responsibilities, to dig into His Word. Do we feel that same type of excitement, that same hunger and thirst for His righteousness?

Blessed are those of us when we have that strong craving, this longing for righteousness.

And how will they be filled? Well, in many different ways, but one example is found in Revelation 7. Let's go there.

For these people, let's explain clearly how their hunger will be satiated.

Revelation 7, verse 13.

Revelation 7, verse 13.

It says, Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, Who are these arraigned in white robes? Where did they come from? We covered some of this exact same time frame back on the Feast of Trumpets. And he said to him, Sir, you know. And he said to me, These are the ones who came out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes, and has made them white in the blood of the Lamb. And therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And he who sits on the throne will dwell among them. Verse 16. And they shall neither hunger— same word— They shall neither hunger any more, nor thirst any more. The sun shall not strike them, nor any heat. Why? For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them, and lead them to living fountains of water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

God will completely fill them up, cover them with His awesome presence, as, well, the waters cover the sea.

One more scripture, if you don't mind. That's back in Isaiah 55.

Isaiah 55.

In the Beatitudes, Jesus Christ made it clear those characteristics and those driving forces that should define our spiritual life. But it's certainly not the first time those were brought up from the very beginning, and consistently throughout, God has repeated the same refrain. He wants a relationship with us, the creator of the universe, the one without beginning and without end. This powerful being is interested in us, personally and individually, and He has extended an offer of a permanent relationship that will go on forever. But you have to want it.

You don't get it by default. You have to seek it and cherish it, like the unbelievable gift that it is. Isaiah 55, starting in verse 1. Isaiah 55, starting in verse 1, it says, Oh, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters.

And you who have no money, come, buy, eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. And without price, why do you spend money for what is not bread and your wages for what does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to me and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.

Incline your ear and come to me. Hear, and your soul shall live. And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the sure mercies of David. Drop down to verse 6.

Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his ways and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him.

And to our God he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

This holy day, this day of atonement, it doesn't symbolize the end. We have more holy days right around the corner, after all. And when this day is ultimately fulfilled, and Satan is bound up before the millennium, that's not the end either.

People will still have their own issues and problems. Even without Satan's influence, people will still have their own natures to overcome. They will still have to proactively choose God's way of life, and just like us, they will have to become different people and change their character.

And as we know from reading the rest of the book and from prophecy, some people, hopefully a very small number, but some people will choose not to.

Some people will never cultivate that hunger and thirst for God's way of life. Some people will be just fine doing their own thing in their own ways, regardless of the outcome.

But when the Day of Atonement is fulfilled, the waters won't fully yet cover the sea, but I'm confident when this day is realized, we'll be able to at least close our eyes and hear the sound of waves getting a little closer.

The day cannot come soon enough when Satan and his influence are bottled up, thrown in the trash, and ultimately when they will never be allowed to open up and spread like the vile poison around the world as it does today. When the whole world is able to see the root cause of sin, and by extension suffering, pain, and anguish, and when it is all laid bare, shown for what it is, and then removed.

As we lead up to that point throughout our spiritual journey, let us have that craving, that inner desire and hunger for God, his glorious way of life, and his remarkable relationship he wants to offer us.

Even tonight, after we resume eating and drinking and return to full physical stomachs, let us never grow fully satiated spiritually, committed every day to return to the source of spiritual nourishment and to drink it in fully and deeply.

Because there is a time coming when Habakkuk and many of the other prophets that lie asleep wait for, where we will be joined together as the bride of Christ, as spirit beings that live on forever, where the knowledge and the glory of the Lord will go forth unimpeded as the waters cover the sea.