Habakkuk 1:2 “O LORD, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear?“
Habakkuk cries out on and on. His prophetic style is different than all others. While he speaks of upcoming destruction from Babylon on Judah, he speaks directly to God, not the people. His presentation is much like Job's. Job asks God about his own present trouble. Habakkuk speaks to God about his Nation’s upcoming fall. Both men are confused by God’s choice of handiwork.
Habakkuk seems to notice that injustice is not thwarted and is unpunished. Today we may think the same thing. Our questions may reach the ear of God. We know justice is who God is as much as love. How can injustice move serpent-like among the nation, biting and killing the most innocent? How can we see evil being called good, and good is called evil, and folks applaud without consequences? Our conscious is baffled, perplexed, and very troubled. That’s how Habakkuk responded and then spoke to God about it.
In Psalm 73, the Psalmist is also perplexed about these kinds of twisted realities. Evil is pervasive, touching every life. Widows and orphans are taken advantage of. The poor are over-taxed and put under heavy burdens by the people sworn to protect them. Where are you God?
I taught on these biblical questions in a topic titled, “when God seems unfair!” Why God? Because he can do something about these things but doesn’t seem to. Either quickly enough, or, here’s the big one, the way we like. In Habakkuk, it was the latter. God will not answer the way Habakkuk liked.
In the case of our lives, when God answers our perplexing reality in ways we don’t like, we must ask, “do I really trust him with my life?”
Habakkuk was told Justice would be served. Yes, I will use a more evil Nation to meet out that justice. What? Someone eviler than them can get the victory. Good does not always win? Would Habakkuk trust God or not? Will you? Will I?
Do we ultimately believe God is who His Word reveals him to be? Is he a God who “exercises justice and righteousness in the land?” Does he delight in those who execute the same?
Then where was Habakkuk’s Justice? Where is ours? Are those the more important questions?
Well, you can read Habakkuk for yourself. Go to Psalms and head right. If you get to Matthew, you went too far. Once you finish reading Habakkuk, the question will be, can you rest in the reality Habakkuk discovered about God? Will you choose to express more complaints, waiting for answers that make you happy?
Will your answer prove your faith in God is steady or shaky? It’s that simple.
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