Habakkuk’s Confusion (Our’s, too)

Because God’s Word is living, it speaks to every generation. Recently I reread Habakkuk and I noticed how similar were the issues addressed by the prophet to those of our times. As Habakkuk surveyed the land before him, he saw violence and injustice everywhere he looked. Is our day any different? Newscasts are filled with shootings, gang violence, burglary, kidnapping, theft, slander, bribery, scams, vandalism, and murder. Because of all this wickedness surrounding us, we often pray much like Habakkuk: “God, don’t You see all this oppression and anguish? Don’t You care? How long are You going to tolerate this sin? When will You step in and put a stop to it?”

In Habakkuk’s day, God was certainly aware of these conditions in the prophet’s nation. In fact, God had been extremely patient with the nation of Israel. For years, the people had chosen to follow their own desires and serve other gods, refusing to repent and return to the true and living God. Having His patience run out, God informed Habakkuk that He was going to bring the Babylonians against Israel in judgment.

Upon hearing God’s plan, Habakkuk couldn’t understand how a holy and righteous God could use such an ungodly nation as Babylonia as His instrument of discipline. We ask a similar question, “Surely God would not use a totalitarian regime to bring judgment against a free and democratic nation like America, would He?” God doesn’t specifically answer Habakkuk’s question, but He does tell the prophet that after He has accomplished His purposes, He will judge the Babylonians for their own arrogance and wickedness, as well.

What are God’s purposes? Is He just mad and angry that they won’t worship Him? No, He is disciplining his people because He wants the best for them, which is to live by faith, trusting the goodness and wisdom of Almighty God. Why is that important to God? He knows that if we live by our own will and only by what we see, there will be no rest or peace to our soul. But if our confidence is in the unseen God, we can experience rest and peace. Eventually, the glory of Babylon will be extinguished, but the knowledge of the glory of God will extend to the entire world.

Has God’s patience reached a similar point with the nations in our world? I don’t pretend to know the future, but it seems like there is a lot of corruption, violence, and deception winning the day, just as in Habakkuk’s time. Habakkuk pleaded for mercy. It’s right for us to plead for mercy for our country, too. Until the day arrives when God’s glory is prominent, we are called to share the message of salvation through Christ throughout our globe.

Once Habakkuk’s view of God became more accurate, he penned his famous words at the end of the book, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights.” (Habakkuk 3:17–19) What this means for you and me is that while we wait for God’s ultimate deliverance, we trust Him, whatever our circumstances. We have chosen to find our pleasure, not necessarily in our circumstances, but in knowing Jesus as our Savior.

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