Habakkuk

Habakkuk's complaint
Habakkuk's prayer

Habakkuk 1:1-4

Habakkuk wrote in very troubling times.  He may have had Deuteronomy 28 or Leviticus 26 in mind when he brought his complaint to the Lord.  Things were supposed to go well for the righteous and the wicked should be dealt with.  If this was still God's plan, it was taking too long.  Or, had God changed things?

 

1^st question: How long do I have to cry out and you not hear?  Habakkuk was having doubts about God's timing.  It seemed off to him.  His prayers had not been answered; they felt like prayers in line with the nature of a loving and just God.  Maybe he was wondering if God had somehow not noticed the wickedness.  This wasn't just a spiritual wickedness but also physical violence, yet God had not intervened.  Besides violence, Habakkuk used five other words to descrip what was happening in their nation:  iniquity, destruction, strife, contention, and wickedness.

 

I think of a situation I was made aware of where it was discovered a young lady had been sexually abused throughout much of her childhood.  I found myself taking similar questions to God.  How can God not deal with this?  How long will he allow it?  Where is He?  No doubt, each of us find ourselves standing before God with questions regarding circumstances very personal to you.  These questions create doubt and concern about our faith and the God in which we trust.  These questions and doubts don't need to be ignored; it doesn't anger God when we dendeavor to understand Him.  It's when we reject His answers or allow our doubt to create rebellion. 

 

In verse three we can hear Habakkuk's frustration.  God called him as a prophet, gave him eyes to see the iniquity and trouble, yet because of the wicked in the land there was no justice.  The law was powerless because those in charge rejected justice.  Perverse judgments proceeded when the wicked surrounded the righteous.  The wicked were calling the shots and they simply outnumbered the righteous.  The law was applied depending on who you were, how much influence or money you had.  Justice wasn't blind.  We find ourselves in a very similar predicament these days.  Politics and agenda's had entered in to the judgments; not reading and applying the law but reading between the lines and created new laws.  One commentary put it this way, "When law is paralyzed and justice perverted, the righteous become the pawns of the wicked."^[1]

 

Why doesn't God intervene?  Or, when can we expect God to intervene?  Must it get worse? 

 

Habakkuk 1:5-11

Someone once advised, "Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to."  I'm not sure if Habakkuk expected a spefic answer; maybe he thought God would agree and move immediately to remedy all that bothered Habakkuk.  Did he believe God would let him in on the plan?  He probably didn't anticipate the answer he received. 

 

Habakkuk thought God was doing nothing; God said look around – check out the nations and be astounded.  The 'utterly astouned' is the two forms of the same word; in conveyed the incomprehensible nature of what God was doing.  God said Habakkuk wouldn't believe it.  The Assyrians were on the decline, the Babylonians were rising on the world stage.  This could be seen among the nations; but to think God was doing that and to think He was doing that so they could deal with the wickedness in Judah was indeed incomprehensible.  After all, at the time of the writing, the Chaldeans were their friends.  AT the same time, he knew the Chaldeans were more wicked than the people of Judah, almost as bad as the Assyrians. 

 

The Chaldeans (Babylonians) power hungrey and gobbled up land in a lust to dominate the world.  God called them bitter and hasty in their pursuit; terrible and dreadful in their nature.  They were a law unto themselves.  They alone decided right and wrong, good and bad with respect to anyone or anything else.  God had used gentile nations and kings in the past for His purposes but never a nation so arrogant and vile; never did he bring such violence and terror. 

 

Verse eight paints several pictures of this violent and bloodthirsty nation.  They moved switfly, attacked viciously, went great distances like a hardcharging cavalry.  They seemingly answered to no higher authority, but then in victory they ascribed their efforts to their god, Marduk.  He was a warrior god, the storm god; and seen as the highest authority and supreme god. 

 

Habakkuk 1:12-17

We can almost hear Habakkuk say, "Surely not, Lord; surely you won't use the Babylonians!"  Through a series of questions Habakkuk asks God if He would allow His people to be caught up between the godless nations judging the godless in their nation while the righteous were caught in the crossfire.  Shouldn't God use someone more righteous to deal with the wicked?  Isn't that how it worked?  The good guys win out in the end.  Except, Habakkuk saw the good guys losing.  They too would suffer at the hands of the Babylonians.  The righteous remnant seemed to be at the mercy of chance and the Babylonian whims. 

 

Habakkuk 2:1

Habakkuk was a spiritual watchman on the wall.  The watchman was to keep an eye on the horizon, looking for enemies.  Habakkuk saw the wickedness and violence from within and cried out as a watchman on the wall.  He was looking out for the righteous remnant; those that followed God.  Yet, God didn't seem to be watching out for His own.  While He knew this couldn't be true, that's how it appeared.  This bothered Habakkuk.  How could a holy God tolerate the wickedness of Judah?  More importantly, how could he tolerate the wickedness of the Chaldeans and allow them to come against Judah?  He got away by himself; prayed and watched with expectation and determination knowing God would give an answer. 

 

Habakkuk 2:2-4

The Lord commanded Habakkuk to write the vision.  The prophetic vision wasn't for debate nor could it be modified to accomadate the prophet.  It was to be plainly written on tablets that would become a sort of public bulletin.  The reading of this bulletin would elicit the response of running.  This may be running to tell others, running away, running your life differently in response to what was read, or many other things. 

 

The vision was to be fulfilled at the appointed time.  That appointed time was maybe twenty years or more.  During that time, the prophet was scoffed and doubted because the vision had not happened.  God assured him, it was sure, it was coming and be patient in waiting for it.

 

God showed a great contrast in verse four.  The proud and upright were rebellious toward God and His ways.  They were a law unto themselves; adopted their own moral code and shamed themselves in despising the Lord.  The contrast to those folks are the just.  Their lives are lived by faith.  The belief in God who determines right and wrong; who established a morality.  They believe in Him because of who He is, what He's done and His continued faithfulness and love.  The just became justified because of his belief and trust in God, not because everything about God all made sense one day, or any day, for that matter.  (Abraham believed and it was credited to him as righteousness.)  Their faith saved them, not their own wisdom and understanding.  God made it clear in several places and ways: His ways are not our ways, they are far beyond what we can comprehend. 

 

If the just shall live by faith, can we also say the unjust shall die for lack of it.  The just shall live by faith is quoted in Romans 1:17; Hebrews 10:38 and Galatians 3:11.  This is the passage that birthed the reformation.  It was this verse that gave Martin Luther purpose and led to him nailing his 95 theses to the door.

 

 

Habakkuk 2:5

The final word regarding the proud and wicked Chaldeans had not been given.  Habakkuk need not worry; nor should he expect that God owed him an answer regarding the timetable when debts would be settled.  In God's estimation, the Chaldeans were likened to a proud, covetous, greedy drunk.

 

Habakkuk 2:6-8

This is the first woe announcement; one against the imperialist behavior.  While God would allow them to bring judgment on Judah, it would all turn around some day.  How long?  They didn't know.  However, it would be as though a man borrowed from everyone and never paid up; one day they would all catch up with you.  The oppressor and thief would become oppressed and robbed.  They would be plundered by those who they had plundered in the past. 

 

Habakkuk 2:9-11

The second woe was delivered against their covetousness.  They coveted for their own evil gain, to feed their pride and arrogance.  They assumed they could escape the power of a disaster.  They bragged about building an empire that would last forever; yet God assured them they were building on shame and violence.  Even the stone and beam of their house would bear witness against them. 

 

Habakkuk 2:12-14

The third woe criticized the Chaldeans for their violence.  They were established by bloodshed and war.  They established their great cities in sin.  All their labors to build great cities bearing their name would simply be used to feed the fires of God when he judged them.  In the end, the knowledge of the glory of God would fill the earth.  Many would come to the knowledge of His glory in judgment.   

 

Habakkuk 2:15-17

The fourth woe condemns the Chaldeans for their treachery.  The Chaldeans were known for their drunken parties.  This stands as a kind of figurative picture of their practices.  The Babylonians made the nations they conquered drink from the cup of their wrath; this brough shame and disgrace on them.  Some day, they would drink of the cup of God's wrath.  He would bring shame and disgrace on them. 

 

Habakkuk 2:18-20

The final woe addresses the idolatry of the Chaldeans.  How powerful can an idol be to the hands that had to carve it?  Their idols promote lying in the belief they held any power; in the idea they should trust in them.  The Chaldean spoke to the stone or wood.  It was dead and lifeless; it had no spirit or being.  Yahweh, on the other hand, met men in His holy temple.  While the idols remained silent before their maker; God instructed the world to remain silent before its maker.

 

Habakkuk 3:1-2

Habakkuk had received his answer.  The pround prophet was humbled before God; he responds now with fear and awe.  Look closely into the Psalm and see the images of the Exodus; of God leading and caring for His people.

 

The renewal of God's work is a prayer of 'thy will be done'.  It's to say, Lord, even though I don't get it or completely understand, I, nevertheless, submit to You.  If God's work included judgment by the Babylonians, Habakkuk realizes he was in no place to determin it to be wrong or unjust in any way.  His prayer though was that God would remember his mercy and compassion on His people in the midst of what He was about to do.

 

Habakkuk 3:3-15

Habakkuk envisions the answer to his prayers as God coming up from the southeast and the southwest.  We see His glory manifest itself as light and lightning.  The plagues of pestilence were before him and fever at His feet.  This is God dealing with His enemies.  And while this seems overwhelming, His real power remains hidden, His glory remains veiled.  We hear the praise of the earth in response. 

 

The entire earth is within the scope of God's work; the mountains are scattered, the hills bowed.  Every nation is brought to the fear of the Lord.  Cushan and Midian are reminiscent of regions in which the Israelites were fearful in passing through.  The parting of the waters makes way for the Lord's chariots of salvation.  God brings his bow to bear; arrows of war against His enemies to deliver His divine plan. 

 

In verses 10-11 we see the response of all the creation.  The mountains tremble at the presence of God.  The deep waters were mysterious and uncontrolled; often likened to death.  These waters likewise took notice.  Even the sun and moon were stopped at God's arrow and spear. 

 

With righteous anger God entered the land and trampled the nations in judgment like a grain is trampled on the threshing floor.  From the trampling comes the fruit.  God's going forth is for the salvation of His people.  He will bring down the wicked and deliver His own.  The enemy came to scatter but were scattered.  They came ready to feast on the poor and celebrate but their plans were brought to nothing.

 

Habakkuk 3:16

Habakkuk exercises his faith.  Before any restoration could happen, they had to live through this day of calamity.  Before the morning light would break, there had to be the darkest of nights.  This brings a physical affect on Habakkuk.  He trembles in fear but waits for the Lord. 

 

Habakkuk 3:17-19

The faith of Habakkuk in this present darkness is evident in his psalm.  Even though all may fail, yet I will rejoice.  Even though crops and food are gone, yet I will rejoice.  God is still the God of my salvaiton; never changing.  His promises stand true. 

 

Habakkuk's strength wasn't found in any of those earthly things; not in wealth, power or possession; not in education or wisdom.  God was his strength.  He gives us the surefootedness of a deer; abile to stand when all else is shaking.  We aren't at the mercy of the world and the nations; nor are we at the mercy of people or luck.  We are at the mercy of a merciful and loving God. 

 

For Habakkuk, and for us, we see that logical explanations won't help us understand the role of evil in this world.  We can only understand it through trust in God. 

 

©2017 Doug Ford