Habakkuk 1

It was only a revelation from God that could make Habakkuk understand the answers to the questions that he put before God, vs1! And, just like him, very often, we too have similar questions, when we see the ‘seeming’ prosperity of the wicked!

We wonder why God does not seem to heed our cries for help when we experience the violence of the wicked that comes upon us, vs 2. We wonder why does God allows us to witness injustice, conflict and endure strife, and why He puts up with the wrongdoing and the destruction and violence that confronts us, vs 3!

We often feel that because God does not intervene, the law lacks power, the wicked intimidate the innocent and justice is perverted and never carried out righteously, as it should infact be, vs 4!

On the contrary, in response to his queries, God tells him to observe the Nations, for He is about to do something in his lifetime that he would find difficult to believe, even though he is forewarned about the same, vs 5! And that being that God was going to raise up the Chaldeans/Babylonians, who were a ruthless and greedy Nation, who would march through the breadth of the land, in order to possess the dwelling places that were not theirs, vs 6! They were both frightening and terrifying; for they decided for themselves what is right, vs 7!

Their horses and warriors were both fast and fierce that swooped down quickly to devour their prey, vs 8,9. Their confidence made them mock at kings and laugh at rulers! They laughed at every fortified city; and they built siege ramps to capture them, vs 10! However, on account of these exploits, because they considered themselves as ‘gods’, God was soon going to hold them guilty, vs 11.

What puzzled the prophet the most was that the Lord, who is sovereign, immortal, our protector and active since ancient times, uses such people as them, to be His instrument of judgment, vs 12, even though it is common knowledge that God is too just to tolerate evil or condone wrongdoing!

So, it comes as a surprise to him, to see that God is putting up with such treacherous people and saying or doing nothing, even when these wicked people devour those who were more righteous than themselves, vs 13!

It seems as if God is allowing them to fish His people with their fishhook and haul them into their net, on account of which they became very happy, vs 14,15, and then offered sacrifices to their throw nets and burns incense to their dragnet, vs 16!

He wonders how long God would allow this to continue, and whether it was God’s intention to permit them to always destroy all the Nations without sparing none at all, vs 17! Yes, these are perplexing questions indeed, and very relevant to our times as well! However, God’s Word tells us that as high as the heavens are from the earth, so are God’s plans and deeds superior to ours, Isaiah 55:8,9!

Thus, all these refinings have a time frame and are used to refine God’s people, (who are imperfect and sinners too) from their impurities, while at the same time, He gives those who seem more evil than us and who persecute us as a result, a fair chance to repent too! Eventually, His just judgments will overtake all those who refuse to repent and choose to continue in their sin!

Let us, therefore, focus on gathering oil in our vessels and lamps, in this time during which God permits such people and situations, which He deems best to discipline us with, while being assured that after we have suffered a little while, the God of all grace who called us to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us. To Him belongs the power forever, 1 Peter 5:10,11. Amen.

Rowena Thomas
Mumbai, India.