#49 ON THE NATURE OF GOD: LEARNING FROM THE PROPHETS: HABAKKUK

Ever feel that your parents were letting a little brother or sister get away with conduct for which you would have been punished? (“He makes a mess of his toys on the floor and nothing happens. When I make a mess, I have to clean it up. When he turns over a glass of milk, Mom patiently cleans it up with never a word about taking care. When I turn over a glass of milk, Mom speaks long and loud about how I need to watch my actions. Why not speak to my little sister or brother like you speak to me? I don’t understand it.”) We have questions about our parents behavior, don’t we?

The Old Testament prophecy of Habakkuk is a little like that. The prophet looked about and did not understand how God was acting. At first, Habakkuk wondered about the sin he could see that was not being punished, Habakkuk 1:2-4:

“O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted.”

To Habakkuk, God seemed to be idle and allowing the wicked to prosper. Thus, Habakkuk appealed to God as to why.

God gave a surprising reply, Habakkuk 1:5-6:

“…I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told. For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation…”

God put forth a principle found in many of the prophetic writings—God uses wicked people to accomplish some of His goals.

Habakkuk was shocked to learn that God was using a wicked nation as a judgment for Judah, Habakkuk 1:12-13:

“O LORD, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof…why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?”

Why would God use the fierce, wicked Chaldeans? What is God doing? The prophet waits for an answer, Habakkuk 2:1:

“I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.”

God explains, Habakkuk 2:2-3:

““Write the vision…For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end— it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.”

If God seems slow to react in our lives, we should wait for it. It will happen.

Then God utters a principle about living by faith, Habakkuk 2:4:

“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.”

This means that the Chaldeans will be punished due to being puffed up. But the righteous man will live through the coming hard times by his faith.

This verse is quoted three times by the Apostle Paul (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38). The verse always means that the righteous will live by their faith and assures us that this is how God always deals with His people.

But the arrogant Chaldeans will be punished in the future. Habakkuk lists five woes of the Chaldeans in chapter 2, verses 6-20 for which God will punish them:

  1. They steal, v. 6.
  2. They get evil gain, v. 9.
  3. They murder, v. 12.
  4. They make a neighbor drunk, v. 15.
  5. They worship wooden idols, v. 19.

Chapter 3 is a beautiful prayer that praises the might of God as He punishes the wicked. The prophet ends his writing by expressing his happiness in how God provides salvation and strength, Habakkuk 3:18-19:

”I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength;”

This is the nature of God. He punishes the wicked and provides strength for the righteous.

#questioningGod #whyDoesn’tGodPunishWicked #GodSaysWait #GodDoHisWill #natureOfGod #GodPunishChaldeans #praiseGod #strengthForRighteous #Romans1:17 #Galatians3:11 #righteousLiveByFaith #Hebrews10:38