Introduction to Habakkuk

There are many questions all of us have in life, especially about God and His ways of dealing with men.  The justice of God does not always make sense to us and there are certainly times where we would do things differently or at least expect God to do things differently.  Habakkuk has these same questions and was not afraid to ask them.  He lived during a troubling time in the history of Judah.  Israel had been taken captive by the Assyrians many years ago.  Judah had recently enjoyed a time of spiritual revival under the leadership of Josiah, but now Judah is under the leadership of a series of kings who were undoing all of the good that Josiah had accomplished.  Idolatry, oppression of the poor and violence were all on the rise in Judah.  In light of these facts, it should not have been a surprise that God would judge the nation.  Habakkuk’s problem is not with the fact of Gods judgment on Judah but on how He would bring this about.  It is important for us to learn along with Habakkuk that God’s ways are not like our ways but that they are higher and more just than our ways.

HABAKKUK WONDERS ABOUT GOD’S JUSTICE: Habakkuk has two basic questions about God’s justice that he seeks to understand.  The first is: “Why do the wicked prosper.”  The second is: “How can God use a wicked nation to exercise His judgment?”  He is very well aware of the fact that God plans to use the nation of Babylon to judge Judah.  Jeremiah and several other prophets have made this abundantly clear.  Assyria had been a very wicked empire and now Babylon, another very wicked empire was rising to take its place.  Habakkuk wonders how these wicked people could be allowed to prosper.  Job and, if we are honest, almost every generation has asked this same question.  It seems like the history of the world is littered with evil empires that thrive at the expense of the vast majority of the planet.  It is not like Judah was an innocent nation undeserving of judgment; it just seems unfair that God would use an even worse nation to judge them especially since they were God’s chosen people.  God’s answer is very simple.  He assures Habakkuk that these evil nations prosperity is only temporary and that they too will be judged in an even harsher way than Judah would experience.  God has a plan to deliver Judah through judgment while His plan for Babylon is one of destruction.  God expects those who love Him and follow Him to simply trust Him to do what is right.  We must live by faith and not according to our interpretations of life.

HABAKKUK WORSHIPS BEFORE GOD’S JUSTICE: The final chapter of Habakkuk’s book reveals that he comes to a proper understanding of His place before the Lord.  We are not called to be judges of God’s will and workings in the world.  He is fully in charge.  We are called to trust Him and worship Him especially during the times of life when we don’t understand what He might be doing.  God will often accomplish His will in our lives; which is making us like Christ, through the paths of suffering.  We are not in a position to doubt God’s judgment or question His wisdom.  Our place is to trust His decisions and to worship Him for His holiness and wisdom.  There will be a day that we will be able to view the history of the world as well as the events of our own lives from God’s perspective.  On that glorious day many things will make much more sense to us.  Until that day arrives we must humbly recognize God’s sovereign control and then worship humbly before Him.  God is big enough to handle our doubts, fears and questions.  It is not a problem for us to cry out to Him with our perplexities in life; just as long as we humbly recognize our own limitations and trust in His ultimate goodness and power.