Habakkuk 1: A Cry for Justice and a Startling Response
The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.
O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!
Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.
Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.
Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.
For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.
They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.
Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat.
They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand.
And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it.
Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.
Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.
Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?
And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?
They take up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag: therefore they rejoice and are glad.
Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous.
Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?
Habakkuk 1 dives into a profound dialogue between the prophet Habakkuk and God, a conversation born out of the prophet's deep distress over the rampant injustice he witnessed in Judah. This chapter sets the stage for a powerful exploration of God's sovereignty, justice, and the complexities of His plans. It's a chapter that resonates even today, as we grapple with similar questions of suffering and God's seeming silence.
Habakkuk's Lament (Habakkuk 1:1-4)
Habakkuk 1:1-3 reveals that unlike many prophets who delivered God's message to the people, Habakkuk brought his observations and concerns to God. He was burdened by the pervasive injustice, wrongdoing, oppression, violence, strife, and conflict that plagued his society. The reign of godly King Josiah (2 Kings 23:1-27) was a distant memory, replaced by the wickedness of his son Jehoiakim (2 Kings 23:36-37), whose evil example was followed by the people of Judah.
The prophet's frustration reached a boiling point. In Habakkuk 1:2, he cries out, "How long, LORD, must I call for help, and you do not listen?" Habakkuk felt ignored, his prayers seemingly unanswered. He questioned God's tolerance of such blatant wickedness, asking, "Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?" (Habakkuk 1:3).
Habakkuk 1:4 further elaborates on the consequences of unanswered justice. The prophet argues that without justice, the law becomes ineffective. Laws require enforcement to have meaning, and Habakkuk questioned why God wasn't intervening to address the rampant wickedness in Judah. This raises a timeless question: what happens when the foundations of justice crumble?
This initial lament is relatable. Have you ever felt alone in standing for what's right, feeling as though God is indifferent to the injustice around you? Such feelings often arise when we lose sight of God's bigger picture, His sovereign plan unfolding amidst the apparent chaos. It's a reminder that God's timing and methods often differ from our own. Recognizing His omniscience (all-knowing), omnipotence (all-powerful), and perfect righteousness should give us confidence that He orchestrates events in ways that ultimately serve His purposes.
God's Startling Response (Habakkuk 1:5-11)
In Habakkuk 1:5-11, God responds to Habakkuk's cry. He assures the prophet that He is indeed taking action against the injustice in Judah, but His solution is shocking: He will raise up the Chaldeans (also known as Babylonians) to punish Judah (Habakkuk 1:5).
The Chaldeans are described as a "bitter and impetuous nation" (Habakkuk 1:6), fierce and terrifying warriors who sweep across the land, seizing territories with ruthless efficiency. Habakkuk 1:7-9 paints a vivid picture of their violence and brutality, comparing them to predatory animals. They mock rulers and conquer lands with ease (Habakkuk 1:10). The chilling reality is that this nation, which does not acknowledge the Lord, sees its own strength as its god (Habakkuk 1:11).
This response is deeply unsettling. God's answer to injustice is to unleash an even more wicked nation upon His own people. This highlights the profound complexities of God's judgment and the often-unfathomable nature of His plans.
Habakkuk's Second Question (Habakkuk 1:12-17)
God's answer, while definitive, only deepens Habakkuk's distress. In Habakkuk 1:12-17, the prophet grapples with the seemingly paradoxical nature of God's actions. How can a holy God tolerate those who are treacherous (Habakkuk 1:13)? How can He remain silent while a wicked nation devours those who are more righteous than they are (Habakkuk 1:13)?
Habakkuk acknowledges Judah's sin, but he sees the Chaldeans as far worse. He uses the imagery of fish caught in a net to describe how the nations are at the mercy of the Babylonians, destined for slaughter without compassion (Habakkuk 1:14-17). Habakkuk struggles to reconcile God's righteousness and purity with His apparent endorsement of an evil nation that does not glorify Him.
This second question reveals the heart of Habakkuk's struggle: a desire to understand God's ways and reconcile them with his own understanding of justice. It's a struggle that many believers face when confronted with suffering and the seeming triumph of evil.
Habakkuk 1 leaves us with unresolved tension. The prophet has voiced his complaints, received a shocking answer, and now finds himself even more perplexed. The chapter ends with Habakkuk preparing to wait for God's further response, setting the stage for the profound theological exploration that unfolds in the chapters to come. This chapter serves as a reminder that faith often requires wrestling with difficult questions and trusting in God's character even when His ways are beyond our comprehension.
The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.
O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!
Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.
Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.
Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.
For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs.
They are terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.
Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle that hasteth to eat.
They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up as the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand.
And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it.
Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.
Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.
Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?
And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?
They take up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag: therefore they rejoice and are glad.
Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous.
Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?
Habakkuk 1 dives into a profound dialogue between the prophet Habakkuk and God, a conversation born out of the prophet's deep distress over the rampant injustice he witnessed in Judah. This chapter sets the stage for a powerful exploration of God's sovereignty, justice, and the complexities of His plans. It's a chapter that resonates even today, as we grapple with similar questions of suffering and God's seeming silence.
Habakkuk's Lament (Habakkuk 1:1-4)
Habakkuk 1:1-3 reveals that unlike many prophets who delivered God's message to the people, Habakkuk brought his observations and concerns to God. He was burdened by the pervasive injustice, wrongdoing, oppression, violence, strife, and conflict that plagued his society. The reign of godly King Josiah (2 Kings 23:1-27) was a distant memory, replaced by the wickedness of his son Jehoiakim (2 Kings 23:36-37), whose evil example was followed by the people of Judah.
The prophet's frustration reached a boiling point. In Habakkuk 1:2, he cries out, "How long, LORD, must I call for help, and you do not listen?" Habakkuk felt ignored, his prayers seemingly unanswered. He questioned God's tolerance of such blatant wickedness, asking, "Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?" (Habakkuk 1:3).
Habakkuk 1:4 further elaborates on the consequences of unanswered justice. The prophet argues that without justice, the law becomes ineffective. Laws require enforcement to have meaning, and Habakkuk questioned why God wasn't intervening to address the rampant wickedness in Judah. This raises a timeless question: what happens when the foundations of justice crumble?
This initial lament is relatable. Have you ever felt alone in standing for what's right, feeling as though God is indifferent to the injustice around you? Such feelings often arise when we lose sight of God's bigger picture, His sovereign plan unfolding amidst the apparent chaos. It's a reminder that God's timing and methods often differ from our own. Recognizing His omniscience (all-knowing), omnipotence (all-powerful), and perfect righteousness should give us confidence that He orchestrates events in ways that ultimately serve His purposes.
God's Startling Response (Habakkuk 1:5-11)
In Habakkuk 1:5-11, God responds to Habakkuk's cry. He assures the prophet that He is indeed taking action against the injustice in Judah, but His solution is shocking: He will raise up the Chaldeans (also known as Babylonians) to punish Judah (Habakkuk 1:5).
The Chaldeans are described as a "bitter and impetuous nation" (Habakkuk 1:6), fierce and terrifying warriors who sweep across the land, seizing territories with ruthless efficiency. Habakkuk 1:7-9 paints a vivid picture of their violence and brutality, comparing them to predatory animals. They mock rulers and conquer lands with ease (Habakkuk 1:10). The chilling reality is that this nation, which does not acknowledge the Lord, sees its own strength as its god (Habakkuk 1:11).
This response is deeply unsettling. God's answer to injustice is to unleash an even more wicked nation upon His own people. This highlights the profound complexities of God's judgment and the often-unfathomable nature of His plans.
Habakkuk's Second Question (Habakkuk 1:12-17)
God's answer, while definitive, only deepens Habakkuk's distress. In Habakkuk 1:12-17, the prophet grapples with the seemingly paradoxical nature of God's actions. How can a holy God tolerate those who are treacherous (Habakkuk 1:13)? How can He remain silent while a wicked nation devours those who are more righteous than they are (Habakkuk 1:13)?
Habakkuk acknowledges Judah's sin, but he sees the Chaldeans as far worse. He uses the imagery of fish caught in a net to describe how the nations are at the mercy of the Babylonians, destined for slaughter without compassion (Habakkuk 1:14-17). Habakkuk struggles to reconcile God's righteousness and purity with His apparent endorsement of an evil nation that does not glorify Him.
This second question reveals the heart of Habakkuk's struggle: a desire to understand God's ways and reconcile them with his own understanding of justice. It's a struggle that many believers face when confronted with suffering and the seeming triumph of evil.
Habakkuk 1 leaves us with unresolved tension. The prophet has voiced his complaints, received a shocking answer, and now finds himself even more perplexed. The chapter ends with Habakkuk preparing to wait for God's further response, setting the stage for the profound theological exploration that unfolds in the chapters to come. This chapter serves as a reminder that faith often requires wrestling with difficult questions and trusting in God's character even when His ways are beyond our comprehension.