The book of Habakkuk is a really
interesting book; it documents the dialogue between God and the prophet Habakkuk
while he was trying to make sense of what was going on around him, and trying to
reconcile it with his faith.
Habakkuk’s first question to God
was – Why is God not doing anything about the evil in Judah? Why are the evil
people not punished?
Then, God told him that He is
sending the Babylonians to conquer Judah and bring judgment on Judah (Habakkuk
1:5-11).
To which, Habakkuk raised another
question – How could God use a nation that is even more wicked to chastise His
own people?
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We all have our fair share of
moments like this, when we cannot seem to understand what God is doing, or if
He is even doing anything. Why do the
wicked seem to prosper, while those who are determined to follow Christ have to
suffer poverty, sickness, or tribulations?
When what we are experiencing
does not seem to tally with what we understand of God or what we understand
from the Bible, what do we do?
Habakkuk set a really good
example for us to follow.
Firstly, Habakkuk brought all his
questions before God. When we meet with a seemingly unjust situation, do we
first bring it before God, or men? When something happened that is beyond our
understanding, we should not be so quick to discount our faith, but to seek to
understand it more through prayers.
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
My steps had nearly slipped.
For I was envious of the boastful,
When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
... When I thought how to understand this,
It was too painful for me—
Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their end. (Psalm 73:2-3, 16-17)
My steps had nearly slipped.
For I was envious of the boastful,
When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
... When I thought how to understand this,
It was too painful for me—
Until I went into the sanctuary of God;
Then I understood their end. (Psalm 73:2-3, 16-17)
Secondly, Habakkuk waited for
God. He went up to the watchtower to wait for God’s answers. As we present our
questions before God, we need to wait and also be sensitive to His promptings.
They may also come in the form of a verse in your daily bible reading, or
perhaps through a conversation with a brethren.
I will stand my watch
And set myself on the rampart,
And watch to see what He will say to me,
And what I will answer when I am corrected. (Habakkuk 2:1)
And set myself on the rampart,
And watch to see what He will say to me,
And what I will answer when I am corrected. (Habakkuk 2:1)
Finally, although Habakkuk did
not really understand why God was using the Babylonians to judge Judah, he did
not present himself as knowing more than God. He questioned God; but remained
humble to seek correction from God. From this, we know that although Habakkuk
may not fully comprehend what God was doing, he continued to have faith in
God’s goodness and know that His ways are higher than our ways, and His
thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9).
Similarly, we may have many
questions for God today, but we do so not in haughtiness, as though we know
better than God; but we do so to seek understanding, to know more and more
about Jesus.
In Habakkuk 2, we thus see God
explaining that in time to come, the Babylonians will too face judgment for
their iniquities. Hence, God is in control, He knows what He is doing, we need
not fear.
“But the LORD is in His holy temple.
Let all the earth keep silence before Him.” (Habakkuk 2:20)
Let all the earth keep silence before Him.” (Habakkuk 2:20)
This last verse reminded me of
one of my favourite verse (and hymn!) - Be
still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10a). No matter what we
may be facing at the moment, let us trust in our unchanging, Almighty God and
His goodness, and hence, be able to be still and wait on the Lord. Shalom.
