Habakkuk: A Bitter Pill

by Johnston, Brian, D. | Category: Minor Prophets? Major Issues! | Jan 2006

Life’s just not fair! That was the conclusion the Bible prophet was grappling with. His struggle is recorded in our Bibles because every generation faces the same challenge. Haven’t we all been angered by examples of corruption or injustice in society? It was six hundred years before Christ when Habakkuk was facing up to this challenge. He spoke to God out of frustration: ‘"How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? … Why do you tolerate wrong? …justice never prevails"‘ (Hab.1:2-4).

He complained about a lot of things: violence, injustice, wrong, destruction, strife and conflict. His own people, the people of Judah in the south of the land of Israel, persisted in their wickedness despite his preaching, and it seemed to Habakkuk that God was letting them get away with it. God did answer His prophet, but not with the answer Habakkuk was expecting! ‘"I am raising up the Babylonians … a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honour"‘ (Hab.1:5-9).

Surely the armies of the Babylonians weren’t going to be God’s instruments in dealing with his own people? That was even more of a problem for Habakkuk since he considered the Babylonians to be pagans, worse than even the most wicked among his own people! Habakkuk replied: ‘“Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong … Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?"‘ (Hab.1:13). Was God really going to let the Babylonians enhance their reputation at the expense of the Jews? Habakkuk now waits for God’s answer. He describes this as standing upon his watch. The prophets were represented as being like watchmen positioned high on city wall or tower so they could see farther and bring warning to the city-dwellers.

When God’s answer comes it brings with it the assurance that God is in overall control of history. The first reassurance that God gives his prophet is that His judgement is selective, knowing how to deliver the godly out of trouble. The proud Babylonians would come against Judah, but God would spare some. ‘"See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright - but the righteous will live by his faith"‘ (Hab.2:4). This is the quotation of the Old Testament which Martin Luther made famous at the time of the Reformation. In the New Testament the words ‘the righteous’ - or the just – ‘will live by … faith’ are applied to the salvation which believers on the Lord Jesus Christ possess (Rom.1:17). In the original setting here it could possibly describe one who believed what God had said about the Babylonian oppressors - as a result he would make his escape from the place, and save his life. But the believing Jew then is typical of all who wait for God’s promises with patient faith, and so ‘live’ - or stand accepted - before God as a result. The Babylonian attacker, by contrast, though for a time executing God’s judgments, at last becomes puffed up so as to attribute to his own power what is really the work of God - and by doing that he provokes God’s displeasure. God’s displeasure means that he too is going to be judged in his turn: ‘"The cup from the LORD’s right hand is coming round to you"‘ (Hab.2:5-16).

God was going to use the Babylonians to teach his own people a lesson, but in doing so believing ones would be spared. Afterwards the cruel and wicked Babylonians themselves would be dealt with. The cup of God’s anger and judgement would soon be passed to them to drink! When Habakkuk gets the point that God is in overall control, and that all wrongs are going to be dealt with in the broader sweep of history, he recalls how this has happened before in the history of God’s dealings with his people: ‘in anger you threshed the nations. You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot’ (Hab.3:6-16), and so he says: ‘I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us’.

And while he waits for God’s judgements to catch up with the wicked, who are heedless of His longsuffering as their iniquity reaches its fullness, Habakkuk himself models the faith of the righteous man when he declares: ‘Though the fig-tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines …? yet I will rejoice in the LORD’ (Hab.3:17,18). It’s amazing how his conversation with God has dealt with all his frustration and left him trusting and joyful in God!

(All quotations from the NIV)

Johnston, Brian, D. | Jan 2006
Minor Prophets? Major Issues!