Habakkuk was from Judah with Jerusalem as its capital.
Habakkuk
There are a number of lessons we can learn from Habakkuk's prophecy. Among them are:
- How God deals with violent and corrupt societies.
- When God punishes a nation, good and bad a like will suffer, but then only those who put their trust in God will be able to survive.
- If you have a genuine grievance, it is okay to complain to God and not to let go until you get an answer.
- It is important to see what God is doing in the world if you are to understand what God is doing in your own country.
Do take time to read the prophecy yourself. It is only three chapters long. To aid your understanding, I offer the following interpretation:
About 6 centuries before Jesus walked this earth, there lived a man called Habakkuk. He loved God very much and was very concerned about how bad his country had become. He had been regularly praying for his country for many years, but God did not seem to be answering him. In fact things were getting worse. One day, Habakukk decided he would confront God on the matter and see what he would do.
"Lord, how long must I pray to you for help? It seems you are just not listening. There's so much violence, but you are not doing anything about it. I see injustice all the time. Why do you tolerate it? Everywhere I look I see vandalism and violence. People squabble and fight all the time. Conflict is everywhere. People no longer have any respect for the law, and you can't get justice. If you try, you will get nowhere, or come away worse off. Tell me Lord, what are you doing about all this?
Habakkuk was a bold man, to challenge God. What was God going to do about that? Would he ignore Habakkuk or punish him? That wouldn't seem fair because Habakkuk wasn't rebelling against God, but just asking a few honest questions. The truth is, God gave a most remarkable answer to his complaint.
God told Habakkuk words to the effect, "The reason I have not told you about what I am going to do about your country's problems, is that you wouldn't believe me if I did tell you. In fact I've already started doing something, and you've missed it. Habakkuk, you need to look and see what I'm doing internationally. I'm raising up the Babylonians to deal with the wickedness in your country. "
Babylonia was the up and coming super power of that time and was situated about 500 miles (800km) to the east of Israel. The Babylonians were a cruel and violent people, much feared by everyone, because they plundered other countries destroying things and taking what ever they wanted. They would mercilessly kill and mame those that opposed them and would force any prisoners they took into slavery, resettling them in different countries.
Habakkuk did not like what God had to say to him, so he argued with God. "Lord, you can't use the Babylons to punish us. They are worse than we are. Any way, you are an eternal God and we are your people, so we can't die. You are a God who cannot tolerate evil, so how can you sit back and watch wicked people do terrible things to those who are not as bad? What will stop these wicked people from destroying everything? I think I will go up onto the city wall to look out for the enemy, and see what you have to say in response to what I've said."
The Lord then told Habakkuk to stop debating and start warning others. "Make a poster that is so clear that anyone passing by can't fail to miss it. Habakkuk, if you wait on the city wall, you will be waiting a very long time, but mark my words, what I have said will come about in the not very distant future. In order for anyone to live through this time, they must totally put their trust in me".
He went on to say to Habakkuk what the fate of the Babylonians would be:
"The Babylonians are an arrogant and restless people who's drunken behaviour demonstrate their evil desires. They invade and conquer countries not their own, and take many prisoners all because they are greedy. However, they will be ridiculed and scorned by everyone else, because their punishment is coming:
Those who make themselves rich by steeling and plundering will in turn be plundered by those who are left. Those who build a power base on crime and blood shed will come to ruin. They exhaust themselves for nothing. For as the oceans are full of water, I the Lord, will be respected and honoured by everyone.
As the Babylonians like to get their prisoners so drunk that they strip off and have an orgy so that their captors can enjoy the specticle, so they too, in the same way will be put to shame, and it will be the Lord's doing.
It will be bad for those who trust in idols and try to get them to come alive. An idol may be made of silver or gold but it can't give guidance. They are just lifeless objects made by human beings. However, I the Lord am here and I request that the whole earth be silent before me."
Habakkuk was convinced. He could understand how God deals with the nations. God was going to use the Babylonians to cause his people to put their trust in him, as there would be nowhere else to turn. God did not approve of the Babylonians' behaviour, because when God would finish dealing with Habakkuk's country, he would in turn deal with the Babylonians for all the crimes they had commited.
Habakkuk was a changed man who could now understand God's ways. So moved by this revelation Habakkuk sat down and composed a song to God. It was to be accompanied with stringed instruments.
He wrote, "Lord, I have heard so much about what you have done in the past, I ask you now to do it again in our time." In the song, Habakkuk imagined himself going back in time, being there when God lead the Israelites into the promised land, driving out the other nations. Then he imagined himself leaping forward in time to when the Babylonians would invade his country. Habakkuk was excited. It was as if he was watching the Lord from a distance fighting the wickedness in the world and rushing to deliver his people. He then prayed, "Lord, I will wait patiently for the day when these things overtake us. In your anger, please remember mercy. I want to declare, that if everything is taken from me, and there is no food left, I will still be joyful in you, God my Saviour."
Copyright CALITE June 2002