Faith That Waits Series

In the first message of this series, we met the prophet Habakkuk crying out to God in prayer. The fading memory of King Josiah’s reforms only intensified his anguish, highlighting just how far Judah had fallen. No longer were the people allowing the law of the Lord to guide their lives. Instead, they had chosen to walk in the ways of the surrounding nations—embracing idolatry, corruption, and self-interest. Power had shifted into the hands of the strong and the clever, resulting in fraud, exploitation, and violence against the weak and vulnerable. Seeing this moral collapse, Habakkuk pleaded with the sovereign God for justice, mercy, grace, and—above all—reformation among His people.

God did respond to Habakkuk’s cry—but in a way that was both unexpected and deeply unsettling. The Lord had not been silent, as Habakkuk feared. Rather, He was already raising up a solution to Judah’s covenant-breaking ways. A fierce and dreaded nation was coming—one whose horses were swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk, who would swoop down like eagles, sweeping across the land like the desert wind. They would conquer, destroy, and carry many away into exile. One can almost feel the prophet’s shock and horror as God revealed His plan. Habakkuk longed for reform and justice, but this seemed unbearably severe—judgment that would leave his people exiled in a foreign land for seventy years. Perhaps, he thought, God’s silence had been easier than hearing this truth.

Habakkuk had approached the Lord with reverence, fully aware that God’s ways are infinitely higher than his own. He expected discipline—yes—but what staggered him was the instrument of God’s judgment. Babylon was a law unto itself, driven by pride, exalting its own strength, and worshiping power as its god. How could a holy God, whose eyes are too pure to look upon evil, choose such a wicked nation to discipline His own people? The prophet could not reconcile this, so once again he turned to God in prayer.

Today’s message brings us to Habakkuk’s second complaint before the Lord—a prayer marked by reverence and faith seeking understanding. As Habakkuk waits upon God, we learn a hard but vital truth: God often calls His people to patience amid afflictions. So, picture the scene—this lone prophet standing watch upon the towers of Judah’s defenses, calling out to God, waiting, listening, and trusting that the Lord will yet reveal more of His ways.

Faith Reaffirms God’s Character When His Ways Confuse Us

Habakkuk begins his second complaint not with accusation, but with theology. Before wrestling with what God is doing, he anchors his heart in who God is. In the face of confusion, he does not abandon his faith—he reaffirms the unchanging character of the Lord. Listen as the prophet begins his prayer by confessing what he knows to be true about God:

“LORD, are You not from everlasting?

My God, my Holy One, You will never die.

You, LORD, have appointed them to execute judgment;

You, my Rock, have ordained them to punish.

Your eyes are too pure to look on evil;

You cannot tolerate wrongdoing.”

Habakkuk 1:12-13a

Habakkuk appeals to God’s eternal and holy nature. By calling the Lord “from everlasting,” the prophet affirms that God has always existed—and therefore His purposes are never impulsive, reactive, or inconsistent. What God is doing in the present must be fully aligned with who He has always been. Unlike man, who “should lie” or “repent” in weakness (Numbers 23:19), God is unchanging—“the same yesterday, and today, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). He does not shift with the sands of culture, nor does His love fade, even when expressed through discipline. As the psalmist declares, “there is no unrighteousness in him” (Psalm 92:15).

Because of this, Habakkuk holds fast to hope. Though Judah would soon endure seventy years of painful exile for covenant unfaithfulness, the prophet trusts that judgment would not have the final word, believing that God would yet bring restoration—and ultimately, the promised Son would reign forever upon the throne of David, establishing a kingdom of righteousness and peace without end (Isaiah 9:6–7). Faith may question God’s ways, but it never questions His character!

Habakkuk next turns to God as the Rock—the firm and unshakable foundation upon whom His people depend for support and stability. By addressing the Lord in this way, the prophet acknowledges God’s sovereignty and His unquestioned right to appoint Babylon as an instrument of judgment against Judah. After all, Scripture declares, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). The God who brought all things into existence also rules over all things. As the Lord Himself proclaims through the prophet Isaiah:

“I am God, and there is none else, I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure”