Habakkuk 1:1-4
A PROPHET VOICES QUESTIONS
Exodus 23:6-8
The Book of Habakkuk chronicles God’s answers to a prophet during a time of global uncertainty, economic recession and social instability, similar to what we are going through today. People in those days were like those today who wake up every morning with fear and anxiety in their hearts.
Even those without degrees in economics are becoming familiar with such terms as bank runs, stock market crash, default and risk indicators. Anxiety spikes as economists and TV news personalities forecast discouragement that lead to increase depression and even suicide. The church is not immune to the swing generated by these events.
I pray that as we study Habakkuk it will be a source of inspiration and a guide for facing these situations that are beyond our control. Habakkuk teaches that though we cannot always change our circumstances, we can change our attitude toward them. God wants us to pay attention to what is going on but not to worry, for He is not missing from this time in which we have been called to live. What we see as a tragedy, God see as a great opportunity. As the apparent security offered by comfort and consumption fades, people are more open to seeking spiritual truth. [“Facing the Financial Crisis” by Pedro Lapadjian; Decision: Jan 2009] Habakkuk will answers many of their sincere question that come from the society in which we have been raised.
The enemy of the church today is Humanism which wants to remove society from traditional moral judgements into relativism where man’s decisions are the only correct ones. It asks questions like: Why are things in life and history so mixed up if a sovereign Lord is in charge and moving it from a starting point to an ending point? If God is so real and so involved why can we not see His involvement more? Why is there so much violence and evil in the world where such a good and powerful God, who is supposed to love us, is in charge? The Book of Habakkuk will speak to these issues. Though it was written around 606 B.C. it is a Book for our times.
Life is filled with questions. From children to university professors come the asking of how, why and when. Not all questions are answered to our expectation. We can either doubt and live in uncertainty or we can come up with our own answers and become proud or we can ignore the questions and become cynical and hard hearted. The best option is that we live by faith and continue looking for answers.
Habakkuk was troubled by all the sin, oppression and violence. He wondered why the righteous suffer, and why evil men prospered. If God is God, why does He tolerate injustice? Why doesn’t He do something? Habakkuk saw a sin-sick, dying world and it broke His heart so he seeks God and asks God the tough questions. In this unique book, Habakkuk will dialogue with God. May we listen to His complaint that we might later learn from God’s responses. Now listen to the profound question Habakkuk boldly brings to God and realize that you too can bring your complaints and inquiries to Him.
I. Why Does God Seem Indifferent to our Pleas, 1-2.
II. Why Does God Seem Insensitive to Sin & Suffering, 3-4.
Verse one tells us the author of the book or oracle and what prompted him to write it. The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.
Little is known of Habakkuk. His name means embraced or embracer (wrestler). Internal data within the book leads commentators to believe he lived in Judah during the reign of Jehoiakim (2 Kings 23:36-24:5) which would make him a contemporary of Nahum, Zephaniah and Jeremiah. He prophesied during the fall of the Assyrian Empire (610 BC) and the final Babylonian invasion of Judah in 588 BC. He was the last of the minor prophets to preach in Judah. Habakkuk is called a prophet in the title. Only two other books begin by so designating the proclaimer (Zechariah & Haggai) a prophet. Habakkuk the prophet seems to be sufficient naming for this apparently well known prophet for no other data is given.
The reigning king in Judah, Jehoiakim, is described by the prophet Jeremiah this way: "your eyes and your heart are intent only upon your own dishonest gain, and on shedding innocent blood and on practicing oppression and extortion" (Jer. 22:17; Hab. 1:2-4; 2 Kings 23:34-24:5).
Habakkuk was perplexed that God was letting evil increase and not punishing it, so the Lord commissions him to work through his difficulties and to further reveal His ways to His people.
The prophet called the writing a massa, a burden translated oracle in the NAS. The noun is derived from the verb meaning to lift up. Consequently it signifies what is lifted up, and thus a concerned need or burden. The oracle was seen in a vision by Habakkuk while in the temple in Jerusalem where he is a prophet-musician (3:19d) during a time of violent national and international upheaval.
Verse 2 begins Habakkuk’s cry and complaint. How long, O Lord, will I call for help, And Thou wilt not hear? I cry out to Thee, "Violence!" Yet Thou dost not save.
The prophet’s and righteous remnant’s longstanding concern erupts into a two fold question. First He wanted to know why God seemed not to hear or was indifferent. Second, He wanted to know why God did not respond to the corrupt and unjust conditions. Why was God so seemly indifferent that He did not help or save? Everything is going wrong in the land and in the ministry and God is apparently not intervening.
Habakkuk’s words how long show his agony over God’s delay in responding to the concern and the prophet’s plea. The reign of Jehoiakim was full of injustice and bloodshed. (Note Jer. 22:3, 13:17; for the same inquiry see Jer. 12:1; 20:8; and Job 19:7). Since the prophet is powerless to alter conditions and the Lord has not, he asks why he is permitted to see such iniquity on every hand and violence and strife going unchecked. What troubles the prophet is that the Lord seems to look on these heartbreaking conditions with indifference. It is the kind of cry we might utter over the deplorable state of the church in our day or the equally deplorable moral decline in America.
Violence is a key word sprinkled throughout this prophecy like ink blots on the crumpled pages of history. It indicates ethical wrong of which physical brutality is only one possible expression. It is malicious conduct intended to injure another (hamas). So Habakkuk cries out, Violence! against the unchecked corruption. But God still does not save or deliver from what oppresses or restricts.
II. PROBLEMS OF FAITH, (3-4).
Habakkuk’s questions and complaint to God continue in verse 3 using three pairs. Why dost Thou make me see iniquity, and cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises.
God had opened up the prophet’s eyes and caused him to see the true condition of the situation surrounding him. What he saw was iniquity and wickedness. As he continued observing, he saw all the strife and contention arising amongst the people. Strife (rib) and conflict (madon) are Hebrew legal terms. Habakkuk saw many lawsuits and legal quarrels in Judah’s courts.
He wonders why God can cause him to see this loathsome condition and then do nothing about it. So saddened by the injustice and violence he pours his heart out to God. And God just seems to tolerate if not condone the cruelty and injustice.
The silence of God in human affairs, then as now, has ever been difficult to understand. But this does not mean that there is not an answer, and that divine wisdom is incapable of coping with the situation. All is under His seeing eye and everything is under the control of His mighty hand.
The six problems of social corruption in verse 3 led to the four terrible situations numerated in verse 4. Therefore, the law is ignored (paralyzed) and justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore, justice comes out perverted.
Since God would not act the very laws that society was built upon were rendered ineffective or paralyzed. The Law came to be looked upon as being without force or authority. Because of unrighteous judges who would not uphold the law, but either ignored or twisted it, The Law was set at nought. Since the forms of judgment or justice were corrupted, both life and property were insecure. Justice could not prevail because the wicked knew how to hem the righteous in on all sides, so that he could not receive his just due. Miscarriage of justice was the order of the day. Ensnaring the righteous by fraud, the ungodly perverted all right and honesty. Because God did not punish sin immediately, men thought they could sin on with impunity.
The disintegration of a society into factions and conflict and the breaking down of unifying interests cause each group to desire its own way and reject the authoritative teaching or law. The wicked appear the uncontested victor for justice never prevailed or came forth to fight.
The wicked hemmed in the righteous. The righteous were locked out of the political and legal system and the wicked held the key. Therefore justice was perverted (from aqal-to bend or twist out of shape). With wicked men in power, justice was twisted and eschewed till it became injustice!
CONCLUSION
Today injustice is still rampant, but don’t let your concern cause you to doubt God or rebel against Him. Instead, consider the message that God will give to Habakkuk and recognize God’s long-range plans and purposes. Realize that God is doing right, even when you do not understand why He works as He does.
When you struggle with serious problems, don’t lose heart. Do what Habakkuk did. Bring them before God and ask Him about them. In His time He will reveal the answers you seek.
