Today in God's Word—December 2024
East Tallassee Church of Christ
December 10, Habakkuk 1
O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you "Violence!" and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong?
- Habakkuk 1:2-3
Perhaps you've heard people say, "I know we're not supposed to question God, but...." Maybe you've even said it yourself when you were perplexed about some aspect of God's will or his timetable. We humans, with our finite knowledge and vision, sometimes wrestle with questions about why God did (or didn't) do something, or how long it's going to be until he does do something.
Wherever the idea came from that we can't ask questions of God, I don't think it came from the Bible. David certainly didn't know he couldn't or shouldn't question God. In Psalms, he asked plenty of questions about why and how long. In the last book of the Bible, the souls of the martyrs beneath the altar cry out to God, asking "How long before you will judge and avenge our blood?"
The prophet Habakkuk certainly had some questions for God. His name means "wrestler," and he wrestled with questions about situations he could not understand. He asked God how long he would have to cry out for help and his cries go unanswered. He asked why rampant wickedness seemed to go unchecked and unpunished.
God didn't rebuke Habakkuk for asking questions, and the Lord didn't make the prophet wait much longer to get some answers to his prayers and questions. God assured Habakkuk that all nations and all of history is in his mighty hands, under his sovereign control. He told the prophet he was about to do something impossible for anyone to imagine: Babylon would rise to power and defeat the wicked Assyrians. God would (through the Babylonians) inflict the same misery and suffering on the Assyrians that they had inflicted on their conquered foes and captives. The things God told Habakkuk came to pass within a few decades.
Habakkuk didn't pretend that his people were righteous. He acknowledged the rampant evil among them. But when he learned that the same Babylonians would conquer and take Judah captive, he wondered aloud how a righteous and just God could allow people more wicked than his own nation to invade, destroy and take Judah captive.
After the Lord told Habakkuk these things, the prophet acknowledged God's sovereignty and holiness. But how could he allow destruction, violence, strife, contention and injustice to flourish and seem to go unpunished? He understood that judgment was coming for the wicked. But he still wrestled with the idea of how a holy and righteous God could allow the wicked to punish those who were by no means innocent, but not as wicked as their foes. It seemed inconsistent to Habakkuk. But when he turned to reason instead of emotion, he understood that God would do nothing inconsistent with his perfect justice and holiness. The evil people God would use to discipline Judah were tools in God's hand. The Lord would administer appropriate punishment and righteous judgment to all, including those he used to discipline his own delinquent people. The Babylonians would have no sense of serving God or doing God's will, just as the Assyrians didn’t understand it when they were the victors instead of the victims. When God enabled Israel or some other nation to win, his hand on them made them invincible. But it was always the Lord's power and wisdom, not their strength or intelligence, that gave them their victories.
Let's remember that honest, godly people do sometimes ask God questions. Also, we should realize that any proud nation (or person) who takes credit for what God enabled them to do robs God of the glory that is his alone. We would be more humble if we remembered that our victories and achievements do not come from our own strength, money or wisdom. When we're perplexed, we must remember that God is in complete control. His timing is perfect whether we think he's early or late. His wisdom is beyond our ability to fathom. We would do well to trust him more instead of demanding an explanation from him.
Copyright © 2024 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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