Habakkuk – 1
Habakkuk has a burden, his heart is heavy. He sees injustice all around him and pleads with God. “Why do you tolerate injustice?”
What a great question, are we this bold that we are free to inquire from God what He is doing? Does our relationship with God allow us to hold God to account, “why do you tolerate injustice?”
Our 21st century is no different than in Habakkuk’s day, injustice and unfairness is rife, it is all around us.
Currently, as I write this blog, we here in the UK are in the middle of the conservative leadership challenge. Our current prime minister has been forced to resign, primarily over his moral conduct, a man with some great qualities yet many flaws. The question on everyone’s lips is “we want honesty”. My question is can we ever get true honesty in a fallen world? In reality we can only get truly honest men and women when we align ourselves to someone who is demonstrates true honesty.
Habakkuk experienced and aligned himself, probably on a daily basis, to God, his God, the God of Israel, the God feared by nations and he knew that God was his only hope and also the only hope for the nation. So he pleads to God, “WHY?”
To paraphrase Habakkuk’s complaint, “God, how long must I call on you? you are not listening! It’s a mess Lord, violence, injustice, wrongdoing, destruction, strife and conflict is ruling the day. The result, the law is paralysed, justice is impossible. The wicked surround the righteous. ANSWER ME!! Habakkuk 1:2-4.
There is an urgency in Habakkuk’s cry, “this situation cannot continue, what are you going to do about it Lord?”
When we come to God like this, with a heavy heart, where we are at out wits end, when we appear to have reached the end of the road, are we prepared for God’s answer? I pose this question because as we will see God’s answer is not very helpful, God appears to be saying that things will get worse not better Habakkuk 1:5-11.
At this point do we give up and think that God is not interested? Not Habakkuk, he replies with the acknowledgement that God is from everlasting to everlasting and is in control and allows such atrocities to take place in order to bring men and women to a place where they can trust in His perfect plan. Habakkuk does not rest he fires off another complaint to God in Habakkuk 1:12-17. God’s answer has not really satisfied him, there is still this cry within him which says “this is not right, this cannot continue” and he ends his second complaint/plead/prayer with “shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations” Habakkuk 1:17 KJV. In other words is this how it is going to be, the wicked ruling the righteous, do we just have to accept that this is it or can we hope for a better future?
Charles Wesley penned a poem:-
1 Since the Son hath made me free,
Let me taste my liberty;
Thee behold with open face,
Triumph in thy saving grace,
Thy great will delight to prove,
Glory in thy perfect love.
2 Abba, Father! hear thy child,
Late in Jesus reconciled,
Hear, and all the graces shower,
All the joy, and peace, and power,
All my Saviour asks above,
All the life and heaven of love.
3 Lord, I will not let thee go,
Till the blessing thou bestow;
Hear my Advocate divine!
Lo! to his my suit I join;
Joined to his, it cannot fail;
Bless me; for I will prevail!
4 Heavenly Adam, Life divine,
Change my nature into thine!
Move and spread throughout my soul,
Actuate and fill the whole!
Be it I no longer now
Living in the flesh, but Thou.
5 Holy Ghost, no more delay!
Come, and in thy temple stay!
Now thine inward witness bear,
Strong, and permanent, and clear;
Spring of life, thyself impart,
Rise eternal in my heart!
There is hope, we will see Habakkuk’s response in chapter 2.
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