Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, [18] yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! Habakkuk 3:17-18 NLT.
Habakkuk was a prophet who did not walk the beaten path. He was not filled with messages from God for the people. He was an observer who questioned the Lord. He wanted to know why certain evil went unpunished, and how God could “use a wicked nation like Babylon to punish His chosen people, Israel?”
His book is short, but packed full of the wisdom he learned through these musings. They are a gold mine for believers to glean from. Habakkuk felt burdened by the evil of the Israelites. At the same time, he felt the scales of justice unbalanced when He learned the Babylonians would be their punishment. He decided to question the Lord.
Our God, in His wisdom and mercy, put Habakkuk in the position of a prophet who asked these questions, not for his own purposes, but his people, the Israelites. Through this short discourse between Habakkuk and God, we learn what it looks like to be a humble, justified, man of faith who respects the Lord’s authority, and trusts His decisions.
Habakkuk’s first question, found in 1:2-4, asks God how long He will allow the iniquity, violence and contention to go on. The laws He had given His people were not being obeyed, and the righteous were too few to do anything. God responds by telling Habakkuk to watch, and he will be astonished at what happens.
At first, he continued to question. Habukkuk’s second query asks why the Lord is choosing an evil greater than Judah to be their ‘judgment,’ and how could the ‘Holy One’ watch as the evil Babylonians were allowed to punish them.
Even though all seemed unfair and bleak to Habakkuk, he submitted to do as the Lord commanded, “wait and see.” While he listened for answers, he stood watch. He assumed there would be corrections for him when the Lord responded, but he approached that thought with humility, contemplating how he would answer God.
When God spoke, it was not what he expected. “Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. [3] For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.” Habakkuk 2:2-3 NKJV. Isn’t that just like God? We ask how and when He is going to fix things, and He tells us to be still and go serve His people.
Obey God, praise Him for ALL and trust His word. This is what Habakkuk learned through His questioning. After this brief experience with The Lord, he remembers the miraculous things He has done for His people. His powerful prayer reminds us all to reflect on who God is and the miraculous things he has done for us. He concludes with the acknowledgement that the Lord is his strength.
Don’t we all have questions for God at times? Habakkuk saw sin and corruption everywhere, and believed God was not fixing the situations. With reverence and respect he approached the throne, asking for answers. Then he did as he was told; watched and waited. Much to his surprise, his answer was to wait some more and help others in the meantime. His conclusion is a message for all. In the midst of his suffering, he found joy and strength in the God of his salvation.
He ends his story with, “The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.” Habakkuk 3:19 NLT.
May the Lord bless us and keep us strong and steady, as we place our faith in His plans, and wait.
Janice S.