I have been thinking and praying about this article based on Habakkuk for several weeks now. Every time I started to think that I should put it aside and move on to something else, God would put something in front of me quoting from the book of Habakkuk. In fact, it happened not once, but five separate times, so, I got the message that there is something that needs to be brought to light in the book of Habakkuk that applies to our situation right now. God’s Word is timeless and although it was written 600 years before Christ, the book of Habakkuk still speaks to us today.
I want to say right at the start of this article that it is not to be taken politically. As I write it, we are at a level of division and strife in this country that we have not seen in recent times. The chasm between the political left and right is deep and wide, and seems to be growing daily. But, this is just a symptom of something much larger, a division that is much deeper and much older. I am referring to the division between light and darkness, good and evil, truth and lies: the conflict between the Lord God Almighty and the great deceiver Satan.
Habakkuk identifies himself as a prophet, and is concerned with the sin of Judah, the southern kingdom of the Jewish Nation. The northern kingdom had already been conquered by Assyria and taken away to other lands, never to return home. Habakkuk saw the sin and evil being done by the people of Judah, and questions God on just how long He will allow this evil to continue.
How long, O LORD, will I call for help,
And You will not hear?
I cry out to You, “Violence!”
Yet You do not save.
Why do You make me see iniquity,
And cause me to look on wickedness?
Yes, destruction and violence are before me;
Strife exists and contention arises.
Therefore the law is ignored
And justice is never upheld.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
Therefore justice comes out perverted. Hab. 1:2-4
God speaks to Habakkuk and answers him. He says:
Look among the nations! Observe!
Be astonished! Wonder!
Because I am doing something in your days—
You would not believe if you were told. Hab. 1:5
God is raising up a people who are fierce and evil, the Chaldeans, or Babylonians as they are better known, in order to bring judgment on Judah. We know that historically this is true, and that Judah was conquered and eventually destroyed by Babylon as God told Habakkuk would happen about five years before it happened.
The name Habakkuk means “embrace”, and that is what we see the prophet of God do during his conversation with God in this book. Habakkuk questions God, and then comes finally to embrace and accept God’s solution to the sin of Judah. He accepts that God is raising up the Chaldeans, an evil people, to bring judgement on Judah, for their evil acts and sin against God. Habakkuk says :
I will stand on my guard post
And station myself on the rampart;
And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me,
And how I may reply when I am reproved. Hab. 2:1
God again replies to Habakkuk, and during His response states:
...But the righteous will live by his faith. Hab. 2:4
This last phrase “the righteous will live by faith” is an important one, and gives us the direction we need now, in this chaos of 2021. This short phrase, written down by a little known prophet named Habakkuk, is quoted no less than three times by Paul in his epistles. It obviously influenced Paul as the Holy Spirit prompted him to refer to it three separate times in his letters providing guidance to Christ followers on how to live.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” Romans 1:16-17
BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. Hebrews 10:38
Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” Galatians 3:11
It was also this verse which guided Martin Luther as he considered the teachings of the Catholic church, and compared them to what he read in the Bible. This verse from Habakkuk played a part in forming Martin Luther’s theology, and the beginning of the Reformation which followed.
Judah was evil, and God brought about their punishment through the Chaldeans who He allowed to conquer and enslave the Jews. But, the story doesn’t just end there. We know there were Godly people who were protected and even put into positions of trust and power in Babylon by God. Daniel became an advisor to the king. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were all placed into positions of trust within the Babylonian government. Eventually, God put Cyrus the Great into the position of king. Cyrus then allows Zerubbabel to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. Afterwards, Nehemiah is allowed to return and rebuild the walls of the city, and Ezra is allowed to return and reinstate temple worship in Jerusalem. Judah had sinned against God, and had done evil in His sight. As a result, God had allowed the Jews to be conquered by the Babylonians, an even more evil people Habakkuk declares. But, throughout it all, God kept His hand of protection on those who remained faithful to Him. He allowed the Jews eventually to return to their land, rebuild their walls, their temple, and once again worship Him.
I see in the United States right now a great struggle, one for the hearts and souls of mankind. A battle is being waged spiritually, and unseen forces are constantly trying to assault us as Christians and cause us harm. The forces of darkness have but one goal and that is to thwart God’s plan revealed to us in the Bible. That plan had its culmination at a hill called Golgotha in Jerusalem with the crucifixion of the innocent Lamb, and His resurrection and conquering of death three days later. It will find its completion when Satan is finally defeated and cast into the lake of fire, along with all of his followers. Death and sin will be no more.
My prayer is that we as Christ Follower will remain faithful. We will continue to worship God no matter what evil comes upon us. God will not forget us. The Bridegroom is returning for His Bride very soon...are you watching and waiting?
