Habakkuk 1:12-13, 17 (NIV) 12LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, you will never die. You, LORD have appointed them to execute judgment; you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish. 13Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? ... Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy?
Habakkuk presented his first complaint to the LORD; he asked for justice on behalf of the nation of Judah. The LORD warned Habakkuk that he would act; but that Habakkuk wouldn’t believe it even if you were told (c.f., v.5). How could Habakkuk possibly have imagined that God would send justice to Judah in the form of the ruthless Babylonians? This seems to be too much for Habakkuk to mentally process; he is overwhelmed as evidenced by his response.
To be clear, I am never a fan of loose paraphrases. But I can almost imagine the barrage of questions invading Habakkuk’s mind. LORD, my Rock, you are Holy...you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Can you really allow the ruthless and barbaric Babylonians to swallow up your people? Can you really sit back silently and watch the Babylonians destroy Judah? How far will the destruction go? Will there be any mercy?
Yet even in this, Habakkuk knows Who is in charge. Habakkuk knows the omniscience and omnipresence of the LORD God Almighty. Nothing is hidden from God’s sight. Habakkuk knows to wait for the LORD’s response.
1 Chronicles 28:9 (NIV) 9...acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought.
Psalm 11:4 (NIV) 4The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them.
Psalm 24:1 (NIV) 1The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.
Psalm 33:13-15 (NIV) 13From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; 14from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth—15he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.
Hebrews 4:13 (NIV) 13Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Habakkuk 2:1 (NIV) 1I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.
Gracious Heavenly Father,
You hear every prayer we offer to you. You are faithful to respond in your own way and in your own timing. Grant us patience to wait for you, especially in those times we lack understanding; for you know what is best.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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