As a young child, I think I once aspired to read the entire Bible, but probably didn't make it past Joshua or Judges. And while I do read the Bible quite often now, I find myself sticking to the New Testament more often than not, there is just so much in Acts and Romans, Corinthians and Ephesians and James.
I was reading through Romans and read Romans 1:17, which says "the righteous will live by faith." This verse is cross-referenced with Habakkuk 2:4, also stating that the righteous will live by faith. I flipped over to Habakkuk to check it out, and ended up reading all three chapters of the book.
Honestly I don't remember ever reading Habakkuk before, which is quite a shame because it's a pretty fantastic and very insightful, convicting book.
In verses 1-4 the prophet Habakkuk complains to the Lord about the injustice of the world. He asks how and why God can simply "tolerate wrong," why he allows injustice to prevail, justice to be perverted, destruction and violence to rule.
His cries to God are ones we have probably all echoed at one time or another. When disaster strikes, we wonder, where was God? We ask why He allows so much evil. Why are buildings burned, guns shot, knives drawn.
In verses 5-11 the Lord responds to Habakkuk's complaints. He says, "I am going to do something in your days you would not believe, even if you were told." How great is this response? I think there was just a hint of sarcasm and sass in it.
He starts by explaining to Habakkuk that what He has planned is so amazing, so incredible, Habakkuk wouldn't be able to believe it. His feeble human mind couldn't wrap itself around the awesomeness God had planned for the nations.
But the best part, and I think the key part, is the second bit of God's answer, "even if you were told."
Even if you were told.
God is God. The Great I Am. In Exodus 3, when God sends Moses to set the Israelites free, Moses asks who he should say sent him. God's response is, "am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you."
God's plans are so great, so complex, we couldn't understand them. The vast goodness and glory of God's plans are far beyond our comprehension. Not because we are inadequate or inept or stupid, but because, quite frankly, we are not God. And even if we could understand His master plans, we still aren't God, and so what right do we have to demand to know?
I think what God is saying to the prophet, with a shake of His mighty head, is, "Oh Habakkuk, my dear son, are you God? No. You don't know what great things I have planned. And even if you did, you wouldn't be able to believe it. I'm God. Trust me. I've got this."
And just to back that point up, God promises to use the ruthless, dreaded, evil Babylonians.
Despite the answer he receives, Habakkuk isn't done. He wages his second complaint in verses 1:12-2:1. He asks God why He tolerates treacherous people, why He is "silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?" Why God allows the wicked to prosper and live without mercy, destroying the nations.
In the Lord's second answer, verses 2:2-20, I think God is pointing out that the people have chosen to live this way. They have chosen sin, destruction. They have chosen to labor for themselves rather than the glory of God. They should be silent before Him, but instead they choose to live for themselves rather than honor and revere Him.
Man has chosen the despair, destruction, and evil Habakkuk complains about, because man has rejected God.
In verses 3:1-19, Habakkuk acknowledges the awesome splendor of the Lord God Almighty. "Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord." He talks about the great wrath of the Lord, the wrath that must be satisfied, and was satisfied by Jesus on the cross. Habakkuk talks about the greatness of the Lord to set His people free, also done through Jesus on the cross. And Habakkuk ends his prayer saying the Lord is his strength and salvation, his source of joy no matter what happens in life.
In the here and now there is destruction and wickedness. Evil things happen to people who don't deserve it. The clearest example of this to me is the recent shooting in Connecticut. In the midst of this utter tragedy were the cries demanding to know, where was God, why did He allow this? Why did He tolerate this injustice and evil?
He was comforting parents and families, welcoming children into Heaven, strengthening those too weak to stand. He is always there, always fighting for His people. He does not tolerate injustice, He does not stand idly by.
I don't know why He didn't stop that man from shooting those children and teachers. No one does. But I know He is God, and I know He loves His people and He has not abandoned us. I know He is a good God who understands the suffering of His people, and in the moments when we can barely stand, we can rest in the assurance that He is good, He is loving, and He has a great plan far to incredible for us to understand. We can trust Him, because He is God. We can rejoice in our Savior, because He is our strength and our salvation. In God we trust.
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