Habakkuk's Cry Against Evil

The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw. O Lord , how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you "Violence!" and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted. "Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told. For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own. They are dreaded and fearsome; their justice and dignity go forth from themselves. Their horses are swifter than leopards, more fierce than the evening wolves; their horsemen press proudly on. Their horsemen come from afar; they fly like an eagle swift to devour. They all come for violence, all their faces forward. They gather captives like sand. At kings they scoff, and at rulers they laugh. They laugh at every fortress, for they pile up earth and take it. Then they sweep by like the wind and go on, guilty men, whose own might is their god!" - Habakkuk 1:2‭-‬11 ESV

Rev. Dan Whang

How do we reconcile all the evil around us with the idea of a good God?

Cry against evil

The prophet cries to God. He is speaking to God about all the brokenness around him. Strife, perverted justice, and violence were all around. The prophet asked how long? Why does God not hear Habakkuk? If God is in charge, why then is would filled with such evil? How can a good God allow this?

This is an act of faith. The prophet goes to God with his complaints. Why go to God, if you don't believe God cares or God can do anything about it?

God's answer to evil

God's response is strange. It doesn't make much sense. God says that the prophet would not understand the answer. God replies that he has been raising up the bigger and badder people. The nation of Israel was turning from God and His commandments. So God says that He's bringing more trouble from outside the nation. The Chaldeans, Babylonians, would take the Israelites captive. But this was not an act of anger, it was how God was saving people. He was preparing the way for Jesus so that the good news could spread more easily through the gentiles. This was because there would be synagogues and Jews amount these other nations. There would be a place for the future disciples to go and share the news of salvation through faith in Christ. But this only makes sense in hindsight. The prophet, Habakkuk, could not have understood why God responded with more seemingly bad news when the prophet was crying of injustice... So then what? We must trust that God's plan for us is for our good, even when it doesn't appear to be so.