The Prophet's Burning Question

Habakkuk 1:1-11

1 The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw.

2 O LORD, how long shall I cry,
And You will not hear?
Even cry out to You, "Violence!"
And You will not save.

3 Why do You show me iniquity,
And cause me to see trouble?
For plundering and violence are before me;
There is strife, and contention arises.

4 Therefore the law is powerless,
And justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.

The LORD's Reply

5 "Look among the nations and watch—
Be utterly astounded!
For I will work a work in your days
Which you would not believe, though it were told you.

6 For indeed I am raising up the Chaldeans,
A bitter and hasty nation
Which marches through the breadth of the earth,
To possess dwelling places that are not theirs.

7 They are terrible and dreadful;
Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves.

8 Their horses also are swifter than leopards,
And more fierce than evening wolves.
Their chargers charge ahead;
Their cavalry comes from afar;
They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat.

9 "They all come for violence;
Their faces are set like the east wind.
They gather captives like sand.

10 They scoff at kings,
And princes are scorned by them.
They deride every stronghold,
For they heap up earthen mounds and seize it.

11 Then his mind changes, and he transgresses;
He commits offense,
Ascribing this power to his god."

Habakkuk means “One Who Embraces” or “Clings,” which becomes appropriate as Habakkuk chooses to cling firmly to God regardless of what happens to his nation.  Habakkuk began with a burning question.  He asked the LORD how long until He executed judgment on the unrighteous of His nation.  He cried against the ungodliness and violence with expectation that God would intervene.  All he witnessed was sin, trouble, plundering, strife, and contentions among those called to follow in holiness acc to God’s word.  It seemed that the Law was ineffective and there was no true and righteous justice among them, just twisted forms of each.  He asked how long this would continue.  God answered by telling the prophet to watch and see what He would do; God would bring an enemy against Judah in her death throes in an unbelievable way.  The Babylonian Chaldeans would be His chastening rod upon the nation and take their land from them because of their unrepentant idolatry and immortality in rejecting His word and living for sinful desires.  The end goal was to bring the chosen to repentance, not to annihilate them as their enemies desired.  The armies therefore came against the nation with violence and disregard for the princes of Judah.  They were those who keep changing their mind of what they do and commit offenses against God and man as they imagine their temporary temporal might to be their own instead of allowed by the only God in heaven who used them for His purposes.  God’s answer was His justice in judgment and mercy to save those of the remnant of His called ones.  That is also part of the gospel message of grace to save sinners and punish the unrepentant.  The question of God’s vengeance is ours as well, and we have the scriptures to tell us (Revelation 6:10) and assure us of the outcome.  The Prophet's Burning Question is ours as well as we witness the delayed judgment of God on the evil men and women do.  His will be done on earth as it is in heaven!