Trusting God’s Judgment

In the Book of Habakkuk, we read the prophet’s expressions of grief. But unlike most of the prophets, Habakkuk journals his laments directly to God. In three short chapters, Habakkuk questions God’s character in some familiar ways. First, he questions God’s goodness because of all the evil, injustice, and tragedy in the world.

Like any good leader, Habakkuk intercedes on behalf of those he’s responsible for and acknowledges their failures. But he also seems to imply that the Israelites’ wrongdoing is God’s fault.

Habakkuk 1:1-4 says,

How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?
Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.
Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails.
The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. (NIV)

Habakkuk asks God why he tolerates the violence, injustice, and conflict, and unlike when I ask God these questions, the prophet actually receives a response. God is done allowing the Israelites to ignore him.

Habakkuk 1:6 says, “I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own” (NIV).

Habakkuk does an about-face when he learns God has reached the end of his patience with the Israelites. I love the plain language in The Message version of Habakkuk 1:12-13, which says,

God, you’re from eternity, aren’t you? Holy God, we aren’t going to die, are we?
God, you chose Babylonians for your judgment work? Rock-Solid God, you gave them the job of discipline?
But you can’t be serious! You can’t condone evil!
So why don’t you do something about this? Why are you silent now?
This outrage! Evil men swallow up the righteous and you stand around and watch! (MSG)

Did you catch where Habakkuk flips from asking God to intervene to objecting to God’s choice to answer his prayer directly? It’s difficult to release control of the outcomes of our prayers.

If you’ve ever wondered if the Old Testament prophets truly existed, I offer this as Exhibit A. Habakkuk’s response is the most human reaction I can think of. Even today, we often balk at God’s response to our prayers. Don’t we?

Habakkuk was so bothered by the evil Babylonians that he completely forgot that the Israelites were acting wrongly. He goes on to list all the sins of his soon-to-be oppressors:

• They get rich by stealing from the poor, recklessly overtaxing the poor and keeping the money for themselves.
• They force people into slave labor.
• They are bad leaders who get drunk and invite sexual sin.
• They worship idols.

What Habakkuk seems to misunderstand is that all sin equally offends God. It was the Israelites’ responsibility to introduce the other tribes and nations to the one true God. Their choice to reject God’s laws was harmful to their own families and harmful for the world.

God’s patience reached its limit, and Habakkuk learns that God is going to answer his prayer. The chosen people are going to physically feel the impact of how terribly they have treated their neighbors.

By allowing the Babylonians to overtake the Israelites, God would ensure that his people would finally absorb the warnings Isaiah, Micah, Amos, Hosea, and Jeremiah had preached. Moreover, living in exile would give the Israelites a choice. They could press into God and lean on him or follow the laws of their oppressors.

The Book of Habakkuk ends with the prophet interceding on behalf of the Israelites and asking God to show compassion and love during the years in exile. Ultimately, Habakkuk remembers God’s character. He finishes by acknowledging his choice to worship God while facing a difficult situation. Habakkuk 3:18-19 says,

Yet I will [choose to] rejoice in the Lord; I will [choose to] shout in exultation in the [victorious] God of my salvation! The Lord God is my strength [my source of courage, my invincible army]; He has made my feet [steady and sure] like hinds’ feet And makes me walk [forward with spiritual confidence] on my high places [of challenge and responsibility]. (AMP)

The story of Habakkuk can feel jarring. If we don’t read carefully, we could get the impression that this prophet prayed for his people to be held accountable for their behavior and then lost control of the situation pretty quickly.

But the bigger story here is that even as God allows the Israelites to become the victims of their own perpetual choices, he still protects them from the punishment they actually deserve: death. And he does the same for us every day.

I’m so grateful for a Savior who loves us enough to withhold warranted consequences. Just like Habakkuk, God’s generous supply of grace and mercy draw me to choose to worship him even in difficult situations.

Beth Walker is a football coach’s wife and mom of two energetic boys. She strives to encourage those around her to pursue their best lives in Jesus whether she is near the game field, in church, or at the local coffee shop. As a writer, Beth has been striving to find her voice through seeing Jesus in the ordinary and extraordinary of daily life. She blogs at Lessons from the Sidelines.

Photograph © Jasmin Ne, used with permission