HABAKKUK had complained to God that his glory was tarnished by the wickedness rife in Israel, and yet God was not doing anything about it. God answered his complaint with a totally unexpected reply. He told Habakkuk that he was going to do something and this was to use the wicked Babylonian empire to bring judgement on Israel. Not only was this action on the part of God totally different to anything Habakkuk imagined, but it was also using a wicked and godless people as an instrument of judgement. God had replied, but it left Habakkuk wrestling with complicated questions which he found difficult to reconcile with the truth about God he knew.

Here is an experience which is far from uncommon in the life of God's people. God's actions cause real problems in the mind. We read God's word and what is revealed seems to go against the grain of all we know about God and what is just and good. We experience trials and difficulties which are hard to bear, and we wonder why God allows these pains and sufferings. Satan uses these times to tempt us to sin. He assaults our faith. He moves us to pray in a questionable way, and so on. This is where Habakkuk found himself, and so from his wrestling with the problem he faced we can learn how we can face God's ways, and come through stronger in faith and understanding.

HEARING HABAKKUK'S STRUGGLE.

Habakkuk has two conflicting thoughts and understanding. On the one hand he has all that he had been taught and learned of God, and his promises to his people. On the other hand he had this action of God which seemed to run contrary to all he understood concerning God and his ways. Today the attitude would be to reject the part of God's word which upset us or which human wisdom questioned. As a true prophet and child of God Habakkuk could not do this. God had spoken and he could not reject God's word. How he struggled with this dilemma is expressed in the words of our passage.

In the first place Habakkuk speaks of the truth about God he knew. This is expressed in verses 12 and 13a. He reminds himself that God is everlasting; and that he was Habakukk's God, and was Holy. In this Habakkuk was expressing that God was enthroned over all from eternity, and that all his actions were holy. He also expressed the truth that God in grace had made himself known to Habakkuk in salvation, and so Habakkuk could affirm that God was his God. In this personal relationship with God was bound up all the promises of God to bless his people and keep them from all harm, and be a father to them. Habakkuk affirms what was at the heart of his faith, and that was that God's promises in grace were of life that would never be taken away. Habakkuk expresses this in the words 'we will not die'. This was the gracious promises that God would always be the God of his people, and would grant them eternal safety; so he could say "in God, my holy One" and God "my rock". Together with this Habakkuk affirms that God could not act unrighteously and was of purer eyes than to tolerate evil

In the face of this knowledge of God Habakkuk wrestles with the revelation God had given him that God was going to use the Babylonians to execute judgement on Israel, who were a godless and sinful people whose acts were sinful.. He expresses this in the following verses. The question that faced Habakkuk was how a righteous and holy God could use such a wicked nation to punish Israel. Habakkuk thinks aloud in the presence of God. He can't see the justice in a more evil nation being used to punish one less wicked. He can't come to terms with the way Babylon treated those it subjugated. Babylon just treated them like fish to be gathered and killed. Babylon has no mercy or feelings of human kindness. Babylon not only acts like this but gloats over their suffering and subjugation, and finds pleasure in it. Worst of all Babylon attributes all their power and success to their own power, and worship their own victories and prowess. Reflecting on all this, Habakkuk, in verse 17, questions how such behaviour is allowed to go on unpunished.

LESSONS TO BE LEARNT.

What can we learn from the experience of Habakkuk? In the first place, that such experiences which Habakkuk faced are not uncommon, and it is natural for questions to be raised in the mind. Nor must we feel it is wrong to express all our concerns and questions in prayer to God. This is what Habakkuk did. He thought through his perplexity in the presence of God. Habakkuk did not question God or judge God, but rather he brought the whole matter before God in prayer. This is the beginning of the way forward.

Then we can learn from Habakkuk that we need to hold fast to the truths we do know and have been taught by the Holy Spirit and from the word of God. These truths are an anchor to the soul in the midst of conflict. These are truths we know which cannot be altered or changed. Here is our armour of truth, and the shield of faith. In faith we hold fast to what we know, and are eternal verities, believing the truth that come what may these can not be overthrown. This is what Habakkuk is doing in the beginning of his prayer. His example is that we need to do this first of all in prayer, and seal them on our heart and mind, and then we will not be defeated by our perplexities, nor be taken by Satan to cut loose from saving truth.

From this Habakkuk could affirm the truth of eternal life. 'We will not die' is Habakkuk's firm assurance. Such assurance is based on the veracity of God's inspired word. The fact was that God's judgement on the nation did not change God's promised word to his faithful people, and the eternal life promised for all who believe on Jesus. What Habakkuk failed to understand was that the promises of God in salvation are only sure when they are based on faith in the eternal promise of God. The truth which Habakkuk needed to understand was that the nation of Israel was not the true Israel. The true Israel was only those faithful to the faith of Abraham. This is always true. The visible church is not the true church of God. The true church of God is always the faithful remnant. This means that the judgement on the outward visible church, when that visible church turns away from the truth of God, does not fall on the true church of the faithful, even though the believer may have to go through the outward consequences of God's action in judgement.

All this does not remove the perplexity which the use of the wicked Babylonian nation caused. The lesson which Habakkuk teaches us is that whereas we may bring all our perplexities before God, we must not question the righteousness of God. God is sovereign over the world and all things are under his sovereign control. God's actions in providence are not the author of evil. Evil finds its source in the wicked hearts of human beings. The actions of Babylon were all out of the mind and heart of the rulers in Babylon. God's action was simply one of not hindering Babylon in its evil purpose. Babylon was God's servant because even though they did their own wicked way, God's overall plan and rule was being fulfilled because God knows the end from the beginning, and nothing happens without his permission and knowledge. This is a very hard thing to grasp. Perhaps it is best expressed in the words of Peter in his sermon at Pentecost. In Acts 2: 23f speaking of the events of Christ's death Peter declared, "This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross." The action of the Jews in killing Jesus came from their own evil hearts, but the whole matter was ordained and according to God's eternal plan of salvation.

Habakkuk ends his prayer by bringing to God his fear. This is expressed in verse 17. Habakkuk has been speaking of the awful ravages and evil of the Babylonian nation, and the awful blaspheme of worshipping their own supposed power, and supposing they were masters of their destiny. In verse 17 Habakkuk asks the question before God - is this to go on forever and will it never end. This is a very real concern. We look out on the world and see all the evil, cruelty, mayhem and suffering that goes on, and we cry - will this never end. Habakkuk did not have the answer at that time, but he felt the anguish. People speak to Christians and question why God allows all this to happen. Like Habakkuk we do not have the answer, but one thing that Habakkuk shows us is that we can raise the questions, but we must never doubt God. Even in the worst perplexity, and though we can't answer the world's questions, we hold fast to that which we are sure of.

This brings us back to where Habakkuk started. He started with the truth about God that he did know and was assured of. God is eternal. He rules all things. He is holy and all his ways are just. He is our God through faith in Jesus Christ, and so the believer is safe in the arms of Jesus, and live for today in the confidence that the future is safe in his care.

Habakkuk could not understand what God was telling him. It raised great questions and fears, but he did not doubt or deny God's word, and was content in the end to wait for more light. The truth is that the whole tapestry of life is not for us to know in this life. We are part of the tapestry, and we see only the part we are in. From time to time God gives us more light to see more fully, but calls us to trust him whatever the consequences.