At present, I am reading through the Minor Prophets and just finished the book of Habakkuk. Habakkuk is a three chapter book that we can quickly read through without considering some important spiritual principles contained in the book. In this Sabbath Thought, I would like to bring out some of what we can glean from this prophetic book.
Because of conditions at the time the prophet lived, he questioned God. There were two main reasons why the prophet had questions for God. The reason for the first question is found in chapter one of the book, “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? Even cry out to You, "Violence!" and You will not save. 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. Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgment proceeds” (Habakkuk 1:2-4). The observation: Judah is filled with sin and injustice. The question: Why don’t you intervene to stop it?
The second question arises because the Babylonian Empire is on the rise. The prophet noting this, can see that it is inevitable that Babylon will march against the nations of the Mediterranean coast. The prospect of Judah falling to Babylon is hard for the prophet to understand. His question: How can God allow Judah to fall prey to a cruel, idolatrous, and oppressive people?
Habakkuk was not unlike many people today who are troubled by the world around them. Seeing the evils and the accompanying suffering we wonder, “Why doesn’t God do something about all the problems of humanity?”
“Why doesn’t God intervene?” was a pertinent question in Habakkuk’s time and it is a relevant question for us living in the 21st century.
What is the answer to the prophet’s question? The answer is found in Habakkuk 2:4, “Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by faith.” We see that the proud do not live by faith in God. They live apart from God following their own ways and desires. However, the follower of God lives by faith. He lives a life trusting in God that He will be with us no matter what, and in the end, He will answer our questions.
As the world unfolds before us in the years ahead, our consideration of what it means “to walk by faith” might very well make the difference in our holding fast to the end.
Gary Smith
