Habakkuk: Hope Beyond the HeadlinesNäide

WHEN GOD SEEMS SILENT

Unlike other prophetic books, Habakkuk is structured as a dramatic dialogue, moving from questioning to understanding to worship and showing us a pattern for processing our own struggles with God's ways in the world.

Chapter 1: Two complaints from Habakkuk and God's responses

Chapter 2: God's final answer and five woes against injustice

Chapter 3: Habakkuk's psalm of faith and worship

Yesterday, we looked at Habakkuk’s first complaint and practiced our own honest prayers. Why should we do this? Because, on the road to Christian maturity, there will be a time when something happens to us or to someone we love, and we find ourselves asking, “What in the world are You doing, God? If You’re loving, if You’re gracious, if You’re good, then how can this be happening?” And if we pay attention to secular arguments against the existence of God, this is their argument as well: “If there’s a loving, all-knowing, all-powerful God, explain to me human suffering.” The human experience has beauty and joy, but it is also chaotic and tragic. It is okay to acknowledge that and to ask God about it. Habakkuk shows us how to question.

And Habakkuk shares God’s response. Which shocks his socks off. You see, Habakkuk’s complaint is against his own people. The people of Judah are living unrighteous lives, and Habakkuk wants God to do something about it. God assures Habakkuk that He isn’t sleeping on the job, “I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” (Habakkuk 1:5, NIV) Okay- this could be great… But then God says, “I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people…” (1:6, NIV)

Wait a minute. God’s plan is to bring judgment on the Israelites through a fearful and dreaded people who worship idols? Really?! This is God’s answer?! Habakkuk is confused and frustrated, and we’ll read more about that tomorrow. For now, spoiler alert:

We know something that Habakkuk didn’t know. His people will be conquered and exiled by the Babylonians (also known as the Chaldeans), and this will result in the eventual spread of Judaism throughout the whole Roman Empire. After the exile, some will return to rebuild Jerusalem, but most Jews will remain dispersed in what is called the diaspora. Eventually, they will build synagogues in just about every city in the ancient world, and these synagogues will not only draw in Jews but will also attract non-Jews (Gentiles) who are interested in the Jewish God. These Gentiles came to be known as God-fearers. In the first century AD, as Christianity began to spread, some of the most receptive people in the entire world to the gospel were not the pagans and not even the Jews, but the Gentile God-fearers, the people who were part of those synagogue communities. They embraced Jesus, and it was through them that Christianity spread throughout the world.

Habakkuk couldn’t have known this would happen. But we do! For this reason, we can trust that God’s plans and ways are right and just and good, even when we don’t understand.

Ask Yourself:

-What about my life and the world around me do I not understand right now?

-Looking back on my life, where do I see God using something hard for His glory and my good?

Pause to Pray: Lord, your thoughts and your ways are higher than mine. I know that you are always good, always just, always faithful… Teach me to trust you even in these hard things… Thank you for your Word, for Habakkuk’s book… Amen

Take a Next Step: Declare your trust in God. Choose a difficult situation and fill in the blank: “I am confident that God has good things planned for me and for his glory in ______________________.”