Habakkuk has awful things going on in his time, and he asks God, How can you allow these bad things to happen? This topic parallels our time. We know very little about Habakkuk. There is a hint in the 3rd chapter that he may have been a Levite and a singer. He was a prophet around 620 B.C. Israel has become so corrupt that God has allowed an invasion by the Syrians and assimilated the Israelites into their culture. Babel has risen to power at this time. He lived between King Josiah who was a very good king, loved God, loved people, and was a very good person. After he died, bad kings came along and took Israel down. Bad leaders take a nation down.
Habakkuk 1:1-4 is a question, “God, why do you let the evil prevail?â€
1 ¶ The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see. Seeing the future is a burden, not a joy. Everyone has trial and tribulations to overcome, and if we knew about them early, it would hurt us.
2 O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! Even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! This man loves God, but he's very concerned about what he knows is going to happen to man, and what is happening to man. Habakkuk asks, how long are you going to let me pray and cry over the violence that is happening to the men here?
3 Why dost thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? For spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. God, just look around at what is happening to our people: greed, false judgement, torture, lies, all this evil. And you let me stand here and see it as a prophet and you're not doing anything about it. It just goes on and on and on. How long... |
