Where is God's Justice?
Habakkuk • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 7 viewsWhy do the wicked prosper? Why is God so long in bringing justice?
Notes
Transcript
Ever wondered, Where is God’s justice? Where is it in the world—with everything evil going on? Why do the wicked prosper? and where it is personally in your own life?
I was reading a story of a young Christian wife and mother named Emily. (from several years ago)
She says this:
If you had asked me what I was thankful for before September, I would have said that I am thankful for my family, my home, my job, and for God—for a husband who loves and cares for me, for four children (ages fourteen, eleven, nine, five) who are healthy and happy, for a home I never dreamed I could have, for a career that allows me to work from home, use my brain, and make a difference for my company and my clients, and for a God that has provided me those things—regardless of my worthiness. (Walking with God, Tim Keller, page 30)
In September, completely out of the blue, my husband left me and our four children for someone else (who left her husband and two children as well). This other family were friends of ours; we’d vacationed with them on three separate occasions during the summer. I thought they were our friends.
My heart died within me. This could not be happening. My Christian husband—the one who with me sat down with our kids and explained that while divorce does happen, it would never happen to us—we made a covenant, a promise to God and to each other—no matter what—we will always be here for each other and for them. I sobbed and begged him not to go, that we would figure this out. No, he was leaving.
he even told the kids face to face he was leaving...
after 8 weeks, she said, her was still crushed. God is this really your plan?
she says: I have never been so angry. Our poor children are suffering terribly; their father’s “wants” come before their “needs.” “I still love my kids,” he says. Really? How can you love them and cause them such pain?
(remarkably) she says, After four months, God is beginning to heal me in a way I’m not sure I want to be healed. I want to see justice, but it is not mine to inflict. I am beginning to try to pray for him . . . not about him.
still it was extremely hard...she talks about in her story, how she was crying out to God, How am I going to make it? I need to plan for the future without him—practically, spiritually, emotionally, and financially.
as I read her story, she is honest in her story about all the hard things—-the impact it has had on her, the trauma, and the impact on her kids, the oldest even questioning his faith. and she has to sell the house because she can’t afford it.
by the end of her story—-she says: I am going to pray for him on a regular basis, I am going to love him (but I will not be a doormat). I am going to support my family and I am going to seek God’s plan for our life. I am going to forgive him, but I won’t forget—because if I forget, I won’t be able to use what I learn to help others who may go through this nightmare.....and I have learned to depend on God.
she brings up a key theme in our text today...
Justice—this woman wanted God’s justice to be done because the whole situation she was in —was unfair.
ever felt like that?
we probably feel like that both...globally and personally...
Globally—because look at the news, the nations are raging, war is going on, conflict, people starving, being abused, human trafficking—God bring your justice! Why do you delay?
and personally—you may know someone in your life that you want to see get God’s justice. You...can’t...stand them. maybe they betrayed you...attacked you...gossiped about you. maybe it was even a fellow Christian or a spouse or a family member. relationally, you are hurt. and you want justice, and quite honestly, you want revenge.
maybe just life seems unfair—why do the wicked prosper and have no worries, but I am trying to follow you and life is just hard and unfair.
If you sense that today, our prophet and the book Habakkuk relates.
We are in a series on the book of Habakkuk. Please turn to chapter 2:6.
Habakkuk was written almost 2600 years ago yet so practical for today.
He was a prophet—ministering in the southern half of Israel called Judah.
and I love this book, he wrestles with God and God answers.
because he sees all the injustice and violence going on among his own people. so he cries out how long and why? God do something!
God says in chapter 1—yes I will do something. I will bring justice by having the wicked empire known as Babylon—come in and take over your nation (which would happen a few years later).
and so Habakkuk says, “God I thought you were holy and pure and righteous...why would you do this or tolerate this? I will wait for your answer.”
and God says “live by faith or faithfulness—trust me!”
and so so far God has given us a few tools in our tool belt to help us when suffering:
we can cry out to God like Habakkuk—rawly, honestly, respectfully—giving our hardest questions and complaints to God
we are to wait on the Lord—this idea of clinging to what I know to be true about God and his character, even when my circumstances are all over the place
and last week—living by faith—or faithfulness. both internally trusting God and externally—by how I live. that produces a humble soul rest. (I want the 4A’s to grow my intellectual assent, my affections, my allegiance, and my actions)
what is it this week? well it concerns justice.
look at what God says he is going to do to Babylon...even though He is allowing them to come in and invade Israel, and even destroy their city and temple...and take them captive...God holds them accountable by announcing a series of 5 woes...curses and laments.
let’s see if we can summarize these woes as we go and why God is bringing them:
Here’s what God says against Babylon...
6 “Will not all of them (the surrounding nations) taunt him (Babylon) with ridicule and scorn, saying, “ ‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on?’
7 Will not your creditors suddenly arise? Will they not wake up and make you tremble? Then you will become their prey.
8 Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you. For you have shed human blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.
What is Babylon guilt of?
Sin #1: Extortion or Oppression in building their nation (vs. 6-8), or we might use the words—theft, plunder, some of that is because they invaded, and this is what happens sadly.
some of it is unfair business practices once they took over. and even (violence vs. 8)
one scholar says in today’s terms:
Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah 1. Woe to the Extortioner (2:6–8)
Habakkuk’s message concerning modern commerce is clear: do not make your wealth or your living by unjust practices. Practice the business of just weights and just measures. Work to make an honest living without destroying the livelihoods of others.
but God says there is a day coming—when the people they took advantage of will rise up—and plunder you.
violence begets violence...you reap what you sow.
let’s keep reading
9 “Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, setting his nest on high to escape the clutches of ruin!
10 You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your life.
11 The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it.
so part of this sin overlaps with #1—but we see more added:
sin #2: Pride, Greed in building their nation - building their nest on high—no regard for God or anyone else.
so with sin 1 and sin 2—they are building their nation and house and dynasty, unjustly, unfairly, extorting, and abusing.
let’s keep going
the 3rd woe and sin
12 “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by injustice!
13 Has not the Lord Almighty determined that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing?
sin #3: Violence in building their nation
so sins 1, 2, 3, all related—to how Babylon, this massive, wicked empire that God would use to punish His people, would get what is coming to them. Even though God uses them, he holds them accountable.
and I have to think globally for a second here...if you are here, and constantly watching too much news or headlines—seeing the nations raging as Psalm 2 puts it...Russia’s continued invasion of Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, not to mention all the battles and violence going on all over the world. it can be overwhelming. How long will you put up with it God? Why are you not doing anything about it?
already we see here...that God sees...and one day He will do something about it.
and even in vs. 13—Babylon the nation exhausts itself for nothing—its labor is only fuel for the eventual judgment of God...
Let’s keep reading
14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
amazing verse—what an encouraging verse. more on that later...
the 4th sin
15 “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies!
16 You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and let your nakedness be exposed! The cup from the Lord’s right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory.
17 The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you (lebanon is north of Israel, known for its cedar trees), and your destruction of animals will terrify you. For you have shed human blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.
what is the 4th sin and woe: Taking advantage of the oppressed (and violence is mentioned in vs. 17, even destroying Lebanon and its terrain - God even cares about all of his creation—the trees and the animals))
but Babylon was known for this—and the prophet uses the image of wine is to abuse and oppress—take advantage of—even sexually and physically here.
Babylon was known for its wild drinking parties that turned into orgies (just read Daniel chapter 5)
and God says—the tables will be turned. you will drink the cup—that is the cup of God’s wrath.
and then the 5th woe or sin
18 “Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman? Or an image that teaches lies? For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.
19 Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it.”
20 The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.
5th sin: Idolatry (vs. 18-20)
an idol is anything we worship more than Jesus.
sometimes for them it was literal statues or images-for us it’s other things like money, sex, power, acclaim, status. but Habakkuk saw all kinds of problems—these are created things. not the Creator!
back in 1:11—we saw that Babylon’s idol was its own strength and military power.
Main point (on your sheet)
If we are suffering and questioning God's justice, God wants us to trust Him based upon His coming justice.
He sees it, and He has a day in store to do something about it.
I think it’s worth backing up for a moment and defining justice:
What is God’s justice? or what is justice?
Definition: justice is more than just punishment...
Justice is from 2 at least 2 Hebrew words:
Mishpat (used over 400x in the OT) - treating people equally
—punishment - (giving someone appropriately what they deserve)
—rights
so on a human level first — (before we talk about God) it is treating people equitably—giving each person the same punishment or rights..., regardless of social status, last name, economic status, or power or poverty.
so for instance in a trial—it is giving a fair sentence—whether that is acquitting or punishment every person on the merits of the case, regardless of their status or race.
so it is giving people their due—whether it is punishment or rights.
God expected His people to treat others fairly....regardless of background.
22 You are to have the same law (mishpat—justice) for the foreigner and the native-born. I am the Lord your God.’ ”
but it’s more than just punishments—I meant rights and access to resouces. , we are to especially give the vulnerable their due: pay especially to them...that they give equality...
10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’
because that quartet of the vulnerable, needs help. we are to give them their due just as much as a person with resources.
This is giving justice—punishment and rights...
and it is based on our God who is just...He does this perfectly!
17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.
18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.
God is perfectly just—in giving rights....as seen above
(if time - We get more insight when we consider a second Hebrew word that can be translated as “being just,” though it usually translated as “being righteous.” The word is tzadeqah, and it refers to a life of right relationships. Bible scholar Alec Motyer defines “righteous” as those “right with God and therefore committed to putting right all other relationships in life.” 25)
(These two words roughly correspond to what some have called “primary” and “rectifying justice.” 26 Rectifying justice is mishpat. It means punishing wrongdoers and caring for the victims of unjust treatment. Primary justice, or tzadeqah, is behavior that, if it was prevalent in the world, would render rectifying justice unnecessary, because everyone would be living in right relationship to everyone else.27 Therefore, though tzadeqah is primarily about being in a right relationship with God, the righteous life that results is profoundly social.)
and perfectly just in giving punishments...
31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
8 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might
So God is perfectly just...in the sense of giving out punishments fairly...and rights to those in need.
and he does it equally and fairly.
How God's Justice Helps Us:
—keeps us from being too aggressive
if we know that God will one day set things right, then when someone hurts me, I don’t have to take up the sword and retaliate with justice. I don’t have to get even, because I know that one day that person will stand before God and get what they deserve. I know it is hard to wait, but the idea that God will bring HIs perfect appropriate justice means I don’t have to take vengeance. God sees and will act (that’s what He tells Habakkuk)
—keeps us from being too passive
you may say “what?” if there is no final judgement or justice God brings, one reaction is to be aggressive—eye for eye, but another is just to lose all hope. especially if you are very oppressed. to lose hope, to give up, and never work for justice, because what does it matter? In the end, it all burns. but if God sees all and will make all things right...I can work for justice now—as an agent of God, showing people His justice and character.
one of the big questions....
Why does God still delay? (if God sees all and knows all and it even breaks his heart...why does God not act sooner.… How Long O Lord!
short answer...we don’t know.
2. another answer...God’s timing is so different than ours.
in 2 Peter 3, Peter addresses this how some people will come in the last days scoffing and saying “Where is this 2nd coming that God promised...”
8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.
God’s timing is different because He is God, He sees the bigger picture that we can’t always see, and He does want all people, including our enemies, including the most horrible nations and people in the world, to have a chance to repent and turn to Him.
What now?
pray for your enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
praying for our enemies is hard—but it softens our hearts for them. makes us realize they are humans who need God’s grace, too.
2. follow Romans 12:17-21
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.
18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
not only do we pray for them, God encourages us to act pretty radically towards them—feed them, help them survive, and this will be a strong conviction against them.
3. Look to Jesus, remembering...
God’s justice is a reason for worship (vs. 14, 20)
14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
20 The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.
connections to Jesus...and justice...
first, Jesus knows what injustice is like.
He was falsely accused and arrested. betrayed by Judas.
His own people had a sham of a trial—nobody could make any accusations stick b/c they were not true. He was unjustly treated, because He is God and perfect. He knows if you are being unjustly treated today—He knows what that is like. he was a victim of injustice.
and yet He did all of this—going to the cross—-faced massive unjustice for us..
you see - we love the idea of justice for those out there—nations, enemies, but what about us?
The Bible is clear that if God is perfectly just—gives out perfect punishments and helps those in need...his perfect appropriate punishment for us—is His perfect wrath against sin.
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
you see when I look at the sins of Babylon—we may think—that’s for people in power, at the highest forms of leadership and government, and it’s true if you are in leadership or power, you have a high and holy calling.
but all of these can become us...
all of us can ...extort others, take advantage of them (sin 1)
all of us can be greedy or arrogant (sin 2)
violent (sin 3)
substances and sexuality (sin 4), taking advantage of others
and it stems from sin 5—our idolatry.
We deserve God’s justice.
but amazingly...Jesus was sent by the Father and Holy Spirit to experience that justice on our behalf.
—the cross. on the cross, we see the love of God—Jesus gladly died for us...
but also the justice of God magnified. God the Son had to die for us—that was the only way to fairly and equitably pay for our sin. the wages of sin is death—in this life and for eternity.
and on the cross...when Jesus was hanging there—crying out—love and justice perfectly met. Justice and grace or mercy perfectly met.
Jesus began to help the earth to be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord (that’s his manifest presence, his weighty presence in all its fullness). the Apostle John said of Jesus—we have seen His glory in human form when He took on flesh.
on the cross—we see the glory of God, and we see his justice and mercy or grace perfectly meet.
when I look at the cross—and see the love and justice of God, I can trust that there is a coming day when God will judge my enemies and put all things right.
prayer time:
worship you for your justice
praying for a situation — locally or globally for God’s justice...
