Understanding an Unchanging God - Habakkuk 1:12-2:20

What the…?

For those of us who’ve been married I wonder if you’ve ever had one of those moments in your married life where you just cannot fathom for the life of you why your spouse would do that really dumb stupid thing? Can I get Amen ladies?

I’m guilty of this, where in a best case scenario it’s good intentions poorly executed that have left Ellisa feeling a little exasperated, or at worst it’s simply down right laziness and poor husbandry on my behalf that has left Ellisa not the happiest of wives.

Our close personal relationships with our spouses or close friends often leave us scratching our heads. How could they have possibly done that? And Habakkuk finds himself in a bit of a similar position today, how could God possibly do that he’s asking. And as we unpack it we’ll see that he shows us a helpful way for us to navigate our own questioning of God.

The Book of Habakkuk

Latter third of the seventh century BC (630-612/05).

612 - Fall of Nineveh (Assyrian capital) and 605 - the complete downfall of the Assyrian empire.

This is when historians know that the Babylonians whom God mentions in Hab 1:6 began to rise up and become a world power.

Prophets normally call God’s people to account for failing to live up to God’s standards.

Habakkuk is the opposite. Crying out to God for failing to bring the evil throughout Israel and in the surrounding nations to account. Habakkuk is begging God to judge his people.

“The book of Habakkuk teaches both the faithfulness of God and what faithful living before God looks like when life is turned upside down and catastrophe strikes.”

Complaint and Response 1 (Hab 1:2-11)

Habakkuk is upset with his people. They have failed to be faithful to God and he wants to know what God is going to do about it.

God says, I’m going to judge them by sending the Babylonians to Israel.

God is a just God. We need to face that reality that he will not let sin go unpunished.

Habakkuk replies (Hab 1:12-2:1)

You’ll remember God has just said to Habakkuk I’m going to bring the babylonians in to judge your people for their sin. Now Habakkuk responds to God… He says, ok so you’re going to use the Babylonians to execute judgement (v12) but hang on God

Habakkuk 1:13 TNIV

Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?

How can you tolerate them?

Like my people are bad God like I started complaining about back in verse 2 but the babylonians are seriously bad and you’re going to use them!?

And he goes on through verse 13-17 to talk about the horrors of the babylonians.

Then in Ch 2 he waits for God to reply:

Habakkuk 2:1 TNIV

I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint.

And before we look at the answer God gives, let’s take a moment to marvel at this wonderful interaction between God and Habakkuk.

Here we have a man who has just heard from God something he doesn’t really like and so he brings his discomfort with what God has said to God.

It’s quite amazing that Habakuk is able to confront and question God like this. And yet Habakkuk is not punished for it is he.

God is not threatened by honest questioning by us. He invites it.

When we’re faced with big problems, or hard things and we don’t understand God, He invites us to wrestle it through with him. To be constant in prayer and scripture as we struggle to understand and have our understanding conformed to be more like Him.

Why is are my long time friends to behave so badly?

Why is my church changing?

Why are my deepest held prayers unanswered?

Keep on wrestling. And then wait in his presence for an answer.

God answers (Hab 2:2-20)

Habakkuk gets an answer:

The Babylonians are also unrighteous.

They are arrogant, greedy, love killing people and taking them captive (v5)

God may use the Babylonians to excute his judgment on His faithless people, but that doesn’t mean he won’t hold to account those who arrogantly use excessive violence. Two wrongs don’t make a right. God is still just as we spoke about last week and does not condone evil even when he uses evil for his purposes.

And so you see don’t you in God’s answer through vv4-20 his plan to cause those whom the Babylonians have crushed, to rise up and eventual execute judgment on them for the way they have misused violence and bought about evil.

Habakkuk 2:16–17 TNIV

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. The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and your destruction of animals will terrify you. For you have shed human blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them.

We’ll how Habakuk responds to this answered prayer we shall cover next week.

But again we see that God is indeed a just God.

Habakkuk couldn’t fathom how a just God could let an unjust people bring judgment.

God says though he will use them, they too will be responsible for their actions that go well beyond the pale.

And that though it may appear as though God is allowing more injustice to bring punishmenet for God’s people’s sins, that this doesn’t change God’s plan.

Habakkuk 2:14 TNIV

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

God’s character is unchanging

God’s love of justice. His giving of mercy. His control of the world. None of this changes. What does change is our ability to understand our present circumstances in light of God’s unchanging character.

It can be really hard.

When God takes away something you so desperately want, he doesn’t feel like a loving, just father… But He is.

When God is slow to judge the wicked and they are seemingly prospering while his faithful ones a failing under the pressures of persecution, He doesn’t feel like a loving, just, merciful father… But he is.

When Jesus faced his own death and was forsaken by God on the cross, Jesus wasn’t feeling the loving touch of a merciful Father, in fact he was experiencing God’s judgment and wrath. But he went through that we never would.

God hasn’t given up on you. He hasn’t changed. Keep wrestling with him, just like Habakkuk did and not that ultimately God’s justice will prevail be it in this life or the next.

Back in verse 4 we read:

Habakkuk 2:4c TNIV

“See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous will live by their faithfulness—

Jesus death means victory, joy and life for eternity for all how believe in him now and forever.

We live by continuing to be faithful to him even in the midst of storms and the unfathomable things of this life.

Keep the faith. Bring your hearts before the lord, await his response and press on in faith in his unchanging nature.