In Confusion, Cling to God’s Character – Hab 1
This is a fascinating chapter in which Habakkuk talks with God and tries to understand what God is doing in the world. He has a burden and he cries out to God, “How long? When will you hear? When will you deal with the violent and save the righteous? All around me is sin and wickedness and law-breaking?”
So, Habakkuk is trying to understand what God is doing and when God is going to work. God’s answer in v.5 is much different than he expected. God says, “Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: For I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.”
God goes on to reveal that He is at work, in very big ways, ways that Habakkuk will find it hard to believe. The cruel Chaldeans will come up upon Israel. They will march through the land, conquering everything in their path (v.6-11).
Habakkuk finds this hard to understand (v.12-17). He knows that God is eternal, holy, faithful, and pure. So how can God allow such wicked people to rule over His people?
We will find out more about how God answers Habakkuk in the verses that follow, but what we learn from this is…
- We are not only ones throughout history who have found it hard to understand what God is doing (v.1-4). Habakkuk could identity with any frustrations we might feel about God’s dealings.
- When we feel like nothing is happening, God is doing really big things (v.5). We just need to look around and consider the bigger plan which might be much bigger than us and our own personal situation.
- Our rock amidst all the confusion and frustration is the character of God (v.12-13). Habakkuk does not understand but he is still trusting God and clinging to His righteous and holy character. That is our rock as well in times of uncertainty.