Confession of trust (v 12)

Habakkuk’s first question was why God was leaving the sins of the people unpunished. In response, an answer was given from God. It was that He would raise up an instrument to judge Judah. The instrument that would judge Judah’s violence was the Chaldeans, who are also characterized by violence – that is, Babylonia. After hearing that answer, a more serious second question arose in Habakkuk’s heart. Before voicing that question, he first confessed his trust in God. (1) “Are You not from time everlasting, Lord, my God, my Holy One? We will not die.” Habakkuk is convinced that the people of Israel will not be completely destroyed. The reason is that there is a covenant relationship between God and them. And the holy God is not One who ever breaks His promises or abandons His covenant. (2) “You, Lord, have appointed them to deliver judgment; and You, O Rock, have destined them to punish.” Habakkuk understood that God would raise up Babylonia for two purposes. (a) It was to judge Judah. (b) Furthermore, it was to rebuke and discipline Judah. It was not judgment for the sake of judgment. In fact, the people of Judah were taken into the Babylonian exile, but when they returned after seventy years, they had completely abandoned idol worship. The discipline had been effective. Habakkuk understood that much, but there was still something he could not understand. Therefore, he raises his second question.

The second question (v 13-17)

His question was this: he understood that Judah was sinful, but why would God use Babylonia, which was even more wicked than Judah, to judge Judah? “Your eyes are too pure to look at evil, and You cannot look at harm favorably. Why do You look favorably at those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they?” (1) This question is the same as the question raised concerning the Holocaust in the twentieth century. We understand that the Jewish people are sinners, but why would God use the Nazis, who were far more sinful, to judge the Jewish people? (2) Babylonia is compared to a fisherman, and the people of Judah are compared to fish. “The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook, drag them away with their net, and gather them together in their fishing net. Therefore they rejoice and are joyful.” The people of Judah are captured very easily and taken away to Babylon. (3) Babylonia worships the net with which it has dragged up the people of Judah. In other words, they boast in their own military power and make it their god. (4) Habakkuk greatly fears how long Babylonia will continue to carry out such violence. We will confirm what God’s answer will be next time. Here, let us affirm that “even if it appears slow in human eyes, God will surely punish evil at His appointed time.” “For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hurries toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it delays, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay long” (2:3). Let us make this verse our own and store it in our hearts.