I've been reading the minor prophets lately. Some of them speak to me more than others, mainly because they relate to the situation(s) I'm in or have been in. Particularly Hosea recently, and now Habakkuk.

These are my verbatim personal notes after reading, no references, no great scholarly comments. I recommend reading it for yourself: just 3 short chapters.

Habakkuk’s cry is the same as throughout the ages: why does evil seem to be winning? Injustice and violence are everywhere. The wicked prevail against the righteous and they are helpless. Habakkuk cries out to God, but God seems to be doing nothing.

God’s answer: he is doing something about it. He is raising up the Babylonians to judge Israel for her sins. They are ruthless and cruel military conquerors who will show no mercy.

Habakkuk acknowledges this, but still doesn’t seem to get it. He recognizes that God is raising up the Babylonians to punish, but seems to ask, if he is going to do that, why does he tolerate unrighteousness now? He gives a vivid comparison of men to sea creatures, whom the wicked pulls up in his net at will and then worships the net for his gain. Habakkuk doesn’t seem to believe that God’s judgment will come. He has seen the wicked prospering with no hindrance or interruption for far too long now.

God patiently replies to Habakkuk again by telling him to write down the revelation. Though it seems to be taking a long time, it will certainly come. The wicked will not prosper forever. Evil will not win out in the end. God goes on to describe the end of the wicked: the injustice that he perpetrated will come back on himself and those he oppressed will take vengeance on him. In the midst is this beautiful promise: the Lord says that people’s labor, particularly those who engage in violence and bloodshed to build their empires, is in vain: “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” God’s kingdom will win out. It will prevail, and those who labored and strove to build their earthly dominions will come to nothing.

The kingdom is the only thing worth seeking. It will last, while all earthly kingdoms will pass away.

Idols are useless. The Lord is God of the whole earth; he rules on high. Let everyone and everything worship him.

Habakkuk finally gets it. His eyes are lifted off this earthly perspective, where temporarily evil seems to be winning, and are placed on God, his mightiness and his power. He responds with a beautiful prayer that reveals that finally he has seen God, and he is awesome.

Habakkuk begins with a plea for God to renew the great deeds that he has done in the past, today. He then describes vividly the mighty, glorious and powerful God, ruler of the heavens and the earth, as he steps down from his throne and comes in judgment. Even the earth trembles and shakes at his appearing. He comes and executes judgment on the wicked oppressor, completely destroying the one who had been so feared and who previously had been carrying out his injustice freely.

It is clear that this is a spiritual revelation. Habakkuk is not seeing an actual event; he is seeing into the heavenlies, into God’s purposes, and into the future as God carries out his purposes in time. But it renews Habakkuk’s faith. At last, his eyes are taken off the earthly perspective that has had him so depressed and discouraged, and he is filled with revelation. He has seen God. He has seen God’s purposes, and that has made all the difference. God has promised that this destruction will come, and Habakkuk believes him. He ends with a beautiful prayer of trust:

“Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity
To come on the nation invading us.
Though the fig tree does not bud
And there are no grapes on the vines,
Though the olive crop fails
And the fields produce no food,
Though there are no sheep in the pen
And no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
He enables me to go on the heights.”

Although Habakkuk’s situation hasn’t changed, his perspective has, radically. He has seen God and been lifted up to greater heights of faith and security than ever before. He now realizes that even though all around him is crumbling and even though the things he relies on to keep him fail, he can trust and rejoice in God alone.

We need to pray and to seek this kind of revelation of God for ourselves. His kingdom should be what we see, not the reality of the world around us. Even though it looks like evil is winning for now, Jesus has established his kingdom. He has promised that it will win out in the end and that evil will be destroyed forever. We must seek him and seek to have this perspective of faith so that we can see what God is doing now, be used by him to bring his kingdom, and trust him to ultimately bring the kingdom in perfect fullness.