Passage: Habakkuk 2:2-20 Speaker: Pastor Lukus Counterman Series: Resolved Praise
Speaker: Lukus Counterman - The judgment that the Lord was going to bring upon Judah was somewhat surprising to Habakkuk because it was going to be meted out through the evil, idolatrous Babylonians (1:6). This unjust, brutal nation was going to judge God’s people. But how could this happen, and how long would God allow “the wicked to swallow up the man more righteous than he” (1:13)? That was Habakkuk’s concern. It’s not that he believed Judah was blameless, he just couldn’t understand how an even worse nation could be God’s tool of judgement, and then seemingly just go about their wickedness without divine intervention. What the prophet had to understand is that God’s unconventional means don’t compromise his goodness. Rather, God’s means should engender faith. In Habakkuk 2, God made it clear that he would judge the Babylonians and ultimately he would deliver his people. In other words, God was telling Habakkuk, “Don’t worry about the Babylonians. They will get their just deserves too. Just live by faith and trust my timing and plan.” The Babylonians were going to be a tool in God’s hand, but they would be judged for their sin and wickedness in the end. Through a series of “woe” statements, God indicated the basis for his future judgment of the Chaldeans. When it comes to God’s justice, his judgment is certain. So, if you are suffering you need to wait for God’s judgment (2:3), if you’re sinning, you need run from God’s judgment (2:2) by running with his warning to his Son who was judged for you. Either way, trust God because his work is sure.