Habakkuk 1
Habakkuk’s Complaint (1:1–4)
1–4 Habakkuk expresses a common problem in man’s relationship with God: Why does God remain silent so long when people cry out to Him? How long, O LORD? (see Psalm 13:1–2). Habakkuk sees violence within Judah’s society, but God does not save 1(verses2–3).Worse,God even seems to tolerate it! Among God’s own people there is great evil; the law—God’s LAW given through MOSES—is paralyzed, because so few are obeying it (verse 4). Judah has become “lawless.” Justice never prevails because the rich and powerful pervert it by means of bribes and intimidation. The wicked of Judah hem in (oppress) the RIGHTEOUS, and all the while God remains silent. God’s own covenant law demands that the wicked be punished, and yet God does nothing. This is Habakkuk’s complaint.
The Lord’s Answer (1:5–11)
5–11 God, of course, is never inactive, but He has His own timing. Usually when He withholds punishment it is to allow the wicked more time to repent. But for those Judahites who do not repent, God has a plan for their punishment: He will send the Babylonians to punish them (verse 6). No doubt Habakkuk will have trouble believing that God would use such a wicked nation as Babylon to punish His own people (verse 5).
In verses 7–11, God goes on to describe the ruthlessness and power of the Babylonians. But they too are called guilty by God2 (verse 11); they have made a god out of their own strength and they depend on no other.
Habakkuk’s Second Complaint (1:12–17)
12–13 Habakkuk begins by expressing his faith that the everlasting Lord will not let His people die (verse 12); He will not let them be completely destroyed. Habakkuk accepts God’s statement that the Babylonians will execute judgment on Judah. However, he is still troubled that God could even look on Babylon much less use it as an agent of JUDGMENT (verse 13). How can God allow the wicked (the Babylonians) to swallow up those who are more righteous (the Judahites)? To Habakkuk, that didn’t seem just at all.
14–17 Habakkuk continues his complaint. If God appoints Babylon to conquer the nations—including Judah—then He has made all other people like fish in the sea just waiting to be hooked or caught in Babylon’s net (verses 14–15). And Babylon will just keep on emptying the net and taking for its own pleasure all the “fish” (the nations) that have been caught (verses 1617). It seems to Habakkuk that God has reduced human beings to the level of fish. To Habakkuk, God’s remedy for Judah’s SIN is worse than the sin itself.
