The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw. “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? Even cry out to You, ‘Violence!’ and You will not save. Why do You show me iniquity, and cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; there is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgment proceeds.” (Habakkuk 1:1-4)

How Long, O Lord?

Habakkuk was a man of faith whose faith was tested by what he saw in Judah. What the prophet saw in Judah, and the holy city of Jerusalem tested the metal of his devotion to the Lord. Throughout the land, lawlessness and injustice ruled. The king was corrupt, and the government was filled with wickedness. There was no regard for the law of God in the land. The prophet complained to God, seeking answers to why God’s chosen people were acting so ruthlessly and how the Lord would address the problem.

The remnant of Israel was in tatters and facing the onslaught of the Chaldean nation, ready to pounce upon the helpless people of God. Babylon was a fierce nation destroying everything in its path with eyes on Jerusalem. Habakkuk took his complaint to God, trying to understand what the Lord would do with the Chaldeans. To the surprise of the prophet, God tells him Babylon will be His instrument to punish His people. How could God use a nation so wicked as the Chaldeans to punish His people? The history of Israel shows how the Lord used other nations to punish His people, but those nations were also destroyed because of their wickedness.

Egypt was the first nation to feel the wrath of God when Moses brought the Hebrews out of slavery. The Philistines and other nations of Caanan felt the steel of God’s wrath in the conquest of the promised land. Assyria was used to punish the northern ten tribes, and then the Lord brought the Babylonians to punish the Assyrians. Babylon would not be an exception to the wrath of the divine. The Persians punished the Babylonians, and then the Greeks destroyed Persia. Rome conquered the Greeks, and the cycle was complete. Habakkuk must realize the will of God is complete.

There is a supremacy of God’s wrath against all wickedness, regardless of who is guilty. Israel was guilty and was punished, and so were the nations who came against them. God is no respecter of persons when it comes to sin. Habakkuk was concerned for the nation of God. He was perplexed as to the righteous judgment of God. The Lord answered him with the reminder that all nations are ruled by the will of God. Kings are raised by the power of God, and the will of the Lord destroys nations. No people on earth are exempt from the divine judgment, including God’s own people.

Habakkuk reveals a dark secret of challenged faith. He asks the Lord, “How long shall I cry, and You will not hear?” There are times when the world seems against the faithful, and justice is not being carried out against evil. Why do bad things happen to good people? Where is the justice of God against the wicked? There is a spirit of revenge from the faithful against those guilty as if they are not accountable for their actions. There is violence in the world, and God does nothing. Where can the faithful heart find solace in a world torn by injustice? The wicked surround the righteous. Goodness is condemned. The hand of oppression is heavy.

The plea of Habakkuk is a familiar song from the time of persecution. In the Revelation of John, the souls under the altar cry out, “How long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?” A need for justice prevails. The word of the Lord tells Habakkuk that the Babylonians are coming as instruments of God’s wrath. God rules in men’s affairs, which will bring peace to the mind in the midst of a cruel and unjust world. The world is filled with injustice and the heart will cry out, “How long?” Just wait. God is coming.