Will You Wink?

Habakkuk’s Story, Part III

Here is a link from part two, Fiercer Than Wolves, the story of frustrated godly prophet Habakkuk.

By the way, the title will make absolutely no sense if you don’t read through.

Habakkuk is a model of faith for believers today in many ways, not least of which includes his persistent prayer life.

He keeps talking to God. He is fearless in that. He is reverent in His approach.

Habakkuk knows God is good and holy. He knows God as his Father and Savior. This persistent prophet understands that God loves him and the people of Judah.

So, Habakkuk keeps talking to God. This courageous but perplexed Bible hero simply cannot believe how God plans to get the attention of Judah.

O Lord my God, my Holy One, you who are eternal— surely you do not plan to wipe us out?
O Lord, our Rock, you have sent these Babylonians to correct us, to punish us for our many sins.

Habakkuk 1:12 (NLT)

Now think about this. In nations where there are still basic freedoms available to practice your faith as a Christian, can you think of any of those places that actually uphold a primarily Biblical world view?

Sadly, America, Brittain and Australia don’t even hold those places of honor anymore.

So, what nation in this world could God use in judgement against us to help bring us back to our moral senses? Aren’t all the nations at least as morally decayed as America if not worse?

Does that help you see where our friend was in his thinking?

So here is the question that our stalwart prophet was asking God:

“Lord, I know we are a godless bunch. We are idolaters and perverts. We are murderers, haters and thieves. But the Babylonians are even worse. They are vicious. And you are going to use them to punish us?

Let’s let Habakkuk finish his thoughts.

But you are pure and cannot stand the sight of evil. Will you wink at their treachery?
Should you be silent while the wicked swallow up people more righteous than they?

Are we only fish to be caught and killed? Are we only sea creatures that have no leader?
Must we be strung up on their hooks and caught in their nets while they rejoice and celebrate?
Then they will worship their nets and burn incense in front of them.

“These nets are the gods who have made us rich!” they will claim. Will you let them get away with this forever? Will they succeed forever in their heartless conquests?

Habakkuk 1:13-17 (NLT)

You see, what Habakkuk knew in his heart was that the real issue was the rejection of God. It’s our issue, too. If the people would not have rejected God in the first place they would never have fallen into wickedness to begin with. It is mankind’s heart of rejection of God that condemns him.

Yet you will not come to me, that you may have life.

John 5:40

But let’s don’t end part 3 in hopelessness. After all, our God is a God of promises kept.

Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved…

Isaiah 30:15 (NLT)

Habakkuk knew that God could be trusted. He knew all he had to do was wait on the Lord. So that is just what he did next.

Take a look.

I will climb up to my watchtower
    and stand at my guard post.
There I will wait to see what the Lord says
    and how he will answer my complaint.

Habakkuk 2:1 (NLT)

Normally I don’t publish on the weekends, but I will continue our Habakkuk story to the end.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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Isaiah 52:7