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Habakkuk
Habakkuk 1
Habakkuk had many problems, and he was perplexed. He did not
understand why God would permit His people to continue to increase in
sin, iniquity,
injustice, strife, contention, and violence, without
doing anything about it. The people ignored God's law, and
there was no justice in the land. Many wicked people were in
control, and the few righteous people were in trouble because of the many wicked
one.
However, God's answer to Habakkuk was that He was indeed doing
something about it, but Habakkuk was slow to believe this because it
wasn't what he wanted to be done. God was preparing the
Babylonians to take Judah captive.
Habakkuk was sure that God would judge the Babylonians, but he had
another problem. The Babylonians were even more wicked than
Israel. Since God is holy and just, He should judge the
Babylonians first. How could God allow the Babylonians to
first take the Israelites captive?
Habakkuk 2
Still, Habakkuk had faith in God, and he would simply wait for God's
answers to his questions. Those who were puffed up would be
destroyed, while those saved by faith would persevere.
The puffed up souls had to be judged because of their sins of
drunkenness, pride, arrogance, ambition, rebellion, covetousness,
murder, iniquity, and persecution. This final judgment will
occur at the Second Coming of Christ. Meanwhile, God judges the
sins of immorality, violence, and false religion.
Habakkuk 3
Habakkuk prayed, and his attitude was changed. He first
thought that God was doing nothing, but God showed him that He was judging both
Israel and the other nations as well. Habakkuk pleaded with
God to be merciful as He exercised His judgment. Regardless of
his circumstances, Habakkuk would rejoice in God. This faith in
action was possible because his was a saving faith.
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