What if God answers when we ask what He’s waiting for?

We ask God for something. Over and over. We wonder what He’s waiting for. But what if God answers? Finally! Will we notice? Will we like the answer?

What if God answers when we ask what He's waiting for? is article #2 in the series: God where are you. Click button to view titles for the entire series

In part 1 of this series, we asked a question.

Habakkuk’s question from the Old Testament.

Basically, it was – God, things are a mess here and I’ve been asking and asking for your help and now I’m wondering if you’re ever going to do anything or must I just keep waiting?

Sometimes we get impatient.

So impatient we start to feel we’re the person sitting at the desk in the adjacent image.

But God has His reasons for what He does. Or doesn’t do. And when He does them. And sometimes, the answer is no.

However, if He does give an answer that includes action on His part, are we really ready to hear it? Or does it turn out to be a case of, be careful what you ask for?

What if God answers, “Watch and be amazed!”?

When we left Habakkuk, he had just unleashed some frustration on God – like with all this bad stuff going on here, how come You aren’t taking care of us like You said You would? After what was apparently a long time, God finally says watch and be amazed at what I’m going to do.

The LORD’S Answer – to Habakkuk’s First Complaint

Hab 1:5 “Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told.

That’s a good thing, right?

Well, hold on just a minute.

Yes, God answered.
Yes, God’s going to respond.
But – do we understand the implications of God’s response?
For instance, the inset box points to a specific phrase in The Lord’s Prayer. We pray it often. But do we realize what we’re asking for? Are our families, loved ones, friends, and others ready for it?
Are we even ready for it?

This is just one verse. The series looks at the entirety of the Lord’s Prayer from this point of view:

How much do we really understand about the Lord’s Prayer? Especially about the things Jesus said before and after the words we say, possibly without even thinking about them?

If what you read next about God’s response to Habakkuk’s (first) complaint catches you off guard or worries you, you might want to come back and check out this series on The Lord’s Prayer.

Do we learn anything just from the fact that God did respond?

Before we find out what God has to say in response to Habakkuk’s complaint, I want to point out something. Just the fact that God answered, whether we like the answer or not, proves that He does exist. Saying that we don’t like the answer and then concluding that He therefore doesn’t exist should give us pause. If we’re thinking that then we may want to revisit our thinking. If there is an answer, good, bad, or indifferent, it’s still an answer. Accepting that it is an answer is the first step in the process of trying to understand that answer, especially if we didn’t like it.

One hard issue is when there appears to be no answer. Maybe the answer is “No”. That’s a tough one. We may try to convince ourselves that there actually was no answer, even when, deep in our hearts, we feel there really was. Sometimes it’s hard to be honest, even with ourselves. Worse yet is when the answer is “not yet” or “wait”.

I’ve had all of those. Including waiting. Waiting for decades. And it caused no small amount of anger directed at God. Eventually, I changed from anger to “what do you want me to learn“? After a while, it was “You’re gonna have to hit me on the head with a 2×4, because my head is pretty thick and I’m just not getting it“. (Yes, I do pray like that.) Not too long after that, I came to a similar conclusion to what Job realized in Job 42, although not so dramatic.

Job replies to the LORD – Job 42

Job 42:1 Then Job replied to the LORD:

Job 42:2 “I know that you can do all things;
no plan of yours can be thwarted.

Job 42:3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?’
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.

Job 42:4 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.’

Job 42:5 My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.

Job 42:6 Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes.”

My point – if God says “no” or “wait” or “not yet”, it’s a good idea to listen. Not that we’re going to. I think that’s something we have to learn for ourselves. Some of us multiple times. I put it here as something for you (and me) to remember the next time we’re in a similar situation.

So, back to Habakkuk.

There are some who may fear that Habakkuk’s in big trouble for the way he talked to God. But that raises an interesting question. If we have thoughts in our minds, feelings in our hearts, but don’t say them, does that make it any better for us with God for not having actually spoken them?

We looked a bit at this in Part 1, but it seems so foreign to some people, I thought we should examine another passage. Consider this from Luke:

Jesus Heals a Paralytic – Luke

5:18-26 pp — Mt 9:2-8; Mk 2:3-12

Lk 5:17 One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick. 18 Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

Lk 5:20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

Lk 5:21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Lk 5:22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . . .” He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 25 Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26 Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

Yes – this is a parable about Jesus healing someone, which only God could do. And yes, that was the point of the parable, which has nothing to do with what’s in our hearts. But take a close look at verse 22: “Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked…” Oops. Obviously, Jesus doesn’t have to have us actually say anything at all.

So, the next question. Does it even make any difference if we say what’s in our hearts or not? Since God already knows what we’re thinking, to say anything other than that would be nothing short of lying to God. Even saying nothing with the misguided belief that we can keep Him from knowing the truth, that’s still lying. So ask yourself. Is it better to tell Him what He already knows, or lie to Him when He knows right away that you’re lying? We used to do that to our parents when we were kids. Sometimes, we even got away with it. But not here. There’s no deceiving the One who knows all. So, we may as well just be honest.

Moving on then.

Is God’s response good or bad?

Good and bad are very subjective words. Whether something’s good or bad is very much like beauty – it’s in the eye of the beholder. However, in this case, there’s more to it. Deciding whether something’s good or bad also means we understand that “thing”.

In this case, it means we have to understand Habakkuk’s first complaint. In this case, it’s a condition prevalent pretty much arodund the world. As such, lots of people can relate to it and do understand it to a large degree.

Now, as to whether God’s reply is good or bad, that depends on whether or not we understand something about God so that we can also understand something about His reply. With so much misinformation in the world these days, that’s not a given. Many people think they know, but don’t. Maybe that’s because we form God in our image. Or we go to the wrong sources to learn about God, hoping to find someone who says God is who we want Him to be, as opposed to who He really is?

Then, even if we do understand something about who God is, have we done anything about it? Are we trying to follow Him, or do we know something and then just ignore it, deny it, or for some reason not act on what we know we should do?

All that’s important. If we don’t know something about God, and don’t try to transform our lives to follow Him, then even we if know in our heads that God’s response is good, we aren’t ready for it. And then that “good response can go bad for us very quickly.

Furthermore, take it beyond us to our family. Our loved ones. Our friends. Does God’s response impact them? Hint – the correct answer is yes, it does. Have we done anything to help them get ready for something we know is going to happen and we also know they aren’t ready?

Not God’s response has gone from good to bad to really bad. At least, that’s the case in our minds. Even though we know, God’s response is good. It’s our denial, our refusal to accept the truth, our lack of desire to do what we know we should do, and other things like that making God’s response be anything but good.

If we know much about who God really is, based on what He told us, we know all that’s true. And yet, we often don’t act or think much of it, let alone all of it. And some don’t act on any of it at all.

So, let’s take a look at God’s response to Habakkuk’s first complaint and see what’s in it.

What if God answers our complaints in a manner like this?

Below is the response to Habakkuk’s complaint. But remember, his complaint is very similar to some of the ones we have ourselves. What if we got this kind of response? By the way, given that Habakkuk was a prophet, and his question is about the same thing(s) as ours today, this answer also does apply to us. So this isn’t just an academic exercise. This is real.

The LORD’S Answer – to Habakkuk’s First Complaint

Hab 1:5 “Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told.

There’s one interesting side note I want to include. I’ve often written about the “days of creation”. One of the reasons for claiming there were six literal 24-hour days attributed to God’s creation process in Genesis is the Hebrew word used there is always meant to be a 24-hour day.

As I’ve pointed out in other places, that’s just not the case. That same Hebrew word is right here in Habakkuk 1:5 as part of the phrase we read as “in your days”. And yet, no one claims that’s a single 24-hour day.

Getting back on topic, the thing here about “in your days” is this:

The Lord’s counsel (Hab. 1:5–11). God answered His servant and assured him that He was at work among the nations even though Habakkuk couldn’t see it. God gave Habakkuk a revelation, not an explanation, for what we always need in times of doubt is a new view of God. The Lord doesn’t owe us any explanations, but He does graciously reveal Himself and His work to those who seek Him.  ¹Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be amazed (pp. 110–111). Victor Books.

This is why we need to be careful about assuming God’s not answering and doesn’t care.

It’s also why we need to both pray to God and listen for His response. Notice: The Lord doesn’t owe us any explanations, but He does graciously reveal Himself and His work to those who seek Him. So no, God may not tell us what He’s doing. But He might give us a sense of peace knowing that He is doing something, even if we don’t know what it is and don’t see it.

What is God doing, as indicated in His response to Habakkuk’s first complaint?

Look at the nations and watch

Hab 1:5 “Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told.

Yes, verse 5 again. But for a different reason. Check out what God said to do: Look at the nations and watch.

In these verses, (The Lord’s Answer), the Lord answered Habakkuk’s questions by revealing to him that judgment was imminent. But here is a surprise: the Babylonians would be God’s instrument of justice. ²Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 1088). T. Nelson Publishers.

Today, that would be like telling the U.S. that China, Russia, North Korea, and/or a host of other enemies were going to be how God was going to take care of our complaint about injustice. That’s not something we’d want to hear.

But it’s deeper than you might think.

Look at the nations and watch was God’s reply. The change in speakers is apparent from the verbs “look” and “watch,” which in Hebrew include the plural “you.” God addressed both the prophet and the people. Habakkuk had complained about being made to look at injustice. But the prophet and people suffered from myopia. They were too nearsighted. God instructed them to get their eyes off the immediate havoc and look out on the international horizons. They needed to develop a world view that included “the nations.” As they did so, they would be utterly amazed. The political developments about to be revealed to Habakkuk and the people would stun them (the verb tāmâh means “to be asto nded, bewildered, or dumbfounded”). In fact Habakkuk was dumbfounded (vv. 12, 17). What God was about to perform would be hard for them to believe, even though God would reveal it to them. ³Blue, J. R. (1985). Habakkuk. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1509). Victor Books.

Look beyond ourselves. Look at other countries. Other people.

That should not be surprising to Christians, since we’re supposed to spread the Gospel to all the nations. To all the people, everywhere. And we’re supposed to love them. Care about them. From the Beatitudes, to mourn for/over them. In other words, don’t be so self-centered.

What we find out if we look beyond our own borders, is that a whole lot of other places are much worse f than us. We know this, since so many Western governments around the world are trying hard to keep the rest of the world out of their countries. So we are, in fact, quite self-centered.

And here’s God, telling us He’s going to work outside of us. Worse yet to the Hebrew people, although maybe not so obvious to us today, God’s going to work with the heathens, the pagans, the non-believers.

Is that a slap in the face? Maybe. We’ll find out.

Is it God doing what we should’ve been doing all along? Is it God abandoning us? In other words, is God going to solve the problem, but not through or with us along for the solution, let alone part of the solution?

All good questions. Keep them in mind as we go along.

You can imagine how Habakkuk felt. And this is only the beginning.

Let’s go through the rest of God’s response. Keep in mind though, as noted – this is a response to Habakkuk’s first complaint. I’ll tell you now, if you don’t already know, this answer generates a second complaint. And that second complaint generates another response from God.

So, as we examine it, expect to not necessarily be happy with it. And remember, as also pointed out, take the time to think about the impact of what

I am raising up / God’s instrument of discipline

Hab 1:6 I am raising up the Babylonians,
that ruthless and impetuous people,
who sweep across the whole earth
to seize dwelling places not their own.

Yes, God’s raising someone up. But what does that mean? Does it mean God’s making it happen Or does it mean God’s allowing it to happen? And, is there a difference between making and allowing something to happen?

What God was doing was so amazing, incredible, and unheard of, that even His prophet would be shocked: God was planning to punish the Jews by using the godless Babylonians! They were a “ruthless and impetuous people” (v. 6, NIV), “a feared and dreaded people” who were a law unto themselves and afraid of nobody (v. 7, NIV). Their only purpose was to promote themselves and conquer and enslave other peoples. [mfnWiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be amazed (p. 111). Victor Books.[/mfn]What God was doing was so amazing, incredible, and unheard of, that even His prophet would be shocked: God was planning to punish the Jews by using the godless Babylonians! They were a “ruthless and impetuous people” (v. 6, NIV), “a feared and dreaded people” who were a law unto themselves and afraid of nobody (v. 7, NIV). Their only purpose was to promote themselves and conquer and enslave other peoples. [mfnWiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be amazed (p. 111). Victor Books.[/mfn]

Yeah, I guess it does matter, at least in our minds, whether God’s forcing this or allowing it. The thing is, the Hebrew word we read as “raising”, as in raising up, could mean either one. I italicized the entries that relate to the way the word is used in this verse.

6965 קוּם, קָמָי, תְּקֹומֵם [quwm /koom/] v. A primitive root; TWOT 1999; GK 7756 and 7856 and 9539; 628 occurrences; AV translates as “(stood”, “rise”, “etc …) up” 240 times, “arise” 211 times, “raise” 47 times, “establish” 27 times, “stand” 27 times, “perform” 25 times, “confirm” nine times, “again” five times, “set” five times, “stablish” three times, “surely” three times, “continue” three times, “sure” twice, “abide” once, “accomplish” once, and translated miscellaneously 19 times. 1 to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up. 1A (Qal). 1A1 to arise. 1A2 to arise (hostile sense). 1A3 to arise, become powerful. 1A4 to arise, come on the scene. 1A5 to stand. 1A5A to maintain oneself. 1A5B to be established, be confirmed. 1A5C to stand, endure. 1A5D to be fixed. 1A5E to be valid. 1A5F to be proven. 1A5G to be fulfilled. 1A5H to persist. 1A5I to be set, be fixed. 1B (Piel). 1B1 to fulfil. 1B2 to confirm, ratify, establish, impose. 1C (Polel) to raise up. 1D (Hithpael) to raise oneself, rise up. 1E (Hiphil). 1E1 to cause to arise, raise. 1E2 to raise, set up, erect, build. 1E3 to raise up, bring on the scene. 1E4 to raise up, rouse, stir up, investigate. 1E5 to raise up, constitute. 1E6 to cause to stand, set, station, establish. 1E7 to make binding. 1E8 to carry out, give effect to. 1F (Hophal) to be raised up.  ⁴Strong, J. (1995). In Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.

Ultimately, the form of speech indicates a causative action, meaning God caused something to happen. However, whether God did it as a direct act to make things turn out a specific way, or did it by preventing anyone/anything else from preventing God’s desire result from occurring.

I know, it’s a fine line. A very fine line. But, it can be the difference between whether God actually did something evil, or whether He allowed something evil to happen. Either way, God can and does make the evil act turn out for good. However, God actually doing something evil is against what we believe to be a core part of His character. That’s why it matters.

GOD’S INSTRUMENT OF DISCIPLINE (1:6–11) Judah’s sin would not go unchecked. Justice was not dead, nor did it sleep. Discipline was forthcoming; correction was on the way. But the surprise was not the anticipated discipline but the dispenser of that discipline. It was not coming correction that was unbelievable but the channel of correction that seemed so incredible. ⁵Blue, J. R. (1985). Habakkuk. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1509). Victor Books.

Again, you can imagine Habakkuk’s response to this. But what about the Hebrew people?

And in that light, what about us today? If God chose to allow one of our enemies, China, Russia, Iran, Etc. to come to power and have the ability to be used as a means of discipline for us today, would we even recognize it?

At a time when so many Christians, and even Christian church leaders, turn to the government rather than God, would we even know we were being disciplined and corrected by God? It’s a sad state we’re in when we don’t. And I fear too many won’t.

Destruction by the Babylonians

Hab 1:7 They are a feared and dreaded people;
they are a law to themselves
and promote their own honor.

These days, it’s hard to know where people stand on pretty much everything. Between fake news and outright lies that are vehemently defended as truth, it’s hard to believe anything we see, read, or hear.

The question again then is this: if one of our enemies was used by God to send us a message, would we understand it? Here’s what was going on with the Babylonians in Habakkuk’s time.

Destruction by the Babylonians (1:6) – 1:6. God dropped a bombshell: I am raising up the Babylonians. Granted, sin had abounded all too long in Judah. But the sinners of Judah were but soiled saints next to the barbaric Babylonians. Babylon was a nation known for its violent impulses. Its people readily committed atrocities without forethought or remorse. The historical records present the Babylonians as a fierce and pitilessly cruel people. And God affirmed it to Habakkuk by calling them that ruthless (mar, “bitter,” i.e., bitter in temper, or fierce) and impetuous (lit., “swift”) people. Ezekiel too called Babylon a ruthless nation (though he used the Heb. word ‘ārîṣ, meaning “terror-striking,” Ezek. 28:7; 30:11; 31:12; 32:12). Furthermore, their conduct matched their character. They swept across the whole earth to plunder and possess. No doubt “the whole earth” meant much of the then-known world, for Babylon did conquer many of the nations including Assyria, Judah, Egypt, and Edom. Judah was just a speck of loose dust before this gigantic vacuum cleaner. ⁶Blue, J. R. (1985). Habakkuk. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1509). Victor Books.

If we got a prophecy, like the one Habakkuk gave the people back then, would we believe it? Or laugh it off? Or just call it Fake News?

What were the Babylonians like?

The remainder of the passage is dedicated to God’s description of the Babylonians. It was something the people of Israel knew all too well.

Hab 1:8 Their horses are swifter than leopards,
fiercer than wolves at dusk.
Their cavalry gallops headlong;
their horsemen come from afar.
They fly like a vulture swooping to devour;

Hab 1:9 they all come bent on violence.
Their hordes advance like a desert wind
and gather prisoners like sand.

Hab 1:10 They deride kings
and scoff at rulers.
They laugh at all fortified cities;
they build earthen ramps and capture them.

Hab 1:11 Then they sweep past like the wind and go on—
guilty men, whose own strength is their god.”

As I said, would we believe this of anyone today?

Look at Russia and Ukraine. Yes, Ukraine has Western weapons, but it’s a tiny little country holding off the big bear. (Tiny compared to Russia, that is.)

North Korea is full of bluster, but has done nothing but destroy the lives of their own people.

Iran talks big, but fights prhoxy wars in small conflicts.

China talks big as well, and is big, and yet is torn between global expansion and a need for capitalist countries and even, to some extent, capitalism, to keep it going. So they fight proxy wars as well.

And, oh yeah, the U.S. and larger European countries. We’re not really any different. We fight proxy wars as well.

While there may be the capability/possibility of a Babylonian type army, there’s no evidence of such a thing actually existing today. There hasn’t been one since WW II.

But what does that mean? Is this a hollow threat from God? Or maybe it’s not meant for us today? Hold those thoughts. Just for a little while.

What is God doing, as indicated in His response to Habakkuk’s first complaint?

What is God doing, as indicated in His response to Habakkuk’s first complaint? Does that question sound familiar? It should. It’s the question asked at the beginning of the passage examination.

Now, let’s ask it again, but answer it from the point of view of what God’s doing, not the point of view that we may very well miss today.

The nature of God’s work that is told to Habakkuk seems to fly in the face of that assurance, however; for God tells the prophet that he is rousing the Babylonian Empire and its armies under Nebuchadnezzar (605/4–569. B.C.) to march through the Fertile Crescent, to capture nations (v. 6), to inflict violence on all in their path (v. 9), to overrun every fortified city (v. 10), and to take prisoners of war (v. 9). Their march will be swift (v. 6), dread and terrible (v. 7), sweeping through Palestine like the wind (v. 11), and none will be able to escape such force or to turn it aside. The scythe of Babylonia will cut down all in its path. And swinging the scythe—using it as an instrument of his purpose—will be God, the Lord over all nations and history.

Christians today think in terms of things like revivals. We’ve got this. We’re good Christians. People will love us the way we are. And God’s certainly happy with us. So all we need to do is have a good old fashioned revival. And God’s going to make it happen if/when we pray enough.

Sorry, that’s not happening. For a host of reasons.

The idea that God might want to discipline is outrageous to many. For some reason. But it should be. After all, did we forget:

God Disciplines His Sons

Heb 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Heb 12:4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
Heb 12:6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”

Heb 12:7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Heb 12:12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Did you catch the part where it said:

Heb 12:6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.

Why do we think life should be good, easy, wonderful, because we’re so perfect?

The Vine and the Branches

Jn 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

Jn 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

We should expect pruning. We should welcome discipline. Because if we don’t, we won’t grow as Christians. We may not even be Christians, since if God gives our wish to not be part of the vine, we won’t be pruned but we may well be thrown into the fire and burned.

Jn 15:9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.”

And it’s not like we’re so good at this part that we don’t need pruning or discipline. Plus, we should also remember that when these things happen, as Jesus said, our joy may be complete. But then, do we know what that joy is?

Moreover, God makes it very clear in this answer to Habakkuk’s prayer just why he is doing such a deed. Judah has rejected God’s mishpat or order in its society (v. 4); therefore Babylonia’s order (mishpat, v. 7, RSV: justice) will be imposed upon it. Judah has opted for violence among its inhabitants (v. 2); therefore Babylonia’s violence will be its punishment (v. 9). Judah has rejected the ways of God (vv. 2–4); therefore it will have to serve the god of Babylonian might (v. 11). The punishment fits the sin. Indeed, the sin turns back upon Judah to become her punishment, and as Judah has done within her society, so shall it be done to her. The measure she has given will be the measure she will get (Matt. 7:2).

The people of Israel would get this. But will we? Are we so far gone that we won’t know what’s happening? or won’t believe what’s happening? Or …?

That is an astounding description of the way a good God works out his purpose in our world. Instead of pressing forward toward the realization of his peaceable Kingdom on the earth, God seems by such a work to be going in exactly the opposite direction. Instead of peace, he ordains war; instead of security, violence. Instead of good, he brings about evil; and in place of life, he ordains death. But it is a witness to the working of God that is by no means isolated in the Bible. The Apostle Paul, too, in a section of the Epistle to the Romans (1:15–32) that was written against the background of Habakkuk, declares that God gives us up to our sins as the punishment for them. “If that is what you want,” God says in so many words, “all right, you can have it. I give you over to your evil. You can wallow in it, and the very evil that you do will become my punishment of you.”

Just in case we need a reminder of what’s in the referenced passage from Romans:

God’s Wrath Against Mankind

Ro 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Ro 1:21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Ro 1:24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

Ro 1:26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

Ro 1:28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

That’s pretty far gone. Sadly, it’s also increasingly accurate as a description of our world today. Just as sad is the reality that those who disagree turn to hate and push out any opportunity to change things with love.

The implications of such a revelation are staggering for our world, for such a word from God implies that the turmoil and violence and death in our societies may not be evidence of God’s absence from our lives but instead the witness to his actual working in judgment as he pursues his purpose. No event in human history, therefore, is to be understood as completely divorced from his lordly action and will. God is always at work, always involved, always pressing forward toward his Kingdom. But the means by which he chooses to pursue that goal may be as astounding as the destruction of a nation or as incomprehensible as the blood dripping from the figure of a man on a cross.
⁷chtemeier, E. R. (1986). Nahum–Malachi (pp. 37–39). John Knox Press.

Earlier, I asked you to hang onto a thought. One that has yet to be addressed.

Conclusion – What if God answers when we ask what He’s waiting for?

In regards to God’s response to Habakkuk’s first complaint: But what does that mean? Is this a hollow threat from God? Or maybe it’s not meant for us today? Hold those thoughts. Just for a little while.

A little while is over. Consider this passage:

The Seven Bowls of God’s Wrath

Rev 16:1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”

Rev 16:2 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image.

Rev 16:3 The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died.

Rev 16:4 The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:
“You are just in these judgments,
you who are and who were, the Holy One,
because you have so judged;

Rev 16:6 for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets,
and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.” 7 And I heard the altar respond:
“Yes, Lord God Almighty,
true and just are your judgments.”

Rev 16:8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. 9 They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.

Rev 16:10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.

Rev 16:12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. 13 Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.

Rev 16:15 “Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed.”

Rev 16:16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

Rev 16:17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, “It is done!” 18 Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. 19 The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. 20 Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. 21 From the sky huge hailstones of about a hundred pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.

Did you notice these two parts?

Rev 16:8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. 9 They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.

Rev 16:10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.

Yes, a time will come when, even though we know these things are from God, we will refuse to turn to Him and repent. Refuse to ask forgiveness. Refuse to ask for mercy.

I can’t help but wonder, are we reaching that point?

Do we even believe that point will come?h

Is anyone even talking about it?

Or have we lost our way so badly that even talking about things like this has become hate speech, so it’s either ignored, cancelled, or considered fake news?

Habakkuk accepted it for what it was. For anyone interested, so do I. I hope I’m not alone. But it is feeling a bit lonely right now. Not much hope. At some point we will reach the end. We don’t know when. The only thing to do is keep trying. Keep going.

So we’ll continue on, with Habakkuk’s second complaint.

---

Image by Bing Chat / DALL-E

---

Footnotes

• 1
  Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be amazed (pp. 110–111). Victor Books.
• 2
  Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 1088). T. Nelson Publishers.
• 3
  Blue, J. R. (1985). Habakkuk. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1509). Victor Books.
• 4
  Strong, J. (1995). In Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
• 5
  Blue, J. R. (1985). Habakkuk. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1509). Victor Books.
• 6
  Blue, J. R. (1985). Habakkuk. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1509). Victor Books.
• 7
  chtemeier, E. R. (1986). Nahum–Malachi (pp. 37–39). John Knox Press.