When the prophet Habakkuk came onto the scene, it was a dark time for the people of Judah. A time of violence and corruption, injustice and neglect, and a whole lot of suffering. And lurking in the near future, just on the horizon, was an invasion from the Babylonians. God was using the unrighteous to bring judgment upon the righteous.
God was using the unrighteous to bring judgment upon the righteous.
In the midst of all this conflict, Habakkuk struggles with the question of why God is allowing this to happen. The book of Habakkuk takes the form of a conversation between the prophet and the Lord God. Habakkuk asks the question, “Why did you allow this?” And God’s answer is simple—a judgment upon the corrupt leaders of Judah.
Are the Babylonians any better? No, they are not. God reveals that they too will be judged.
But that is not the end of the story.
But that is not the end of the story. The book of Habakkuk closes not with a message of doom and gloom, but with a prayer of faith and trust. We can trust the who even when we don’t understand the why. Habakkuk is a great example for us of how we should deal with darkness—we should trust in God and find our hope in Him, even in the midst of challenging times. That’s why the message of this prophet remains so relevant to us in our day. We may not see and understand what God is up to, but we can be confident in His sovereign guidance. As Habakkuk 2:4 reminds us, “The righteous will live by his faith.”
Here’s a short video that highlights five key themes from the book of Habakkuk. May you be blessed by it.
