Why Doesn't God Do Something

Wrestling with God when he doesn't make sense.

Habakkuk 1:2-3 How long, O LORD, must I call for help? But you do not listen! “Violence is everywhere!” I cry, but you do not come to save. 3 Must I forever see these evil deeds? Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight.

There is always trouble in our world but there have been decades of peace and prosperity that have drawn people to the conclusion that the world is getting better and better. But then there are moments when that perception gets shattered and it become obvious that we have no right to think that way.

During those long periods of suffering it's very common to wonder why God doesn't step in and end the suffering or maybe you get the idea that this is the end of the world and nothing will ever get better again.

Sometimes suffering is about judgement for our sins, in the days of the Old Testament prophets it certainly was, God's people must have thought that he wouldn't judge them too harshly because they were his chosen. Before the chosen people took possession of the Promised Land they were warned that the people that they were displacing were not pleasing God and if Israel made the wrong choice they would suffer similar consequences. (Deuteronomy 28:1-68)

The people of the southern kingdom already know the warnings that the northern kingdom had, they saw them ignore the prophets and they saw the consequences as they fell to the Assyrians, and on top of that the southern kingdom also ignored their own prophets.

Habakkuk seems to know that there isn't any hope that they won't be punished or that there is a possibility of revival, he doesn't plead with the people to change their ways, he seems to know that God is going to step in and judge them.

God's man feels the burden of sin that is all around, Habakkuk cry's out to God to let him know how long this situation is going to last, he hopes that all of this will come to an end soon but he fears that the Lord isn't listening. What burden can be heavier than this, to see evil prevail among God’s people, and to be unable to do anything about it?

Habakkuk asks God why he isn't doing something to make the world better, we all seem to have this longing, it's like we know that we were made for a better world.  The man of God was right to go to God with his difficult questions but when God replies it makes it even more difficult for Habakkuk to understand.

God answers: "I am doing something!"

Habakkuk 1:5-6 The LORD replied, “Look around at the nations; look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it. 6 I am raising up the Babylonians, a cruel and violent people. They will march across the world and conquer other lands.

Habakkuk 1:12-13 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. 13 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?

Habakkuk was looking at the events happening around him but God tells him that he needs to expand his view and get the big picture. God is doing something about the sin that Habakkuk is weary of seeing but when God gives him the details Habakkuk is shocked.

God makes it clear that he is the one that is raising the Babylonians to power for his purpose but Habakkuk cannot understand why God would use a notoriously greater evil to reprimand his own people. It seemed right when God told the Israelite's to kill the people so that they could take the Promised Land, those were evil people, but this seems to be wrong. Man's wisdom says that God should punish the worst people first and work his way down the list to the next most evil people.

Habakkuk cannot understand why God is going to allow things to get worse but he gives no hint that he believes that he can walk away from God. Habakkuk has to decide to trust God, just like a child that cannot understand his parents answer, all he needs to understand is that God is working out his plan in every moment of world history.

The consequences of the rebellion of God's people looks like bad news. There was a lot of suffering and many people died but God's plan for the world was being fulfilled in all of these events. Because of hundreds of years of exile, suffering and persecution, God's people are dispersed all around the known world at that time. These people surely didn't understand why they were so far from home but it was all a part of God's plan.

Because there were so many Jews living outside of Palestine that maintained their religious observances and customs among the Gentiles it made a huge difference in the spread of Christianity. God fearing Gentiles that learned about God from the dispersed Jews were the first converts to Christianity in the book of Acts.

Justice Out Of Injustice, Salvation Out Of Judgement

Acts 13:41 Look, you mockers, be amazed and die! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even if someone told you about it.

What Habakkuk couldn't comprehend looking forward in hind sight Paul gets it and he uses it in his sermon. First he shared with the crowd about the injustice and the undeserved suffering of Jesus (Acts 13:26-30) then he shares about the justice that came out of that injustice and the salvation that came out of judgement. (Acts 13:38-41)

Jesus was the ultimate Habakkuk, his heart broke over the sin that was all around him, he was the ultimate man of sorrows, he was truly abandoned and yet he was faithful in evil times.

God brought our ultimate good out of the ultimate of dark times. When I don't understand the injustice, the sin and suffering around me I need to look at the cross as the ultimate example of dark times happening to someone that didn't deserve it. And it was all for my benefit!

RELATED ARTICLES

The Just Shall Live By Faith (desiringgod.org)
What does the Bible mean when it refers to the Diaspora? (gotquestions.org)
A World of Evil and Suffering (cru.org)
Book of Habakkuk (diggingtheword.blogspot.com)