The Lord’s Answer

5  “Look among the nations, and see; 

wonder and be astounded. 

For I am doing a work in your days 

that you would not believe if told. 

6  For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, 

that bitter and hasty nation, 

who march through the breadth of the earth, 

to seize dwellings not their own. 

7  They are dreaded and fearsome; 

their justice and dignity go forth from themselves. 

8  Their horses are swifter than leopards, 

more fierce than the evening wolves; 

their horsemen press proudly on. 

Their horsemen come from afar; 

they fly like an eagle swift to devour. 

9  They all come for violence, 

all their faces forward. 

They gather captives like sand. 

10  At kings they scoff, 

and at rulers they laugh. 

They laugh at every fortress, 

for they pile up earth and take it. 

11  Then they sweep by like the wind and go on, 

guilty men, whose own might is their god!” 

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (Hab 1:5–11). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Abba,

There have been many wicked nations since the beginning of time.  It doesn’t take long for the sinfulness of man to reach epic proportions and leave a trail of death and chaos in its wake.

How long did it take before a world wide flood was necessary?

Without some restraint or moral compass, sin will run unchecked and unabated.  When one really takes time to examine the darkest corners of ones own heart, the darkness and bleakness of the desires and the capability of one’s ability that lies there is truly terrifying. 

Stories that come out of our histories (Romans; Nazi’s) reveal the horrors and the darkness of man’s sinful hearts.  The atrocities that are enacted upon other men, woman, and children…..well….it is enough to give a man nightmares and terrors.

Which is why it is not hard to see Habakkuk’s objections and incredulity at your response to his cries for justice!

It occurs to me that justice may look very different than our human minds can conceive of.  Here in your perfect justice system, you answer Habakkuk’s cry and send the Chaldean nation to enact justice on the wickedness of Israel.

The evil of the Chaldean’s cannot be missed.  They are pagan, wicked, and evil.  They are one of these godless, brutal, vicious nations that shows little morality, little restraint, and little goodness at all.

And yet, they are part of your plan to bring justice and punishment upon evil; the evil of Israel’s rebellion.  In the mind and eye of the observer, evil FAR less severe than that of the Chaldean’s themselves. 

In your plan, a nation MORE wicked and MORE Evil is the instrument of justice on your chosen people who, though wicked themselves, are less so (at least in the mind of the prophet crying out).

In truth, I cannot miss the parallel to today’s age.  On the brink of leadership change in our nation, a leadership that stands opposed to everything biblical and true, it is possible you are again doing the same thing.

For too long, we have rejected truth.

For too long, the church has slept

For too long, evil has been permitted to grow.

A pagan leadership, intent on casting aside truth and biblical values may well be the very thing that will be used to bring judgment upon a nation who has largely rejected you, upon a church that has slept, and that will be used to reclaim a people for you.

The leadership that has been elected is an indictment upon the church.

The foundation of our nation was a foundation of belief in You, Almighty God.  Granted, their understanding of you was fully accurate, yet, they founded this nation on a firm conviction that you were real and the Bible was truth.

Many of the founding fathers of our nation claimed faith in you.

The Puritans were a significant influence upon our nation in those early days.

The Church was central in the life of our nation.

So what happened? 

We failed to preach. 

To teach.

We grew complacent. 

We stopped addressing sin

We began to make justifications for our sinfulness

And now, the look of the nation is that of one of the most godless nations among the worlds nations.

And where is the church?

Largely still asleep. 

We cry out, but not for the reasons we ought to.

We are blind to our own failures.

We are blind to our lack of gospel devotion

We are blind to our own idolatry.

And so, you are raising up a government to bring judgment upon your church.

You are raising up a government to bring judgment upon our nation. 

You are raising up a government that will be the downfall of itself. 

Our nation will not survive or endure the godlessness of the men and women elected.

You are sending the “Chaldeans” to punish, purge, and cleanse your church and convict your people to return to you. 

You are sending the “Chaldeans” to punish sin and pave the road for the proclamation of the gospel.

You are sending the “Chaldeans” to warn the world of your wrath that is coming.

You are sending the “Chaldeans” to be a call towards salvation and repentance that man may be saved.

But it feels wrong to our worldly sense of of justice.

Just as it did for Habakkuk.

Oh Abba, that we as the church would wake.  That we would rise up in glorious truth and return to our first love.  That we would no longer slumber but be bold in the face of the coming judgement.  That we would cast off our idols and repent of our waywardness, and once more live FULLY for YOUR glory and not our own. 

Yes, those you bring upon us for judgement are wicked and evil.  Sinful and rebellious.

But so are we.

Would it be that we would own that, repent of that, and redeem the time for your name’s sake.