“O Lord, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You, “Violence!” And You will not save.” — Habakkuk 1:2
In the book of Habakkuk, we are not told whose son he was or what family or tribe he came from. Unlike many other prophets whose lineage was often mentioned, Habakkuk’s background is left unknown. Instead of beginning with genealogy, the book opens what he felt about the situation in Israel. Habakkuk is different from the other prophets because he does not deliver God’s message to the people. Rather, his book records how he turns directly to God, expressing his pain, confusion, and deep concern about the injustice and wickedness around him. Because Habakkuk is living the final decades of Judah’s, just before the Babylonian invasion. It was a time filled with corruption, violence, and widespread idolatry. As he looked around, he saw moral decay spreading throughout the nation and evil going unpunished, which deeply troubled his soul. He pleads with God for understanding and asks Him to intervene and execute His justice against unrighteousness. Also,
When Habakkuk says, “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? Even cry out to You, ‘Violence! And You will not save.” he expresses the deep pain of a man who feels unheard in the face of overwhelming evil. Why was Habakkuk lamenting? His heart was broken because of the sin and wickedness he saw around him. Just as the psalmist said, “I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word” (Psalm 119:158). Habakkuk grieved because the Israelites had been given the law of God. And what was that law for? It was to teach them how to live righteously and peacefully with one another yet they turned away from it. Even Peter used a similar expression when he spoke of Lot, saying that he was “vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked… For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds” (2 Peter 2:7–8).
When we try to live right and do what is pleasing to the Lord, sometimes unfortunate things happen. It can feel unfair, and we may even feel neglected by God. Look at Elijah, he was doing exactly what God told him to do, yet he had to run for his life from Jezebel, the wicked wife of King Ahab and ruler of the land. Many of the prophets who served God were killed by her hands. But just as God used Babylon to execute His judgment on Judah, He also brought judgment upon Jezebel in His own time. There is an appointed time for everything, for God is rich in mercy and goodness. He gives people time to repent and turn back to Him before He brings judgment.
Today, we can truly relate to what Habakkuk was going through because the world we live in is still filled with corruption, violence, and wickedness. We often hear people cry out with the same complaint against God. Many blame Him for the pain and suffering that fill the world. They blame God for the children who are abused and mistreated, for the children who suffer from sickness and diseases such as cancer. They blame God for natural disasters that destroy homes and lives, for wars that kill the helpless and innocent, and for injustice that seems to rule the earth. Some question God for allowing their families to be broken. Everything that is not pleasing in their sight leads them to ask the same question as Habakkuk: “Why, Lord?”
But the difference between Habakkuk and many people today is that Habakkuk grieved. He did not blame God nor accuse Him. Habakkuk knew God, he knew His Word and His nature, and he understood that only God could save them from their situation. His heart was broken because the people of Judah were turning away from God, and he knew their rebellion would lead to destruction. Habakkuk understood that sin never affects just one person; it spreads and brings suffering to everyone around it.
He was grieving because the wrong choices of his nation were also affecting his own life. Eventually, all of Judah both the righteous and the unrighteous would be taken captive to Babylon. The consequences of sin would touch everyone. In the same way, today, every time I share the gospel with someone and they turn away from it, it grieves me even more. I know that I cannot force anyone to believe, because God has given each person free will yet it still breaks my heart. God has already shown His great love for us when He stepped down from His throne, was declared to be the Son of God, died for us on the cross, and rose again to restore us to Himself. He did all of this because He wants us to spend eternity with Him. Yet, even after such a great act of love and sacrifice, many still choose to reject the salvation that God freely offers.
In the book of Habakkuk, we also see that if we ask God with humility and sincerely seek His help, He will respond. God answered Habakkuk and gave him understanding about what was going to happen next. In the same way, if we turn to God and express our burdens before Him, He will hear us just as His Word says, “Cast all your care upon Him, for He careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7) and “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Philippians 4:6). If we seek God with humility and sincerity, He will not only answer us but also give us wisdom and instruction on what we should do. God desires to guide His people, just as He guided Habakkuk but it begins when we approach Him with a humble heart, trusting that His ways are higher than ours.
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