Tuesday 23 September 2014

Background

Little is known about the prophet Habakkuk. He makes referenceto the Chaldeans (Babylonians) and so it has been suggested hisprophecy dates to around 600BC, near the time the Babyloniansoverran Judah and drove the Israelites into exile (Habakkuk 1:6).

The passage is addressed to God as a lament, which is a strongprotest. Habakkuk has already asked God how long people must cryfor help before God responds (Habakkuk 1:2). The answer he receives is thatGod is using the Babylonians to punish Judah, and the people ofIsrael. In this passage Habakkuk challenges God as to why a wickedpeople (the Babylonians) are allowed to punish a less wicked people(the erring people of Israel) and permit so much suffering?

He addresses God, as the God of the covenant of old, aneverlasting God (verse 12) and challenges God, expressing hisoutrage that God has allowed such wrongdoing to go on and donenothing to stop it (verse 13). He says God has been making hispeople like fish, who get helplessly caught on the enemy's fishinghooks (verses 14-15). We might say like pawns in a game of chess,inadvertently caught up in the fallout from the moves of the biggerpieces. A seine (verse 16) is a fishing net, but it is also a wayof fishing that puts the net vertically into the water, wrappinground and gathering the fish haplessly into it.

Habakkuk is raising questions about God's idea of justice, andGod's attitude to the wicked. Why does God not act in judgement?Why is God silent and seemingly absent?

In chapter 2 Habakkuk says he will stand watch to wait forLord's response to his complaint.

The answer that he receives is that he must write down thevision and wait for its fulfilment. Even though times have beenvery difficult, there is still the vision for the coming kingdom ofGod, which needs to be clear. It may seem to be long in coming, butit will surely come.

The independent spirit of the 'proud' who rely on themselveswill eventually trip them up, but the 'righteous' live by faith,trusting in the promises of the Lord.

To Ponder

• Imagine you are part of the tiny minority Christian populationof the Gaza strip or the West Bank; spend a few minutes composing alament (protest) to God for your own suffering and those of yourpeople?

• In what ways do you think it is helpful to express lament onbehalf of a community which is going through very difficult times?Do you have a story of a time when it has helped people move on?What happened?

• Have you ever been angry with God because you or your communityhave been caught up in political forces beyond your control whichhave created some turmoil in your life? How were you able to find away to honestly challenge God or why did you feel this would beunhelpful?