Why Habakkuk can beat up Job

You think Job got it bad? Habakkuk got it worse!

Habakkuk asks God why there is so much injustice and wrongdoing in his land. He asks God how come He can tolerate so much evil. “What are you doing in my land?” Habakkuk cries out to God.

God says:

“Look at the nations and watch – and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own.”

The Babylonians are like Ahmedinejad, Kim Jong-Il, Gadaffi, Saddam Hussein and Hitler rolled into one. They are coming to your land. They are coming to whack you properly. And they are coming during your time.

Habakkuk stress, he terus jadi botak.

That is what you get when you ask why the evil are prospering. (Don’t ask me why he looks like that. If you do an image search on Habakkuk, you will get a geli looking botak guy. The one above is by Donatello.)

Habakkuk asks God the next question. Why? Why does God tolerate the wickedness of the Babylonians? Why does He let the Babylonians swallow up those who are more righteous than themselves?

God replied:

“Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets. so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false.”

God is still going on with the plan. It is non-negotiable.

But after that, Babylonians themselves will be punished. That is what God said. The nations that the Babylonians have plundered will rise up against them, and whack them back, kao kao lat.

God punishes those who deserve to be punished, and as well as the punisher.

Cool quote eh? Don’t cetak rompak. Later I whack you back, kao kao lat.

Habakkuk must be hoping that all those terrible things will come after he is long gone. But no. God is very clear about it. It is going to happen during his time.

“Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”

Gee. That’s bad. It makes Job sound like a whining sissy.

Job suffered a lot. For reasons that he does not know of. But in the end, God gave him back twice as much as he had before.

Habakkuk is going to suffer. For a reason that he knows of, which is entirely not his fault. And there is no condolence, nor compensation. You don’t need a commentary to tell you this: In times of war, all will perish – both the good and the bad. I’m guessing that Habakkuk got it real bad.

And what did Habakkuk say at the end?

“I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no fruit, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Saviour.”

And that is why I think Habakkuk can beat up Job, anytime.

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