FROM PASTOR TIM JOHNSON:
Many folks have commented on how this little book Habakkuk (Habackuck) has made a big impression on them. Praise the Lord.
This little book strikes at the question of God’s justice, which is what the term “Theodicy” means. You can see the fusion of two words, “Theos”, which means God, and “icy” which refers to justice. You can see that portion of the word containing “icy” in our word judiciary.
The main question Habakkuk poses to God, as does Job but in a different way, is this: Is God just when He does one thing or the other? Job essentially wonders if God is just in allowing him to suffer, and Habakkuk asks if God is just in allowing Israel’s enemy, Babylon, to be used by God as a source of judgment on God’s very people!
Job’s question of God’s justice strikes very close to the Problem of Evil; namely, why would a good God allow righteous people to suffer. Habakkuk’s is close, but a bit different because Habakkuk knows that God’s people, the Jews, are not righteous.
Still, the question persisted with Job, Habakkuk and David in Psalm 73. Read all of Psalm 73 and you’ll see the parallels.
Each author receives an answer about God’s character in different ways, but each ends up doing the one thing we should all do when we wonder about God’s ways…the answer is in Habakkuk 3 and we’ll look at that this coming Sunday.
See you then!
Pastor Tim