HABAKKUK AND THE PROBLEM OF HISTORY

 I confess that I have my favorite parts of the Bible- the Chrsitian New Testament in its entirety and the Prophets and the Wisdom Literature in the Hebrew Scriptures. The Prophetic Literature has two parts- the Major Prophets and the Minor Prophets. This division is baed on the size of contribution each prophet made and not upon the importance of the contribution or the prophet himself. One of the minor prophets is Habakkuk and he has some vital words of hope as he wrestles with the problem of history.

 

The regular reader of my blog essays will remember that I I subscribe to the MCN theory of history- i.e., history is messy, contradictory, and nuanced. The historic context in which Habakkuk lived and prophesied was certainly “MCNed” as he grappled with the direction God was taking Israel in the midst of the chaos surrounding him.

 

I offer a second confession in that it is not my original thinking that the prophet Habakkuk not only lives and prophesizes within a historical context but also develops a theology of history that is as pertinent today as it was the Babylonian empire conquered Jerusalem. It was in my recent reading of N.T. Wright and Michael Bird’s newly published Jesus and the Powers that I first was introduced to the idea of “Habakkuk and the problem of history”-

 

“Habakkuk understood how empires made history, a history made of desolation wrought by kings who believed they were walking and talking icons of their own deities. Yet the God of the covenant, while he might use these kings for his own purposes, would never let them have it all their own way.” (p. 12)

 

In their brief discussion of Habakkuk Wright and Bird footnoted the book From Fear to Faith: Studies in the Book of Habakkuk and the Problem of History authored by Martyn Lloyd-Jones. First published in 1953, the book summarizes the problem of history as understood by both Habakkuk and, if we are truthful, indeed to  ourselves-

 

“Is God really in control? Devastating floods, famines, and earthquakes are everyday occurrences. Harsh military conflicts flare up momentarily. Lawlessness seems to be everywhere. There is a general moral and political decline. It seems as if evil is having its day. Why does God allow it? These conditions troubled and perplexed the prophet Habakkuk.” (back cover)

 

Habakkuk’s message begins in a vision from the Lord (1:1) and has the following parts:

 

Habakkuk’s First Complaint (1:2-4): The prophet petitions God once again for help to end violence, injustice, wrongdoing, destruction, strife, conflict, and wickedness.

 

The Lord’s Answer (1:5-11): God tells Habakkuk that God is raising up the ruthless and arrogant Babylonians to sweep in and conquer Judea.

 

Habakkuk’s Second Complaint (1:12-17): The prophet acknowledges God’s power and purity, yet asks how long God will tolerate the treacherous and wicked while the righteous suffer. In the meantime, while waiting for God’s answer, Habakkuk will station himself on the ramparts to stand watch.

 

The Lord’s Answer (2:1-20): God declares that an appointed time will occur for judgement against the puffed-up enemy, the greedy, those who become wealthy through extortion, those who plunder, the unjust, those who shed innocent blood, and those who worship idols, In the meantime, the righteous are to live by faith.

 

Habakkuk’s Prayer (3:1-19): The prophet remembers the amazing works of the Lord and is filled with awe. And even though troubles and disasters befall the people, he will rejoice in God because God is his salvation and his strength.

 

Thus, the problem of history is a human weakness because of our finite memories and our limited sense of history’s direction. And the secular mind fanaticizes about the “right side of history” and the “moral arc of history” the righteous mind will follow Habakkuk’s example and live by faith throughout the days of our lives rejoicing in the God of our salvation and strength in spite of what comes our way. That is indeed history well lived.