How long o LORD? How long must this injustice continue? Why don’t you do something?
If you have ever asked questions like these, you are not alone. Not only do you find such questions in the Psalms, and in Revelation, but also in the prophets. It’s a question on the lips of Habakkuk. Things were bad, God’s people were behaving badly, even in Judah, the southern kingdom, the better of the two kingdoms. There was violence, wickedness and injustice and God didn’t seem to care. “Why don’t you do something” is Habakkuk’s first question.
The LORD’s answer is surprising. He will do something – He will send the Chaldeans (another word for the Babylonians). What?! They are even worse! Habakkuk asks God, how can He do this? How can you use an even worse idolatrous people to judge your own people?! God’s answer is that He will also bring justice to the Babylonians. They won’t last forever. They will also face God’s justice.
Well is there any hope for anyone? Yes, God will bring justice, but wonderfully there is a group who will find life. “The righteous shall live by his faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4). You may have a little footnote that tells you it could be read “the righteous shall live by His faithfulness.” The point is that our only hope is in the faithfulness of God, and our response must be to trust Him.
The apostle Paul quotes this verse in Romans 1:17 as he begins to explain the glorious gospel. It was this verse that set free a tortured Martin Luther from his attempt to earn his salvation through religious works. He discovered the wonderful truth that the only way to find life is by trusting in the Lord Jesus. Habakkuk spoke of a cup of wrath that God’s enemies must drink (2:16), but the truth that Luther discovered is that Jesus drank that cup for us so that we don’t have to. What an incredible relief, to know we cannot earn our salvation, but it is freely given to all who will truly turn to Jesus.
Does it not matter how we live then? Our reading from 2 Corinthians 7 tells us that it does. Paul had to rebuke the Corinthians for their ungodly behaviour. He rejoices that they have responded well to his rebuke. Our sin matters, the only way we can know that there is true repentance is when people recognise they have sinned against God. And how Paul rejoices when the Corinthians repent of their sin and find forgiveness in Jesus. “Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret” (2 Cor 7:10).
A day of justice lies ahead, and this can really help us to let go of any concerns over injustice. Have you been wronged? Perhaps the most important thing you can see is that all sin is primarily vertical, it is against God. He is more offended by it than you are. He will ensure justice is done. When you realise that, it changes your heart from bitterness to compassion, perhaps it will lead you to cry out like your saviour “Father, forgive them”. You may not be able to be reconciled to the wrongdoer, in fact you can’t be, until they acknowledge their sin and repent of it, but you can be free from bitterness by recognising God will ensure justice is done. You can join Habakkuk with his question, of “how long” but you can have confidence that justice will be done, and that forgiveness is available to all who come to Jesus and ask Him to take the cup of wrath for them.
Light and Momentary Troubles 
Leave a comment