QUESTION #1
The prophet Habakkuk asked God how long He will ignore his complaints against Judah, which was practicing iniquity. He pointed out to God that the law was "powerless, justice never goes forth, the wicked surround the powerless; therefore, perverse judgment proceeds."
GOD'S ANSWER
God replied: Watch, because I am raising up the Chaldeans (Babylonians), a "bitter and hasty nation," who take what is not theirs. They are self-righteous, prideful, and violent; and they think their might comes from their god.
In other words, God is telling Habakkuk that He is raising up this ungodly nation to punish Judah and Jerusalem.
QUESTION #2
Habakkuk has to reassure himself that God will appoint the Chaldeans for judgment for their wickedness, right? I mean, God isn't going to permit this evil nation to continue gaining in power and abusing other more-godly nations (like Judah), right?
Right??
COMMENTARY:
Habakkuk was asking God how long He would permit His people to commit evil. Why did God not punish them for turning away from Him? Why did He allow them to get away with sin? It appeared that God was doing nothing about it.
Why doesn't God judge the wicked? Why does God permit evil men and women to prosper?
Then God answered Habakkuk: When I tell you what I am doing, it will be difficult for you to believe.
McGee said that (like Habakkuk) people today want to know why God doesn't do something about sin, but God has already done something: He sent His son Jesus to die in our place for the remission of sin. "He intruded into the affairs of the world, and He is going to intrude again in the affairs of the world." In fact, daily He is intruding into the affairs of men, but people are just not paying attention.
ABOUT BABYLON
Babylon was the first major world power, and they were coming up in the world. They were ruthless and barbaric and sought to take as many lands and people as they could capture. One day they would take the land of Judah.
God told Habakkuk He was "preparing a nation down yonder on the banks of the Euphrates River, and if [His] people did not repent," God would use the Babylonians to judge their disobedience.
BUT...BUT
This brought Habakkuk to a different question: if the Chaldeans (Babylonians) were even more wicked than the people of Judah, why would you use them to punish a nation which was "less wicked?" But God already demonstrated how He used Assyria to chasten the Northern Kingdom of Israel; and then He "judged Assyria for her own sins," and wiped them out. He will do the same to the Babylonians.
Why does a holy God use a sinful nation for His purposes? Did Habakkuk forget that he asked God when He would punish the wickedness of His people? He accused God of doing nothing. But as was said, God is doing something, and He "can use a godless nation to chasten another nation."
WHY DOES GOD PERMIT EVIL?
...because He is long-suffering. He is not willing that any should perish, and He has provided a cross, a crucified Savior, so that no one needs to perish. This He did at the first coming of Christ.
So, Habakkuk wanted to know why God did not (seemingly) judge sin, and God will answer this question when Christ comes to set up His kingdom on earth. You'll see.
