A PUZZLING ANSWER TO PRAYERS

 

A farmer went to the bank to borrow money to buy corn seed. He ploughed his farm for many days, applied fertilizer over the whole farm and then planted the corn. The rains came and the corn grew. One day thousands of grasshoppers flew to his farm and begun consuming his precious crop. On Sunday at a prayer meeting the farmer knelt down and cried out to God “Father, I shall lose the whole crop, I owe money to the bank”. He got up from prayer in great faith.

As he walked home, a voice inside him kept saying, “let the chicken out”.  He wondered how letting the chicken out would help him. But, the next day he was up at dawn and let the chicken out. They started feeding on the grasshoppers. They thrived, with time they increased in number and eggs production increased. The farmer traveled throughout the surrounding area selling eggs and chicken. God did not save the crop, he had a different idea.

Habakkuk lived in a sinful society permeated by evil. He saw sin everywhere and wondered where God was and why he was doing nothing about it. He prayed but God was silent. In distress he cried out to God^” O Lord, how long must I call for help before you will listen? I shout to you in vain; there is no answer…Wherever I look I see oppression…there is no justice in the courts, for the wicked far outnumber the righteous and bribes and trickery prevail. (Habakkuk 1:2-4 LB).  

In Habakkuk.1:5 we find God’s answer. He said “I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told”. In other words, God says, "Habakkuk, you accuse me of silence, but I have been answering your prayer. The answer is so different from what you expect that you will have a hard time believing it when I tell you”. God told him that judgement would indeed come. Unknown to Habakkuk God was already working on the answer. It was not evident to him yet and it was coming in a way completely different from what he expected.

God said “I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth” (v. 6)”. God’s answer was shocking to Habakkuk; he couldn’t believe what he had just heard. He knew about the Babylonians, they were the most hated and feared nation in his day. If at first God’s silence was puzzling to Habakkuk, his answer was even more puzzling. God’s plan to use the brutal Babylon to chastise a more holy nation raised an even greater problem for the prophet.

Despite the wickedness of his own people, Babylon’s sins were far greater than the sins of Judah. The use an unholy instrument like Babylon did not seem fair. These were nasty people and God knew how bad they were (vv 6, 7). From Habakkuk’s (human) perspective Israel’s sins was less than that of the Babylonian’s. However from God’s perspective, Israel’s sin was worse because they knew better. They had the commandments and they knew God’s will unlike their neighbors who were living in total darkness.

Sometimes the Christians think that God should overlook their “little sins” and judge the “great sinners” (world) more harshly. But God expects more from the Christians because they know better. God had said this about the mission of Jesus on earth “I the Lord have called you for a righteous purpose and I…appoint you to be a …a light to the nations (Isa.42:6) I will make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth” (Isa. 49:6).

In Acts 13:47 Paul said Isaiah 49:6 is extended to the Christians today. He said “For this is what the Lord has commanded us ‘I have made you a light to the gentiles, to bring salvation to the end of the earth’”. Peter said Christians are “a chosen people, a holy nation called out of darkness into Gods wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). Jesus said “you are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14). He expects his light to shine through a believer driving away darkness and giving direction to the lost. In Luke 12:47-48 Jesus said that the servant who knows the masters will and does not do it will be beaten with many blows; for to whom much is given much is required.

When Habakkuk realized that the Babylonians invasion was imminent and inevitable, he went back to what he knew to be true about God and took comfort in it. He said “O LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die” (v. 12). He knew that God is Holy so he cannot do evil. God is like a rock, eternal and unchanging, so he keeps his promises. He would not allow Babylonians to wipe out the nation of Israel. God’s discipline is not destructive but redemptive in nature. Though painful, later it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace (Heb 12:11).

Habakkuk lived in a time very similar to our day. We see corruption, oppression and injustice everywhere. We pray about it but things seem to only get worse.  We feel the same way Habakkuk felt. Wickedness go on unabated and appears to yield desirable results. In Psalm 73, Asaph wrestled with this problem, he said “I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from burdens common to man (vv.3-5).

Asaph felt sorry for himself and said “surely in vain have I kept my heart pure (v.13).” This is until he entered the sanctuary of God then he understood their final destiny…how suddenly they are destroyed, completely swept away by terrors “(vv. 17-20).  Asaph had to learn that God’s judgment always comes against wickedness. All sin is judged by God in time or eternity. Not the slightest sin will ever escape the scrutiny of a God who sees and knows all things.

Habakkuk had to learn the very same lesson. God judges all wickedness in his own timing and his own way. Horrible judgment would fall upon Babylon for the harsh treatment of all nations. Sinners have their appointed day to face God, but judgment has to start in the house of God (1 Peter 4:17). He has to purge his own people of all wickedness that “he might present to himself the Church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that she would be holy and blameless” (Eph. 5:27).

Habakkuk assumed God was doing nothing because he was unable to see or to grasp what God was doing.  We all at one time feel the same. The psalmist cried out "Why, O Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?  (Psalm10). It’s good for all of us to remember, “Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him” (Psalm 115:3). God does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the people of earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him “what have you done? (Dan. 4:35).

Habakkuk wondered how long the Babylonians destruction would last “Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy? (v.17). We always desire to know when our troubles will end. God did not tell Habakkuk when the trouble would end, he only told him to wait for though it tarries it will eventually (2:3). Some questions will not be answered on this side of heaven. However, it’s enough to know that the matter is in God’s hand.

Good will eventually triumph over evil and those who like Asaph have kept their heart pure will see that it was not in vain. But for now we must take God at his word and live by faith. How do you respond when the Lord’s answer to your prayer is not what you wanted?  Remember God knows what he is doing even when it does not make sense to you. In the short run God’s ways will not always make sense to us, not even when they are viewed with the eyes of faith. But, God makes no mistakes and his wisdom cannot be questioned.