Good Morning Yamon Ki Yesepar;
Habakkuk 1:2: “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! Even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!”
Ever pray for something and it seems that God just never get’s around to answering that prayer. I know, you are all Yamon Ki Yesepars and God always immediately answers your prayers. Guess I am not a very good Yamon Ki Yesepar. Then again, neither is Habakkuk, because he was fasting praying and pleading with God for an answer to prayer and it seemed to never come. He was praying that God would do something about the violence in Israel.
The English word violence is a poor choice of word for the Hebrew word “chaman.” But in some ways it is not. This word has extremely broad usages. This is a word that can speak volumes. This word expresses the idea of wealth or pleasure that is obtained through violence, oppression, theft, etc. In includes predatory lending, ponzie schemes, corrupt businessmen who put others out of business to enhance their own. It includes corrupt means of government to obtains funds, like allowing a lottery to move beyond a game to an act of desperation among people. It even includes those who get abortions so they can pursue their own selfish life styles. Ultimately, it carries out the idea of enhancing your own power, wealth and/or pleasure at the expense of another person. Chaman even involves little things like overcharging for your services or a product. Yes, even selling a used car for it’s market value but not telling the buyer it needs a new transmission. And even (don’t stone me, I’m just the messenger) that subtle difference of asking for a donation from someone and telling them rather than reminding them that God will (rather than saying may) bless them in a financial way for that donation. Using God’s blessing as a tool to enhance your own power or wealth base, like giving an offering to get more from God rather than giving out of a sacrificial heart of love. That is what is encompassed in that word chaman that we translate as violence. Do you have a better English word to plug in here?
Habakkuk cries to God in verse 2 asking why He allows all this to go on. God answers that prayer by saying that He has answered Habakkuk’s first prayer. He is preparing a coming judgment to fall on the nation. There is an old saying that I get sick of hearing, but have to admit it is true; “Be careful what you pray for.” Habakkuk sort of regretting asking God “Why do you not answer?” God tells Habakkuk, that not only has He answered the prayer, but just how He going to deal with this “chaman.” He is preparing the Babylonians to overpower the nation, they will kill, rape, steal, plunder and destroy the nation. Many will die, all will be destitute, they will starve and be homeless. Their nation, one of the most powerful and wealthiest nations in the world will be reduce overnight into a nation like a third world nation.
That wasn’t the answer Habakkuk wanted. He expected God to send a great revival in the land and there would be singing and dancing and everyone would be secure and happy and all that evil chaman would end. Being reduce to poverty and third world nation status did not seem to be the answer. Yet revival would come, but not quite the way Habakkuk wanted. Why should the just and righteous have to suffer along with the chaman makers? God tells Habakkuk 2:4: “But the just shall live by faith.” Well, that is not much of an answer until God brings Habakkuk (who now becomes a true Yamon Ki Yesepar) to the realization of verse 3:17-18: “Although the fig tree will not blossom, neither will there be fruit on the vines; the labor of the olive will fail, and the fields will yield no food, the flock will be cur off from the fold, and there will be no herd in the stalls: still I will be able to rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
If God repeats history upon our nation the true Yamon Ki Yesepars will rejoice in the Lord. The word rejoice is “alaz” which means to be so full of joy that your are expressing it physically in a smile, a dance, a shout. Now that is really joy. In the midst of poverty and desolation you will also “joy” in the God of your salvation. “Joy” is the Hebrew word “gayal” which moving in a circle, trembling. You will be so filled with the joy of the Lord you will spin like a top and actually tremble with joy. But soft, the gimel in the word “gayal” tells us that you will be transferring that joy to others. Revival will come.
So in answer to the question as to why we have to suffer for the sins of this nation. The Lord’s answer is that we won’t. On yes, we may suffering the physical, natural result of God’s judgment, but that will only enhance and broaden the spiritual result in Him and bring on a great revival He will make it worth our while.
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