1. Are you frustrated by the evil that you see in America (lawless behavior, profanity, violence, robbery, sexual immorality, rape, murder, etc.)? Do you complain about it? Do you wonder why God doesn’t seem to be doing anything about it? Do you think that God isn’t answering prayers for justice?

2. Habakkuk is seeking a solution to the evil that he is seeing among his countrymen in Judah! Habakkuk is contemporary with Jeremiah about BC. The other prophets plead God’s case to the people but Habakkuk pleads the people’s case to God and there is a dialogue between the two. This is the final warning of the LORD’s judgment on Judah for the sins of the people which He had sent His servants the prophets to warn them over & over again & they refused to listen.

4. Habakkuk: From Frustration to Faith
To God: Why aren’t you punishing evildoers? (Judah) (1:1-4; Eccl. 3:16)
The righteous have always been surrounded with no way to escape the actions of the wicked. Strife, contention, violence, and bloodshed was common place like it was Noah’s day. Why don’t you fix this God? God why are so unfair? Why aren’t you hearing my prayers for justice? Man often feels that God has forsaken his creation and doesn’t care about the trials, tribulations, and persecution that they are facing. Solomon had said, “I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness” (Eccl. 3:16)

5. Habakkuk: From Frustration to Faith
To God: Why aren’t you punishing evildoers? (Judah) (1:1-4; Eccl. 3:16) God: I will punish the wicked as I promised! (Chaldeans) (1:5-11; Deut. 28:49ff; Jer. 25:8-11)
This was the answer to Habakkuk’s complaint. I’m going to punish the evildoers but it will astonish you to know that I am sending the fierce and dreaded Babylonians who were becoming a world power at that time who were like an eagle flying down to devour its prey. God had already said many years before this that it was going to happen. Nation was going to come from afar whose language they didn’t understand with no respect for old or young and besiege them to the point that they would eat their own offspring. Jeremiah 25 the whole land would be a desolation and horror with the Lord’s servant Nebuchadnezzar leading the charge the nations serving him for 70 years.

6. Habakkuk: From Frustration to Faith
To God: Why aren’t you punishing evildoers? (Judah) (1:1-4; Eccl. 3:16) God: I will punish the wicked as I promised! (Chaldeans) (1:5-11; Deut. 28:49ff; Jer. 25:8-11) To God: How can you use pagans to punish Your people? (1:12-17; Isa. 55:6-9; Rom. 11:33-36)
He complained to God and God gave him an answer he didn’t like. Why Babylon? They are much more wicked than we are. How can you be righteous and not have fellowship with evil if you use pagans to punish your people. God’s thoughts and ways are much higher than our thoughts and way. God doesn’t have to answer to us but can use whatever means he wants to punish others and had already stated that he would even though it was shocking to the prophet. We would be just as shocked if one of the Muslim countries or the Soviet Union was used to punish America. God doesn’t need counsel from us- we have no right to talk back to God.

7. Habakkuk: From Frustration to Faith
Listen to reproof: wait on the Lord- just shall live by faith (2:1-4; Lam. 3:19-26; Dan. 3:16ff; 6:10ff)
Habakkuk is a watchman like Ezekiel and the other prophets of God. Standing at his post, likely anticipating that he was wrong in unjustly accusing God with tolerating evildoers for he was waiting for a rebuke from Him! Listen- you must wait on the Lord and live by faith! Daniel, Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego did after going to Babylonian captivity. Living by faith and enduring through being thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to bow down to the idol that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Daniel being thrown into the lions den when he refused to obey the king’s command not to petition any god for 30 days.

8. Habakkuk: From Frustration to Faith
Listen to reproof: wait on the Lord- just shall live by faith (2:1-4; Lam. 3:19-26; Dan. 3:16ff; 6:10ff) God is just (He always has been): He will punish Babylon! (2:5-20; 3:3-15; Jer. 25:12; Isa. 44:28; Dan. 5:30-31)
God punishes Babylon for pride, arrogance, greed, drunkenness, idolatry, murder, overthrown just as the prophets said by Darius, the Lord’s servant, King of Persians (Isa. 44:28; 2 Chron. 36:22). King Belshazzar, Chaldean king slain & Darius the Mede received kingdom. God is in his holy temple, all the world needs to shut up because He will take care of all the enemies of righteousness. God punished Egyptians plagues, Israel worshiped idols (ch. 3).

9. Habakkuk: From Frustration to Faith
Listen to reproof: wait on the Lord- just shall live by faith (2:1-4; Lam. 3:19-26; Dan. 3:16ff; 6:10ff) God is just (He always has been): He will punish Babylon! (2:5-20; 3:3-15; Jer. 25:12; Isa. 44:28; Dan. 5:30-31) God is merciful to the righteous in the day of distress (3:2, 13, 16-19; Ps. 94:12ff)
Habakkuk complaining, listening, to praying. Changed his attitude. Instead of demanding more answers from God, he asked for in His wrath (3:2). He showed mercy to Noah & his family from the flood, in delivering Israel from Egyptian bondage, defeating enemy nations in Canaan, promised land given to Joshua, defeat enemies by allowing sun to stand still. Habakkuk trembled at God’s word and was shaken to the core of his being as he was going to have to endure agony & distress of Babylon’s massacre. Blessed are the chastened, God grant relief from adversity, God will not abandon His people.

10. Applications from Habakkuk to Today
Don’t be frustrated by injustice: trust in God’s judgment (Pr. 3:5-7; 14:12; Rom. 1:16-17; 10:17; 1 Pet. 3:18)

11. Applications from Habakkuk to Today
Don’t be frustrated by injustice: trust in God’s judgment (Pr. 3:5-7; 14:12; Rom. 1:16-17; 10:17; 1 Pet. 3:18) The just shall live by faith and receive mercy in trials (Jas. 1:2-4; Heb. 4:14-16; 10:32-39; 2 Pet. 2:4-9a)

12. Applications from Habakkuk to Today
Don’t be frustrated by injustice: trust in God’s judgment (Pr. 3:5-7; 14:12; Rom. 1:16-17; 10:17; 1 Pet. 3:18) The just shall live by faith and receive mercy in trials (Jas. 1:2-4; Heb. 4:14-16; 10:32-39; 2 Pet. 2:4-9a) Be patient: God will eventually punish evildoers in hell (2 Pet. 2:4:9b; Jude 1:5-7; 2 Thess. 1:7-9)

13. Applications from Habakkuk to Today
Don’t be frustrated by injustice: trust in God’s judgment (Pr. 3:5-7; 14:12; Rom. 1:16-17; 10:17; 1 Pet. 3:18) The just shall live by faith and receive mercy in trials (Jas. 1:2-4; Heb. 4:14-16; 10:32-39; 2 Pet. 2:4-9a) Be patient: God will eventually punish evildoers in hell (2 Pet. 2:4:9b; Jude 1:5-7; 2 Thess. 1:7-9) God will vindicate the righteous & reward them in heaven (2 Thess. 1:6, 10; Rev. 6:9-11; 21:2-7)

14. Questions for You
Are you trusting in God or still frustrated by injustice?
Revelation of God’s word should change your mind but if not the devil will be happy if you join those who grumble about injustices and blaming or cursing God.

15. Questions for You
Are you trusting in God or still frustrated by injustice? Are you living by faith or complaining about your trials?
Are you suffering persecution & complaining about it? Loss of loved one to death or to apostasy (joining the chorus of complainers against God, His Word, brethren, family members). Don’t be surprised if those who complain a lot leave the Lord and cut themselves off from family whether son or daughter, mother or father, best friend, beloved gospel preacher, elder or deacon. Political discourse is destroying the faith of some brethren. More and more are becoming atheists or social justice warriors who want to try to right every wrong which will never happen while the world stands. Constant frustration, unsatisfaction, complaining, whining, and grumbling. Never happy & you can’t ever satisfy them.

16. Questions for You
Are you trusting in God or still frustrated by injustice? Are you living by faith or complaining about your trials? Are you waiting on the Lord to avenge evildoers or seeking your own revenge?
Vengeance belongs to God and we should be like him instead of seeking vengeance on them for what they did to me, wanting them to repent so that they won’t perish in their sins! Jesus prayed for his persecutors & died for them.

17. Questions for You
Are you trusting in God or still frustrated by injustice? Are you living by faith or complaining about your trials? Are you waiting on the Lord to avenge evildoers or seeking your own revenge? Are you rejoicing in your salvation while suffering or have you grown weary in doing what’s right?
The book opens in gloom & ends in glory. Habakkuk was troubled but he was taught by God & in the end is triumphant. He went from complaining, to listening, to praising Him! He emerged from his doubts to triumphantly live by faith and rejoice in salvation even while he is shaking in his boots by the Babylonian massacre on God’s people for their sins.