3: Surprising Justice (1:5-11)

Habakkuk’s lament meets a surprising answer todayIn this episode, with expected cup of tea and biscuit in hand, we hear God speak of the surprising way in which He will begin to bring justice upon the scene that Habakkuk has previously been lamenting.The surprise is that He is going to use the Babylonians to bring destruction upon God’s people. ‘I am doing a work in your days’, He says, and that work is to bring the fearsome, terrifying power of the Babylonian nation to bear on His people.We’re given a colourful picture of the horrific, destructive habits of the nation and ultimately see that ‘their own might is their god’. They have no concept of the mighty, sovereign God that Habakkuk is in dialogue with.As the book unfolds, we will consider more what it is to read Habakkuk this side of the cross. But before we do that, we want to make sure we sit with the original hearers and readers and grasp their situation. There’s no doubt that they would have been horrified at the thought of God using the terrible Babylonians to sort out the mess of injustice before them.Sometimes we can feel the same in that God’s means of working out His plan don’t seem to make sense, or even worse, seem to be bringing more pain. As our thoughts move with Habakkuk’s towards further questions in the next verses, we are reminded that God is in control and we are to listen and wait on His word and action, trusting Him with the bigger picture even when the immediate feels confusing.Helpful ResourcesBoth Sarah and Felicity talk about how and when they first started reading the Bible for themselves. Both of them speak of having seen others do it, and therefore being made to think that it was important and where one could find answers. Felicity shared about a friend sitting down and reading Mark’s gospel with her. This book ‘One to One Bible Reading’ by David Helm is really helpful if you wanted to start reading the Bible with someone else.Tea and Biscuit Chat Footnotes• Felicity is drinking Yorkshire tea, & Sarah fully embraces the ‘Yorkshire Grey’ hybrid by putting one each of a Yorkshire Tea and Earl Grey tea bag in a tea pot.• Sarah is eating a chocolate covered shortbread, and Felicity was nibbling on a caramel stroopwaffel which is perfectly softened if you use it as a lid for your steaming tea before eating it.In Other News…Connect with us on Facebook or InstagramSarah blogs here: https://sarahdargue.orgFelicity blogs here: https://boysbooksandthehomeofthebrave.blog/ Email us: [email protected] DetailsThis podcast is sponsored by 10ofthose.com. 10ofthose.com hand pick the best Christian books that point to Jesus and sell them at discounted prices. The more you buy the cheaper they get! Check them out at 10ofthose.com. 10ofThose operates in both the UK and the USA.