A Nation at the Crossroads
Thank you for continuing on this journey through the Old Testament prophets. Today, we turn to the book of Habakkuk—a prophet who didn’t preach to the people, but wrestled with God. His questions echo our own: Why does evil seem to win? Where is justice?
I believe our nation—perhaps the world—is at a pivot point. Previously, I wrote in my book Moving Ahead: How to Make America Godly Again; we are in a battle. Not against those who disagree with us—disagreement can be healthy, leading to growth and understanding. But against the deeper enemy we’ve always faced: Satan (Romans 6:12)(1). Satan thought he had won at Calvary, but Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection defeated death.
Martyrs and Movements
History reminds us that when evil strikes, God often uses the aftermath to strengthen His people. Joan of Arc, burned at the stake in 1431, became a rallying point for French resistance(2). Dietrich Bonhoeffer, executed in a Nazi concentration camp in 1945, is now revered for his theological writings and moral courage(3). Hitler thought he had erased the Jewish people—but Israel was reborn in 1948.
When we think the devil is winning, we’re forgetting who holds the pen. God is always in control.
Why Does Evil Prevail?
In Habakkuk 1:2–3, the prophet cries out, “How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?” He sees violence, injustice, and corruption—and wonders why God seems silent.
Judah had turned its back on God. Generations before had leaned on their relationship with the Lord to overcome enemies. But during the reigns of Ahaz and Hezekiah, Judah formed alliances with Assyria instead of trusting God (2 Kings 16:7; Isaiah 36:6). In response, God did something unprecedented: He raised up a nation even more brutal—the Chaldeans (Babylonians)—to bring judgment (Habakkuk 1:5).
Habakkuk, like us, asked: “Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?” (Habakkuk 1:13). He reminded God that His eyes are too pure to look on evil. But Judah’s greater sin was not just political—it was spiritual. They trusted in idols made by their own hands, and in foreign gods brought through alliances (Habakkuk 2:18–19).
God’s Refining Work
As I read this, I pictured my wife in her silversmithing shop. To shape silver, she must anneal it—heat it nearly to melting, then strike it with hammers to form it. The hammer doesn’t shape the metal. She does.
Likewise, God uses events, people, and nations to shape His people. He puts us through the fire—not to destroy us, but to purify and strengthen us (Malachi 3:3). We are called to be lights in the world (Matthew 5:14), but we’ve dimmed the light to make sin comfortable.
Sin doesn’t like exposure. It asks us to turn off the light. Past generations would have turned it up and driven it out. But we dimmed it. Then, when sin grew bold, we let it shine. We heard God say, “This must go,” but we answered, “It’s not hurting anyone.” We tolerated what God told us to resist (James 4:7). Now, Satan eats at our table—and we’re feeding him.
Truth and Light
Just as God raised up the Chaldeans, He has allowed evil to show itself today. Our response must not be hatred—we will never hate anyone into loving Jesus. But we must respond with truth and light. We must call out sin, stand for righteousness, and refuse to compromise.
The time for quiet tolerance is over. It’s time to overturn the tables of the money changers who defiled the temple (Matthew 21:12–13).
Tomorrow, we will read Zephaniah.
Footnotes
Linders, Thom. Moving Ahead: How to Make America Godly Again (Marana, AZ: Book Writing Pioneer, 2024), emphasis repeated throughout.
Pernoud, Régine. Joan of Arc: Her Story. Translated by Jeremy DuQuesnay Adams. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1999.
Metaxas, Eric. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2010.
Kranz, Jeffrey. “Habakkuk: The Babylonians Are Coming.” OverviewBible. overviewbible.com/habakkuk.
“Habakkuk 2:11 Commentaries.” BibleHub. biblehub.com/commentaries/habakkuk/2-11.htm.