Questions

2 How long, O LORD, must I call for help,but you do not listen?Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save?
3 Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong?Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.
4 Therefore the law is paralyzed,and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.    Habakkuk 1:2-4 NIV

In this verse, Habakkuk is questioning God as to how long he has to endure the evil in his land.  As it goes on, God's response is that He is about to do something Habakkuk will not believe. He is going to raise up Babylonians to come against and punish Judah. After hearing this, Habakkuk questions God again. This time he wants to know how a good God could allow that to happen. How could He fight evil with evil?

"Habakkuk poses the profound theological question which must nag at anyone who is seriously listening to the prophets. It may even be a question which the various prophets themselves have considered.  How then can God permit these unrighteous nations to succeed in their evil oppressions?...How can a righteous God permit evil to exist at all?"

"Although God does not provide all the answers in His dialogue with Habakkuk, He does address the central question. His answer is that evil, wherever it is found, always bears within it seeds of its own destruction. Judah's sins have condemned it to inevitable destruction. The particular agency by which that destruction comes is of no consequence. The enemy may be a righteous or a wicked nation---it matters not. But likewise, if the oppressors themselves are evil---as the Babylonians are---then they too will face their own destruction. Only in righteousness is there life; sin always brings death."   (footnotes from The Daily Bible)

I think often times we feel we can not question God. Yet, we do question Him in our mind. We are just afraid to ask Him directly. I think that this passage proves that God knows we may have questions. And, I believe, that through prayer, He wants us to ask questions of Him so that He can better help us understand situations. He may not give us all of the answers, but He may give us enough answers to bring peace to our hearts.

In this particular situation, the answer to the question simply states that evil produces evil. Too often, when something bad happens, we feel hurt that God allowed it. Yet, evil things have been a part of the world since Adam and Eve left the garden. It's a part of where we live at the moment. We can find some solace in knowing that, even though it may appear evil is reaping rewards at the moment, the day will come for justice in that area as well. For some, the price may never be paid until the day of judgment. Rest assured, that one day all evil will answer for it's doings. It may have enjoyed rewards for a time, but it will not be for eternity.

For those of us who know Jesus as Lord and Savior, we can rejoice in knowing that, whatever hardship life brings us, we have an eternity of joy lying ahead of us. One day, good will reign where we live, and all of our questions will be answered.

Thank you God for sending your Son to rescue us and offering us eternal hope through the salvation made possible only by His innocent blood.