How to live through catastrophe
Hab 2:1-4
During a summer outreach to international students in the UK, I met a Russian girl on the team, who was particularly excited about the work and seemed to have aptitude for it. The mission that organised the event approached her about returning in the autumn to join in the ongoing work for a year. Then tragedy struck. The girl’s father suddenly died, and she had to return home. Something must have happened to her spiritually, however, because she did not respond to any emails after that and never took up the opportunity originally discussed. This dramatic incident often comes to my mind when I think of other Christian friends who face difficult situations, whether of terminal illness, bereavement, loss of a job or breakdown of family relationships. How do we cope when our world falls apart?
God’s encouragement
Facing his people’s potential elimination, Habakkuk asks God for answers with perseverance, like a guard waiting for news on a watchtower (Hab 2:1). At the same time, he realises how audacious it is to question God about His motives and justice, and he anticipates a rebuke (v.1). Such humility is rarely seen today when many shake their fist at God and are convinced that they know better what is truly just and right. Despite Habakkuk’s expectations, however, God does not rebuke but encourages him with the promise of a vision (Hab 2:2).[1] He reassures the prophet that the fulfilment is certain and will not fail (literally ‘lie’; Hab 3:3). In fact, it is hastening (literally ‘panting’) towards its goal and will get there in God’s appointed time (v.3). Nevertheless, from a human perspective it may look like delay (‘though it tarries’; v.3), and here is the rub. How are God’s people to live in the interim and survive the catastrophe that engulfs them?
The righteous will live by his faith
The answer is ‘the righteous will live by his faith’ (Hab 2:4). While being righteous may have slightly different nuances (being vindicated, innocent of a crime, etc.), it most often refers to attitudes and behaviours that are right (much like we might talk about ‘the godly’), although the basis for this is not usually spelt out. We get a clue about how to read ‘the righteous’ here from the contrast with the proud and from the description of living by faith (or faithfulness – ’emunah means both). Faith/faithfulness points to trust and steadfast loyalty or commitment, which immediately implies a relationship with someone (here with God). Out of this will no doubt flow actions and attitudes that are in keeping with faithfulness to God. Such dependence on Him is the opposite of the behaviour of the proud who rely on their strength and arrogantly claim achievements for themselves (the Hebrew ‘uppelah for ‘proud’ means puffed up or swollen). They do not acknowledge God and implicitly rebel against His rule, which leads to setting their own standards and becoming a law unto themselves.
How to survive while we wait
How can one live with catastrophe, even judgment (as Judah did) and survive? God’s answer to Habakkuk is to continue to trust in Him when everything looks bleak and hopeless. That connection is life-giving; indeed it is a lifeline in the midst of doubt and despair. This understanding of trust that also manifests itself in actions and loyal commitment in God is described in the memoirs of Lord Hailsham, the longest serving Lord High Chancellor in Great Britain. In his book, he explains how he survived the sudden death of his beloved wife in a horse-riding accident after 34 years of marriage.
All that summer the sun no longer shone by day. The stars did not shine at night. The flowers did not bloom in the garden. The birds were silent in the treetops. As the good book says, I was a pelican, that is a water bird, in the wilderness; an owl, that is, a woodland bird, in the desert; a sparrow, a most gregarious bird, alone upon the house-top. But at least I knew what I had to avoid. I knew that, whatever happened, I must not despair. I knew that the arguments [i.e. about faith in God] which had appealed to me as true when I had written my book were not less valid because of my new experience of desolation than they had been when I was happy. I continued to pray, to go to church, to attend communion. I did not suffer less thereby, but I was very conscious that, had I not followed these disciplines, I would have suffered even more, because I would have despaired of the nature of things and not merely suffered from the course of events.[2]
As we face challenges in life and walk a painful road, may we look to the Lord with trust.
[1] It is hard to tell where the promised ‘vision’ starts (with the advice in Hab 2:4-5, the woe sayings in Hab 2:6 or God appearing in Hab 3:3) but, in any case, Habakkuk is told to record it plainly (the word for ‘inscribe’ in NASB can mean ‘to display clearly’ or ‘to elucidate’; cf Deut 27:8 write ‘distinctly’) so that everyone’s eyes may ‘run’ over it easily or that a messenger might run to proclaim it (Hab 2:2). For the view that connects the running with reading the message clearly, see e.g. F.F. Bruce, “Habakkuk,” in The Minor Prophets, ed. T.E. McComiskey (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1993), 2:859, for running as proclamation, see e.g. O. Palmer Robertson, The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, NICOT (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990), 169-70.
[2] Lord Hailsham of St Marylebone, A Sparrow’s Flight: A Memoir (Glasgow: Fontana, 1990), 398-99.
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