God's primary answer to the prophet Habakkuk was a powerful and astonishing revelation of His impending judgment, declaring that He would use the mighty and ruthless Babylonians to bring destruction upon Judah. This response was designed to profoundly amaze Habakkuk, as it detailed an action so unbelievable it would not be credited even if foretold.
God's Astonishing Revelation
When Habakkuk cried out to God, lamenting the pervasive wickedness and injustice that seemed to go unpunished in Judah, God responded with a direct and startling message. He commanded Habakkuk to:
- "Watch and be utterly amazed." God assured Habakkuk that what He was about to do would be beyond human comprehension or belief.
- "For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if you were told." This emphasized the unprecedented and extraordinary nature of the divine action.
This initial declaration set the stage for the specific details of the judgment that would follow.
The Instrument of Divine Judgment: The Babylonians
God then laid out the precise nature of the "something" He was about to do. He revealed that the destruction and judgment would come swiftly and devastatingly at the hands of the Babylonians (also known as the Chaldeans). This was profoundly unsettling news for Habakkuk, as it meant God would use an even more wicked and pagan nation to punish His own people, Judah.
The characteristics of the Babylonian assault included:
- Rapidity: Their advance would be swift and overwhelming.
- Ruthlessness: They were described as fierce and impetuous, sweeping through the land to seize habitations not their own.
- Inexorable Power: Their might was formidable, striking terror and devastation wherever they went.
This divine plan, while being a direct answer to Habakkuk's plea for justice, presented a difficult truth for the prophet to reconcile: God was indeed active, but His method of intervention was through a power that seemed even more chaotic and unjust than the initial problems Habakkuk observed. This was perceived as "bad news indeed" from Habakkuk's perspective, leading him to further dialogue with God about the justice of this approach.
