Habakkuk 1:12 NASB1995 Are You not from everlasting, O Lord, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. You, O Lord, have appointed them to judge; And You, O Rock, have established them to correct.
We often wonder why evil seems to prevail so often on this earth. Yet much of our lives go against the will of God. In this chapter, we see God using those who do not follow God and live evil to correct those who follow God and yet commit evil. God expects those who don't trust in Him to live in sin. However, He expects those who trust in Him to strive to please Him. When they don't, He corrects them, even sometimes using the lost to do so.
God explains this to Habakkuk and then Habakkuk responds with today's verse. Are You not from everlasting, O Lord, my God, my Holy One? Habakkuk says you are God who exists outside of the time you created. He says you are Lord, my God, and the Holy One. He is saying you have the power and knowledge to do as you please. What you please is RIGHT.
Yet I know that "We will not die." God has promised everlasting life to those who have placed their faith in Him. We who live in Christ pass from life through death immediately into life everlasting. God's word tells us Jeremiah 29:11 NASB95 ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
God desires for us to have abundant life but Satan and his evil, desires our death and demise. John 10:10 NASB95 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
So God uses their evil to correct us. This is what Habakkuk realizes in our text when he says. "You, O Lord, have appointed them to judge; And You, O Rock, have established them to correct."
It is difficult to understand, but in Christ, it is not difficult to accept.
When we know the first half of the verse. Are You not from everlasting, O Lord, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. Then it is easier to accept the last half. You, O Lord, have appointed them to judge; And You, O Rock, have established them to correct.
If we don't want to see evil be used to correct His church, then His Church needs to strive not to do evil.
As it has been said God can not lie. So if we want to hear "well done" then we have to make sure we have "done well."
Thank you, Lord, for your correction so we can do well and hear well done. We know Lord this is your desire for us.
Praise the Lord we have a God who will correct us so we may be blessed by Him.
Love Bro. Scott