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“Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days – You would not believe if you were told,” Habakkuk 1:5
Be Astonished! – Perhaps CNN needs to hire Habakkuk. Take a few minutes to read the opening verses of this often neglected prophet and you will discover a story as relevant as today’s evening news. In fact, Habakkuk’s report would carry the headlines. And the opening word would be tamah.
What we don’t see in our translations is that Habakkuk doubles the word tamah. The text literally reads, vehi-tamhu temahu (be astonished and again astonished). Why does Habakkuk proclaim that what he is going to say will seem impossible? Why does he announce that no one will believe him? Because God is about to overthrow Israel by using an enemy who appears to be utterly opposed to God. Six hundred years before the birth of Yeshua, the Chaldean army swept through the land, subjugating proud and apostate Israel. Habakkuk told the people what God was going to do, but they scoffed. They believed that God would never let them be overrun by a pagan and idolatrous people. They were very much mistaken.
Notice the description that Habakkuk gives of the coming conquerors. They are bitter and rash. They are terrible and fearful. They believe in their own destiny and glorify themselves. They treat their enemies like prey. They will come in violence; their faces set for no retreat. They will take many captive. They will scoff at the leaders of other nations and scorn the protection of other nations. They will transgress God’s law and will be guilty but they will claim that their power comes from their own god. They are the epitome of all that God despises, yet He will use them to bring His own to repentance.
I am no Habakkuk, but this sounds awfully familiar, don’t you think? No one believes that Islam will conquer the world with its gospel of hate. No one imagines that God will let such a violent and immoral religion sweep away all in its path, especially the great and godly nation of America. If Habakkuk were on CNN, we would call him crazy. But God is quite capable of using the evil empires of men to bring about the repentance and redemption of His own. He has done it before. I see no reason why He would not do it again.
Our nation and the nations that rose from the march of Christianity across Europe and the Americas have certainly spurned God. My friend, Barry Jenkins, has written a book about God abandoning America. Don’t be too shocked. Yes, there are still those who follow the Way. There has always been and always will be a remnant because God will insure it. But the nations are lost. Even a cursory review of the moral, political and judicial conditions of the “Christian” nations clearly demonstrates nearly ubiquitous apostasy. If you turn on the nightly news and you see Habakkuk, don’t be surprised. God is still the God of history and He still does what He wishes, especially when that means taking down the arrogant but idolatrous proud.
Topical Index: Repentance
