Consequences for Injustice

March 15, 2020 Background Scripture: Habakkuk 2 Lesson Passage: Habakkuk 2:6 – 14 Actions have consequences. Positive actions have positive consequences. Negative actions have negative consequences. To not show justice towards the least among us is a very negative action. When God described the calamity that He was sending to His people, Habakkuk was shocked by the violence of it. Therefore, he asked God to enlighten him. Today’s lesson is a continuation of God’s dialog with Habakkuk. The Background Scripture opens with Habakkuk anticipating God’s response to his second question, “Will there be a limit on the bloodshed wrought by heathens against the wicked among the people of God?” How will this disaster ever end given the spiritual condition of man’s heart? Habakkuk believed that he had misunderstood something about this, and therefore God would correct his thinking. God answered by instructing the prophet to write the vision that He was going to give him. God wanted others to read the vision and respond based on it. Central to their understanding of the calamity was knowing that God would spare the just based on their faith in Him. The just will not be made perfect at that time. Nor would God overlook the unrighteousness of the just during the execution of punishment upon wickedness. However, God’s protection of the just would be based on their faith in Him. If the just has faith in God, God would spare them destruction at the time of punishment. This was a major revelation that was heretofore unknown. Out of the writing of a Minor Prophet came a major revelation to the people of God. God again affirmed a central theme of His revealed will, “The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God.” Furthermore, all who trust in idols with be brought to naught. There will be a day of judgment for the wicked. Although the wicked may be used by God to punish unrighteousness, God will destroy the wicked afterwards. Injustice will never be allowed to go on without end. However, the time of retribution is controlled solely by God. God will always ensure that His will is accomplished regardless of evil’s apparent domination of the powerless. God indeed was going to use wicked and vicious people to punish His people for their unrighteousness. When the people of God refused to deal with the powerless in a just manner, God was going to avenge the powerless. Injustice cannot last forever. There are consequences that must occur according to God’s divine will. When the wicked are used to punish the people of God, it does not exonerate the wicked. The wicked will receive the just end of their deeds, and it will come without mercy. The godless make idols that they speak to and command, but those idols have no life in them and cannot respond back. God makes all men and He will not respond to their instructions for Him, but instead He tells them to hush! Although the lifeless idol made by man cannot speak, God made man, who is capable of speech, but commands him to speak only when God desires for him to. How foolish it is for man to not worship the God who created him and gave him the power of speech but would rather make a mute idol and submit himself to it as a servant. God refuses to allow this abomination. So, He simply tells man to hush! Robert C. Hudson March 4, 2020