Habakkuk 1 – Debating God

Right out of the gate, we’re confronted by not one but two complains from Habbakkuk hurled up at God.  He’s seeing all this injustice play out before him, but is unsatisfied with God’s response.  How long, O LORD?  Why are you silent?  Why do you tolerate the treacherous? 

Debating God?

I wonder, is there any place for this sort of thing before the Lord?  Is there room in our faith for questions, laments, and complaints?  Just look through the Bible and you will see this modeled for us over and over again by some of the most passionate followers of God.  They are people who care deeply about what God cares about, and so they raise their voices for God to act.  Writes Walter Wink:

“Biblical prayer is impertinent, persistent, shameless, indecorous.  It’s more like haggling in an outdoor bazaar than the polite monologues of the church.”

Perhaps God wants us to be people who feel what He feels, people who—like Habbakkuk—cry out to Him in earnest when His kingdom is threatened and the bad guys are winning.  Maybe God actually welcomes this kind of prayer, and Habbakkuk can teach us something about prayer we’ve lost long the way.

Reuben