A sermon by David Muthukumar (M.Th.), delivered on 15th September, 2011 at the Chapel.
A Road From Despair to Hope
Habakkuk Chs. 1-3
Habakkuk, a prophet, probably of the Jerusalem temple – name seems to be from Akkadian root meaning a “garden plant” – Date / period not in the superscript – context of the passage suggests 620-586 BC period.
Meditation
1. Distraught by Violence
Habakkuk begins with a passionate appeal (vv. 2-4) to God for his intervention in the midst of the prevalence of violence. The loci of this violence have to be inferred from the historical settings. The Assyrian empire which was notorious for its atrocities and annihilation of invaded countries (including the destruction of Northern kingdom in 722 BC) and the Egyptian skirmishes that inflicted loss of lives and property also could be part of Habakkuk’s accusation. But, in a more telling way, he was concerned about the violence within his nation. He complains about his hearts turmoil in witnessing destruction and violence wrought by the wicked rulers on their own country. He observes that the law has become “numb” and hence does not engender justice anymore. In the void of justice, the wicked have “hemmed” in the righteous and unleash violence and destruction in the society. Habakkuk calls for God’s theodicy to restore justice in the society and the preservation of righteous.
Habakkuk’s distress was by his sensitivity to the prevalence of violence around him as it rendered several poor people as helpless victims. We live in a world that is not much different from Habakkuk’s. The last week Delhi High Court blast has taken 13 people’s lives and several fatally injured. The world after 9/11, 26/11 is considered as a new phase in human history. The proliferation of violence in the name of religious fanaticism, communalism, ethnic cleaning and sectarian warfare has peaked as a global phenomenon. The violent stricken world is also becoming “numb” to the violence. Times of India carried an article after the Delhi High Court blast that the psychologists have found a new trend among the people, who are just numb to these events as the frequency of such occurrence goes higher. In other words, we are loosing the sensibility of Habakkuk who was distraught by the violence around him. Habakkuk challenges us to awake to the prevalence of violence and empathetically reach out to the world.
2. Dispute with God
In reply to his petition, Habakkuk receives Yahweh’s answer (vv. 5-11). Yahweh exhorts Habakkuk to look around among the nations and see the emergence of a new nation – “the Chaldeans” – as the deliverer of justice. With their awesome military might and ruthless dealings, Habakkuk was assured that the perpetrators of violence within his nation will be silenced and the possible return of justice in the society.
The rise of Chaldeans resulted in the decimation of Assyrians by the destruction of Nineveh in 612 BC and also the Egyptians were subdued at the battle of Carchemish in 605 BC. Then Nebuchadnezzar laid siege to Judah and eventually carried out the first deportation of Jews in 597 BC. Several of the ruling class members were deported to Babylon. Habakkuk suddenly realizes the impact of God’s intervention in raising Chaldeans as the deliverers of justice. Now he sees his own nation as a victim of Chaldean oppression and picks up the issue with Yahweh.
He begins his disputation with Yahweh rather bluntly. He asks God “Are you not from of old? Are you not the One who will not die?” As the ancient Hebrews did not use abstract concepts – like the Greeks did – Habakkuk uses the physical terms age and death. Habakkuk further asks, God as the One who could not suffer evil and who is to protect the righteous against the wicked, how could he allow the Chaldean violence to answer the violence of his nation. Hebrew Scripture shows this pattern of disobedience of Israelites and the correction by the invasion of foreign powers. But Habakkuk was not satisfied with such a model? He takes this moral dilemma to its logical end, returning the question to God who is supposed to be the arbiter of justice.
The disputation of Habakkuk shows similarity to the Psalmist or Job’s argument with God. But Habakkuk takes it to a new level, by accusing God of his mode of justice. He contends that God by raising the Chaldeans as deliverers-of-justice has in fact brought in more violence. Habakkuk was not satisfied with the conventional answer that Yahweh has punished the sins of his nation with the violence of the Chaldeans. Without any inhibition, Habakkuk takes up issue with God. We generally perceive faith as something that blacks out all doubts. But I like this saying that says, “Faith is not the absence of doubt, but faith is in spite of doubt”. Habakkuk did not forsake his faith in Yahweh because of his dilemma in understanding God’s justice but rather his emotional proximity to God allows himself to contend with God for an answer. Our inhibition to ask questions to God need not reflect our deep faith in him but rather our shallow faith that lacks the emotional proximity to God.
3. Vindicated by Faith (The Righteous shall live by Faith) (2.1-5)
Having disputed against God, Habakkuk prepares himself ready with an answer to God’s rebuke, which he anticipated. But God replies him with a new vision. The crux of this vision is summarized in v. 4 – “but the righteous shall live by faith”. Paul uses this vision of Habakkuk in Rom 1.17 and Gal 3.11. The author of Hebrews uses it in Heb. 10. 37-38. The Reformation movement germinated in Luther’s comprehension of the force of this vision – God’s righteousness imputed through Christ by faith making us “righteous”. Habakkuk’s audacity to dispute with God has brought forth (by serendipity!) a vision that revolutionized the world.
As someone sensible to such violence, Habakkuk realized not to expect quick-fix solutions for the magical wipeout of wicked ones. Yet, one need not have to lose hope also. This vision enables Habakkuk to conclude with a declaration of faith in God:
“If the fig tree does not blossom,
And no fruit is on the vines….
Yet I will exult in Yahweh
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation”. (3.17-18)
Habakkuk realized that he may not understand the world events and the retribution of justice to the nations; but his hope in Yahweh will preserve the faithful ones; His distraught by violence need not push him into despair and grumble; but the hope in the eventual redemption by God can channel such sensibility into empathy and praxis to ameliorate the pain of the suffering humanity while persisting in hope. Let God give us the sensibility to the pains of the people to empathize and not to be numb; Let us have the audacity to dispute with God in emotional proximity and let not our faith be subdued and shallow; Let us learn to hope persistently and becomes beacons of hope in the midst of violent-ridden world.
