August 2, 2025 -Why Evil?

HABAKKUK 1:1-3:19

ZEPHANIAH 1:1-2:7

Chronological Bible Readings

Habakkuk 3:13 Your eyes are too pure to look on evil;

    you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.

Why then do you tolerate the treacherous?

    Why are you silent while the wicked

    swallow up those more righteous than themselves?

What a common question among God's people is "Why does God allow so much evil?". None of us can really understand why God would allow it. Jonah didn't understand why God would save such an evil nation as Nineveh. Habakkuk couldn't understand why God would allow such an evil nation to overcome His people. We can't understand why so much evil and immorality is being promoted and encouraged in our world, and so much criticism and hatred against Christians is encouraged. But we need to respond more like Habakkuk than Jonah. Jonah ran away but Habakkuk turns toward God.

Habakkuk 2:3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time;

    it speaks of the end

    and will not prove false.

Though it linger, wait for it;

    it will certainly come

    and will not delay.

4 “See, the enemy is puffed up;

    his desires are not upright—

    but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness

God gives Habakkuk assurance that He will fulfill what is to happen in His timing and those who follow Him and live by faith will persevere. It can be hard to understand God's timing. I would bet that had Jonah known that the Ninevites were going to turn from God centuries later he would ask "Why wait?" just destroy them now. Habakkuk surely didn't want to seek the evil and suffering and have to wait for God's timing any more than we do now. There is an appointed time for the end of evil and we can cry out come Lord Jesus, but we can't allow that desire for the end to distract us from how we are to live in this world. We can't allow our confidence in His victory to puff us up. Our desires need to be upright, and we need to live by His faithfulness.

Habakkuk 3:16 I heard and my heart pounded,

    my lips quivered at the sound;

decay crept into my bones,

    and my legs trembled.

Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity

    to come on the nation invading us.

17 Though the fig tree does not bud

    and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crop fails

    and the fields produce no food,

though there are no sheep in the pen

    and no cattle in the stalls,

18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

    I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Unlike Jonah who had to be swallowed by a fish to turn to God in prayer and praise, Habakkuk goes there first. He pours out his lament and praises the Lord. We too can experience evil and suffering in the world, but it is possible even in that suffering to rejoice in the Lord and be Joyful in Jesus our Savior. Jesus is proof of God's great love, His plan, His timing, His grace, His power over death and the promise that there is no evil that He will not triumph over.