Most of us highly value kindness. So when we read stories from the Old Testament, it feels like we’re reading about a different God than the one we read about in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, we read stories of judgment and death, whole cities wiped out from God’s seething anger. It all seems too harsh, too unkind, too different from the mercy of the “God of the New Testament.” Some of us might wonder: Can we worship a God who judges?
In the Old Testament book of Habakkuk, we listen in on an intimate conversation between a prophet and his God. Prophets “were God’s messengers to his people.” We often think of prophets as only speaking God’s words, but in Habakkuk, we see an intimate look behind the scenes. We see a prophet speak with God and listen carefully to his response. This prophet shows us that God’s judgment was not just warranted, but necessary. Without God’s righteous judgment, evil continues unchecked and God’s message of mercy falls flat.
Evil Unpunished
What was the state of Judah during Habakkuk’s time? Habakkuk reveals that God’s people were marked by violence, iniquity, destruction, strife, and contention (Hab. 1:2–3). This prophet begged God to do something about his people, who were in moral chaos. Without God’s intervention, “the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous, so justice goes forth perverted” (Hab. 1:4). What a dangerous place for God’s people to be—what a horrible place for the vulnerable to be. Imagine what life in ancient Judah might be like if evil and injustice continued unchecked.
God heard Habakkuk’s lament and responded that his judgment was coming—first for his faithless people and then for his enemies (Hab. 1:5–6; 2:6–20). Habakkuk is at first confused, but his confusion soon gives way to worship: No matter what judgment comes, he “will rejoice in the Lord; [he] will take joy in the God of [his] salvation” (Hab. 3:17–18). He concludes the psalm by “trusting that God knows best and will bring about justice.”
Every day, we hear news of injustice and unfairness—we might even experience it for ourselves. Without God’s judgment on evil, these wrongs would never end—they would never be made right. We can rejoice with Habakkuk that our God is one who judges, and he will one day finally judge all evil and wickedness.
Message of Judgment—and Mercy
Have you ever noticed how mercy attends to every prophetic message of judgment? The judgment is imminent but has not yet come. There is still time to hear God’s word and be chastened by it. There is still time to repent and turn to the Lord, to allow for promised “times of refreshing” (Acts 3:19). People still have time to submit to God’s mercy.
When Paul preached Habakkuk 1:5, he told Jewish men and women that God’s judgment was surely coming in an unbelievable way. But, if they repented and believed in Jesus, they would receive the forgiveness of their sins (Acts 13:38–39). They would receive mercy instead of judgment, forgiveness instead of condemnation. What a mercy from the Lord!
We cannot separate God’s message of mercy from his message of judgment, yet we often do. Consider how often we believe God’s message of judgment too harsh or unneeded. We easily forget the weight of our sins and the punishment we deserve. We grow apathetic toward Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Daily life obscures our need for a Savior and the reality of the world to come. Yet Scripture reminds us that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Cor. 5:10). One day, you will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. I will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. We will stand before him either covered by his mercy or having rejected it. Like the Israelites, we must receive God’s mercy while we’re still able.
Judgment on Sin Is for the Greater Good
Revelation provides a frightening scene of judgment against Babylon, a city that symbolizes all evil and wickedness (Rev. 18). The extent and finality of this judgment might offend or disgust us. It may seem more in line with our idea of the “Old Testament God” as opposed to the “New Testament God.” Yet when Babylon is judged, how do the saints in heaven respond? They worshipped, just as Habakkuk worshipped. “Hallelujah!” God’s people in heaven cried, “for his judgments are true and just” (Rev. 19:1–2). They worshipped God because they would never experience wickedness or injustice ever again under his good rule.
Do you see the need for God’s good judgment on all evil and wickedness?
Do you see his mercy offered to all through the death and resurrection of his only Son? Praise God that even in his wrath he remembers mercy (Hab. 3:2).
Footnotes
ESV Study Bible, note on Hab. 3:17–19
