Why does God tolerate wrongdoing, as questioned in Habakkuk 1:13? Habakkuk’s Cry of Confusion “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the treacherous? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?” (Habakkuk 1:13) God’s Character: Holy Yet Patient • God’s holiness is uncompromising—“Your eyes are too pure to look on evil.” • Yet His patience is real—“The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise … but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). • Habakkuk’s tension is ours: How can absolute purity coexist with apparent delay? Divine Patience, Not Approval • Delay never equals indifference. • Romans 2:4 calls the pause “riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience,” designed to lead sinners to repentance. • Genesis 15:16 shows God waiting “until the iniquity of the Amorites is … complete,” proving that judgment arrives only when evil reaches its full measure. Purposes Behind Permitting Wrongdoing • Mercy: Time for people to repent (2 Peter 3:9). • Testing and refining the righteous (Psalm 66:10; 1 Peter 1:6-7). • Displaying His justice more clearly later (Psalm 73:16-17). • Fulfilling redemptive timelines—Babylon’s rise, Christ’s first coming, and still the future return of Jesus (Habakkuk 2:3; Galatians 4:4). • Weaving all events for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Habakkuk’s Immediate Context: Babylon as Instrument • God will soon raise Babylon to judge Judah (Habakkuk 1:5-11). • The wicked nation itself will then face judgment (Habakkuk 2:6-8). • God uses even evil powers as tools while remaining morally flawless—He holds them fully accountable afterward. The Cross: Ultimate Proof God Does Not Overlook Evil • Romans 3:25-26 describes God presenting Christ “as an atoning sacrifice … to demonstrate His righteousness.” • Sin was punished in Jesus, showing that no wrongdoing is swept away under a cosmic rug. • The patience that allowed centuries of sin culminated in a decisive act of justice and mercy at Calvary. The Coming Day of Reckoning • “For the vision awaits an appointed time … though it lingers, wait for it” (Habakkuk 2:3). • Ecclesiastes 8:11 explains why wickedness seems bold: delayed sentence emboldens sinners. • Revelation 20:11-15 guarantees a final, universal judgment; no act of evil will escape. Living by Faith While Waiting • “The righteous will live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4), echoed in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38. • Practical responses: – Trust God’s timetable rather than appearances. – Keep doing good (Psalm 37:3). – Rest in God’s ultimate justice (Psalm 37:7). Summary God’s seeming tolerance is actually purposeful patience. He delays to extend mercy, refine His people, and align history with His sovereign plan. The cross assures us that justice has been—and will be—fully satisfied, and faith steadies us until the appointed day when every wrong is made right. |
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