Habakuk 1:12-2:1 Is God Still Good? | January 18th, 2026

The passage that we are going to look at today is where Habakkuk get really honest because the prophet isn’t wrestling with Judah’s sin anymore, He’s wrestling with God’s methods. So today’s sermon is built around a question many believers ask but don’t really say out loud, “What if I don’t like God’s answer to my prayer?” What if God’s response isn’t comforting? What if God’s ways doesn’t fit into my timeline or my plan? Habakkuk is going to show us how we are to respond when God’s answers are heavy.

Let’s stand together in honor of God’s Word as we read

12 Are you not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof. 13 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he? 14 You make mankind like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler. 15 He brings all of them up with a hook; he drags them out with his net; he gathers them in his dragnet; so he rejoices and is glad. 16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet; for by them he lives in luxury, and his food is rich. 17 Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever? 1 I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.

Notice firstly that even though Habakkuk doesn’t like God’s response, the first thing that Habakkuk does is he goes to the Lord in prayer. Now His prayer doesn’t start with, “But God, how could you do such a thing!” He doesn’t begin with the perceived problem, he starts with God.

This leads us to the first point that we have in our sermon

Remind Yourself of God’s Character

Before Habakkuk starts to share his burden with God, he reminds himself of Who God is. This isn’t just a theological exercise, this firmly grounds Habakkuk in the character of God so that he can endure the storm spiritually. The first thing that Habakkuk reminds himself of good biblical truth! Firstly,

God is Everlasting

Habakkuk anchors himself in God’s eternity: “Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God?”

1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

In the New Testament, James 1:17

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

God is from the beginning, before time, space and matter. His character never changes with the times. Creation and history is not out of His control, it is unfolding according God’s eternal plan. The rise of Babylon doesn’t catching God off guard, but they’re a tool for God’s glory and the good of His people. History is in God’s hands which means the present and the future is too.

Habakkuk calls God, “my Holy One” while struggling to understand how a holy God can use an unholy people.

God is Holy

God has not and will not compromise His holy nature. Habakkuk refuses to change God’s character because of the events going on in his life. God’s holiness is a non-negotiable. We don’t get to define God according to the times we find ourselves in.

Notice also that God is a covenantal God,

God is Covenantal

Habakkuk calls the Lord, “my God… my Holy One”. This is intensely personal. Habakkuk is not making abstract theological claims, he is clinging to covenant identity.

7 He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. 8 He remembers his covenant forever, the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations, 9 the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, 10 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant,

Habakkuk calls God the “Rock” which points to God’s unchanging faithfulness, His consistency, and reliability. It’s not unique to Habakkuk, Moses wrote

4 “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.

So the Lord, Yahweh is His name, is an unchanging Rock of security. The people of God are protected by the Lord God and kept by His covenant promise and Habakkuk declares this truth “We shall not die” Which points to the truth

God is Faithful

This is total confidence in the Lord. Judgment is coming but destruction of God’s people forever is not.

12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.

but God does not forsake His promises.

So what is Habakkuk doing in this prayer? He’s anchoring His worries in God’s character and promises. It’s like an anchor in the storm. A ship doesn’t drop anchor after a storm passes, it drops anchor because a storm is coming! So Christian, before the waves hit, anchor yourself in God’s Word. Remind yourself of God’s promises. Remember God’s character. If you don’t do that, you’ll be like a ship set adrift in an ocean of destruction, but the Lord is a solid Rock, a firm foundation that we can anchor ourselves to and it will not move even in the fiercest storms.

Let’s look at verse 13 together

13 You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?

So the problem is not about evil, it’s about silence. Habakkuk knows God sees everything and if it bothers Habakkuk then surely it must bother God, right? So we learn this second point here,

Wrestle Honestly with God’s Silence Without Letting Go of God’s Holiness

There’s this tension that Habakkuk is wrestling with that we all, who are in Christ, must learn to hold in tension, because Habakkuk knows that God sees everything. He knows that God condemns evil. He hates injustice. He possesses unlimited power and yet God appears to do nothing. Does this make God immoral? What happens when we start to feel like Habakkuk does? We may be tempted to fall into one of the two ditches:

We may be tempted to redefine holiness. The easy way out would be to say that “Maybe God isn’t really that holy” or “Maybe God is just flexible with morality.” But Habakkuk insists that God cannot approve of evil, He doesn’t overlook injustice, His holiness is essential to His nature.

We may be tempted to deny God’s sovereignty. He could try to reason it out and say that “God didn’t intend for this” or “it’s just man’s free will playing out in history.” But Habakkuk says that God raised up the Chaldeans, God ordained the judgment, and God is active in history.

So Habakkuk holds these two truths in tension and this is why he is praying to the Lord. He’s not going to deny God’s character and he won’t deny God’s control and so Habakkuk is confused. “Lord if You are Who You say You are, then I need You to help me understand how this fits together because I’m not letting go of either of these truths!” So this petition isn’t rooted in doubt, it’s rooted in what He knows about the Lord and He’s not going to accept any easy answers.

And this question of “Why?” really comes together at the cross of Jesus Christ. At the cross, God’s holiness is not compromised by Christ’s suffering. His justice is not ignored at the cross. When Jesus said from the cross

34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

He was suffering and asked why? And the Father turned His face from His Son. Why?

4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Christ bore the curse for our sake and as such the Father forsook Him on the cross by becoming a curse for us.

13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—

The curse brought Christ under judgment from the Father and Jesus bore our curse on the cross. This doesn’t mean that God stopped loving the Son or a break in the Trinity, but God poured out His wrath on Christ because of His tremendous love for sinners, not because of hatred toward His Son. At the cross, God was silent. The only perfect human that was truly righteous suffered. Judgment came down. Justice was satisfied. What was God up to in the silence toward His Son? The answer wasn’t in an explanation, but in the redemption that He was working out through judgment.

Notice what Habakkuk does in verses 14-17,

Refuse to Soften or Sanitize Evil, Even When God Uses It

Habakkuk doesn’t excuse Babylon just because God is using them. There is a phrase in our vernacular of “necessary evil” but God does not need evil to accomplish His purposes, yet He uses it for His glory. Evil is never morally justified and humans are never excused for sin when everything works out.

Paul explicitly writes against in

8 And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

You see, Habakkuk names evil honestly. Look at the passage

There’s dehumanization, The Chaldeans are brutal with hooks, nets, humiliation. There’s idolatry, they’re worshipping their own strength and power. They’re relentless! There’s violence without any mercy. God ordains judgment, but He never endorses brutality.

So two errors that Christians must avoid here:

Calling evil “good” simply because it serves a purpose. Evil is always evil. Fire can be used to refine metal or clear land, but that doesn’t make a house fire good. We might say, “Good came out of it.” But no one says that the fire itself was a good thing. God might use the fire, but Scripture never asks us to praise the flames.

Assume moral comparisons guarantee God’s favor. Habakkuk writes “why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he”. More righteous…

10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

There is no “more righteous” or “less righteous”. God judges all sin in truth and justice.

22 … For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Imagine for a moment you’re in the court of law. You’ve broken the law and it’s clear that you broke the law. You stand before the judge and say, “Listen, I broke the law. But I’m not as bad as the other guys that came before me!” Do you think that judge is going to say, “You know what? Compared to those other guys you’re not as bad! You can go.” No! The law doesn’t work through comparisons it works on guilt. You don’t get off because someone else committed a worse crime. The wages of sin is death!

If there were two cups on the table and one cup has a teaspoon of poison in the tea and the other is a whole cup of poison… which one is safe to drink? Neither! Less poison doesn’t make something harmless and less sin doesn’t make someone more righteous!

God doesn’t look at us and judge us on a curve. We are either innocent in Christ or guilty in our sin. We are saved by His grace, not protected by our righteousness.

But Habakkuk knows that Babylon is wicked, but moral comparison is not repentance and it’s not a refuge. If your’e here and you’ve never trusted in Christ, maybe its because you think that you’re a pretty good person compared to others. The judgment rests on you the same way it rests on the worst criminal. You are guilty. That’s why God sent Jesus to suffer and die was to take your place and pay for your sin so you can be acquitted and made righteous by God.

Last thing here, look at Habakkuk 2:1

1 I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.

When you find yourself in a situation where God answers your prayer and it’s not in the way you really wanted: cling to God’s character, wrestle with God’s silence, refuse to minimize evil, and finally

Wait for God’s Answer

This is where Habakkuk stops arguing and makes his stand. Habakkuk doesn’t walk away, or lean on his own understanding or make explanations. He waits for God to speak to him. Faith is tested in the watching and waiting. Watching and waiting requires

1. Humility

Habakkuk is ready to be corrected isn’t he? He expects God’s correction. He says that he will look out “to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.” That line is kind of weird sounding, but basically it’s “I’m waiting to see what God says so I can answer Him back.” He expects that he himself may be wrong. He’s not assuming he is correct or even that his interpretation of events is right. He is willing to be rebuked, not just reassured. How different that is from modern Christians! Many people say, “I’ll listen to God as long as He agrees with me.” But biblical waiting says, “God, speak to me. Even if it’s not what I want to hear or what I may agree with, speak even if what You say corrects me.”

9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.

Habakkuk isn’t just looking for answers, he’s looking for God to adjust his outlook.

2. Quietness

Notice that Habakkuk put himself on the tower. This is intentional withdrawal, to be with the Lord. You can’t expect to hear from the Lord when your mind is racing, your heart is ready to argue or you’re surrounded by noise. Waiting requires you to be still. Spiritually, mentally. I don’t mean that God only speaks in silence, but we won’t hear Him until we stop talking. God often answers when we finally stop arguing long enough to listen.

26 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

3. Perseverance

Watching isn’t a glance at the night, it’s assuming a posture at attention when most people are asleep. A good watchman doesn’t look out and give up, but is vigilant. They listen closely and stay alert. They don’t jump at the sound of a twig snapping, but they watch with attention. They don’t get bored and fall asleep.

Habakkuk doesn’t set a deadline for the Lord. He doesn’t say, “He has until sunrise to get back to me.” He is aware and watchful even though there doesn’t seem to be a response right now.

31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Persevering through the dark, watchful nights is not passive patience, but persistent hope that God will answer.

4. Trust

This is the foundation beneath everything else. Habakkuk waits because he expects an answer. He doesn’t assume that God is indifferent toward him. He waits because he trust’s that God’s covenant has not failed even in judgment.

8 Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.

Habakkuk waits because he trusts the Lord and he believes God is not finished speaking through the prophets.

John Calvin captures this beautifully: “The prophet, finding himself overwhelmed, rises above human judgment and waits for the Spirit’s light.”

We live in a fast paced world. We have a world of entertainment at the push of a button. We can fly around the world in less than a day. We can explore virtually every corner of the planet on Google Earth. We have AI where we can learn about virtually anything. Entire libraries are available for free online. We can communicate with nearly anyone at the touch of a button even in some of the most remote areas of our planet.

But God doesn’t work on our schedules. He doesn’t respond to text messages, alerts, and notifications. He works by watchtowers. It takes time because God operates patiently. He is not rushed or hurried, but when He moves, He moves.

So what do we learn? Well, Habakkuk teaches us how we can question God without walking away from the faith. You see, we can ask questions based on His character but it’s extremely dangerous to question God without talking to Him. When we talk about doubts with others but not with God. When we look online and sympathize with complainers. When we rehearse arguments but never pray…

You see faith doesn’t require our understand, it requires our trust. Do you trust the Lord? Go to Him! The God who is faithful and keeps His covenants. The God Who is everlasting and holy. Talk to Him. Talk to Him about your doubts and struggles. His ways are too marvelous for us, His goodness is deeper than our comprehension, but He will give an answer. Will you be listening when He speaks?

Head: God wants you to know that He is perfectly holy and absolutely sovereign, even when His ways are confusing and His answers are painful.

God is never reacts, never compromises, and is never absent. He governs history according to His holy character and covenant faithfulness, even when judgment comes through means we do not expect or like.

Heart: God wants you to believe that when His answers are painful His purposes can be trusted even when you do not yet understand them.

Like Habakkuk, you are called to hold fast to God’s character. So trust the God Who judged sin at the cross will never act unjustly toward His people.

Hand: God wants you to bring your hard questions to Him, wait on His Word, and live by faith.

Because God is perfectly holy and absolutely sovereign, and because His purposes can be trusted even when His answers are painful, God calls you to respond with watchful faith. So pray honestly, listen humbly, and wait patiently without walking away or looking elsewhere for answers.