O Lord, are you not from everlasting? Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? (Habakkuk 1:12a, 13, NIV 1894).
My Musings – Another common question or complaint. And another answer. “The Lord replied: ‘Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. 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.'” (Habakkuk 2:2–3, NIV 1984). Maybe this was a satisfactory reply for Habakkuk, and maybe it was not. But for those who have seen the Christ revealed and the remedy for sin that He provided it should be enough.
My Advice – Not all will live to see “the end” spoken of in this passage. For them, this is the message. “He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined [appointed time] to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” (Hebrew 9:26–28, NIV 1984). God will not be “silent” in His judgment.
For those who live to see Him “appears a second time,” (at the “appointed time“), this is the message. “Jesus told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. The servants asked him, Do you want us to go and pull them up? No, he answered, because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time, I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.” (Matthew 13:24–26, 28-30, NIV 1984). The righteous He will “bring salvation,” while the wicked He will “swallow up.”
Before our “appointed time” we must not be “silent.” We need to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. Then, until that time, “though [He] linger, wait for [Him].“
The Brew Is A Musing 