God criticizes the leaders of Jerusalem for their corruption, and how they used the Torah as a way to oppress the poor. Then he turns towards the nations of the world, and laments, "if only you would have listened to my messages, I would've have loved to give you all the rewards I had saved up for you. But now I have to punish you", says God. However, one day all of the nations of the world, even the far flung countries, will all join together shoulder to shoulder and call in God's name.

Zephaniah warned us that the day of God's judgement is coming, so he now beseeches all the nations of the world, "Get Yourselves together before it's too late!" God's judgement is coming, but there is still time to save yourselves. Be humble, be just, stop scoffing at the humble nations around you. Then every country can worship God, even from faraway lands.

The prophet continues to describe the destruction coming from God due to the people's corruption. God will search the streets to find everyone hiding, there will be no escape. No amount of gold and silver will save you from God's wrath.

When God gathers everyone close for judgement, it doesn't bode well for the transgressors. He will zero in on you, there is no escape. Ultimately, it is dishonesty and oppression of others that will get you into trouble.

Habakkuk compares the awe and trembling of the righteous man to the awe of nature before God. The mountains, the rivers and the sea, the sun the moon and the sky, all tremble before God. But they are not the recipients of God's wrath. Only the evil nations and the tormentors of the poor are the recipients of God's anger. God comes to destroy evil and liberate the righteous. God's weapons are perfect and exact. So yes we may tremble as do the mountains, but we can still rejoice when we are afraid, because it is God who is coming to save us.

Habakkuk is terrified of God's answer to the prophet's demand for immediate justice, and begs Him to find mercy in His times of anger. The prophet notes that true justice cannot come anywhere, until it comes everywhere. I credit the title of this podcast of course to Martin KLuther King.

God answers but also doesn't answer the prophet. He points out that there is some justice built into the system which isn't so obvious, but ultimately we can never fully see justice until the day God reveals it. Before God, there is only silence, we need to stay strong and wait for the answers.

Habakkuk demands an answer from God, I will stand here until You explain Yourself! God reassures the prophet that one day God will reveal the answer to the world. One day it will all make sense. But the humble will have to have faith in God and wait. Only the humble though can have faith and live righteously, the arrogant will always demand answers now. However the people can and will rise against the oppressor. This is the cycle of the political world. Injustice can only last so long until the people take it into their own hands.

After God's answer to Habbakuk about justice, habbakuk does not like what he hears! If they are coming to punish, how do You God allow them to indiscrimately destroy other human beings like fish! Why don"t they discern between the innocent and guilty? Is this justice?

We introduce the prophet Habakkuk, who prophesied during the time of the ascendency of the babylonian kingdom. Challenging God, he asks, why do you stand by and watch while the evil make the righteous suffer? The prophet may not like God's answer.