Habakkuk 1:12

Habakkuk 1:12 says, Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One? we shall not die. O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.  Habakkuk delivered God's message to His people, then He addressed God with his own questions.  First, Habakkuk asked if God was not the eternal God.  Even if God allows evil to triumph for a time, especially when His people have ceased to be obedient to His will, He is no less the only true, eternal God.  Then, Habakkuk pronounced God as his God.  If we are to understand God at all, we must know Him personally as our God.  Until we come to God through faith in Christ as our Savior and Lord, we can never understand the ways of God.  Then Habakkuk asked if God had ordained the Chaldeans for judgment and correction.  God's desire is never to punish, but to correct everyone, especially those who are His people.  Verse thirteen adds, Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?  Habakkuk seems to be praising God while at the same time questioning Him.  He proclaims God to be too holy to look on evil and iniquity.  Then, Habakkuk asks how God can hold His tongue when the wicked devour those who are more righteous than them.  We need to acknowledge that righteousness comes from God and that the standard is not whether we are more righteous than someone else, but whether we are true to our relationship to God.  We hear a lot today about God's people suffering at the hands of those who deny God, but we must remember that this suffering is but temporary.  Verse fourteen continues, And makest men as the fishes of the sea, as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them?  God said that people were looked on as of no more value than the fish of the sea and as the creeping things that have no ruler.  Verse fifteen states, They take up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag: therefore they rejoice and are glad.  People are caught in the snare of sin, and those in power rejoice.  People today often rejoice at the failings of others, especially those who are God's people, or at least profess to be.  It is possible for those who follow Christ to fall into sin, but they must repent and ask for forgiveness when they do, otherwise the lost of the world will have reason to rejoice. Verse sixteen adds, Therefore they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag; because by them their portion is fat, and their meat plenteous.  After snaring people in the nets of sin, those who snare them then worship the net.  When people today are caught up in sin and are still living the good life, they worship many different idols claiming that they brought them success.  Verse seventeen continues, Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?  Habakkuk asked if those who were evil would be allowed to continue in power.  We know the answer is no.  There was coming a day of judgment then, and there is coming a day of judgment one day when all evil acts will be judged.  Our only hope for forgiveness comes through our relationship to Christ.