Justice of God
Short-term and long-term, the justice of God is the core theological theme. Habakkuk rejects a “the end justifies the means” argument; the violence of the Babylonians (1:12-17) cannot be the solution to the violence of the wicked versus the righteousA righteous person is one who is ethical and faithful to God’s covenant. Righteousness in the Old Testament is an attitude of God; in the New Testament it is a gift of God through grace. In the New Testament righteousness is a relationship with God… (1:2-4). The book embodies a form of waiting for God’s promised future beyond a cyclical use of violence to punish violence. Waiting includes lament, petition, trembling, and, most of all, rejoicing. The joy is anticipatory of a sure future, but it does not preclude suffering in the present. Waiting for God’s future addresses questions about God’s justice in the present, but it also leaves them open for lament and petition.
