WHY DOES GOD TOLERATE WHAT IS WRONG?
Habakkuk 1:3 Why do you make me look a injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.
How could Habakkuk know that this would even be possible. God told him, and God made it happen. Sometimes we give humanity too much credit when in reality it is God that gives humanity the insight and ability to do what for generations and thousands of years humanity never dreamed of doing. If we go back to any great thought most people will respond that it just came to them. If humanity could come up with all these great things on their own, why doesn’t everyone come up with them? We don’t because it is God that puts it in the mind of man to do things. When we come to the revelation that it is God that has given us all we have and we have just been his instruments to do it, then truly the earth will be filled with the glory of the Lord. Habakkuk like many of us today was frustrated with the sin, wicked and evil that was so prevalent throughout the world. This is what brought about Habakkuk’s cry to the Lord, “Why do you tolerate all this?” We have to remember that God hates sin, wickedness and evil even worse than we can imagine. The slowness that frustrates us so much is not God’s fault, but in reality that of the world.
Peter pointed this out in 2 Peter 3:2-18 where it says, “I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets, and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘Where is this coming he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.’ But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and with water. By water also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare or burned up.
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and he elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”
The destruction of the earth will come following the 1,000 year rule of Jesus, and the rebellion of the people of the earth against Jesus. (Rev 20-21:5) So this will not come soon. We still have to go through the seven years of tribulation first followed by Jesus’ return to earth. Once we see the building of the third Jewish temple on the temple mount, we know that the return of Jesus is close. God will bring all this about. While the antichrist and false prophet may try to change these set times (Daniel 7:25), they will not be successful. God will make sure that it all ends as he said it would.
While our frustrations regarding this world will continue for us, so will it for God. But we must remember it is for the sake that others might become Christians too. So we need to pray and be patient for the return of Jesus, and his putting to end of the sin wickedness and evil. Jesus will return and he will do all that he has promised.
Prayer: Lord Jesus we too grieve over the sin, wickedness and evil that is in the world today. We are sorry that it brings you such great sorrow. Please help more people come to you, so that your Bride and kingdom will be all that you want us to be. We ask this in your holy name.
