Habakkuk

The Book of Habakkuk is unique because it is structured as a dialogue, or a two-way conversation, between the prophet and God. Habakkuk begins by complaining to God, questioning why a righteous God allows the rampant wickedness and injustice in Judah to continue unchecked. God responds by revealing that He is raising up the fierce, ruthless Babylonian Empire to act as His instrument of judgment against Judah. Horrified, Habakkuk then asks a second, deeper question, how can a holy God use an even more wicked nation (Babylon) to punish His own people? God's final answer, summarized in the famous line "The righteous shall live by his faith," teaches the prophet and the reader to trust God's plan and sovereignty, even when it is impossible to understand.