IPC THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY KOTTAYAM

Research Paper

Concept of Divine justice from the book of Habakkuk connecting it to the contemporary
context in general

Submitted to Dr. Manoja Korada

In Partial Fulfilment for the Requirement of the Course

Study Skills

Submitted by Daniel Solomon

M.Div. (Online)

Date 08.02.2019
 Table of Contents

1.0 Introduction Page 2

2.0 Background Page 2
2.1 Historical
2.2 Moral and Spiritual
3.0 The Prayer of the Prophet and God’s Page 2
frightening cure
4.0 Justice of God in a contemporary Page 3
context
5.0 Conclusion Page 3

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1.0 Introduction
In 2018 for failure to bring justice in the Pogrom against the Rohingya, President Aung San
Suu Kyi, of Myanmar, was divested of her seventh Peace Award. (Editor, The Guardian
22nd August 2018). Tribunals’ setup to hold people accountable for war crimes have still
not stymied the rise of Gendercide and human trafficking (Shah Vikas, Thought
Economics, 2016). Postmodern relativism has nullified moral biblical absolutes, thereby
opening doors to a more relative moral law.

Judicial failure gives license to violence which leads to wickedness {Ezek 7:11 ESV}.
This paper ‘The Concept of Divine justice from the book of Habakkuk connecting it to the
contemporary context in general’ hopes to encourage and illuminate believers in India.
Giving them a clearer understanding of the workings of God’s Justice, and what their own
response to injustice, evil and exploitation be. God’s faithful should wait for His justice to
materialize. {Hab2:2-3} The methodology used is qualitative and limits itself to the
contemporary Church in India.

2.0 Background
2.1 Historical
After Jehoshaphat’s short-lived reformation of the judiciary, {II Char 17:7-9, 17:7-
9, Deut 16:18, 17:30} came King Josiah’s reformation, which degenerated into
apostasy and lawlessness.

2.2 Moral and Spiritual

After the Josiahaic reformation {2 Kings 23:24} the judiciary was up for sale to
anyone who had the means resulting in the poor being oppressed. Habakkuk saw
justice no longer ruling. Those who had authority gave malformed verdicts. So “life
is likened to fish, to survive depends not on morality but who has the power.”
(Hayes Christine, 2013).

3.0 The Prayer of the Prophet and Gods frightening Cure

Habakkuk’s spiritual crisis was due to God’s seeming indifference to apostasy and
exploitation. The lack of obedience to covenant life was hazardous and a slur on God’s
character {Hab 1:2-4}. In response to Habakkuk’s cry for God to intervene with justice,
God responds with a revelation of God’s chosen instrument of judgement on Judah - the
Babylonians.

2
 However, God’s purposes would end in eternal life for the faithful, and the proud would
perish {Hab 2:4-19}. God’s lordship is affirmed by His presence in the Temple, giving
assurance of His rule over the whole world {Hab 2:14, 1 Cor 15:28}. The prophet knowing
that God guides history rejoices {Hab3:2-20}. The coming Babylonian annihilation does
not stymie his rejoicing.
4.0 Justice of God in a Contemporary context and His Cure
In the contemporary context, we live in commitment to the New Covenant, which is the
fulfilment of all covenants. From this viewpoint, God’s judgement is understood as
finding its fulfilment in Christ who eternally sits on the judgement throne. {Mat 5:22,
Rom14:10, Heb1:8-9}
As believers, we need to understand God’s viewpoint: the unjust will be judged, and they
shall fail, but the righteous shall live by faith through times of Injustice. God’s view is
broader; from the beginning to the end as opposed to Habakkuk’s, which is ephemeral.
Evil ultimately destroys itself. Rev Martin Luther alludes to the hope in his speech ‘I
have a dream’ that one day injustices will be eradicated {Rev. Luther, Martin, 1963}.
Believers must stand in the face of injustice. Fleeing is not an option, as Habakkuk
remained in the situation. God’s cure for sin and injustice can take the Hababkukian form
but as we move into the new covenant believers must wait for God’s judgement.
Habakkuk in 3:17-19 tells us ‘No matter what happens, no matter how terrible things get,
I will rejoice in the Lord. I can trust in Him no matter what happens. He is in charge, so
everything will turn out all right’. This position rejuvenates our relationship with God into
one which is stronger, confident and deeper
The New Testament eschatologically looks to this final judgement of all God’s enemies
{Rev 20:7-10, Ps 68:1-2, James 4:13-15}. God’s cure now is Jesus’ work on the cross, if
we believe in Him we can escape the coming wrath. {Lk3:7} This is the message of hope
that we can give those who are perpetrating injustice.
Like Habakkuk, we need to wait in faith in God for justice. In addition, we need to pray
for two things: One, the speedy coming of God’s Justice and secondly, pray for the
perpetrators that they might turn from their evil ways and come to know the Lord as their
saviour{Lk 6:27-28}.
5.0 Conclusion
Therefore as, God is the lord of the whole earth, we understand His coming Judgement,
and wait with faith, and hope placed in it.

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 We pray for God to move for His names sake. We pray for those perpetrating injustice
that they might come to a saving knowledge of God. Maranatha.

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