Overcoming Anger: God’s Answer to Habakkuk
‘And the LORD answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end – it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.”’ (Hab 2:2-3)
Anger is a such deadly vice – no wonder our Lord said that everyone who is angry with his brother will be as liable to judgment as the one who murders! In 2018 in Uganda over six hundred people were murdered by mob action – an indicator of the lethal dangers of anger. Apostle Paul recognizes that it may be impossible to avoid anger; he therefore preaches, ‘Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil’ (Eph 4:26-27). Every leader, every parent, every teacher, every first-born, even children, every one needs to overcome anger.
There are many causes of anger; one of the most frustrating issues is God’s inaction about evil. Prophet Habakkuk wrestles with this problem in two complaints recorded in his book. In his first complaint, righteous Jews are being oppressed by wicked Jews, and God seems not to be paying attention. In his second complaint, things have gone from bad to worse: God is raising a more wicked nation – the Babylonians – to conquer the Jews, thereby punishing the wicked Jewish oppressors; but the righteous Jews will also suffer as their nation is swept away by Babylon! And Habakkuk is perplexed by Jehovah who looks on as evil people seem to enjoy a field day. Habakkuk is almost right to be angry at God; and we have sometimes come to such a point – angry at God! Habakkuk, however, did not sin; he concluded his long complaint with the words, ‘I will take my stand to watch, and station myself on the tower, and look forth to see what [God] will say to me’ (2:1). It is good to wait on the Lord.
God answered Habakkuk’s second compaint: He first comforted the prophet, encouraging him to write down the vision and be sure it will come to pass, even if it seems to delay. The virtue of patience helps to cool down the flares of rage and anger. God assures the prophet that the wicked’s prosperity will indeed be short-lived, and they will be judged. In a measured dirge he pronounces a five-fold woe on the five great sins of the Babylonians: ambition, greed, violence, disrespectful pleasure and idolatry. These would be repaid by other nations plundering them, their corruption being exposed, and their false gods proving useless – and all these came to pass.
Such evil ambition and greed manifest today in laws that oppress the poor, exploitative employers, embezzlements and bribery; the end of those involved in these will not be different from that of the wicked people of Habakkuk’s time. And such are God’s answers; always overcome anger: when you decide to pour your heart to Him, wait patiently – He is at work.
God bless you.