Subject: God's Sovereignty and Human Government - Habakkuk

Habakkuk 1:11 (ESV Strong's)
Then they sweep by like the wind and go on,
guilty men, whose own might is their god!”

Subject:  God's Sovereignty

The book of Habakkuk is a prophecy about what God is going to do with His rebellious people Israel.   However, as most prophecy's bring God's message to us, Habakkuk takes our questions to Him.   Habakkuk knows that God is going to use a wicked nation, Babylon (the Chaldeans) to punish Israel.  God has already used the Assyrians and now He is going to use the Babylon to punish the Assyrians and Israel.   Habakkuk's question is simple:  Why does a righteous God use wicked people to punish the nation that is the "apple of His eye?"    In a broder sense, why does God use evil to accomplish His purpose.   Because, that is what He is doing.   Notice the above verse.  These are evil people.  It says, "whose own might is their god!"   The Chaldeans were very wicked people.  Yet, God uses them as a tool to accomplish His tasks.   The same thing happens in the book of Job.  Note the following:

Job 1:17 (ESV Strong's)
While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

God used the wind and storms to crush Job's family.   He used the Chaldeans to destroy Job's servants.  Habakkuk wants to know why?   The answer God gives is in chapter two of Habakkuk and it is simple:

Habakkuk 2:4 (ESV Strong's)
“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
but the righteous shall live by his faith.

Even though we are unrighteous ourselves, we are to live by faith that God knows what He is doing and it is doing it in a righteous manner.   For the unbeliever who needs human reason to figure out life, this might not make sense.  But, for people of faith it should be a normal exercise to believe God is who He says He is and He is never NOT God.   God does use evil men to accomplish His task.  I believe He does so, but simply removing His grace from their path and that allows their sin to completely flourish.   When man's sin is unchecked by God's grace we have the acts of violence we read in this book and see in our society today.   We are to live by Faith.  God eventually will judge the Chaldeans (and did), but our role is faith.