THE VISION OF HABAKKUK FOR THE LATTER DAYS

O Lord, how long shall I cry, and Thou wilt not hear? Even cry out unto Thee of violence, and Thou wilt not save! Why dost Thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance?"

That is Habakkuk's lamentation (1:2-3) over the wickedness prevailing in his day in Israel. The response to that is on God's part, beginning at v. 5:
                "Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I work a work in your days which ye will not believe, though it be told you.
                "For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwelling-places that are not theirs."

—and so on in the succeeding vs. to the end of v. 11:

                "Then shall his (the Chaldean's) mind change, and he shall pass over and offend, imputing this his power unto his god."
That is his power over Israel, for if we read the Scripture history of the case we see that theirs was a work of complete desolation.
According to the prophecy, they prevailed against Israel, and the meek of the nation were involved in the general destruction, trodden down everywhere before the invading flood. In view of that, we have Habakkuk's expostulation, in v. 12:

                "Art not Thou from everlasting, Ο Lord my God, mine Holy One? We shall not die. Ο Lord, Thou hast ordained them for judgment;                        

                 and, Ο mighty God, Thou hast established them for correction."

WHY DO THE WICKED PROSPER?
Thus Habakkuk perceived and acknowledged the "judgment" and "correction" in the Chaldean invasion, but at the same time there were things connected with it that he did not understand—

            "Thou art of purer eyes that to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity. Wherefore lookest Thou upon them that deal treacherously,

              and holdest Thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?" (v. 13).
This idea runs through the whole chapter—an expression of wonder on Habakkuk's part «that God should tolerate the triumph of such a nation as the Chaldeans . . .
            "Continually to slay and sacrifice unto their net; and burn incense unto their drag."
Hence his question in the last v. of ch. 1:

            "Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually to slay the nations?"
This reminds us very much of a similar question of Jeremiah— "Righteous art Thou, Ο Lord, when I plead with Thee: yet let me talk with Thee of Thy judgments.

"Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? Wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously?" God's answer to Jeremiah contained but little that was presently cheering. It was somewhat parabolically expressed (v. 5):

            "If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses?

             And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?"
Literally expressed, it was as much as to say, "There are much worse things coming, and you will see them" Which, indeed, Jeremiah did. But with regard to the END there was comfort, "I will return and have compassion on them, and will bring them again" (v. 15).

- 1974 Berean