How Long?

From the lesson series, How Long? Studies in the book of Habakkuk, April 2018

O Lord, how long shall I cry for help?

A World of “How Long?”

The name Amelia Bonow has not been a household word. She had a story she wanted to tell, and felt moved to find an avenue to express it. In a published article, Bonow outlined that she had decided to come out about an abortion that she received in 2015 after learning that the US House of Representatives had voted to stop the funding for Planned Parenthood. She said that the news made her so upset that she wept and wept, and began to type out her thoughts on Facebook. In one of the posts, she coined the phrase “Shout Your Abortion” and placed the phrase with a hashtag on Twitter.

Her Facebook posts were passed from one person to another. One of the “anothers” was a lady named Oprah Winfrey. Winfrey invited her to write an article for publication in her “O” magazine for use in its inspiration section. The article, “How One Woman Became an Activist with the Hashtag #ShoutYourAbortion was also posted on the Oprah.com website.

The post expressed her “gratitude” to Planned Parenthood for her abortion. Because of Oprah’s popularity, the article became a tsunami of 300,000 people tweeting the “ShoutYourAbortion” hashtag. The movement has spawned an official organization of the same name.

We started with a shame and reluctance of even saying the word. Then we talked about it, but didn’t want to admit that such things could touch the lives of people we know, let alone our own experience. Now we shout it from the rooftops.

How Long O Lord

Today’s believer understands the words of Habakkuk. “How long, O Lord?”

How long do you put up with this? Do you not hear the cries of your people? Are you willing to let evil win?

How long?

Peter tells us that “the Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise, as some count slowness” (2 Peter 3:9). At one point or another, we all join the “some” group. It becomes painfully clear to us that our sense of urgency is different than God’s. We prefer to measure time in minutes rather than months, while God measures His time in millennia (2 Peter 3:8).

Listen to the words of the Psalmist.

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
² How long must I take counsel in my soul
    and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

³ Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
    light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
⁴ lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”
    lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

⁵ But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
    my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
⁶ I will sing to the Lord,
    because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Psalm 13

God knows that He often seems slow to us. God’s chosen pace – as well as His chosen place – is redemptive for us. It may be confusing, painful, trying our patience. But the timing is always His. There are two gracious promises He gives us when we are waiting.

From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him. Isaiah 64:4

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:29-31

Abraham and Sarah waited 25 years for the fulfillment of their promise that Abraham would become the father of many nations. And even then, he didn’t become the father of nations – he became the father of one. Even now, God is working for you as you wait for Him.

How long? How long before you seek revenge? Until you administer judgment? Will you allow the righteous to suffer?

Paul reminds us that revenge if not ours to seek, but is the Lord’s.

¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. ¹⁸ If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord (Romans 12:17-19 HCSB).

Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay.
In time their foot will slip,
for their day of disaster is near,
and their doom is coming quickly (Deuteronomy 32:35)

No weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord (Isaiah 54:7).

The righteous will rejoice when he sees the vengeance; he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked (Psalm 58:10).

God’s wrath is more horrifying that we can even fathom. God will only pardon those who seek shelter and refuge in the shelter that Jesus provides.

Does the New Testament Answer, “How Long?”

Paul again directs our thoughts.

⁵ It is a clear evidence of God’s righteous judgment that you will be counted worthy of God’s kingdom, for which you also are suffering, ⁶ since it is righteous for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you ⁷ and to reward with rest you who are afflicted, along with us. This will take place at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His powerful angels, ⁸ taking vengeance with flaming fire on those who don’t know God and on those who don’t obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction from the Lord’s presence and from His glorious strength ¹⁰ in that day when He comes to be glorified by His saints and to be admired by all those who have believed, because our testimony among you was believed (2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 HCSB).

²⁶ For if we deliberately sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire about to consume the adversaries. ²⁸ If anyone disregards Moses’ law, he dies without mercy, based on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much worse punishment do you think one will deserve who has trampled on the Son of God, regarded as profane the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know the One who has said, Vengeance belongs to Me, I will repay, and again, The Lord will judge His people. ³¹ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:26-31)!

But it is the words of the last book of the Bible that gives us the utmost hope and answer.

¹⁰ They cried out with a loud voice: “Lord, the One who is holy and true, how long until You judge and avenge our blood from those who live on the earth?” ¹¹ So a white robe was given to each of them, and they were told to rest a little while longer until the number would be completed of their fellow slaves and their brothers, who were going to be killed just as they had been (Revelation 6:10-11).

Then he showed me the river of living water, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ² down the middle of the broad street of the city. The tree of life was on both sides of the river, bearing 12 kinds of fruit, producing its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree are for healing the nations, ³ and there will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His slaves will serve Him. ⁴ They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. ⁵ Night will no longer exist, and people will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever (Revelation 22:1-5).