Habakkuk, 1
9. They all come for violence; terror of them goes before them. They gather captives like sand.
9. They all come for violence; terror of them goes before them. They gather captives like sand.
In chapter 1 of the book of Habakkuk, the prophet regrets before God the oppression and violence he sees around him. He questions why God allows evil to prevail and why He does not intervene. God responds that He will use Babylonians as an instrument of judgment against the iniquity of Judah. Below are five verses related to the topics dealt with in Habacuque 1:
Proverbs 21:13: "Whoever closes the ears to the cry of the poor will cry out and will not be heard." This verse talks about the importance of listening and helping the needy. This relates to the theme of Habakkuk 1 because the prophet cries to God in the name of the suffering people, and wonders why his prayers are not met.
Isaiah 5:20: "Woe to evil to call well, and good, evil; who make darkness light, and light, darkness; who make bitter sweet, and sweet, bitter!" This verse talks about the inversion of values and the distortion of truth. This relates to the theme of Habakkuk 1 because the prophet is perplexed to the apparent inconsistency of God, which allows evil and injustice.
Ezekiel 7:23: "Make them a manure of manure instead of diadema; spread over them your filth." This verse talks about divine punishment for corruption and impurity. This relates to the theme of Habakkuk 1 because God announces that he will judge the people of Judah for his iniquity and sin.
Jeremiah 12:1: "You are righteous, Lord, when I present my cause before you. However, I would like to argue with you about your righteousness. Why do the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all traitors live without problems?" This verse talks about human questioning before the mystery of divine justice. This relates to the theme of Habakkuk 1 because the prophet wonders why God allows the impunity of the oppressors and the disgrace of the innocent.
Psalm 73:2-3: "But I almost stumbled and fell, almost lost my balance, because I was envy of the proud, seeing the prosperity of these wicked." These verses talk about the temptation to envy the apparent prosperity of the unjust. This is related to the theme of Habakkuk 1 because the prophet admits his difficulty in understanding why God allows oppressors to triumph while the righteous suffer.
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