“You make mankind like the fish of the sea, like crawling things that have no ruler. He brings all of them up with a hook; he drags them out with his net; he gathers them in his dragnet; so he rejoices and is glad. Therefore he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet; for by them he lives in luxury, and his food is rich. Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever?” (Habakkuk 1:14-17 ESV)
In all of God’s creation, he made only one creature in his own image: man (Genesis 1:26-27). Human beings are distinct from the rest of creation in this respect and were given dominion and authority to rule the earth. Mankind is not merely the top of the food chain or the most evolved in a long line of Darwinian progress but was made unique and apart from all other created beings.
Sometimes, however, as man pursues his own ends, he degrades his fellow men to the point of viewing or treating them as if they were equal with the animal kingdom. He neither acknowledges nor applies the chasmic divide between man and animal and therefore has no regard for the dignity of man nor the sanctity of his life. Such was the case with Babylon’s ambitious pursuit. This “bitter and hasty nation” (v. 6) viewed rival nations as nothing more than “fish of the sea” or “crawling things” that were to be caught or destroyed. Babylon’s power was unmatched, and its methods were inhumane, earning its reputation of being “dreaded and fearsome” and “more fierce than the evening wolves.”
We struggle to wrap our minds around the magnitude of destruction left in the wake of this advance. Babylon was conquering nations and peoples across massive swaths of land like a fisherman drags his net through the sea to capture innumerable fish. The fish may struggle to escape, but their attempts are vain and futile when being drawn in by such a dramatically superior force. Habakkuk’s description of Babylon gives us a visceral picture of his situation and the basis for the desperation of his pleas. He was appealing to the only one who could stay the hand of this aggressor who scoffed at kings and laughed at fortresses.
Babylon’s rulers viewed themselves as truly unstoppable, and they certainly did not struggle with low self-esteem. They were a people “whose own might [was] their god” (v. 11). They were self-worshipers long before the present age of expressive individualism and the perpetual pursuit of self-actualization. This rose to such a degree that Habakkuk says of Babylon, “he sacrifices to his net and makes offerings to his dragnet.”
As John Calvin explains, “By this metaphor the Prophet intimates, that the wicked do not only become hardened when they succeed in their vices, but that they also ascribe to themselves the praise of justice; for they consider that to be rightly done which has been attended with success. They thus dethrone God, and put themselves in his place.”
They ascribed justice to their power that allowed them to live in luxury and eat rich food. They thought that because they had procured prosperity, their actions were justified. What they failed to see was the divine purpose that allowed them to prosper for a moment but would ultimately lead to their own destruction.
Habakkuk understood that the wickedness of Babylon was an infinitely greater offense against God than it was against Judah. Thus, he appealed to God’s justice rather than pleading for his own dire situation. He was not primarily asking, “God, how can you allow this to happen to me?” but, “God, how can you allow this to happen to yourself?” His firm understanding of God’s goodness, holiness, and justice left him perplexed. Of course, Habakkuk was not unconcerned with his own situation, but that is not what is driving his complaint.
He concludes his second appeal by saying, “Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever?” This echoes his first words of the book, “O LORD, how long . . .?” He does not accuse God of being unjust but rather asks how long his justice will be impugned with no consequence. It was God’s glory that was being most attacked, and that is Habakkuk’s primary concern.
As Matthew Henry concludes, “The prophet lodges the matter in God’s hand, and leaves it with him, as the psalmist does. Ps. 74:22; Arise, O God! Plead thy own cause.”
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
You are an all-seeing and just God. May you magnify yourself among the nations and make your justice manifest to all peoples. While you allow the wicked to prosper and your people to suffer for a time, their demise is assured, and our glorification is certain. May we learn to trust you more fully as we, like Habakkuk, live in confusing times.
In your Son’s name and for his sake, amen.
Prayer Requests:
- Tuesday: Pray for missionaries serving at the Ensenada Discipleship Center in Chile.
- Wednesday: Pray for missionaries engaged in pastoral training and theological training at the Colombia Tenjo Seminary.
- Thursday: Pray for Suan and Lyn as they work among Buddhists and animists in Myanmar.
- Friday: Pray for the ongoing work of Memorial Christian Hospital in South Asia.
- Saturday: Pray for missionaries serving with SIFA Collective as they empower marginalized women in Tanzania through business training, sewing and handicraft skills, and biblical discipleship.
- Sunday: Pray for church planting efforts in Hungary.
- Monday: Pray for the missionaries sent from and supported by your local church.
