Why do the Wicked Prosper? - Habakkuk 1:1-11

Many us were rattled by the violence and unrest in our community last month. It’s left us with lots of questions. Will this happen again? Are we going to be safe? Is there a future for us in South Africa? How could so much wickedness and lawlessness just happen? Why haven’t those who planned this been arrested?

On top of this – serious concerns with our government – their part in this, looting and corruption that has been going on for years with no consequences. Just seems that the wicked in our land prosper, to the detriment of everyone else.

The question is, where was God in all this? How could he have allowed all this? Isn’t he a good God who just wants to bless us with a happy, health and wealthy life, who wants us to be living our “best life now”? How can it be that there is such wickedness and violence around us, and that these wicked people seem only to prosper through this all?

This morning we are beginning a new, four-part sermon series on the OT book of Habakkuk. How come? As we will see, Habakkuk wrestles with these very same issues that we are faced with. He cries out to God about all the violence, corruption and wickedness in his land, and asks him why the wicked seem to prosper. Where is God in all this? God answers Habakkuk, but not in the way he expects. Provides for us a theology of suffering – speaks powerfully into our own context. What we’re going to see from the text this morning, is that God achieves his good purposes even in the midst of great wickedness and evil.

Preacher: Rev. Antonio Coppola