Human Perplexity and God’s Purpose God is not an absent deity, or one who only intervenes on a rare occasion. He is intimately involved and active in what comes to pass in this world so that everything might work toward his purpose (2:3, 14; see also Ps 47:9; Acts 17:24-26; Col 1:15-20). The Lord is a holy and merciful God who acts in history to redeem his people (Hab 3:2-15; see also Eph 1:3-10; 2 Pet 3:15) so that all may ultimately see his glory (Hab 2:14). But often the ways in which God works out his purposes are confusing to his people. Such perplexity is evidenced in the prophetic book of Habakkuk. Habakkuk had a candid relationship with God: The prophet felt free to bring his honest concerns to the Lord, and God did not rebuke him for doing so. From Habakkuk’s perspective, God seemed inactive in the face of the violence and social injustice plaguing Judah (Hab 1:2-4). God then revealed that he would take action: He was going to raise up the Babylonians—a nation even more wicked than Judah—to punish Judah (1:5-11). This further perplexed Habakkuk. Yet God’s assurance that justice would be done, along with a vision of God’s glory, brought the prophet to settled faith an...