HABAKKUK SPLAT--repost from Jan 2005

Habakkuk: the splat poetry version
December 2004

Habakkuk –
WHY!
So much death!
So much evil!
GOD! CAN'T YOU SEE THIS!?!
So much blood!
So much injustice!
HOW CAN YOU ALLOW THIS
AND STILL BE GOD?
Habakkuk 1.1-4

God:
All you see is injustice,
but look!
See!
I am God. I am working
I will bring justice
my way,
through a nation
worshiping its own strength.
It is enough.
Habakkuk 1.5-11

Habakkuk -
Yes, it is enough...
But then,
since you can't look at evil
how can you sit on your hands
and watch these guys?
They're swallowing us whole!
How can you watch this!?!
Habakkuk 1.12-13

These guys scoop up countries
like sardines in a trawler.
They're living in castles
worshiping their trawlers
like gods.
They'll never stop.
And you're sending them...
We're toast.
Habakkuk 1.14-17

I've said it.
Now I'll wait,
sit at the guardpost.
Guard and wait.
Habakkuk 2.1

God:
Yes, wait.
When it seems too long, wait.
When you think he's not coming,wait.
He's crouching,
timing his pounce.
But he sucks up nations
like a drunk sucks up Ripple.
So, wait.
Habakkuk 2.2-5

No worries, for you.
For the nation trawler,
different story.
All those scooped up nations,
and all the leftovers
will rise up.
Then he'll be scooped up.
Yeah, I'm God.
Habakkuk 2.6-10

You, nation trawler,
building cities on blood:
bad move.
I'm God, not you.
My glory, not yours.
My earth,
my will.
You and your glory?
Naked in the street with wimper lip!
Habakkuk 2.11-18

Yet you continue,
you build your gods
make them fancy.
How stupid!
It doesn't even breathe!
But me,
Yahweh, I'm in my temple.
Your gods are silent,
but everything is silent before me!
Habakkuk 2:18-20

“in wrath remember mercy”
A prayer-song of Habakkuk
Yahweh,
your wrath officially scares me.
In fact, your work scares me,
but I trust your mercy.
You're bigger than I can imagine.
Your praise is earth-sized.
Habakkuk 3:1-3

Were you angry at the water?
Lightning flashing,
plague spreading,
your wrath covered.
Mountains hid.
What are nations to do?
What am I to do?
Habakkuk 3.4-9a

What was it, this rampage?
Flailing mountains
and rivers
and oceans!
For us?
For us!
Deliver us from them.
Deliver us from us.
Habakkuk 3.9b-13

Now I see it:
You turn our enemies
back on themselves.
Still, it frightens me.
I cannot tell if it is you or them,
I trust and wait and ask,
“in wrath remember mercy.”
Habakkuk 3.14-16

“ Though the fig tree should not blossom”
A Praise of Habakkuk
Even when all is realistically hopeless-
no money, no job, no plan-
Yahweh's mercy is real.
It's more than enough to stand on.
It's more than enough
when “they” come.
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.
Habakkuk 3:17-19

Tag(s): old testament

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“Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.” http://www.esv.org/