Habakkuk for Di Watchtower

High up for one city wall, one man stand alone for dark. E don ask God one question, and e no go leave until e hear answer. Breeze dey pull im cloth. E still dey watch.

Habakkuk live for Judah, maybe no long before di armies of Babylon come in from east. We no know almost anything about am except dis one: e dey honest with God. Im small book no be sermon to di people. Na conversation, prophet wey dey argue, dey listen and dey pray. And e start with complaint.

O Lord, how long I go cry for help, and you no go hear? Why you dey make me look wrongdoing? Everywhere Habakkuk look, e dey see violence and quarrel. Nobody dey follow di law. Justice no dey ever win. And God answer, but no be di way Habakkuk expect. Look among di nations, and make e surprise you. I dey do something for una days wey una no go believe even if person tell una. God dey raise di Chaldeans, di Babylonians. One wild nation wey fast, dia horses fast pass leopard, dia riders dey fly down like eagle. Na dem God go use bring im judgment.

Now Habakkuk trouble pass before. Lord, no be you dey from everlasting? Your eyes too pure to look evil. So why you dey quiet while di wicked dey swallow people wey dey righteous pass dem? E see di Babylonians like fishermen, wey dey drag whole nations inside dia net, and then dey worship di net wey make dem rich. How dat one fit be fair? And then Habakkuk do something wey get sense. E no waka go. E talk, I go stand for my watch post, and put myself for di tower, and look out to see wetin E go tell me.

And Di Lord answer. Write di vision. Make am clear for tablets, so dat person wey dey run fit read am. Di vision na for appointed time. If e be like say e dey slow, wait for am. E go surely come. Then God talk dis one: di proud no dey upright, but di righteous person go live by im faith. Babylon no go escape with im greed. God call im wrongs one by one: stealing, wickedness, to build cities with blood, to trust idols wey no fit talk. And above all of am, one promise. Di earth go full with di knowledge of di glory of Di Lord, as water dey cover di sea. Di Lord dey for im holy temple. Make di whole earth keep quiet for im front.

Habakkuk last chapter na song. E remember how God come rescue im people long time ago, with mountains wey dey tremble and sun and moon wey stand still. And then e sing di bravest words for im book. Even if di fig tree no flower, and no fruit dey for di vines. Even if di olive no produce, and di farms no give food. Even if no sheep dey for di pen, and no cow dey for di stall. Still I go rejoice for Di Lord. I go dey happy for di God wey save me. Nothing don change outside yet. Di armies still dey come. But something don change inside Habakkuk. Di Lord God na my strength. E make my feet like deer feet, and e make me waka for di high places.

Habakkuk fear get reason. For six hundred and five before Christ, di Babylonian prince Nebuchadnezzar defeat di army of Egypt for Carchemish, near di river Euphrates. Di book of Jeremiah record di battle. After dat one, nobody fit stop Babylon as e dey advance through di area. For few years, Judah don dey pay tribute, and before twenty years pass, Jerusalem imself don fall. Na people wey know exactly di kind storm wey dey come sing Habakkuk song of trust.

Habakkuk for di watchtower. You go find am for di book of Habakkuk, chapter one reach three. E start with complaint, wait for God answer, and end with song. God no answer every question, but e give Habakkuk imself. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Which question you go carry go meet God, and you ready to wait and watch for im answer?