Devotional | Waiting for the Tanks – Lessons from the Old Testament Prophets

Devotional by Karen Rees

“In this world you will have troubles. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

I was reading the Old Testament books of prophecy during the early months of Hong Kong’s demonstrations against the serious erosion of guaranteed freedoms. At first, the demonstrations were massive peaceful protest marches. We even witnessed one pass by the YMCA where our church meets.

Rather than heeding the legitimate cries of the people, Hong Kong’s Beijing-controlled government sent riot police, armed with batons, tear gas, and rubber bullets, to bring an end to the demonstrations. Around the same time, the Central government in Beijing began military exercises next door to Hong Kong.

Neither the actions of the police nor the veiled threat from Beijing ended the demonstrations. Confrontations between police and protesters are continuing as I write and are becoming more violent, affecting every aspect of Hong Kong life. While it’s doubtful the Central government will send in the tanks as it did in 1989 when it crushed the cries for democracy filling Tiananmen Square, Beijing has other more subtle means for exercising control.

Only God knows how this will end.

God also knew how the Assyrian invasion of Israel and the Babylonian invasion of Judah would end. In both cases, he announced the details through his prophets. Some, like Amos and Isaiah, were predicting events they wouldn’t live to see. Others, like Jeremiah and possibly Habakkuk, witnessed the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the temple.

As devastating as these events were for God’s people, events he allowed to happen because of the willful disobedience of the majority, he made it clear that this wasn’t the end. Intertwined with the warnings of impending doom were promises of hope and a future for Judah (Jeremiah 29:10-14).

Because he is a compassionate, forgiving and all powerful God, he brought the exiles back to Jerusalem and re-established them as a nation.

Their story continued. Eventually, through them, God sent his Son to save us from the consequences of our sins. But we still live in a sinful world. As Christ told his followers in John 16:33, while life won’t be easy, we needn’t fear.

God’s Goodness

Habakkuk knew this. Although he started out arguing with God, first over his apparent indifference to Judah’s sins and then over his plan to allow an even more evil nation to conquer Judah, the prophet ended with a profound expression of faith in God’s goodness.

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will rejoice in God my Savior.

Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NIV)

Whatever we’re facing – whether it’s watching the place we call home tittering on the brink of destruction or struggling with a personal tragedy – as long as we, like Habakkuk, leave our story in God’s hands, the final ending will be good.