God's Announcement
Habakkuk reasoned that because God appeared to be silent and allowing the violence, strife, contentiousness, and iniquity of the Israelites to flourish, he was unconcerned and absent. However, God was fully aware of the evil being done by his people. He heard Habakkuk’s lament and answered him, but not in the way that Habakkuk expected to hear from him. God has the prerogative to answer prayer in the way that he has determined. His ways and thoughts were not like Habakkuk’s as Isaiah the prophet said in Isaiah 55:8.
Habakkuk was told to look among the nations and see what was happening around him. In other words, he was to carefully observe and take note of what was happening to the neighbouring non-Israelite nations. What Habakkuk saw would astound him and make him wonder what God was planning to do to his people. He was going to do something so shocking to them that Habakkuk would not believe it if he were only told about it. Hence, he had to look around him. In response to their wicked behaviour God was going to deal with his people in judgment to show them that what they had done was wrong and displeasing to him.
5 “Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.