Christopher L. Scott

The book of Habakkuk teaches us that a mature faith trusts and submits to the Lord’s plans even when we can’t see or understand the Lord’s plans.We see that clearly in Habakkuk 3:16–19 as Habakkuk responds to the news that the Babylonians are coming to conquer and punish Judah for their sins.

            “I heard and my inward parts trembled, at the sound my lips quivered. Decay enters my bones, and in my place I tremble. Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, for the people to arise who will invade us. Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places. For the choir director, on my stringed instruments” (Hab 3:16–19, NASB).[1]

            From these verses we learn we rest while we wait for God to work (v. 16), we recognize God will judge and do what he says (v. 17), we rejoice in God while he works (v. 18), and we rely on God to get us through difficult circumstances (v. 19).

            In her book, Trembling Faith, Dr. Taylor Turkington reflects on Habakkuk 3:16–19 writing, “Someone has said that how you respond when you don’t get the answer you want is the true test of character. If that’s true, Habakkuk was training in spiritual formation with his song. He taught how to respond when you don’t get what you want.”[2] I think that when God gives us what we don’t want it reveals the level of faith and trust we have in God.

            In the case of Habakkuk, he praises God even though he knows that judgment is coming and he trusts God to protect him through it. In spite of the chaos of Babylon coming to conquer Judah and the seventy-year exile Judah is going to experience, Habakkuk has a mature faith that trusts and submits to the Lord’s plans even when he can’t see or understand the Lord’s plans.

            Habakkuk trusts God to get Habakkuk through the troubles that are coming. Habakkuk has learned what I hope we can learn: We can endure the trials we see in front of us if we look to the God above us.

[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[2] Taylor Turkington, Trembling Faith: How a Distressed Prophet Helps Us Trust God in a Chaotic World (Brentwood, TN: B&H Publishing, 2023), 201.

In a popular book released several years ago the author advocated that relying on small, simple tasks helps us get through worry, anxiety, and stress.[1] While I think having a hobby can help ease our uneasiness, there are many things in life that knitting won’t help us endure. The loss of a spouse, financial problems, rebellious children, or an unplanned job change, all require more than a hobby that distracts us. Instead, those life events require faith in God. That’s a lesson we learn from reading the book of Habakkuk.

            The last verse of the book of Habakkuk reads, “The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places. For the choir director, on my stringed instruments” (Hab 3:19).[2]

            Notice the strong contrast to how this book started. We started with Habakkuk asking, “God, why don’t you do something?” (Hab 1:1–4) and “God, why would you do that?” (Hab 1:12—2:1). Now Habakkuk essentially says, “God, when you do what you said you will do, I exult you, rejoice in you, and look to you for strength.”

            Here in verse nineteen we see the source of Habakkuk’s strength, Hekd“The Lord God is my strength.”God had told Habakkuk about his divine wrath he planned to unleash, but God also provided Habakkuk assurance of divine favor and hope. Pastor Tony Evans writes, “When you know God’s character (who he is) and his works (what he has done), you’ll know that you can trust him—even in the dark.”[3] Habakkuk’s security and hope were based on what he knows about God.

            Here in verse nineteen we see the symbol of Habakkuk’s strength,“And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet and makes me walk on my high places.” Another way to translate “feet like hinds feet” would be “feet of a goat.” The Nubian ibex goat is the image he’s using here. They are light tan with long thin horns that extend up, back, and down. They live in rough, dry, mountainous terrain and eat grasses and leaves. Their feet are flexible and spread under a load. They stay close to steep cliffs where they can escape their predators. Learning to navigate cliffs are essential to their survival.[4]

            Like a sure-footed goat on the highest of heights, God has equipped Habakkuk for whatever lies ahead. Just as a sure-footed Nubian ibex goat can scale up a mountain to escape danger and continue to live, Habakkuk’s faith in God will place him above his circumstances and give him the ability to withstand the troubles that loom below. A Nubian ibex goat can travel through difficult rocky steep terrain without stumbling or suffering injury, likewise because of Habakkuk’s trust in the Lord Habakkuk will survive the troubles and struggles in Judah as Babylon invades.[5]

            The lesson we learn from Habakkuk 3:19 is that we rely on God to get us through difficult circumstances. Christians are not exempt from difficulties and troubles. Being a Christian does not prevent heartache, disappointment, and sadness.

            If we follow the imagery of the Nubian ibex goat, when we encounter difficult paths or predators we turn to God who can help us walk without stumbling. Just as a Nubian ibex goat can move swiftly through steep rocky terrain, we too can make it through difficult circumstances. Not only will we get through the trials, but we will rise above them as a symbol of victor. Like the Nubian ibex goat that rises above problems, we get a new perspective on our problems when we have faith in God. We eventually realize, “God, that’s why you closed that door,” or “God, that’s why you made me walk through those trials.”

            When nothing makes sense and when everything falls apart, that’s when we trust God and look to God to get us through it all. As pastor Mark Hitchcock has said, “The bigger God is to us, the smaller our troubles will seem. And the smaller God is, the larger our troubles will seem.”[6] At some point we need to take our eyes off our difficulties and look to God because God is the only one that can help us get through tough experiences.

            With God we can endure difficulties and trials because he sustains us. He’ll walk with us through our troubles, help us endure temptation, make a way for us to live with a disability, and show us how to endure poor times. He did that for Habakkuk, and I know he will do that for you and me too.

[1] Michelle Obama, The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times (New York: Penguin Random House, 2022), 36–38, 44, 47.

[2] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[3] Tony Evans, Evans Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing, 2019), 830.

[4] “Nubian ibex,” Wikipedia, accessed August 24, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nubian_ibex.

[5] Here in verse nineteen we also see thesinging of strength, “For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.”This is not just a cerebral joy in a head, but an emotional joy aloud. The intent was for this to be something that the community sang together.

[6] Sermon titled, “How Big Is Your God?” (Hab 3:1-19) Aug 28, 2016. https://faithbibleok.subspla.sh/rnz6q2q Accessed May 24, 2023

The book of Habakkuk is unique among the prophets because it contains interactions between the prophet and God. We learned about Habakkuk’s problems in chapter one where he questions God’s inactivity. Habakkuk essentially asks God in Habakkuk 1:2–4 “How long will evil continue and when will you stop it?” God answers Habakkuk in Habakkuk 1:5–11 saying, “I’m going to stop it, I know what’s going on, and you’ll be surprised how.”

            Habakkuk asks a second question in Habakkuk 1:12—2:1. He questions God’s inconsistency and basically asks, “Why use greater sinners against less sinners?” In chapter two we see Habakkuk’s patience as he accepts God’s response. God provided his second answer to Habakkuk in Habakkuk 2:2–20 in which God basically says, “I have a plan for the future, a message for the faithful, and punishment planned for the Babylonians.” Now in chapter three Habakkuk praises God.

            In this process we are seeing Habakkuk go from a wonderer, to a watcher, and now to a worshipper. Habakkuk started in gloom, now he ends in glory. Habakkuk went from why to worship. Habakkuk’s faith has been tested (chapter 1), taught (chapter 2), and is triumphant (chapter 3).

            While Habakkuk 3:16–17 has focused on what Habakkuk feels based on what Habakkuk knows will happen, Habakkuk 3:18–19 focuses on what Habakkuk does: praise God because God saves. “Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation” (Hab 3:18, NASB).[1]

            In Habakkuk 3:18 we read the most important word of this section. There are one hundred and thirty-six words in Habakkuk 3:16–19, but the word “Yet” is most important. In spite of all the things going to happen, Habakkuk still has confidence in God.

            In Habakkuk 3:18 we also read the most important response. Habakkuk has confidence in God to deliver him. This salvation is not just spiritual salvation, but also material blessings in the future too.

            The word “exult” is not a word we use much. It means “to be extremely joyful: rejoice.” The word “exult” comes “from Latin saltare (‘to leap’), also the source of saltation, a word for leaping as well as dancing. Another etymological cousin of exult is sally, meaning ‘to leap out’ or ‘to set out,’ as in ‘After the storm passed, the hikers sallied forth.’”[2] Here we see Habakkuk does not just endure God’s plans, he exults God in those plans. Habakkuk does not just receive God’s plans, he rejoices God in those plans.

            The lesson we learn from Habakkuk 3:18 is that we rejoice in God while he works. We rejoice in God who will rescue us even when we know things will get worse before they get better. This is contrary to how we are taught in America. For Americans we are taught inner peace only occurs when outward prosperity occurs. In other words, life is only good after you’ve graduated, get a nicer car, or experience a better vacation.

            For Habakkuk inner peace did not depend on outward prosperity. For Habakkuk inner peace started with who God was and what God said would happen. Habakkuk’s feelings were not controlled by the events around him; Habakkuk’s feelings were controlled by the God above him.[3]

            Pastor Mark Hitchcock teaches about this verse, “When you and I face difficult times God often doesn’t change our circumstances. Now sometimes he does. Sometimes God comes and in his grace and in his mercy he changes the circumstances. But I would say more often than not God leaves the circumstances the way they are. But what he does is he changes us to enable us to meet the circumstances.”[4]

            Notice how the circumstances of Habakkuk have not changed, but God has changed Habakkuk. Let’s allow that to be true of ourselves as well so that we rejoice in God while he works.

[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[2] “Exult Definition and Meaning” Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/exult Accessed May 27, 2023

[3] We might not rejoice in our circumstances, but we can rejoice in our God. One commentary puts it like this: “Far too many people keep trying to buy joy, but happiness is not found in circumstances. Joy is available to everyone, even to those stripped of every material possession, for joy is to be found in a Person. It comes through an intimate and personal relationship with the Lord, so that even those in the worst circumstances can smile.” J. Ronald Blue, “Habakkuk,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1521.

[4] Mark Hitchcock, “How Big Is Your God?” (Hab 3:1-19) Aug 28, 2016. https://faithbibleok.subspla.sh/rnz6q2q Accessed May 24, 2023

At some point in our lives we learn about the consequences of behavior. I remember seeing a kid get spanked at daycare and thinking, “I don’t want to misbehave like him.” In high school I was late to class several times, received after-school detention, and realized, “I need to get to class on time.” After my first (and only) speeding ticket I attended an eight-hour traffic school class and thought, “Speeding is not worth this.”

            Consequences for behavior is something the nation of Judah and the man Habakkuk had become acquainted with. When learning about future punishment for past sins of Judah Habakkuk writes, “Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls” (Hab 3:17, NASB).[1]

            Here Habakkuk describes the luxuries people enjoy as well as the necessities they needed to survive. When Habakkuk tells us that “though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail,”he describes the noblest fruit trees in the area. The fig tree, fruit, and olive represent choicest products of the land.[2]

            When Habakkuk tells us “the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls,”he describes necessary items. The grain of the fields, the flock, and the cattle are the necessary items that produce bread, milk, and meat.

            Without these items there will be no wine, no anointing oil, no vegetables, no milk, and no wool. This is a basic list of the produce and livestock that form the basis of an ancient economy. If these things go away the people cannot survive. Most importantly, this is not because of a plague or lack of rain, it will be directly from the hands of their enemies (Hab 1:6, 15). When Babylon comes to Judah they will destroy buildings, decimate crops, and ruin fields (Hab 2:2–20).

            Imagine what life would be like if our country’s stock market closed, the banks did not  open, the grocery stores were not able to get produce, and water was not flowing. Devastation would occur.

            The lesson we learn from Habakkuk 3:17 is we recognize God will judge and do what he says. Let’s survey a little bit of Scripture to dive deeper.

            God had told Judah that judgment would occur if they disobeyed him. As Israel was about to enter the Promised Land God gave Israel one last message. In Deuteronomy 28 we read about two predictions from God. One prediction was a promise of blessings (Deut 28:1–14) and the other prediction was a promise of curses (Deut 28:15–68).[3] Deuteronomy 28:49–51 provides a good example of God’s prediction of curses for Judah that he would send if Israel disobeyed him. “The Lord will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as the eagle swoops down, a nation whose language you shall not understand, a nation of fierce countenance who will have no respect for the old, nor show favor to the young. Moreover, it shall eat the offspring of your herd and the produce of your ground until you are destroyed, who also leaves you no grain, new wine, or oil, nor the increase of your herd or the young of your flock until they have caused you to perish.”

            God told his people what would happen if they disobeyed him. Later God does what he said he would do. The prophet Jeremiah records the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in Lamentations 2:11–12, 20; 4:4, 9–10; 5:17–18. That destruction by the Babylonians is the one predicted in the book of Habakkuk.

            It might be easy for us living under the promises of the New Testament to believe we are exempt from God’s judgment. However, the church shouldn’t be surprised either by God’s judgment. Galatians 5:19–21 provides strong warnings for people living today and so does Galatians 6:7–8, “for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

            I enjoy reading the Frank & Earnest comic in our local newspaper each day. In one comic Frank is reading the newspaper that has the following headline, “Wonderland News: Prince Charming in Big Trouble.” As Frank reads the newspaper he tells Earnest, “It was bound to happen eventually – Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella met, and realized there is only one prince charming.”[4] The lesson is that our wrong deeds eventually catch up to us.

            Scripture teaches us that there are penalties for sin in a Christian’s life. There’s a loss of fellowship (1 John 1:6), church excommunication (1 Cor 5:4–5), chastisement (Hebrews 12:6), and sometimes even physical death (1 Cor 11:30). When we do wrong, sin, and violate God’s commands, then we should recognize that God will judge us and do what he says.

[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[2] As seen in Joel 1:7; Hosea 2:12; Mic 4:4; 6:15; Deut 6:11; 8:8.

[3] There are four times as many curses as there are blessings, either to follow ANE treaties or to foreshadow the future failure of Israel to keep the covenant.

[4] Bob Thaves and Thom Thaves, image #193356. Published March 18, 2022.

No one likes to wait for things. We pay extra money so we don’t have to wait in long security lines at the airport, we order food on our phone so that it’s ready when we arrive, and we pay for memberships to Amazon so that our online orders can be delivered to our homes the same day. But in our spiritual lives sometimes the only thing we can do is wait. Habakkuk is learning to wait on God in Habakkuk 3:16.

            It’s important to remember that Habakkuk 3:16 comes right after the theophany of Habakkuk 3:3–15. In Habakkuk 3:3–7 we saw an awesome appearance of God. In Habakkuk 3:8–15 we saw the amazing acts of God. Thus, we now read about Habakkuk’s position as he responds to that theophany in Habakkuk 3:16: “I heard and my inward parts trembled, at the sound my lips quivered. Decay enters my bones, and in my place I tremble. Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, for the people to arise who will invade us” (NASB).[1]

            In this verse we read aboutwho Habakkuk talks about,“For the people to arise who will invade us.” This refers to the nation of Babylon that will come punish Judah for their sins (Hab 1:6, 15). 

            In this verse we also read about what Habakkuk feels. “I heard and my inward parts trembled, at the sound my lips quivered. Decay enters my bones, and in my place I tremble.” Habakkuk is about to collapse. Habakkuk is paralyzed. This reminds us of Exodus 15:14 when the nations were trembling before God as God led Israel out of Egypt.

            In this verse we also read about why Habakkuk feels fear, “Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, for the people to arise who will invade us.”The word “Because” is from the Hebrew word, ’esher which reveals the terrible devastations that God’s own people must undergo. This tells us why Habakkuk trembles. Habakkuk feels something is going to happen and he can’t do anything about it. Habakkuk is upset and distressed because nothing will stop the Lord’s punishment of Judah by the Babylonians.This is the reason the prophet trembles from head to toe. Habakkuk is upset because he must wait quietly for those plans to be fulfilled.

            The lesson we learn from Habakkuk 3:16 is we rest while we wait for God to work. Habakkuk had been told these things will happen, and now Habakkuk waits for them to happen.Sometimes we have to wait while God does his work. That’s what Habakkuk has to do here. There’s nothing he can do but rest and wait for God to work. Habakkuk has learned how great God is, and now Habakkuk waits for the great God to do what he said he would.

            I appreciate Dr. Taylor Turkington’s perspective on this verse in Habakkuk. She writes, “Habakkuk is afraid, yet there’s hope: he believes what God said. Even in his fear, even in panic, he believes God will do what he promised, which means he knows his powerful God will ultimately bring justice on the bloodthirsty and greedy coming their way.”[2]

            Part of following God means learning to surrender and trust God. We need to learn to trust his character. That’s hard for some of us. We don’t like to trust others. We don’t like to surrender to others. But sometimes the only thing we can do is wait, just as Habakkuk did.

[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[2] Taylor Turkington, Trembling Faith: How a Distressed Prophet Helps Us Trust God in a Chaotic World (Brentwood, TN: B&H, 2023), 183.

Sometimes things don’t work out the way we thought they should or would. Patti experienced that in 2021. After spending years getting her doctorate degree she was working at a Christian college in Portland in administration. She was doing what she loved in a city she loved. She thought she would do that job until her retirement. But after the COVID pandemic, riots in Portland, and a recession that later occurred, the school decided to close. Patti went from doing what she thought she’d do until retirement to looking for a job. Everything in her world changed in just a few months.

            Patti had a plan but God’s plan was different than her plan. Some things we go through don’t work out like we thought they would. You might have pondered one or more of the following: I thought I would have children by now. I thought I would be a manager by now. I thought my college education would be more meaningful. I thought I would be retired and be enjoying my golden years. I thought my children would have left the home by now.

            When God’s plan doesn’t follow our plan we need to recognize the dissonance. What do we do when God changes our plan? What do we do when God gives us an answer we didn’t expect? What do we do when God gives an answer we didn’t want?

            Habakkuk was in that place. He saw injustice and wickedness in Judah, so he asked God when God would intervene and stop evil in Judah (Hab 1:2–4; 1:12—2:1). God replied that he would send the Babylonians to punish Judah for their sins (Hab 1:5–11; 2:2–20).

            We read part of Habakkuk’s response to hearing God’s plans in Habakkuk 3:16–19. “I heard and my inward parts trembled, at the sound my lips quivered. Decay enters my bones, and in my place I tremble. Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, for the people to arise who will invade us. Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places” (Hab 3:16–19, NASB).[1]

            Habakkuk praises God even though he knows judgment is coming. Habakkuk trusts God to protect him through the coming troubles. Dr. Taylor Turkington writes, “Habakkuk lands us where the scriptures do over and over again, at God’s feet, recognizing the great value of knowing him over everything else.”[2] From Habakkuk 3:16–19 we learn that God will enable us to endure the trials God sets before us. We also learn that we can endure the trials we see in front of us if we look to the God above us.

[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[2] Taylor Turkington, Trembling Faith: How a Distressed Prophet Helps Us Trust God in a Chaotic World (Brentwood, TN: B&H, 2023), 191.

In the early twentieth-century Donald Grey Barnhouse was recognized as an amazing preacher in America. Barnhouse had graduated from Princeton Seminary and was asked to return there to preach to the students. His mentor, Robert Dick Wilson, a scholar and highly respected Hebrew professor at Princeton Seminary sat in the front of the room while Barnhouse preached.

            Barnhouse was surprised to see Dr. Wilson approaching him after the service. “When my boys come back, I come to see if they are big-godders or little-godders, and then I know what their ministry will be,”[1] Dr. Wilson said.

            Barnhouse then asked Dr. Wilson to explain what he meant. “Well, some men have a little god and they are always in trouble with him. He can’t do any miracles. He can’t take care of the inspiration and transmission of the Scriptures to us. He doesn’t intervene on behalf of his people. They have a little god and I call them little-godders. Then there are those who have a great God. He speaks and it is done. He commands and it stands fast. He knows how to show himself strong on behalf of them that fear him.”[2]

            According to Dr. Wilson, Donald Grey Barnhouse was a “big-godder.” He worshipped a big God that was in control of the world and could do mighty works.

            In Habakkuk 3:3–15 we see Habakkuk showing the size of God to Judah as they prepare to go through the purging judgment of Babylon in the next couple of years. Habakkuk 3:3b describes one of the awesome appearances of God, “His splendor covers the heavens, and the earth is full of his praise.”[3] Habakkuk 3:13 describes one of the amazing acts of God, “You went forth for the salvation of Your people, for the salvation of Your anointed. You struck the head of the house of the evil to lay him open from thigh to neck. Selah.”          

            Habakkuk 3:3–15 contains a visual revelation. These verses are a positive response to Habakkuk’s prayer for divine mercy in Habakkuk 3:1–2. In response to Habakkuk’s prayer (recorded in Hab 3:1–2) God gives Habakkuk a reminder of God’s past mighty acts. Those reminders of God’s past mighty acts are designed to stimulate faith in God for the future.

            Habakkuk 3:3–15 is a theophany.[4] A theophany is a manifestation of God on earth and “an appearance of God in great power and glory.”[5] We must remember that we worship a big God that overcomes any situation we are in, that produces good even in troubled times, and that shines light in only darkness.

            I love this quote from Warren Wiersbe, “There is no substitute for good theology, whether in our sermons or in our songs. The shallowness of some contemporary sermons, books, and songs may be the major contributing factor to the weakness of the church and the increase in ‘religious entertainment’ in meetings where we ought to be praising God. The thing that lifted Habakkuk to the mountaintop was his understanding of the greatness of God. We need a return to the kind of worship that focuses on the glory of God and seeks to honor Him alone.”[6]

            Like Donald Grey Barnhouse, we need to be “big-godders.” Let’s worship a big God, focus on his glory, and seek to honor him alone.

[1] Donald Grey Barnhouse, Let Me Illustrate (Revell, 1967), 132–33.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[4] The clearest theophany in Scripture, besides Habakkuk 3:3–15, is Exodus 19:9, 18.

[5] Waylon Bailey, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, vol. 20,  The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 358.

[6] Warren Wiersbe, Be Amazed: Restoring an Attitude of Wonder and Worship (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2010), 163.

Lee had been working in the same job for three decades but had lost some of his passion for his work. As a result, he planned to fast and pray for three hours every Thursday. He was asking God to give him a new vision and new passion for his work.

            He asked God to renew his desire to do his job well and to give him a picture of what his future work would be. But while Lee had asked for God’s guidance for the future, instead God gave him reminder after reminder of God’s faithfulness in the past.

            God brought back memories about a difficult situation he was in yet God provided a way to make it through it. God brought back memories about how the organization he worked for was struggling with finances but some money showed up to help. Lee says that week after week God didn’t tell him anything new, but simply gave Lee reminders about things he had forgotten.[1]

            The reminders Lee received energized him for his work again because he was reminded about what God had done for him. It gave him hope for the future.

            Sometimes we do not need “guidance for the future” or “direction and vision” but instead we simply need a reminder of God’s faithfulness in the past. Habakkuk experienced God giving him a reminder of the past in Habakkuk 3:8–15.

            We read about God’s planning. “Your bow was made bare, the rods of chastisement were sworn. Selah. You cleaved the earth with rivers” (Hab 3:9).[2] The phrase, “bow made bare,”means he pulled out his powerful bow so that it’s obvious and seen. God’s ready for action.

            We see the prompting of three different groups in Habakkuk 3:10–11, “The mountains saw You and quaked; the downpour of waters swept by. The deep uttered forth its voice, it lifted high its hands. Sun and moon stood in their places; they went away at the light of Your arrows, at the radiance of Your gleaming spear.”Here we see what’s called “personification” which is ascribing human characteristics or actions to inanimate objects or animals. We read that “the mountains” saw God and “quaked”(v. 10a) at the sight of God. That word “quaked” is translated from the Hebrew verb, khyl which literally means “be in labor; be in severe pain or anguish.” It describes a person twisting or turning with pain like a woman in childbirth.[3] We read that “the deep” (v. 10b) of the waters respond to God and praise God with its hands. The waters moved in recognition of God. The high waves are personified as having hands that respond to God and his commands. We read that the “sun and moon” (v. 11) follow God’s commands. The message here is that these prominent symbols of God’s created order adhere to the commands of their creator. This is a reference to when the sun stood still in Israel’s victory over the Amorites at Gideon (Josh 10:12–14)

            While there is progress God is making we also see his preservation. “You went forth for the salvation of Your people, for the salvation of Your anointed. You struck the head of the house of the evil to lay him open from thigh to neck. Selah” (Hab 3:13).God’s purpose for judgment is revealed in this verse. God’s not angry at the nations, and he’s not angry at nature. He’s set about to purge wickedness from Israel and to deliver his own people. Note again, “You went forth for the salvation of Your people, for the salvation of Your anointed.” It reminds us that by preserving the nation of Israel God is maintaining the line for the eventual Messiah to come.

            That term “anointed”[4]is the Hebrew word, mesika and is used thirty-nine times in the Old Testament. At least nine times the use is specifically describing a royal figure sent by God in the future who would bring salvation to the people and the world while establishing peace and justice.[5] These verses predict Jesus was coming to preserve the nation of Israel through the punishment described next. By preserving Israel, God is preserving the line that will produce the Messiah.

            Next Habakkuk is reminded about enemies that have been destroyed. “You pierced with his own spears the head of his throngs. They stormed in to scatter us; their exultation was like those who devour the oppressed in secret. You trampled on the sea with Your horses, on the surge of many waters” (Hab 3:14–15). Here we see the enemy destroyed. “They stormed in to scatter us” is a possible reference to Egypt pursuing Israel at the Red Sea (Exod 14:5–9). Those who sought to destroy Judah will destroy themselves with their own weapons. “on the sea . . . many waters” is God’s picture of victory over the horses and soldiers that tried to pursue the nation of Israel through the Red Sea (Exod 14:15–18; 15:8–10).

            These amazing acts of God gives us faith for the future. God is showing Israel here that there have been many times that he’s protected them, and he will continue to protect them. God led Israel out of Egypt, God parted the Red Sea, God destroyed the Egyptian army, and God defeated the Amorites at Gibeon (Josh 10:6—12:7).[6]

            Notice what we see today: Israel is still a nation, 2,600 years later. God has miraculously preserved the nation of Israel. Those acts of God to preserve Israel gives Israel and us faith for the future. It tells us that God will sustain us through hard times, that he will preserve us through trials, and that he will see us through till the end of those difficult times. Pastor James Montgomery Boice taught that these acts of God “provide the kind of deliverance from fear and provision of inner moral fortitude we need in bad times.”[7]

             Sometimes we need to keep track of those mighty acts. Maybe we do it with a journal or notebook. Maybe we read books about Christians and their stories as a way to remind us about God’s faithful acts on behalf of his people.

            We might not always see what is in the future, but we trust God will take us through what is in the future because of what we know God has done in the past. God’s past faithfulness gives us the basis for future confidence.

[1] Lee Eclov, Shepherding the Shepherd: Devotions for a Pastor’s Soul (Wheaton, IL: Christianity Today, 2021), 71.

[2] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[3] J. Ronald Blue, “Habakkuk,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1520.

[4] See Michael Rydelnik, The Messianic Hope: Is the Hebrew Bible Really Messianic? (Brentwood, TN: B&H Books, 2010), 2. That term is never used to refer to the nation of Israel. It always appears “singular.”

[5] See 1 Sam 2:10, 35; Pss 2:2; 20:6; 28:8; 84:9; Hab 3:13; Dan 9:25,26. Also note 2 Sam 22:51; 23:1; Pss 89:51.

[6] I like what David Jeremiah writes about these verses, “Habakkuk pictures the Lord coming in judgment, but he does so by using images from the past: God came from Teman, from Mount Paran (3:3; Deut 33:2); He allowed pestilence and earthquakes (Ex. 12:29, 30; 19:18); He caused the land of Midian to tremble (Ex. 15:14–16); God parted the Red Sea and the Israelites walked through (3:8; Ex. 14:15–31); God caused the sun and moon to stand still in a victory at Gibeon (3:111; Josh. 10:12, 13); God delivered His people from Pharaoh (3:13; Ex. 14:5–14). These divine interventions must have resonated with Habakkuk’s audience, for the images reminded them that the God of Moses , who had delivered His people from Egypt, was alive and well and would again reveal Himself in power against their enemies (1:12; 3:6)” (Jeremiah Study Bible, 1228).

[7] James Montgomery Boice, Minor Prophets: Micah–Malachi, vol. 2 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2006), 430.

Is there any problem too big for God? I know we might answer, “Of course not,” but the way we try to control our lives and how we worry about our problems might suggest otherwise.

            Habakkuk is learning about the problems God can tackle as God reveals himself in Habakkuk 3:3–7. These verses contain an appearance of God designed to remind Habakkuk how God led Israel to the promised land, gave light from God’s presence, made a lasting impression, and how God’s presence impacted the land.

            The theophany begins, “God comes from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah.[1] His splendor covers the heavens, and the earth is full of His praise” (Hab 3:3).[2] Habakkuk is tracing the steps of the Israelites leaving Egypt.

            Two locations are mentioned. “Teman” was one of the chief settlements of Edom (Obad 9; Amos 1:12) and “Paran” was the area between Edom and Judah. These were two sites east of the Israelite people as they left Egypt moving toward the Promised Land.

            Habakkuk records God leading Israel toward the promised land as well as the light from God’s presence. “His radiance is like the sunlight; He has rays flashing from his hand, and there is the hiding of His power” (Hab 3:4). Power and light from the hand of God emphasizes his readiness to move into action for his people. Like our sun that is so strong and hot it would consume us if we were too close and damage our eyes if we looked at it directly, so too is the power of God. This means that a part of him must be “hiding.”

            The events of Habakkuk 3:3–4 have made a lasting impression which Habakkuk reveals. “Before Him goes pestilence, and plague comes after Him” (Hab 3:5). This again references the Exodus of Israel from Egypt. As God moves throughout the earth personified as light, he burns up what’s in his path and leaves a trail behind him. The vengeance of God’s covenant with his people appears here as God creates plagues that devour the enemies of Israel. God burns up what is in front of him and chars what he leaves behind.

            Next we see land described. In Habakkuk 3:3–5 God appears somewhat distant, but here he comes close. “He stood and surveyed the earth; He looked and startled the nations. Yes, the perpetual mountains were shattered, the ancient hills collapsed. His ways are everlasting. I saw the tents of Cushan under distress, the tent curtains of the land of Midian were trembling” (Hab 3:6–7).Here we see the entire cosmos responds in fear. This is the climax. God has reached the place he will execute judgement.[3]

            This awesome appearance of God teaches us that the size of the enemies that God overcomes in the past gives us faith for the future. As we read about God’s vengeance, his pestilence, and the plague that follows him, the meaning is clear: God’s not a little old man upstairs who sprinkles people with light or sends wishes for what he wants to occur. He’s all-powerful, all-loving, and his grace and glory are matched with his might and his majesty.

            As we read about God’s enemies throughout the Old Testament we are reminded of who he overcomes: Egypt with Moses, Philistia with David, local trouble makers in Judah with Nehemiah.

            As we read about the enemies of God we see that the strength of the enemy becomes the very source of the protection for God’s people. Haman was hanged on his own pole he erected (Esth 7:10). Daniel’s enemies were killed in the same lions den in which he was supposed to die (Dan 6:24). Psalm 7:5 says that he who creates a pit to trap the righteous will actually fall into that pit.

            God has overcome amazing obstacles in the Old Testament. The meaning for us is that our troubles are nothing compared to the amazing God of heaven. Whether it’s an energy bill we can’t afford, a car that is broken down, a pain in our body, a problem in our marriage, a conflict with our job, or an issue with a friend, those problems feel big to us, but they are not big to God.

            The size of the enemies that God overcomes in the Old Testament teach us about the size of the God we worship. If God can overcome the enemies of his people in the Old Testament, we can have faith that he will overcome the issues we face too.

[1] The word, “Selah”(vv. 3, 9, 13), is a word related to music. It’s used seventy-one times in the book of Psalms and three times in Habakkuk. The word is transliterated, not translated, because we don’t know exactly what the word means. The word “Selah” comes from the Hebrew verb meaning “to exalt, to lift up.” It might mean a pause, to elevate to a higher key or to a higher volume, to reflect on what’s been sung and to exalt the Lord in praise, or to lift up certain instruments like a trumpet fanfare. Whatever the meaning, it’s clear there is some type of a break or pause is intended. (J. Ronald Blue, “Habakkuk,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 [Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985], 1518).

[2] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[3] In Habakkuk 3:6a we learn about the land that belongs to him. The phrase, “He stood and surveyed the earth” tells us he’s taking inventory of what he created and what he controls. In Habakkuk 3:6b–7 we learn about the land that responds to him. Mountains are symbols of stability yet they shutter when they see what the Lord did when God led Israel from Egypt into the Promised Land. “tents of Cushan” and “land of Midian” could refer to one people group living in the Sinai peninsula region (Exod 2:16-22; 18:1-5; Num 12:1) or could describe two separate groups that each lived on either side of the Red Sea. Whether two groups or one, it was clear that God’s acts of delivering the nation of Israel out of Egypt and miraculously walking them to the Promised Land causes many nations to tremble and fear when they saw what God was doing (Exod 15:14-16; Deut 2:25; Josh 2:9; 5:1).

How we view God affects what we believe he will do and what we believe he can do. Because of this our beliefs about God are some of the most important things we contemplate.

            Our beliefs about God affect the way we answer the following questions. Is our God big, or is our God little? Is our God all-knowing, or is our God figuring it out as he goes along? Is our God in control, or is our God being controlled? Is our God capable of doing all things, or is our God incapable of some things? Is our God perfect, or is our God imperfect? Is our God competent, or is our God incompetent?

            As we read the book of Habakkuk we are learning how Habakkuk views God and in this way, we are learning what Habakkuk believes God will do and can do in both Habakkuk’s situation and in our lives.

            Habakkuk 3:3–15 contains a visual revelation. These verses are a positive response to Habakkuk’s prayer for divine mercy in Habakkuk 3:1–2. In response to Habakkuk’s prayer (recorded in Hab 3:1–2) God gives Habakkuk a reminder of God’s past mighty acts. Those reminders of God’s past mighty acts are designed to stimulate faith in God for the future. A simpler summary would be this: God’s work in history gives us confidence in the future.

            Habakkuk 3:3–15 is a theophany.[1] A theophany is a manifestation of God on earth and “an appearance of God in great power and glory.”[2]

            We read about the awesome appearance of God in Habakkuk 3:3–7. Habakkuk records God leading Israel toward the promised land (Hab 3:3) as well as the light from God’s presence. “His radiance is like the sunlight; He has rays flashing from his hand, and there is the hiding of His power” (Hab 3:4, NASB).[3]

            We read about the amazing acts of God in Habakkuk 3:8–15. In this section, God reveals his progress. “In indignation You marched through the earth; in anger You trampled the nations” (Hab 3:12, NASB).God’s not tiptoeing through the tulips. He’s triumphant over the towers of nations. He’s trampling over the nations that are in his path. In this section, God also reveals his preservation. “You went forth for the salvation of Your people, for the salvation of Your anointed. You struck the head of the house of the evil to lay him open from thigh to neck. Selah” (Hab 3:13, NASB).

            The message of this theophany in front of Habakkuk is simple: God’s past acts give confidence for the future. In a similar way we will learn this: God’s work in history gives us confidence for our future.

[1] The clearest theophany in Scripture, besides Habakkuk 3:3–15, is Exodus 19:9, 18.

[2] Waylon Bailey, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, vol. 20,  The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 358.

[3] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Fanny Crosby was born in 1820 but her father died the same year. She published her first book of poems in 1844 but didn’t become a Christian until 1850. She began using her literary talent to write hymns for church music. She wrote more than 9,000 hymns from 1864 to 1889. Popular hymns such as “Blessed Assurance,” “Tell Me the Story of Jesus,” “To God Be the Glory,” and “All the Way My Savior Leads Me” are among her most popular hymns still sang today.

            In addition to writing hymns she traveled alone around the United States speaking at rescue missions, made numerous visits to the White House, and was voted “best known woman in nineteenth-century America.”

            All of this was accomplished in spite of her blindness. She became blind at the age of six weeks due to a physician’s mistake. As a result, she learned to compose, edit, then dictate her hymns to someone else who wrote them down (she never learned to read Braile).

            Living as a blind woman in the nineteenth-century was difficult. But becoming a Christian at the age of thirty helped Fanny navigate the nineteenth century as a blind woman. Her faith matured over time just as we have seen Habakkuk’s faith mature.

            We learned about Habakkuk’s problems in chapter one where he questions God’s inactivity. Habakkuk essentially asks in Habakkuk 1:2–4 “How long will evil continue and when will you stop it?” God answers Habakkuk in Habakkuk 1:5–11 saying, “I’m going to stop it, I know what’s going on, and you’ll be surprised how.” Therefore Habakkuk asks a second question in 1:12—2:1. He questions God’s inconsistency and basically asks, “Why use greater sinners against less sinners?” In chapter two we see Habakkuk’s patience as he accepts God’s response. God provided his second answer to Habakkuk in 2:2–20 in which God basically says, “I have a plan for the future, a message for the faithful, and punishment planned for the Babylonians.” Now we move on to chapter three which reveals Habakkuk’s praise about God.

            Habakkuk 3:1–2 reads, “A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth. Lord, I have heard the report about You and I fear. O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.” (NASB)[1]

            In this process we are seeing Habakkuk go from a wonderer, to a watcher, and now to a worshipper. Habakkuk started in gloom, now he ends in glory. Habakkuk went from why to worship. Habakkuk’s faith has been tested (chapter 1), taught (chapter 2), and is triumphant (chapter 3).

            If we were to summarize Habakkuk 3:1–2 into one sentence it would be this: Hearing about God’s plans leads Habakkuk to fear God, to encourage God’s plans, and to request mercy from God. In these two verses we learn that revelation from God leads to trust in God.

            In our time in Habakkuk 3:1–2 we’ve learned three spiritual lessons from Habakkuk’s prayer. The first thing we learned from Habakkuk’s prayer is that peace in the midst of God’s plans comes when we realize obscurity does not mean invisibility. The second thing we learned from Habakkuk’s prayer is that peace in the midst of God’s plans comes when we fear God. The third thing we learned from Habakkuk’s prayer is that peace in the midst of God’s plans comes when we accept that God’s methods are best even if we don’t understand them.

            Habakkuk and Fanny Crosby both learned that God’s plans are best even if we don’t understand them. In Fanny’s first autobiography she wrote, “If perfect earthly sight were offered to me tomorrow, I would not accept it. Although it may have been a blunder on the physician’s part, it was no mistake of God’s. I verily believe it was His intention that I should live my days in physical darkness, so as to be better prepared to sing His praises and incite others so to do. I could not have written thousands of hymns—many of which, if you will pardon me for repeating it, are sung all over the world—if I had been hindered by the distractions of seeing all the interesting and beautiful objects that would have been presented to my notice.”[2]

            I’m not sure if most of us would say that? Habakkuk didn’t as he began this book, but later his faith matured and he eventually trusted God and submitted to God’s plans even when he didn’t like God’s plans. May we too trust God’s plans even if we don’t see them or understand them.

[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[2] Richard Stanislaw, “To God Be the Glory: Fanny Crosby,” in More Than Conquerors: Portraits of Believers from All Walks of Life, ed. John Woodbridge (Chicago: Moody, 1992), 108–111.

I love Johnny Cash’s version of the traditional folk song known as “Run On” or “Run On for a Long Time.” Johnny Cash titled it, “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” on his American V: A Hundred Highways (2006) album. The song describes how everyone appears before God in the end of life and how sinners will get their just punishment. (Because of copyright laws I am not able to quote the lyrics in print, but you can search the song on your favorite music app.)   

            That song reminds me of eleven words Habakkuk shares: “Lord, I have heard the report about You and I fear” (Hab 3:2a).[1] The “report” that Habakkuk refers to here are the responses of God in Habakkuk 1:5–11 and in 2:2–20. The book of Habakkuk is a report from God to Habakkuk about God’s plans to use the Babylonians to judge Judah.

            Here’s a brief timeline. In 607 BC Habakkuk writes. In 605 BC Babylon comes to Judah and Daniel is taken into exile in Babylon. In 597 BC Babylon comes again and Ezekiel is taken into exile in Babylon. In 586 BC Babylon finishes what they started by completely destroying the city of Jerusalem. To correctly understand this timeline we need to know who was the king in Judah and what kind of king he was.

            King Jehoiakim ruled in Judah from 609–605 BC under Egyptian influence and from 605–601 BC under Babylonian control. King Jehoiakim killed innocent people who opposed him, he refused to pay poor laborers (2 Kings 23:35–37; Jer 22:13–19), he allowed prophets and priests to commit adultery and abuse their authority (Jer 23:1–2, 9–11), he killed Uriah the prophet for prophesying that Jerusalem would fall (Jer 26:20–23), and he burned the prophet Jeremiah’s hand-written prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem (Jer 36).[2]

            Now back to Habakkuk 3:2a. Habakkuk hears reports from God and it causes “fear.” Imagine how we would feel in America if God told us a foreign nation was coming to conquer us because of our country’s sins. We might compare that to what Americans experienced during the Cold War.

            One thing we learn from Habakkuk’s prayer is that peace in the midst of God’s plans comes when we fear God. Sadly, most Americans don’t fear God.[3] How do I know? We take his name in vain in our personal speech, on the radio, in books, and on TV. We mock God with bumper stickers that say, “In the beginning man created God.” We post pictures on social media of a cross as the first letter in the word, “toxic.” That behavior makes it clear that most Americans do not fear God.

            However, we should fear God. So what does the fear of God look like in believers? It is a reverence and respect for God’s person and God’s works. We respect and revere God as the creator of the universe and sustainer of our lives. Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” God had told the Israelites about this in Deuteronomy 10:12, “Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”[4] The fear of God guides us as we approach him asking for forgiveness for our sin and it guides the way that we walk with him. We know that God loves us (Rom 8:38–39) but we fear him because he also disciplines us (Heb 12:1–6). We also should fear God because we will meet the Lord at the judgement seat after the rapture of the church, known as the Bema Seat, where our works will be judged (1 Cor 3:11–15; 2 Cor 5:10).[5]

            Peace comes when we fear God because fear is a way to acknowledge that he is in complete control while we are not. A fear of God is correct because of who God is and it is healthy because of who we are.

[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[2] Adapted from J.K. Bruckner, “Habakkuk, Book of” in Dictionary of the Old Testament: Prophets, edited by Mark J. Boda and Gordon J. McConville (Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 2012), 296.

[3] In America we don’t talk much about fear. I had trouble finding any discussion about the fear of God here in my commentaries from Habakkuk.

[4] Also see Deut 10:20–21, ““You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name. He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen.”

[5] So what does the fear of God look like in unbelievers? Their fear should be of judgement, eternal death, and forever separation from God (Luke 12:5; Heb 10:31). Unbelievers should fear God because they will face God, at the Great White Throne judgment, after the 1,000-year millennial reign of Christ. At that Great White Throne judgment their rejection of the Savior is what judges them (Rev 20:11–15).

God knows your name. Yes, you! He knows your name, sees your actions, and he hears your thoughts. Habakkuk has experienced this as he asks God his questions (Hab 1:2–4, 1:12—2:1) and hears God’s replies (Hab 1:5–11; 2:2–20).

            After God’s second answer to Habakkuk we read what Habakkuk says in reply to God. That reply to God is introduced with a note, “A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth” (Hab 3:1).[1] In this verse let’s notice what we learn about the prophet, his prayer, and his music.

            His name, “Habakkuk,” shows up two times in the Bible (Hab 1:1; 3:1). While the book of Habakkuk is often quoted in Scripture,[2] his name is only mentioned twice and his family is not revealed.

            Habakkuk probably was an ordained priest that was part of the temple liturgical singing. He appears well educated, deeply sensitive, and based on literary style he was as much a poet as prophet.[3] His aptitude for music is clear. There are musical notations in Habakkuk 3:19 which indicate Habakkuk was a composer of music.

            He likely lived in Judah in 607–604 BC under king Jehoiakim (Jer 22:15–17; 2 Kings 23:34—24:5) in the final dark days of the southern nation of Judah.

            His role within Judah as prophet was a covenant mediator. He had a responsibility to offer intercession for the people.[4] Habakkuk found himself living in Judah while Babylon was approaching. Yet God was in control of both nations, thus only God’s grace could sustain the prophet and the people.

            If you’re like me you have trouble reading the word, “Shigionoth.”[5]That word is transliterated, not translated, because we don’t know what it means. Since we don’t know what it means, translators “transliterate” it by transferring the Hebrew consonants and vowels into English consonants and vowels. (It’s as if they “sound it out” from Hebrew into English.) But, in light of the musical note in Habakkuk 3:19, it probably has some type of musical-liturgical significance and perhaps this chapter was a song. It could refer to excitement or celebration.

            The “prayer”[6] we read about here is a response to God’s revelation. As I shared earlier, chapters one and two of Habakkuk involved an interchange between God and Habakkuk. Chapter three is the effect of that interchange. The British preacher Martin Lloyd Jones once said, “Prayer is more than petition, and includes praise, thanksgiving, recollection, and adoration.”[7] I think that’s a good summary of what Habakkuk is doing in Habakkuk 3:1.

            We learn from Habakkuk’s prayer that peace in the midst of God’s plans comes when we realize obscurity does not mean invisibility. Habakkuk was a man living in the seventh century in Judah, became the author of a small book in the Old Testament, was probably not well known, but he was known by God as a prophet.

            Habakkuk, the prophet, wrote a book of just three short chapters. His book only contains fifty-six verses. Luke wrote seven chapters that are as long or longer than the entire book of Habakkuk. We can compare Habakkuk’s three meager chapters with the sixty-six chapters of Isaiah, fifty-two chapters of Jeremiah, the forty-eight of Ezekiel, and twelve of Daniel.[8]

            Habakkuk’s book might be small but the man was not minor in God’s eyes. From Habakkuk we learn that obscurity doesn’t mean invisibility. And that’s a lesson for us in the church today.

            Just because we are not famous or well known doesn’t mean God doesn’t hear us, know us, and respond to us. Even if you are a new Christian, never volunteer in church, only occasionally attend church, and never donate to church, God listens to your prayers. God knows you and he responds to your need just as he responded to Habakkuk’s need.

[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[2] Habakkuk 1:11 is quoted by Paul in Acts 13:39. Habakkuk 2:4 is quoted by Paul in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11. The author of Hebrews also quotes Habakkuk 2:4 in Hebrews 10:38.

[3] J. Ronald Blue, “Habakkuk,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 1508.

[4] As was seen by other prophets in Gen 20:7; Exod 32:11–14; Isa 63:15; Jer 14:7–9.

[5] The plural form appears here in Hab 3:1, the singular form appears in Psalm 7:1.

[6] Psalm 17, 86, 90, 102, 142 all have “prayer” in the title. This prayer is like those Psalms that also contain the name of the person that prays them.

[7] Martin Lloyd Jones, From Fear to Faith: Rejoicing In The Lord In Turbulent Times (Carol Stream, IL: NavPress, 2011), 55.

[8] Habakkuk is called a “minor prophet” simply because of it’s size, but not because of it’s impact or importance. Habakkuk was a minor prophet with a major message and a major ministry.

Sometimes we get answers to our questions that we don’t want, but we learn to live with them. Getting answers we don’t want is part of life, part of being an adult, part of maturing, and is part of being a believer in Jesus Christ.         

            Sometimes we share our requests with God and we are told answers that we don’t want or didn’t expect. But we still accept them and move on in life with the answers that God has given us. Our friend Habakkuk is learning that too.

            Thus far in the book of Habakkuk we’ve learned about Habakkuk’s problems in chapter one. In chapter one we read Habakkuk’s first question about God’s inactivity. Habakkuk essentially asks in Habakkuk 1:2–4 “How long will evil continue and when will you stop it?” Next we read God’s first answer to Habakkuk in Habakkuk 1:5–11. God essentially responds, “I’m going to stop it, I know what’s going on, and you’ll be surprised how.” Therefore Habakkuk asks a second question in 1:12—2:1. He questions God’s inconsistency and basically asks, “Why use greater sinners against less sinners?” In chapter two we learned about Habakkuk’s patience. God provided his second answer to Habakkuk in 2:2–20 in which God basically says, “I have a plan for the future, a message for the faithful, and punishment planned for the Babylonians.” Now we move on to chapter three which reveals Habakkuk’s praise about God.

            “A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth. Lord, I have heard the report about You and I fear. O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy” (Habakkuk 3:1–2, NASB).[1]

            As we read the book of Habakkuk, we watch Habakkuk go from a wonderer, to a watcher, and now to a worshipper. Habakkuk started in gloom, now he ends in glory. Habakkuk went from why to worship. Habakkuk’s faith has been tested (chapter 1), taught (chapter 2), and is triumphant (chapter 3).

            Don’t miss this: Habakkuk worships God even though God doesn’t answer his prayers in the way he hoped God would. James Montgomery Boice calls chapter three of Habakkuk one of the great prayers of all the Bible.[2] Chapter three of Habakkuk is the pinnacle of praise. As Warren Wiersbe has written, “His circumstances hadn’t changed, but he had changed, and now he was walking by faith instead of sight. He was living by promises, not explanations.”[3] Chapter three of Habakkuk is the mountaintop destination of Habakkuk’s journey that began in a low valley of distress in chapter one.

            If we were to summarize Habakkuk 3:1–2 into one sentence it would be this: Hearing about God’s plans leads Habakkuk to fear God, to encourage God’s plans, and to request mercy from God. In these two verses we learn that revelation from God leads to trust in God.

            When we have questions of God may we learn to trust him even when we don’t like the answers he provides. May the revelation God gives lead to our trust in God.

[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[2] James Montgomery Boice, The Minor Prophets, vol. 2 (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1986),417.

[3] Warren Wiersbe, Be Amazed: Restoring an Attitude of Wonder and Worship (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 2010), 157.

Faith is a topic we discuss often within Christianity. It’s the basis of our salvation for eternity and our sanctification on earth. Faith, of course, is not described just in the New Testament but in the Old Testament as well.

            In Habakkuk 2:2–20 we read God’s second answer to Habakkuk in which Habakkuk has learned about faith in different circumstances. If we summarize these nineteen verses into one big idea it would be this: God responds to Habakkuk with a message about the future, a message for the faithful, and a message for Babylon. In these verses we learn that righteous standing starts and continues by faith in God.

            In Habakkuk 2:2–3 we read about God’s plans for the future and learned that it’s by faith we wait. In Habakkuk 2:4–5 we read about God’s plans for the righteous and learned it’s by faith we live. In Habakkuk 2:6–20 we read God’s plans for the wicked. In these verses we learned it’s by faith we suffer.

            By faith we wait, by faith we live, and by faith we suffer. Faith is the key topic of Habakkuk 2:2–20. As Bible teacher and author Taylor Turkington has written, “The call to live by faith is in contrast to the way of life of the self-reliant.”[1] We’ve seen that “the righteous will live by his faith” (Hab 2:4).[2] The late theologian John Walvoord says faith is “not only the central theme of Habakkuk but of the entire Scripture.”[3] As Warren Wiersbe once wrote, “A faith that can’t be tested can’t be trusted.”[4]

            Faith is like a boat anchor. An anchor is a heavy curved piece of metal, tied to a chain, that is released to the bottom of the ocean or lake, and is connected to a boat. The anchor keeps the boat solid and steady among the shifting tides, wind, and storm. But for that anchor to work it has to be tied to something. The anchor has to be connected to the boat in order to help the boat. The apostle Paul (Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11) and the author of Hebrews (Heb 10:37) showed us—by quoting Habakkuk 2:4—that our faith is our anchor tied to Jesus Christ. He was fully God and fully man. He died on the cross for our sins. And it’s through our faith in him that we live spiritually and that we will endure life physically here on earth. Our faith in him keeps us solid and steady among the shifting tides, winds, and storms of life.

            Chip Ingram honestly reveals what many of us feel about faith. “Living by faith is exciting and, frankly, incredibly scary at times. But when you take a radical step of faith in God, God always comes through. You know what happens then? Your view of God grows.”[5] That’s the faith that Habakkuk and the righteous relied on in the seventh century BC, and that’s the faith we rely on too. May your view of God grow as you live by faith in him.

[1] Taylor Turkington, Trembling Faith: How a Distressed Prophet Helps Us Trust God in a Chaotic World (Brentwood, TN: B&H Publishing, 2023), 72.

[2] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[3] John Walvoord, Every Prophecy of the Bible (Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 1990), 308.

[4] Warren Wiersbe, The Delights and Disciplines of Bible Study (Colorado Springs: David C Cook, 2018), 50.

[5] Chip Ingram, Holy Ambition: Turning God-shaped Dreams Into Reality (Chicago: Moody, 2010), 90.

If we watch sports we probably are aware of the “trash talk” that commonly occurs. Trash talk is defined as “disparaging, taunting, or boastful comments especially between opponents trying to intimidate each other.”[1] An example of trash talk would be one racecar driver saying to another, “I hope you enjoy the view of my bumper cause that’s all you’re gonna see in the race.” There is a section of Habakkuk, specifically Habakkuk 2:6–20, that we could categorize as “trash talk.”

            As we examine Habakkuk 2:6-20 we’ll see the word “woe” used five times (vv. 6, 9, 12, 15, 19). The word “woe” is translated from the Hebrew word howy which begins each of the five “woe oracles” in Habakkuk 2:6–20. A woe oracle announced the failure and future doom of a nation.[2] A woe oracle was a way to announce that the funeral for a nation was just around the corner.[3] These woe oracles are oracles of judgement that are classified as “taunt.” A taunt “is an utterance that mocks or jeers the opponent.”[4] It’s a put down. It’s trash talk. In addition to saying bad things are going to happen, a taunt is also a personal attack on the nation and its leaders. God “rubs it in” to make it hurt, to make it sting, and to make it personal.[5]

            Let’s briefly examine each of these five woe oracles that God establishes against Babylon.

            God begins his list of wrongdoings of the Babylonians with how they took money that wasn’t theirs. God declares their extortion wrong, “Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house to put his nest on high, to be delivered from the hand of calamity! You have devised a shameful thing for your house by cutting off many peoples; so you are sinning against yourself. Surely the stone will cry out from the wall, and the rafter will answer it from the framework” (Hab 2:6–8).[6]

            The next issue we learn God has with Babylon is that they have been taking homes that weren’t theirs. The Babylonians have been exploiting others, “Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house to put his nest on high, to be delivered from the hand of calamity! You have devised a shameful thing for your house by cutting off many peoples; so you are sinning against yourself. Surely the stone will cry out from the wall, and the rafter will answer it from the framework” (Hab 2:9–11).

            A kind, gracious, and loving God objects to how Babylon was taking cities by violence. This was an example of Babylon’s unnecessary extravagance. “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and founds a town with violence! Is it not indeed from the Lord of hosts that peoples toil for fire, and nations grow weary for nothing? For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Hab 2:12–14).

            God’s issue with wine is that drinking excess wine inhibits good behavior.[7] The Babylonians are enjoying too much alcohol. God condemns their excess use of liquor,“Woe to you who make your neighbors drink, who mix in your venom even to make them drunk so as to look on their nakedness! You will be filled with disgrace rather than honor. Now you yourself drink and expose your own nakedness. The cup in the Lord’s right hand will come around to you, and utter disgrace will come upon your glory” (Hab 2:15–16).God condemns the excess use of liquor and then condemns Lebanon, “For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and the devastation of its beasts by which you terrified them, because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land, to the town and all its inhabitants” (Hab 2:17).

            As if plunder, pride, projects, and poured wine weren’t bad enough, next God describes powerless gods. The Babylonians had a habit of taking idols for worship and giving esteem to dead idols. As we read about the powerless gods we see a silence before idols, “What profit is the idol when its maker has carved it, or an image, a teacher of falsehood? For its maker trusts in his own handiwork when he fashions speechless idols. Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, ‘Awake!’ To a mute stone, ‘Arise!’ And that is your teacher? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all inside it” (Hab 2:18–19). As we read about the powerless gods we see a silence before idols as well as silence before God,“But the Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him” (Hab 2:20).

            From Habakkuk’s prophecy we learn that it’s by faith we suffer. While this passage is a woe oracle (specifically a “taunt song”) against Babylon, the reality is that the faithful and the righteous are going to suffer through it.

            Many of us know good kids that suffer in their childhood because of bad parents or harsh siblings that do terrible things to them. Our heart often breaks for those kids because we know there’s nothing they did to cause their troubles. That’s the same scenario for Habakkuk.

            Habakkuk is going to suffer unjustly because of the wrong actions of others. He will join men like Daniel (605–535 BC in Babylon), Ezekiel (592–570 BC in Babylon), and Jeremiah (627–585 BC in Judah). Each of those men endured the wrath of Babylon against Judah. 

            The candid words of Joni Eareckson Tada in a recent online video are relevant. “Suffering is not much good in it [sic]. But it will teach you who you are. It’s a textbook that will show you the stuff of which you are made. And sometimes it’s not very pretty. Suffering will squeeze that out of you. We say we know Christ, well okay, the next time you suffer and suffer hard, find out what comes out of your mouth and that will show how much you know Jesus. And so in that sense, it’s good, in a strange way.”[8]

            Suffering is a fact of the Christian life. But this is important: We don’t worship a God that we carry around (like a lifeless idol), we worship a God that carries us. And he will carry us through our troubles. That’s why sometimes living by faith through suffering means we just take it a week at a time, a day at a time, or an hour at a time. It’s by faith we suffer and it’s by faith that we rely on God to carry us through it.  

[1] Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11^th edition, 1331.

[2] Amos 6:1-7 is good example of a woe oracle toward Israel.

[3] Gary Smith, Interpreting the Prophetic Books (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 2014), 37–38.

[4] Lyland Ryken, Symbols and Reality (Wooster, OH: Weaver Books, 2016), 50.

[5] Ibid., 49–52.

[6] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[7] The Bible warns about the evils of strong drink (Prov 20:1; 21:7; 23:20-21, 29-35; Rom 13:13; Gal 5:21; 1 Thess 5:7). According to Scripture drunkenness and sensual behavior go hand-in-hand (Gen 9:20-27; 19:30-38; Rom 13:11-14).

[8]“Joni Eareckson Tada’s Songs of Suffering: 25 Hymns and Devotions for Weary Souls” https://youtu.be/0H9ztsfGfRM Accessed May 4, 2023.

Sometimes God has good plans for his righteous followers. But occasionally, or maybe we should write, normally, God’s people have to endure difficult circumstances before God’s good plans. Hab was learning this as God revealed his plans for the future in Hab 2:2–3.

            God has plans for the future. God has something he wants written down for future generations. God tells Habakkuk to preserve that message, “Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets” (Hab 2:2a). God tells Habakkuk to publicize that message. “That the one who reads it may run” (Hab 2:2b). God also has something to work out at a future time (v. 3). From Habakkuk’s prophecy we learn that by faith we wait.

            While God has plans for the future, God also has plans for the righteous which he reveals in Habakkuk 2:4–5. God first reveals those plans for the wicked. As we read about the wicked people in Habakkuk 2:4–5 we need to remember that the word “Chaldeans” is the term Habakkuk uses to describe the Babylonians[1] (Hab 1:6, 15).

            Habakkuk tells us that the Babylonians are dominant, “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him” (Hab 2:4a). The Babylonians lived by their sight and their might. But their pride condemned them. They ran over people instead of submitting under the authority of God.

            Habakkuk also tells us that the Babylonians are drunk, “Furthermore, wine betrays the haughty man, so that he does not stay at home. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, and he is like death, never satisfied. He also gathers to himself all nations and collects to himself all peoples” (Hab 2:5). This verse describes the wickedness of the Babylonians in two ways. First, there’s a personification of Babylon as a drunk man, “wine betrays a haughty man, so that he does not stay at home.” Second, there’s personification of Babylon as a hungry man, “He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, and he is like death, never satisfied. He also gathers to himself all nations, and collects to himself all peoples.” This personifies death as having an appetite that is never satisfied. The Babylonians were proud, greedy, and always wanted more.

            Habakkuk also tells us that the Babylonians are deadly, “wine betrays the haughty man.” Excessive alcohol is not the chief sin or worst sin here, but it appears as the sin the fuels other sins. When my family lived in Exeter, California we had a traditional open wood fire place with a small pipe that provided natural gas you could use to get the wood fire going. It was fantastic! That little bit of natural gas takes the small amount of fire and magnified it greatly. Alcohol has that same effect on our sin. Alcohol takes the little bit of sin we have and enlarges it. We see that happen in Daniel 5 with King Belshazzar (Nebuchadnezzar’s son) where alcohol led to many foolish deeds and the eventual end of the Babylonian kingdom (Dan 5:30-31).

            In Habakkuk 2:4-5 there’s a sharp contrast between the wicked people—Babylonians—that were prideful and drunk with the righteous people which Habakkuk describes next.[2]

While God has declared His plans for the wicked (Hab 2:4:a, 5), God declares his plans for the righteous saying, “But the righteous will live by his faith” (Hab 2:4b).[3] If you ask most people on the street today how they would get to heaven, most would say by being a good person and doing good deeds. This verse contradicts that.

            This verse is quoted three times in the New Testament so let’s make sure we read it in its context. Habakkuk has posed his questions to God and expressed his concern about the righteous (Habakkuk 1:4, 13). Here in Habakkuk 2:4 God probably has the oppressed individuals of Habakkuk 1:4 in view. God is saying that this is what is true for those that trust in God and not in themselves.

            In addition to the context it’s important to examine a few cross references of Habakuk 2:4.[4] Habakkuk 2:4 is quoted three times in our New Testament. In each of these quotes I want to bring out the meaning of a specific word.

            When quoted in Romans 1:17 the word “righteous” describes salvation. “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘But the righteous man shall live by faith’” (Rom 1:17). In this context faith opposed to work leads to salvation. In other words, what you do doesn’t make you righteous.

            When quoted in Galatians 3:11 the word “live” also describes our salvation but a different aspect of it. “Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, ‘The righteous man shall live by faith’” (Galatians 3:11). In this context faith opposed to legalism and Law leads to salvation. In other words, you don’t become righteous by keeping the Law or celebrating certain festivals and feasts.

            The use of Habakuk 2:4 in Galatians 3:11 and Romans 1:17 became the battle cry and banner of the protestant reformation. In the sixteenth century the Roman Catholic Church was requiring payments from common people to pay for their sins and to lessen the time that their family spent in purgatory. Along with that came a list of “dos” and “donts” that the Roman Catholic Church had for the people as a way for them to maintain their standing as a Christian in the Roman Catholic Church. 

            From that context with Habakkuk 2:4, Galatians 3:11, and Romans 1:17 several streams of protestant reformation traditions began. One stream known as the “Reformed Faith” flowed from two men. Ulrich Zwingli was located in the city of Zurich in northern Switzerland and from John Calvin who was also from Switzerland but was located in the city of Geneva which was in the south. Another stream came to be known as the “Lutheran Reformation” led by Martin Luther in Germany and Conrad Rebel who was based in Zurich. A third stream developed and is known as “Anabaptism” from Menno Simmons who was from Holland.

            All three groups saw Habakkuk 2:4 as quoted in Galatians 3:11 and Romans 1:17 as the correct teaching that a person is declared righteous by God because of faith, not because of works.

            There is a third quote of Habakkuk 2:4 in the New Testament that is lesser known, yet still important. While Romans 1:17 used “righteous” to describe salvation as faith opposed to work, and Galatians 3:11 used “live” to describe faith opposed to legalism and Law, Hebrews 10:38 quotes Habakkuk 2:4 focusing on “faith” and its role in our sanctification. The context in Hebrews is faith persevering under pressure. In other words, you don’t leave your faith when times get hard, instead it’s your faith that allows you to endure and grow. This quotation in Hebrews 10:38 is most like Habakkuk’s use.

            Now that we understand the context and have examined cross references of Habakkuk 2:4, let’s look at its constant message. Tough times are coming for Judah, but they will only endure by faith. God is assuring Habakkuk that it is by the faith and godly lifestyle of the innocent that they will be preserved through coming oppression. 

            From Habakkuk’s prophecy we learn that it’s by faith we live.By faith we live spiritually and by faith we live physically. By faith we enter the heavenly kingdom of God and by faith we endure the earthly kingdom.

            As Habakkuk utters these words the Babylonians probably think they’re getting away with what they’re doing. But God has something to say.  

            How can we make it through the rest of the month when we are out of money? By faith in God. How do we know how to parent a strong-willed child? By faith in God. When the church we are a member of encounters severe financial troubles how do we know what to do? We learn on faith in God. We  learn on and rely on our faith in God. This is because “the righteous will live by faith.”

[1] The Hebrew word, kasdim, is translated as “Chaldeans” (Hab 1:6) in the NASB but this group of people is better known by another name: Babylonians (see NIV and NLT). The Babylonians were a tribe within the Assyrian Empire that rose up and overtook the Assyrian Empire. Nabopolassar rose up into power in 625 BC and Nebuchadnezzar inherited the powerful kingdom in 605 BC. See B. T. Arnold, “Babylon” (pp. 53-60) edited by Mark J. Boda and Gordon J. McConville, Dictionary of the Old Testament: Prophets (Downers Grove, IL; Inter-Varsity Press, 2012), 59.

[2] J. Ron Blue says this verse “sparkles like a diamond in a pile of soot. In the midst of God’s unrelenting condemnations of Babylon stands a bright revelation of God’s favor” (J. Ronald Blue, “Habakkuk,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 [Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985], 1513).

[3] Some translations read “faithfulness” (NIV, NEB, focusing on the aspect of the word that can mean moral steadfastness.

[4] This verse appears to be a deliberate echo of Gen 15:6. See O. Palmer Robertson, The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1990), 178.

It’s hard to wait for things that we know are good. My friend Justin spent five years getting his bachelor’s degree and six years getting a master’s degree in preparation to become a pastor. After searching for a pastor job for several months he became discouraged, sad, and even angry. I remember him expressing frustration, “I thought God wants me to be a pastor, but I don’t know why it’s so difficult to find a job! I’m tired of waiting! Why would God lead me through that entire process of preparation and training and leave me hanging?” It’s hard to wait for God to intervene when we want God to do things that we know are good.

            Habakkuk was experiencing this same frustration in 607 BC. Habakkuk was waiting for God to restore Judah back to its loyal devotion to God it once had. He was waiting for God to intervene in his circumstances.

            In Habakkuk 2:2–3 we read about God’s plans for the future. Habakkuk tells us, “Then the Lord answered me and said, ‘Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run’” (Hab 2:2).[1] This revelation from God is going to be a tangible reminder—like a wedding ring or a necklace given by a loved one—to remind Habakkuk about a commitment that is made. God tells Habakkuk to preserve that message,“Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets.” This suggests its importance. It had to be preserved so they probably recorded it on tablets of baked clay. God tells Habakkuk to publicize that message. “That the one who reads it may run.” That phrase tells us this was a clear message because the one running can read it. In other words, the one who has read it can easily share the message with others. This is most likely the meaning here. God’s telling Habakkuk or whoever else, “Read this, then run and put it into action.”

            God has something he wants written down for future generations (Hab 2:2), but he also has something to work out at a future time (Hab 2:3). God reveals to Habakkuk, “For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay” (Hab 2:3). It was important for Habakkuk to record this because it has future implications. We learn, “the vision is yet for the appointed time.” That appointed time is going to be described in detail in Habakkuk 2:6–20. We also learn about the certainty of this declaration from God, “It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail.” This plan will occur. God is 100 percent accurate 100 percent of the time. It’s our responsibility to wait.

            From Habakkuk’s prophecy we learn that by faith we wait.[2] Most of us understand the necessity of waiting for things to occur. When we plant seeds we know we must wait for them to grow into plants. When we teach kids to read we know it requires instruction, practice, and repetition. If we want to improve our health we know it involves eating healthy and exercising over months and years.

            But sometimes when it comes to God—because we know God is powerful and can do anything—we don’t like to wait for his intervention. We want him to change things instantly.

            That’s why it’s important we learn that it’s by faith that we wait. Sometimes we have to wait for a new job, a spouse to come to know the Lord, or to have a baby. We might say, “God I need a new job that pays better so that I can save for retirement or give more to church.” Or maybe we plead, “God I want my spouse to become a Christian so that I see her when I get to heaven.” Perhaps we ask, “God I want a child so I can raise him or her up to love you and honor you.” Those are all good things, but it’s hard to wait for God to work on those things.

            We might not know how those things will be accomplished, but it’s by faith we wait. Pastor and writer Mark Hitchcock said this when preaching from Habakkuk, “In the Bible faith is never in contrast to reason, faith is in contrast to sight.”[3] We trust God to do good works, but we might not see how he’s going to do them. Wewait on the Lord, rather than moving on our own strength or according to our own timeline. We do this because we know God, love God, and trust God. That’s why it’s by faith we wait on God.

[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[2] Habakkuk hears from God in 607 BC, yet God won’t fulfill his promise until 539 BC when king Cyrus of Persia invades Babylon.

[3] Mark Hitchcock, “Just Live by Faith” (Habakkuk 2:1-4) from July 24, 2016. https://faithbibleok.subspla.sh/t7sqqgc Accessed May 4, 2023.

All of us have experienced our perspective changing over time because of the position or role in which we find ourselves.

Perhaps we started a job as a regular employee with many great ideas about how to better run the organization, fix problems, and improve it. But later when we became a manager or supervisor we realized, based on our new position, that many of those great ideas we had as an employee wouldn’t work as a manager. Maybe as a kid we didn’t like our parents and disagreed with what they did. But when we became a mother or father we then saw the wisdom in what our parents did. Politicians usually campaign on a set of changes they want to make when elected into office. But when elected they often realize what they wanted to accomplish is impossible or not practical after learning how government works. 

            Let me propose—if I may—that it can be like that with God too. The things we think God should do are not seen that same way from God’s perspective. The way we believe God should intervene in a situation from our perspective on earth is different than the God’s perspective from heaven.

            Habakkuk was experiencing this in 607 BC.  In chapter one Habakkuk questions God’s inactivity. Habakkuk essentially asks in Habakkuk 1:2–4, “How long will evil continue and when will you stop it?” Next we read God’s first answer to Habakkuk in Habakkuk 1:5–11. God essentially responds, “I’m going to stop it, I know what’s going on, and you’ll be surprised how.” Therefore Habakkuk asks a second question in 1:12—2:1. He questions God’s inconsistency and basically asks, “Why use greater sinners against less sinners?”

            In Habakkuk 2:2–20 we read God’s second answer to Habakkuk. If we were to summarize these nineteen verses into one big idea it would be this: God responds to Habakkuk with a message about the future, a message for the faithful, and a message for Babylon. In Habakkuk 2:2–20 we learn that righteous standing starts and continues by faith in God.

            In this section we will read Habakkuk 2:4 which is one of the most well-known and frequently quoted verses from Scripture. While God has declared his plans for the wicked (Hab 2:4a, 5), God declares his plans for the righteous saying, “But the righteous will live by his faith[1]” (Hab 2:4b).[2] The late theologian John Walvoord says this verse is “not only the central theme of Habakkuk but of the entire Scripture.”[3] Faith should be the central theme of our lives just as it is the central theme of Scripture.[4]

            By faith we wait, by faith we live, and by faith we suffer. Faith is the key topic of Habakkuk 2:2–20. We might have ideas, based on our perspective on earth, about what God should do. But when God’s plans, based on his perspective in heaven, doesn’t make sense then we live by our faith in him.   

[1] Some translations read “faithfulness” (NIV, NEB, focusing on the aspect of the word that can mean moral steadfastness.

[2] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[3] John Walvoord, Every Prophecy of the Bible (Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 1990), 308.

[4] I agree with the assessment of Taylor Turkington who writes, “The phrase ‘live by faith’ has benn stitched on enough pillows to fill a city and drained of it’s real meaning. It’s depth has turned into fluff, meaning something like ‘just keep believing good things will happen’” (Taylor Turkington, Trembling Faith: How a Distressed Prophet Helps Us Trust God in a Chaotic World [Brentwood, TN: B&H Publishing, 2023], 66).

Most of us don’t like to wait for things. We’re taught waiting is bad. We’ve been trained that waiting is an enemy. We have ATMs that give us instant cash, same day deliveries from Amazon, meals made in minutes, and movies that appear instantly on our electronic devices when we want them. Bible teacher and author Jen Wilkin states, “Being able to wait is distinctly Christian. In fact, it’s a mark of Christian maturity.”[1] We as Christians can wait and be confident.

            I hope that reading through the book of Habakkuk, especially Habakkuk 1:12—2:1, causes us to admire the man Habakkuk. In this section Habakkuk expresses his confidence in God, “Are You not from everlasting, O Lord, my God, my Holy One?” (Hab 1:12a).[2] Yet Habakkuk also expresses his questions of God, “Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You can not look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor on those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they?” (Hab 1:13). Lastly, we read Habakkuk’s conclusion, “I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; and I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, and how I may reply when I am reproved” (Hab 2:1).

            In her book, Trembling Faith, Taylor Turkington summarizes Habakkuk 1:12—2:1 this way, “Habakkuk’s outburst doesn’t feel like a model prayer in the Bible. His appeal erupts with questions and dissent. So I’m glad that we’re never called to stuff our emotions; we can bring the confusion, grief, and protest to God, even if it gets fiery.”[3] I like what she writes next, “It’s wonderfully clear God can take it.”[4] We find Habakkuk waiting for God’s reply. He wants to honor God and see God’s people change their lifestyle. Yet he has to wait for God’s reply.

            Scripture sometimes teaches us the value of waiting. King David wrote in Psalm 5:3, “In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.” The sons of Korah tell us in Psalm 85:8, “I will hear what God the Lord will say; for He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones; but let them not turn back to folly.”

When we wait for God’s reply sometimes the answers come immediately. But most of the time God reveals those answers much later—sometimes months or years pass—then we finally get an answer from God. Eventually he reveals why he’s done what he did in our lives, why he caused us to endure what we went through, and why he allowed people to say certain things. While we wait for God’s reply we can have confidence in the eternal God (Hab 1:12–13), confidence that we achieve nothing without God (Hab 1:14–17), and confidence that God will reply (Hab 2:1). Habakkuk learned this, and I hope we can learn it too.

[1] Jen Wilkin, “Waiting on the Word,” Christianity Today, April 2022, p. 30.

[2] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[3] Taylor Turkington, Trembling Faith: How a Distressed Prophet Helps Us Trust God in a Chaotic World (Brentwood, TN: B&H, 2023), 51.

[4] Ibid.

Cities in the seventh century BC were often built with stone towers on top of the city walls so a watchman could easily see approaching visitors. That’s the imagery[1] Habakkuk uses when he says, “I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; and I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, and how I may reply when I am reproved” (Hab 2:1).[2] The context of this verse is Habakkuk asking questions about God’s characteristics (1:12–13), the Babylonians (1:14–17), and now we see Habakkuk’s determination to wait.[3]

            Let’s take a note of three characteristics of Habakkuk as he concludes his questions of God. The first is that he’s standing (v. 1a). It’s easy when experiencing struggles to get discouraged and sink down into confusion and hopelessness. Instead Habakkuk stands up, holds his head high, his eyes are open, and he’s looking out. The second is he’s watching (v. 1b). Habakkuk compares himself to a watchman that keeps his eyes open for approaching messengers or danger. The third is he’s waiting (v. 1c). Habakkuk waits patiently for divine revelation and braces himself for a rebuke.

            Old Testament scholar O. Palmer Robertson writes that Habakkuk “will not attempt to reconcile in his own mind the apparent contradiction between the election of Israel by God as the object of his special love and the devastation of Israel at the hands of the rapacious Chaldeans as ordered by the Lord himself. He will not resort to the sources of human wisdom. Instead, he will watch for an answer that can come from the Lord.”[4]

            Habakkuk expects to get a reply. Sometimes only God can answer our questions. One lesson we learn from this passage is this: we have confidence that God will reply. When God replies he might correct us or comfort us, but we should have confidence that he will reply to us. And we need a place to go to wait for his reply just as Habakkuk did.

            We need a place to get above the mess we are in and a place to escape from the distractions we face. It might be quiet time in the morning with coffee, a Bible, and a journal. It might be late at night after everyone is sleeping when you can quietly pray. Maybe you sneak away in the middle of the day and go sit in your car on your lunchbreak while at work.

            When we encounter tough times we usually respond to God in two ways. One response is to leave God. When we leave God we withdraw from Sunday worship, stop attending a weekly Bible study, quit giving, or discontinue serving. Another response we might have when we encounter tough times is to lean into God. When we lean into God we rigorously study his Word more, seek counsel from Godly friends or family, and spend more time in fellowship with church people.

            I want to encourage you to lean into God. God knows what you’re going through, he knows what you’re feeling, and he knows what to do. You can be confident that he will reply. Difficult situations require a certain level of human responsibility. If God speaks, we must be ready to listen. And when we lean into God it shows Him that we are ready to listen and that we are ready for his correction or his comfort.

[1] Other prophets used a similar image of a watchtower to explain their attitude of expectation (Isa 21:8; Jer 6:17; Ezek 3:17; 33:2, 33)

[2] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[3] The verse designations in our Bible were not originally placed there by the writers. Instead, they were added much later. https://bible.org/question/how-and-when-was-bible-divided-chapters-and-verses

[4] O. Palmer Robertson, The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1990),165.

In their classic book, Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership, authors Samuel Rima and Gary McIntosh teach, “Pride seems to be one of the constant components of every human personality that irresistibly begins early in life to drive us.”[1] I think we all understand how pride can become part of our lives if we are not careful. The Babylonians, without reverence for God, had become prideful and God humbled them due to their pride.

            In Habakkuk 1:12—2:1 the prophet Habakkuk is sharing his concerns with God. God has told Habakkuk that God is sending the Babylonians to punish the evil and wicked people of Judah (Hab 1:5–11). Thus far we have read about Habakkuk’s declaration about God (1:12–13), now we will read Habakkuk’s description of the Babylonians (1:14–17).

            Habakkuk tells us about the helplessness of humanity by using the analogy of fishing, “Why have You made men like the fish of the sea, like creeping things without a ruler over them?” (Hab 1:14).[2] This is an analogy because fish have no leader and they’re easy to catch. These fish represent human society to the Babylonians. In other words, Judah is as helpless as fish and they will be easy to catch without a leader.

            Habakkuk tells us about the catch of the sea for the Babylonians, “The Chaldeans[3] bring all of them up with a hook, drag them away with their net, and gather them together in their fishing net. Therefore they rejoice and are glad” (Hab 1:15). The Babylonians had a tradition of driving a hook through the lower lip of their captives, stringing them together, and then walking them together in a single-file line as their captives.[4]

            The haughtiness of the Babylonians is seen in how they believe in themselves, “Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net and burn incense to their fishing net; because through these things their catch is large, and their food is plentiful” (Hab 1:16).  The Babylonians attributed their success to their own military might, worshipped what brought them success, loved their livelihood, enjoyed their luxury, and they lived by the plunder of the people that they conquered. Those helpless fish they gathered up indiscriminately and caught in their net were their life.

            The haughtiness of the Babylonians is also seen in how they battle anyone they want, “Will they therefore empty their net and continually slay nations without sparing?” (Hab 1:17). They fill the net, empty it, then fill it again.

            As we read about the arrogance and self-reliance of the Babylonians it reminds us as Christians about an important principle we follow: We have confidence that we achieve nothing without God. The pride of the Babylonians we read here matches what we read earlier in this chapter, “Then they will sweep through like the wind and pass on. But they will be held guilty, they whose strength is their god” (Hab 1:11). The Babylonians believed everything they achieved was because of their might. Their strength was their god. They believed that what they achieved was because of their effort. As a result they did not acknowledge God in heaven that allowed them to do what they did. And that’s why God will eventually bring them down.

            That same attitude can creep into our lives as believers if we’re not careful. If we’re not careful we might start to depend on our connections, creativity, experience, education, family, or innovativeness.

            Chip Ingram and Chris Tiegreen accurately describe this tendency: “The Bible and history are filled with people who started out in humility and trust and, after doing great things or becoming great leaders, ended up proud and independent. The more gifts, talents, power, and blessings we have, the greater the temptation hubris becomes. And the more our drive for affirmation has to be fed.”[5] We as Christians must remind ourselves that God is provider and sustainer of everything that we achieve and have. Everything we have is God’s blessing to us.

            All of our success is God’s provision for us. A parent might hear from a teacher that her kids are doing excellent in school. Give God the credit! Someone working in food service might receive grateful compliments from the people she is serving food. Praise God for the honor of doing the work! A mechanic on a car might receive good reviews online for his work. Let the glory go to God!

            I started working at Lakeview Missionary Church in July of 2021 during COVID. Many people were not attending church in person at that time, but within two years church attendance had doubled. I had no other choice than to attribute the growth to God. When I started people were not attending church in person because of fear of COVID, but two years later the COVID pandemic was almost over and people were worshipping God in person again. It was good for me to remind myself that the increase in attendance was only because of the change of COVID fears, not because of anything I had done.  

            It’s important to praise God when things go well because it’s our human nature to attribute our success to our work instead of to God. The Swiss reformer John Calvin once wrote it was “necessary that God should empty us by his special grace, that we may not be filled with this satanic pride, which is innate, and which cannot by any means be shaken off by us, until the Lord regenerates us by his Spirit.”[6] Let’s remind ourselves that we have confidence we achieve nothing without God.

[1] Samuel Rima and Gary McIntosh, Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership: How to Become an Effective Leader by Confronting Potential Failures (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2007), 60.

[2] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[3] The “Chaldeans” were a tribe within the Assyrian Empire that rose up and overtook the Assyrian Empire. Nabopolassar rose up into power in 625 BC and Nebuchadnezzar inherited the powerful kingdom in 605 BC. The Chaldeans were the original tribe name of the nation known as the Babylonians.

[4] Numerous commentaries cite this. O. Palmer Robertson, The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah. The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1990), 163 and Thomas Constable, Notes on Habakkuk, 2023 edition, p. 23. Accessed May 27, 2024, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/habakkuk.pdf. Both Constable and Robertson cite the W. Rudolph, Micha-Nahum-Habakuk-Zephanja (sic), KAT 13/3, second edition (Gütersloh: Gerd Mohn, 1975), 211. Also see the “Stele of victory from Susa” which depicts enemies caught in a net from 2371-2316 BC (Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, [Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2019], 1551).

[5] Chip Ingram with Chris Tiegreen, Spiritual Simplicity: Doing Less, Loving More (Brentwood, TN: Howard Books, 2020), 70.

[6] John Calvin and John Owen. Commentaries on the Twelve Minor Prophets (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 52.

There are some questions that expect a positive reply[1] and Habakkuk’s question in Habakkuk 1:12a is one of those, “Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One?” (NASB)[2] While it appears as a question, it is actually a declaration in the form of a question.[3] This is a rhetorical question that expects the answer, “Yes of course.”[4] This rhetorical question is voiced by Habakkuk as he wrestles with the message that God is going to send the wicked Babylonians to Judah to punish the people of Judah for their unfaithfulness to God.

            With this perspective let’s read Habakkuk 1:12–13 and note a few key words. “Are You not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. You, O LORD, have appointed them to judge; and You, O Rock, have established them to correct. Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You can not look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor on those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they?”

            The name of God deserves our attention. “LORD” is used two times in Habakkuk 1:12. It’s in all capital letters in our English translation which tells us it’s a translation of YHWH[5] (or transliterated as Yahweh[6]) and was the covenant name of God (Exod 3:14). The use of this name for God by Habakkuk indicated God’s covenant faithfulness and would evoke confidence in the original hearers. Other English forms of God’s name based on the Hebrew are “God” from Elohim and “Lord” from Adonai.

            The titles for God deserve our attention. Habakkuk calls God “Holy One” (v. 12b). This title describes how God transcends the affairs of people and nations. He will not allow sin to go unpunished. Habakkuk also calls God “Rock” (v. 12e).This title views God as a place where someone can go for safety from danger. It evokes feelings of permanence and stability.

            The attributes of God deserve our attention. Habakkuk describes God as “everlasting” (v. 12a).This was a reminder of the Lord’s saving history in Israel. Next Habakkuk describes God’s “eyes” (13a). This is an “anthropomorphism” which is the attribution of human features to God. Here it describes God’s omnipotence in how he sees everything going on in the world.

            The activities of God deserve our attention. We read that God has “established them to correct” (v. 12e). God is going to use the Babylonians to punish, but they will not overstep God’s sovereign will. (This was the message of God to Habakkuk in 1:5–11.)

            Lastly, the attitude of Habakkuk deserves our attention. Habakkuk almost seems relieved to know God is active, but God had not responded the way Habakkuk wanted. This is important to note: Habakkuk does not question that God punish Judah, but Habakkuk does question how God will use an evil nation to punish Judah.

            Habakkuk 1:12–13 reminds us of an important reality in the Christian life which is this: we have confidence in the eternal God. For Habakkuk things are not looking good, but Habakkuk still believes God is good. Thingshave been bad for 300 years in Israel and Judah, and they are not getting better. Yet Habakkuk still has confidence in the eternal God as seen in Habakkuk’s addresses to God as “Lord” “Holy One” “Rock” and “Everlasting.” Pastor John MacArthur writes, “Although the prophet could not fully comprehend the sovereign workings of his righteous God, he expressed his complete faith and trust.”[7] While the devastation of divine judgement was terrible, Habakkuk drew hope and consolation from God’s holiness and faithfulness.

            When we read about God’s potential judgment we should reflect on God’s promises to Israel. Scripture written before the book of Habakkuk said God would remain faithful to Abraham’s family based on God’s covenant with Abraham (Gen 17:2–8; 26:3–5; 28:13–15). Scripture also revealed that God would remain faithful to Israel as they were the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exod 3:3–15; Deut 7:6; 14:1–2; 26:16–18). Furthermore, God said he would remain faithful to the house of David by always having a descendant of David on the throne (2 Sam 7:12–29).[8]

            While those were promises given to Israel then, God also gives promises to believers living today. God promises that nothing will separate us from his love (Rom 8:38–39). God promises that he will adopt us as sons and daughters (Gal 3:26–27). These promises give us confidence in the eternal God.

            In Washington we sometimes experience snow and icy conditions in parking lots. One important element of walking on ice is to look for parts of a parking lot or sidewalk that do not have ice. When walking you look for the solid parts and step there. You avoid the slippery spots and walk on the solid parts. In a similar way, we focus on the elements of God we know for sure. We don’t know everything about God, but we stick with what we do know. Pastor J. Vernon McGee once said, “My friend, do not be disturbed if you are not thinking as God thinks. You are not God. Unfortunately many folk try to take His place.”[9] As we experience difficult trials in our lives let’s remind ourselves that we are not God. He has all the answers, we do not. He has a plan, we might not know that plan. But we can have confidence in God because of what we know about God.

[1] Habakkuk 1:12 begins with the interrogative particle, halo.

[2] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[3] J. Ronald Blue explains, “In Hebrew, the form of the question-O LORD, are You not from everlasting?-requires an affirmative reply. It is as much a declaration as an interrogation” (J. Ronald Blue, “Habakkuk,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 [Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985], 1511).

[4] The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2005).

[5] According to one lexicon it occurs 6,823 times in the Old Testament (Brown, Francis, Samuel Rolles Driver, and Charles Augustus Briggs. Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1977).

[6] Some believe it comes from the verb, “to be” in Hebrew.

[7] MacArthur Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1996), 1289.

[8] Richard Patterson, Habakkuk, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, vol. 10 (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2008), 412.

[9] J Vernon McGee, Nahum and Habakkuk, Thru the Bible Commentary Series, vol. 30 (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1991), 80.

The book of Habakkuk is often called a “theodicy.” A theodicy is an “attempt to defend God’s omnipotence and goodness in the face of the problem of evil in the world.”[1] The book of Habakkuk tells the story of a man, Habakkuk, asking God about the evil he sees occurring in his country and in the neighboring nations. It also reveals the struggles that Habakkuk has with what he sees and what he believes God should be doing.

            Many of us probably have the same questions that Habakkuk asked. Questions such as, “God do you know what’s going on? God when will you intervene? God why don’t you do something? God if you are good why do you allow evil, pain, and suffering?”

            In the book of Habakkuk we don’t get all of those answers at once. Just as each of the four gospels give us a portrait of Jesus from a different side and with a different emphasis, the book of Habakkuk answers our questions in a series of steps building upon each other. Each step gets us closer to understanding who God is and why he chooses to do what he does in the way he does it.

            The first chapter of Habakkuk reveals Habakkuk’s problems. Habakkuk 1:1 serves as an introduction, and then we read about Habakkuk’s first question in Habakkuk 1:2–4 which we could summarize this way: “How long will evil continue and when will you stop it?”In these three verses Habakkuk questions the inconsistency of God’s actions and God’s character.[2]

            Next in Habakkuk 1:5–11 we read God’s first answer to Habakkuk which could be summarized in this way: “I’m going to stop the evil, I know what’s going on, and you’ll be surprised how.” God tells Habakkuk that he will use the ungodly people of Babylon to purify his people (Judah) who are acting ungodly.

            But God’s first answer raised a new problem for Habakkuk and that’s what we’ll examine together in upcoming weeks. Habakkuk’s second question of God in 1:12—2:1 questions the apparent inconsistency of God’s character. Habakkuk asks why God would use the more serious sinners (Babylonians) to punish the less serious sinners (Judah).

            I agree with Taylor Turkington who writes, “Habakkuk’s outburst doesn’t feel like a model prayer in the Bible. His appeal erupts with questions and dissent. I’m glad that we’re never called to stuff our emotions; we can bring the confusion, grief, and protest to God, even if it gets fiery. It’s wonderfully clear that God can take it.”[3]

            And to be honest, Habakkuk has good reason to be puzzled. In 722 BC the Assyrian army arrived in Israel in the north and wiped out the ten tribes. As a result Israel was eliminated from the ancient Near Eastern landscape. Habakkuk naturally wondered in 607 BC if that might be the same fate of the two tribes in the south known as Judah.

            Habakkuk is perplexed that the eternal holy God would send a nation more wicked than Judah to punish Judah. In the coming weeks we’ll look at Habakkuk’s declaration about God (1:12–13), description of the Babylonians (1:14–17), and determination to wait (2:1).

[1] Page Brooks and D. A. Neal, “Theodicy,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

[2] Christopher L. Scott, “Wondering and Waiting: Habakkuk 1:1-4” in Word & Deed, vol XXVI Number 2 May 2024, 93-101.

[3] Taylor Turkington, Trembling Faith: How a Distressed Prophet Helps Us Trust God in a Chaotic World (Brentwood, TN: B&H, 2023), 51.

The word “gospel” means “good news.” It comes from the Old English word, godspel which consisted of two words: god which meant “good” and spell which meant “tale.”[1] In modern days we use the word—gospel—to summarize the saving work of Jesus Christ. One Bible dictionary I have in my office defines gospel this way “The gospel is the joyous proclamation of God’s redemptive activity in Jesus Christ on behalf of humans enslaved in sin.”[2]

            Everyone loves to hear good news, but the believers in Judah during the time of Habakkuk have been told bad news. God tells Habakkuk that God will send the Babylonians to punish Judah for their evil and wickedness. But when we read God’s message to Judah we need to be careful as we shift that message to us.

            We learned from Habakkuk 1:5 that God is sovereign in how he deals with all people. God surprises the people of Judah and in the process reminds them about God’s sovereignty. Scripture makes it clear that God is sovereign in how he deals with all people. He knows what is going on. He understands the world in which we live. And he is working things out according to his plan.

            We learned from Habakkuk 1:6–10 that God is just in how he deals with Israel in a specific way. God had a unique relationship with Israel. He made a promise with Abraham marking out one family and one nation (Gen 11:10—Exod 18:27).[3] God also gave the Mosaic Law which was 613 laws for a life of obedience following God (Exod 19:1—Acts 1:26).[4] I say all of this because we—as Americans—shouldn’t insert ourselves into these prophecies in Habakkuk because God hasn’t made a promise with America like he did Israel.

            We learned from Habakkuk 1:11 that God is gracious in how he deals with us in a different way.  In the book of Acts the gospel is directed toward the Jews (Acts 1—10) and then to the gentiles (Acts 11—28). It’s clear in the book of Acts that God is no longer using one nation—Israel—to display his glory. Now all people have access to God through one man: Jesus Christ (Acts 13:31–41).

            We live in the time of grace. We interact with God because of the grace offered to us. We are not interacting with God based on the law that was given to Israel. We don’t have the same obligations as Israel under the law because we are gentiles living in the age of grace.

            Christ coming to the earth displayed God’s grace of salvation. Under grace the responsibility of man is to accept the gift of righteousness offered freely through Jesus Christ to all people. That is what we call the good news of the gospel.

But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus (Rom 3:21–24)[5]

            There are two important elements of the time of grace. One is that we get blessed through grace. Another is that grace is offered to all. God no longer is dealing with one people—Israel—now he is interacting with all mankind (as seen from Acts 2:1 through Revelation 19:21).[6]

            That’s the news that is good news. God loved the world so much that he gave his Son, through the nation of Israel, to offer salvation to all the world. And faith in his Son gives eternal life. That’s news that is good.

[1] Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003), 540.

[2] R.H. Mounce, “Gospel” (pp. 512-515), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd edition, edited by Walter A. Elwell, Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2001), 513.

[3] Charles Ryrie, Dispensationalism (Chicago, IL: Moody, 2007), 61-63.

[4] Ibid., 63-64.

[5] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[6] Ryrie, Dispensationalism, 64.

While we don’t remember every scene in every movie we watch, we often remember the climax. Luke Skywalker destroys the Death Star when he shoots two proton torpedoes into a small exposed opening. Marty McFly goes back to the future when lightning hits the clock tower simultaneously powering his DeLorean time machine. Lightning McQueen decides to help “The King” get to the finish line instead of winning the Piston Cup. Each of those are memorable climaxes for movies most of us have seen.

            While Habakkuk 1:5 was the introduction of God’s oracle and Habakkuk 1:6-10 was the explanation of that oracle, now we see Habakkuk 1:11 is the climax: “Then they [Babylonians] will sweep through like the wind and pass on. But they will be held guilty, they whose strength is their god.”[1]

            We see that the Babylonians will reign and only God will stop them. As one Bible teacher has said, “God may seem to be strangely silent and inactive in threatening circumstances. He sometimes gives unexpected answers to our prayers. And He sometimes uses unlikely instruments to correct His people.”[2] That unlikely instrument is the nation of Babylon. But we also see that the Babylonian’s source of their reign will be temporary. The phrase, “whose strength is their god” indicates that their strength will be their demise. Their might will cause their downfall.

            In Habakkuk 1:6–10 we learned that God is just in how he deals with Israel in a specific way. What we learn from Habakkuk 1:11 is that God is gracious in how he deals with us in a different way. Let’s look at Acts 13:39–41 to see how God interacts with us differently now than he did with Israel then:

And through Him [Jesus] everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you: “Behold, you scoffers, and marvel, and perish; for I am accomplishing a work in your days, a work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you.”

            Let me explain the significance of these three verses. While there are different ways to outline the book of acts,[3] I want to emphasize the gospel outline in which the gospel is directed toward the Jews (Acts 1—10) and then to the gentiles (Acts 11—28). God makes it clear in the book of Acts that God is no longer using one nation—Israel—to display his glory. No longer is Israel the mediator. Now all people have access to God through one man: Jesus Christ.

            When Christ died on the cross he fulfilled the law. The end of that law is why we don’t sacrifice a lamb at the end of our church services, why we worship on Sunday(the day of the resurrection) not Saturday(the day of the Sabbath), and why we don’t practice the feasts of the Old Testament. We live in the time of grace. We interact with God because of the grace offered to us. We are not interacting with God based on the law that was given to Israel. We don’t have the same obligations as Israel under the law because we are gentiles living in the age of grace.

            What implications do we experience because of that grace? If we forgot to pray this morning we don’t have to worry about God sending lightening to strike and correct us. God is not going to give us all red lights on our way to work on Monday to punish us for forgetting to put our tithe check in the offering plate on Sunday. We don’t worship a fickle god that has petty disagreements with us. We worship a God that gave his Son to die for us and his desire is that we place our faith in his Son and obediently follow him. That’s what it means to live in the age of grace.

[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[2] Thomas Constable, Notes on Habakkuk, p. 21.

[3] There’s a geography outline focusing on what occurs in Jerusalem (Acts 1—7), Judea (Acts 8), and Samaria (Acts 9—28). There’s also a ministry outline profiling the ministry of Peter (Acts 1—12) and Paul (Acts 13—28).

When we think of disciplining someone usually there is an instrument by which we discipline him or her. We might put a child in timeout, we might take someone’s driver’s license away if he gets a DUI, or we might force a person to resign after repeated failures in her job.      

            As God answers Habakkuk’s questions God reveals the instrument he will use to discipline Judah. Habakkuk asks God questions in Habakkuk 1:1–4 about how God will deliver justice for the evil and wickedness Habakkuk sees in Judah. God’s answers are recorded in Habakkuk 1:5–10. Habakkuk 1:5 is an introduction to the oracle of judgement[1] and Habakkuk 1:6–10 is the explanation.

            God’s explanation includes destruction by the Babylonians.[2] “For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans” (Hab 1:6a).[3] The Hebrew word, kasdim, is translated as “Chaldeans” in the NASB but this group of people is better known by another name: Babylonians. The Babylonians were a tribe within the Assyrian Empire that rose up and overtook the Assyrian Empire. Nabopolassar rose to power in 625 BC and Nebuchadnezzar inherited the powerful kingdom in 605 BC.[4] This was surprising for two reasons. One, that a small group within the nation of Assyria could rise up and overtake Assyria. Two, that God would allow a foreign nation which was wicked and evil to punish the nation of Judah.

            God’s explanation includes a description of the Babylonians. Their size is described, “That fierce and impetuous people who march throughout the earth to seize dwelling places which are not theirs” (Hab 1:6). Their status is described, “They are dreaded and feared; their justice and authority originate with themselves” (Hab 1:7). Their speed is described, “Their horses are swifter than leopards and keener than wolves in the evening. Their horsemen come galloping, their horsemen come from afar; they fly like an eagle swooping down to devour” (Hab 1:8). Their success is described, “All of them come for violence. Their horde of faces moves forward. They collect captives like sand” (Hab 1:9). Their scoffing is described, “They mock at kings and rulers are a laughing matter to them. They laugh at every fortress and heap up rubble to capture it” (Hab 1:10).

            What we learn from God’s response to Habakkuk’s questions is that God is just in how he deals with Israel in a specific way.  God had a unique relationship with Israel. He made a promise with Abraham marking out one family and one nation (see Gen 11:10—Exod 18:27).[5] God also gave the Mosaic Law which was 613 laws for a life of obedience following God (see Exod 19:1—Acts 1:26).[6]

            The goal of the law was to make Israel unique, “and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exod 19:6).[7] Before Moses died he gave two promises to Israel. The first promise was for blessings on the nation of Israel if they followed God’s laws faithfully (Deut 28:1–14). The second promise was of curses that would come upon Israel if they disobeyed God and his word (Deut 28:15–68).[8]

            I say all of this because we—as Americans—shouldn’t insert ourselves into these prophecies in Habakkuk because God hasn’t made a promise with America like he did Israel.[9] While God is just in how he deals with Israel in a specific way, he is gracious in how he deals with us in a specific way. That will be the topic of next week’s article on Habakkuk 1:11.

[1] The word, “oracle” (מַשָּׂא) in Habakkuk 1:1 literally means “burden” and is “a pronouncement or message from God to people.” Leland Ryken, Symbols and Reality (Wooster, OH: Weaver Book Company, 2016), 31. In the Old Testament there are three types of oracles:Judgement, blessing, and salvation (Ryken, Symbols and Reality, 32-43.).

[2] Outline for this section is slightly adapted from J. Ron Blue, “Habakkuk” in Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament, edited by John Walvoord and Roy Zuck (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 1985), 1510.

[3] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[4] B. T. Arnold, “Babylon” (pp. 53-60) edited by Mark J. Boda and Gordon J. McConville, Dictionary of the Old Testament: Prophets (Downers Grove, IL; Inter-Varsity Press, 2012), 59.

[5] Charles Ryrie, Dispensationalism (Chicago, IL: Moody, 2007), 61-63.

[6] Ibid., 63-64.

[7] “Their role thenceforth would be to mediate or intercede as priests between the holy God and the wayward nations of the world, with the end in view not only of declaring his salvation but also of providing the human channel in and through whom this salvation would be effected.” (Eugene H. Merrill, Kingdom of Priests, 2^nd ed. [Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008], 98.

[8] There are four times as many curses as there are blessings, either to follow ancient Near Eastern treaties or to foreshadow the future failure of Israel to keep the covenant.

[9] Israel’s prophets warned them that God would allow Gentiles to overrun Judah because of their disobedience to God (Deut 28:49–50; 1 Kings 11:14, 23; Jer 4; 5:14–17; 6:22–30; Amos 6:14), but the people did not believe this would happen (Jer 5:12; 6:14; 7:1–34; 8:11; Lam 4:12; Amos 6). Therefore God allowed Gentile nations to conquer them. God was doing to Israel what he told Israel he would do if they refused to return to him. God was dealing with them because God had warned them.

No one likes discipline. The word might even make you cringe a little bit (at least it did for me). The word—discipline—in verbal form means “to punish or penalize for the sake of discipline.”^[1] As a noun the word means “training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character.”^[2]

            Habakkuk has asked, “How long O Lord, will I call for help, and You will not hear?” (Hab 1:2). God’s answer to that question is that he is going to discipline his people. Habakkuk 1:5 serves as an introduction to God’s oracle of judgement[3] against the evil of the nation of Judah, its kings, its people, and its priests. God tells Habakkuk, “Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days— You would not believe if you were told”[4] (Hab 1:5). God breaks the silence Habakkuk endured revealing that God has been doing something. When the text says “Look” and “Observe” and “Be Astonished!” and “Wonder!” those are all plural imperatives[5] in the Hebrew text that emphasize two things. First, there is an urgency of what is commanded that they look and take note. Second, as plurals these words are addressed to the nation of Judah, not only to the prophet Habakkuk.

            Habakkuk is learning God has not been idle while Habakkuk asked his question. Habakkuk is learning God’s silence does not equal indifference. Bible teacher Taylor Turkington explains, “God was not passive. He had not been distracted by other things and missed the chaos happening in Judah. No, God answered this man of faith by telling him to look at what he was going to do; God was doing something they wouldn’t believe.”[6] God was already working on specific plans. But God’s answers were not what Habakkuk wanted. Habakkuk had thought God would turn the people in Judah from wickedness to righteousness. He thought God would turn the people to the temple and away from pagan gods. He thought God would turn the king to God and away from idolatry.

            What we learn from God’s response to Habakkuk’s questions is that God is sovereign in how He deals with all people. God surprises the people of Judah and in the process reminds them about God’s sovereignty. The late Warren Wiersbe explained, “God gave Habakkuk a revelation, not an explanation, for what we always need in times of doubt is a new view of God. The Lord doesn’t owe us any explanations, but He does graciously reveal Himself and His work to those who seek Him.”[7] This new view is that God is sovereign.

            Theologian John Fienberg defines sovereignty this way, “God’s power of absolute self-determination … God’s choices are determined only by his own nature and purposes…. God’s sovereign will is also free, for nobody forces him to do anything, and whatever he does is in accord with his own purposes and wishes.”[8]

            We know God is sovereign for several reasons. We know God is sovereign from Scripture. Psalm 103:19 tells us, “The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.” And 1 Chronicles 29:11 reveals, “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.” We also know God is sovereign from His names in Scripture, “God Most High” (Gen 14:18–20), “God Almighty” (Gen 17:1), “Master & Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 4). And we know God is sovereign from world history, “you O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength and the glory; and wherever the sons of men dwell, or the beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has given them into your hand and has caused you to rule over them all” (Dan 2:37–38).

            Scripture makes it clear that God is sovereign in how He deals with all people. Kenneth Barker comments on Habakkuk 1:5:

The Lord’s answer indicates his sovereignty. He is not bound by the listener’s whims or by their standards of “fairness.” He responds according to his sovereign will. He is the Lord of history who works in history to accomplish his purpose. Habakkuk’s questions reflect the questions of many people. Especially when we deal with personal affronts, difficulties, and disappointment, we desire to know where God is and what he is doing. Habakkuk reminds us that God is at work even if it appears He is not. He is the Lord of the universe who works to accomplish his purposes in his world and in our lives. [9]

He knows what is going on. He understands the world in which we live. And he is working things out according to the plan he has.

^[1] Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed. (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003), 356.

^[2] Ibid.

[3] The word, “oracle” (מַשָּׂא) in Habakkuk 1:1 literally means “burden” and is “a pronouncement or message from God to people.” (Leland Ryken, Symbols and Reality [Wooster, OH: Weaver Book Company, 2016], 31). In the Old Testament there are three types of oracles:Judgement, blessing, and salvation (Ryken, Symbols and Reality, 32-43.).

[4] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[5] An imperative in Hebrew is “urgent or demanding immediate, specific action on the part of the addressee” (Bruce Waltke and M O’Connor, An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax [Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1990], 571).

[6] Taylor Turkington, Trembling Faith: How a Distressed Prophet Helps Us Trust God in a Chaotic World (Brentwood, TN: B&H, 2023), 39.

[7] Warren Wiersbe, Be Amazed (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2012, 2^nd edition), 136-137.

[8] John Feinberg, No One Like Him (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2006), 294.

[9] Kenneth L. Barker, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, vol. 20. The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1999), 302.

We’ve all heard news that was too good to be true. Statements on the radio or TV tell us: “You’ll never have to pay an energy bill again after you put solar panels on your house,” or “Drinking a glass of water before bed will cause you to lose thirty pounds in a month,” and my personal favorite, “This kind of chocolate is healthy and good for you.”

            While those statements are too good to be true, the people living in Judah in 607 BC were about to receive news that was too bad to be true. When they heard it they might have said, Could you repeat that? or I heard what you said, but it was so odd, I must have misunderstood you.

            Habakkuk 1:1-4 recorded the cry and concern Habakkuk shared with God. Habakkuk pleaded with God to do something about the evil, wickedness, and violence that Habakkuk saw occurring in the nation of Judah. In Habakkuk 1:5-11 we read God’s response to Habakkuk.

Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days— You would not believe if you were told. “For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, That fierce and impetuous people Who march throughout the earth To seize dwelling places which are not theirs. They are dreaded and feared; Their justice and authority originate with themselves. Their horses are swifter than leopards And keener than wolves in the evening. Their horsemen come galloping, Their horsemen come from afar; They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour. All of them come for violence. Their horde of faces moves forward. They collect captives like sand. They mock at kings And rulers are a laughing matter to them. They laugh at every fortress And heap up rubble to capture it. Then they will sweep through like the wind and pass on. But they will be held guilty, They whose strength is their god. (Hab 1:5–11)[1]

            When we ask questions of God, we have to be ready for His answers. We might not like those answers, but God is faithful. He will respond when we ask, even if we don’t like what we hear. The response from God that we don’t like or don’t want to hear is a reminder that God is God and we are not. It’s a reminder that He’s in charge and we are not. It’s a reminder that He’s the leader and we are the followers. It’s a reminder that He’s the master and we are His servants.

[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Sometimes we experience pain and suffering which we do not cause. When we suffer we need to remember that our viewpoint is limited. Our limited viewpoint of pain and suffering compared to God is similar to our understanding of the shape of the earth prior to 1931.

            For more than a thousand years we knew the earth was round, but we could not prove that the earth was round. We knew it intellectually, but we could not prove it physically. That was until 1931 when Captain Albert Stevens, an officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps, took his airplane to 21,000 feet above the earth and took a picture of the Andes Mountains in front of him which are 22,838 feet above the earth. If the earth was flat the Andes Mountains should have been level or slightly above the horizon of his picture which he took from 287 miles away. But the Andes mountains were well below the horizon of his picture, thus serving as the first physical evidence that the earth was round.[1] For years we knew intellectually that the earth was round, but we couldn’t prove it or see it physically.

            And that’s sometimes how it works for us when we as Christians are in pain and suffering. We know that God is good, loves us, and has a plan. But it’s hard to endure pain and suffering because we can’t see His plan. We can’t see the whole picture that God is painting.

            The prophet Habakkuk asked many of the same questions we ask and said many of the same things we probably say. Habakkuk has said, “I call for help” (1:2a). Habakkuk wonders, “You will not hear?” (1:2b).[2] Habakkuk laments to God, “You do not save” (1:2c). Habakkuk sees, “iniquity . . . wickedness . . . destruction . . . violence (1:3). Habakkuk concludes that “justice is never upheld” (1:4).

            But we can trust that in the future after we’ve endured pain and suffering, that God will show us the full picture and we will understand his perspective. In her book on Habakkuk, Trembling Faith, Bible teacher Taylor Turkington explains it this way. “The grieving prophet models for us how to respond to evil. So we pay attention instead of looking away, lament instead of numbing out, and ask with expectation instead of avoiding God altogether.”[3]

            Habakkuk is going to experience this as he expresses his questions and frustrations with God. Reading Habakkuk’s cry (1:2–­3) teaches us that questions of God should occur in the  context of trust of God. Reading Habakkuk’s concern (1:4) teaches us that questions of evil and suffering should acknowledge we live in a fallen world. Next week we will read God’s answer (Hab 1:5–­11) to Habakkuk’s cry and concern. God’s answer will surprise Habakkuk and it will surprise us as well.

[1] “90 Years of Our Changing Views of Earth,” NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/90-years-of-our-changing-views-of-earth Accessed May 30, 2023.

[2] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[3] Taylor Turkington, Trembling Faith: How a Distressed Prophet Helps Us Trust God in a Chaotic World (Brentwood, TN: B&H, 2023), 27.

National pride and patriotism are something most Americans have for their country. We are grateful for a democratic government, see the benefits of a capitalist economy, and believe America is a great place to live. But when those values in our country erode often people experience sadness and disappointment.

            Habakkuk was struggling with a similar sadness and disappointment as he watched the godly values of Judah vanishing. Habakkuk’s neighbors, fellow priests, and political rulers were practicing wickedness and had abandoned God. Habakkuk tells God, “Therefore the law is ignored And justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore justice comes out perverted” (Habakkuk 1:4).[1]

            The “law” here is the Hebrew word, torah, which was the authoritative teaching of God’s Old Testament that revealed God’s will and was supposed to direct the life of God’s people in righteousness.[2] Bible teacher Taylor Turkington explains, “The word for ‘law’ here speaks to what should be ruling in society, the law of the land. It also speaks to God’s teaching for his people’s spiritual and moral formation.”[3] But apparently the law was “ignored” and had no effect on the people. The rulers were not administering justice to those that needed it. Corruption and lawlessness were everywhere. But how bad was it?

            Habakkuk lived under King Jehoiakim[4] of Judah who killed innocent people who opposed him, refused to pay poor laborers (2 Kings 23:35-37; Jer 22:13-19), killed Uriah the prophet for prophesying that Jerusalem would fall (Jer 26:20-23), and burned the prophet Jeremiah’s hand-written prophecy (Jer 36). Furthermore, prophets and priests were known to commit adultery and abuse their authority under his rulership (Jer 23:1-2, 9-11).[5]

            What we learn from reading Habakkuk 1:4 is that questions of evil and suffering should acknowledge we live in a fallen world. One of the modern Christian myths we need to extinguish is that if we become Christians all our problems will go away. When we become Christians our spiritual problem of separation from God is fixed, but there’s still the problem that we live in a fallen world. We live in a world that does not follow God’s laws and that is ruled under Satan’s program (John 12:31; 2 Cor 4:3-4). This means we need to acknowledge that the world in which we live in is sinful, and that sinful world pollutes our lives.

            When things don’t go the way we think they should we need to remind ourselves that there is injustice in this world.

            We need to remind ourselves that the sin of the Old Testament still effects us today. In the book of Genesis Adam and Eve committed the original sin (Gen 3), then Cain kills Abel (Gen 4), then God sends the Flood to wipe out the earth because of sin (Gen 6), then God disseminates the people because they were prideful wanting to build a tower to the heavens (Gen 11), then God wipes out Sodom and Gomorrah because of the sin there (Gen 18). That’s a lot of sin for only half of one book of the Bible! And if that’s not bad enough for you, read the book of Judges, 2 Kings, or Jeremiah.

            Pain, evil, and suffering are the fault of the world we live in, not God. God gave us the freedom to make choices and a byproduct of that freedom means sometimes we make decisions that hurt us. Sometimes our choices hurt us, but those are easier to wrestle with because we know who to blame: us. But when other people’s decisions effect us negatively, those are the hard situations to endure.

            Habakkuk was probably a priest in the temple that taught the Law, led singing (Hab 3:19), and enjoyed a good life in Jerusalem. But as we will learn from Habakkuk 1:5-11, God is going to send the nation of Babylon to punish Judah for their sins. Nothing Habakkuk has done has caused God’s punishment to come on Judah, yet Habakkuk still has to endure it.

            When I lived in Texas I knew a guy who raised his daughter to love God and follow God. She graduated college and married a man that wanted to be a pastor. She supported him as he went to seminary and served in his first pastor position. But after he had been a pastor a few years he felt like he should be in the Air Force instead of being a pastor. Again she supported him and his decision to leave Christian ministry to join the Air Force and pursue his dream to be a pilot. Soon she found herself alone with their three kids while her husband was flying around the world in the Air Force with his female copilot. It wasn’t too much longer till the man announced he felt he wasn’t supposed to be married to his wife, instead he believed he was supposed to marry his female copilot. The woman I knew found herself divorced, alone, and caring for her three children while the ex-husband was flying around the world with his new wife.

            May I say something clearly and directly? Nothing that woman did caused her to have to experience the hurt she has had to endure. She did everything right. She chose a spouse that loved God, she supported him through Seminary, she supported him as a pastor, she supported his dream to be a pilot in the Air Force, yet she was divorced and had to raise three kids by herself.

            When we have questions about suffering like this we simply need to acknowledge that we live in a fallen world. It is not fair. It doesn’t feel right. When we see evil and suffering it’s okay to feel hurt, but we should not be surprised.

[1] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[2] One Bible commentary notes, “When used in the singular without clear definition, as here, torah signifies God’s covenantal code established with Israel, given through Moses and set forth particularly in the book of Deuteronomy (e.g., Dt 1:5; 4:8; 17:18-19; 31:9; 33:4; Jos 8:31-32).” Carl E. Armerding, “Habakkuk,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Daniel–Malachi (Revised Edition), edited by Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland, vol. 8 (. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008), 611.

[3] Taylor Turkington, Trembling Faith: How a Distressed Prophet Helps Us Trust God in a Chaotic World (Brentwood, TN: B&H, 2023), 21.

[4] Jehoiakim ruled in Judah 609-605 BC under Egypt’s oversight and 605-601 BC under Babylon’s oversight

[5] Adapted from J.K. Bruckner, “Habakkuk, Book of” in Dictionary of the Old Testament: Prophets, edited by Mark Boda and J. Gordon McConville (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2012), 294-301, specifically p. 296.