INTRODUCTION
A study of the prophets of the Old Testament is refreshing. The
lessons of faith and holiness is demanded in every age.
The problems and pain that the prophets spoke of is as timely as the headlines of the daily newspapers.
The message of the prophets are vital and informative in our understanding of the Bible.
The book of Habakkuk presents the prophet questioning God. Habakkuk is clearly confused about the conditions that prevailed during this time.
The name of the book is Habakkuk ,named for the writer and prophet.
The name Habakkuk means "embracer," This is not in a romantic sense. Habakkuk is used in a comforting sense.
The book is a great book of comfort. Comfort in probably the most needed balm for problems of distress.
Habakkuk may have been a Levite, of the priestly tribe of Israel.
Perhaps an illusion to is concerns " his walking at the holy or
high place of God".
The prayer of compassion in the midst of great judgment.
This was the background that Habakkuk lived and prophesied. No wonder he cried out and asked Jehovah, how long.
The prophet opens with his dialogue with God about the injustices that the Hebrews faced.
There seems to be bitterness and utter sadness in the complaining tones of Habakkuk.
Many men of God seemed depressed and frustrated with many questions to pose to God.
I think we see the same attitude of helplessness and depression in many giants of the faith. Elijah, Gideon, Job, David.
Many faithful servants had valleys and crisis that needed to be resolved in their lives.
Habakkuk carried his burden to the proper source. Habakkuk turned to God for his answers.
Christians are admonished to seek and turn to the Lord.
Habakkuk gives a beautiful psalm of Praise.
Habakkuk starts out questioning God and concludes by praising God.
THE PRAYER AND PRAISE OF HABAKKUK
The prayer of Habakkuk is the title of this chapter Upon Shigionoth is a word that means to reel or to stagger as a drunken man.
Habakkuk has been stunned by the answers of Jehovah and now in his fear draws closer to the Lord..
Hab. 3:1-4 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, set to Shigionoth.
O Jehovah, I have heard the report
of thee, and am afraid: O Jehovah, revive thy work in the midst of the
years; In the midst of
the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy. God came from Teman,
And the Holy
One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, And the
earth was full of his
praise. And [his] brightness was as the light; He had rays [coming
forth] from his hand; And
there was the hiding of his power.
The prayer takes the form of a dithyramb which is a poem like a stormy
or triumphant ode.
The strong emotional pressure of the book of Habakkuk is seen
in this third chapter.
This psalm is a reminder of some of the psalms of David.
Habukkuk retraces the history of israel from Egypt and the Sinai to the present. He now understands that God is coming to help, and that Jehovah is the hope of their salvation.
The prophet confesses his need for mercy from Jehovah.
The first part of the psalm is in admiration to the personage of God.
Hab. 3:1-3 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, set to Shigionoth.
O Jehovah, I have heard the report
of thee, and am afraid: O Jehovah, revive thy work in the midst of the
years; In the midst of
the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy. God came from Teman,
And the Holy
One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, And the
earth was full of his
praise.
The man of God petitions and prays for the mercy of God.'
Hab. 3:1-2 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, set to Shigionoth.
O Jehovah, I have heard the report
of thee, and am afraid: O Jehovah, revive thy work in the midst of the
years; In the midst of
the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.
Fear of the Lord and appeal for mercy is made by Habakkuk. The fear of the Lord has always been the beginning of wisdom.
The exclamation of the glorious Jehovah is exclaimed in this anthem of praise.
Hab. 3:3-4 God came from Teman, And the Holy One from mount
Paran. Selah. His glory covered
the heavens, And the earth was full of his praise. And his brightness was
as the light; He
had rays coming forth from his hand; And there was the hiding of his power.
The glory of Jehovah is manifest by his holiness and magnificent power.
Habakkuk sees the coming of God in great judgment. The awesome power and glory of Jehovah is found and described in the second part of this psalm. Habakkuk now deals with the power of God.
God had demonstrated many times his power over the earth and Habakkuk was aware of his sovereignty over all things.
The saving acts and power of God is exalted in the tribute of praise from Habakkuk.
Hab. 3:5-12 Before him went the pestilence, And fiery bolts went
forth at his feet. He stood, and
measured the earth; He beheld, and drove asunder the nations; And the eternal
mountains
were scattered; The everlasting hills did bow; His goings were as of old.
I saw the tents of
Cushan in affliction; The curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.
Was Jehovah displeased
with the rivers? Was thine anger against the rivers, Or thy wrath against
the sea, That thou didst
ride upon thy horses, Upon thy chariots of salvation? 9Thy bow was made
quite bare; The oaths
to the tribes were a [sure] word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with
rivers. The mountains
saw thee, and were afraid; The tempest of waters passed by; The deep
uttered its voice, And lifted
up its hands on high. The sun and moon stood still in their habitation,
At the light of thine arrows as
they went, At the shining of thy glittering spear. Thou didst march though
the land in indignation;
Thou didst thresh the nations in anger.
Jehovah sends pestilence and plague reminiscent of his punishment of Egypt at the time of the great Exodus.
The earth is powerless under the mighty hand of Jehovah.
The earth will withers under the glance of the Lord
Hab. 3:6-7 He stood, and measured the earth; He beheld,
and drove asunder the nations; And
the eternal mountains were scattered; The everlasting hills did bow; His
goings were as
of old. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; The curtains of
the land of Midian did tremble.
The wickedness has caused complete anger and wrath in Jehovah. God is seen as being angry with rivers and streams.
Hab. 3:8 Was Jehovah displeased with the rivers? Was thine anger
against the rivers, Or thy wrath
against the sea, That thou didst ride upon thy horses, Upon thy chariots
of salvation?
.
God is going to show himself in all his splendor and power.
The might of the Lord will be on display for all the earth to see.
Hab. 3:9-10 Thy bow was made quite bare; The oaths to the
tribes were a sure word. Selah. Thou
didst cleave the earth with rivers. The mountains saw thee, and were
afraid; The tempest
of waters passed by; The deep uttered its voice, And lifted up its hands
on high.
The last part of the anthem of praise centers on the plan of God and his salvation.
Hab. 3:13-19 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy
people, For the salvation of thine anointed; Thou
woundest the head out of the house of the wicked man, Laying bare the foundation
even unto
the neck. Selah. Thou didst pierce with his own staves the
head of his warriors: They came
as a whirlwind to scatter me; Their rejoicing was as to devour the poor
secretly. Thou didst
tread the sea with thy horses, The heap of mighty waters. I heard,
and my body trembled,
My lips quivered at the voice; Rottenness entereth into my bones, and I
tremble in my place;
Because I must wait quietly for the day of trouble, For the coming up of
the people that invadeth
us. for though the fig-tree shall not flourish, Neither shall fruit
be in the vines; The labor of the
olive shall fail, And the fields shall yield no food; The flock shall be
cut off from the fold, And there
shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in Jehovah, I
will joy in the God of my salvation.
Jehovah, the Lord, is my strength; And he maketh my feet like hinds' feet,
And will make me to
walk upon my high places.
God still controls the elements of the universe and is irresistible
in war against those that vaunt themselves against him.
Hab. 3:11-12 The sun and moon stood still in their habitation,
At the light of thine arrows as they
went, At the shining of thy glittering spear. Thou didst march
though the land in
indignation; Thou didst thresh the nations in anger.
The prophet acknowledges the wisdom of God in the impending invasion of Judah.
The purpose was to save God's anointed people. The children of God would go into captivity a sinful and rebellious people.
They would emerge as a people chastened and broken from their idolatry. The worship at the synagogues would be established and God would humble his people.
Hab. 3:13-15 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people,
For the salvation of thine anointed; Thou
woundest the head out of the house of the wicked man, Laying bare the foundation
even unto
the neck. Selah. Thou didst pierce with his own staves the
head of his warriors: They came
as a whirlwind to scatter me; Their rejoicing was as to devour the poor
secretly. Thou didst
tread the sea with thy horses, The heap of mighty waters.
The vision and message has terrified Habakkuk, but he trusts God to do right.
The people would naturally fear and tremble at the prospect of their chastisement and punishment.
Hab. 3:16-17 I heard, and my body trembled, My lips quivered
at the voice; Rottenness entereth
into my bones, and I tremble in my place; Because I must wait quietly for
the day of
trouble, For the coming up of the people that invadeth us. for though
the fig-tree
shall not flourish, Neither shall fruit be in the vines; The labor of the
olive shall fail, And
the fields shall yield no food; The flock shall be cut off from the fold,
And there shall be
no herd in the stalls:
The prophet thinks of the creative nature and redemption in God.
Habakkuk has confidence where some would have despair.
Habakkuk rejoices in the glory of God's power and goodness. In Jehovah there is ultimately joy and victory.
Hab. 3:18-19 Yet I will rejoice in Jehovah, I will joy in the
God of my salvation. Jehovah, the Lord,
is my strength; And he maketh my feet like hinds' feet, And will make me
to walk
upon my high places.
The prophet has his questions answered and finds his hope and
salvation in the God of heaven.
We need to think and seek after the way of god. Through Christ
Jesus we find the victory of life.
Habakkuk concludes with the greatest statements of faith recorded in
the Bible.
Jehovah will make his faithful walk in the high places, far above doubt and despair.
This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.
I John 5:4
CONCLUSION
Believe Jesus Christ is the son of God, John 8:24
Repent and turn from sin, Acts 3:19
Confess Christ with the mouth, Romans 10:10
Be baptized for the remission of sins, Acts 2:38
Live faithful unto death, Revelation 2:10