Habakkuk Review

As always, with Habakkuk as with any book of the Bible, we must look for what it says to us today as followers of Christ.  Though written to a particular group of people at a particular time, the truth revealed about God is everlasting.  The first thing we see is that Habakkuk was troubled by what he saw going on around him.  Not only were God's people subjected to the power of another nation, but many had adopted the worship practices of those they were subjected to.  We can never allow the fact that someone has power over us to cause us to turn away from God and worship anything of this world.  If we see this happening, then we should be burdened. Habakkuk asked how long it would be before God answered him when he cried out to Him.  There may be times today when we don't immediately get the answer that we want to our prayers that we wonder if God is listening.  We can be certain that God always listens and answers the prayers of His followers.  We only need to remain faithful to our relationship to Him and accept the answer when it comes.  Often we are wanting God's endorsement of our plans instead of our looking for His direction, and when this doesn't happen, we feel that God hasn't answered our prayers.  Habakkuk also declared God to be the One Who created and sustains the universe. There is nowhere we can go that God isn't there.  There is nothing we can offer God, except ourselves, that isn't already His.  God can indeed move heaven and earth to accomplish His will.  We can also be certain that sin will be punished, if not in this life, then in the everlasting life to come.  As followers of Christ, our sins have already been washed away by His blood shed on the cross.  Also, we need to be alert to see God's work, even in a world that seems ruled by evil.

Habakkuk 3:12

Habakkuk 3:12 says, Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger.  When God becomes indignant toward people because of their sin, He does indeed march through that land in indignation and thresh the heathen, those who refuse to acknowledge God.  Matthew Henry says these past few verses referred to Israel, God's chosen people, going into the Promised Land.  For us, it means that God will defeat all enemies that stand between us and our promised land, or heaven.  Verse thirteen adds, Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah.  God does not just arbitrarily punish people, even the wicked ones, but He does it for the salvation of His people, which is anyone who puts their faith in Christ and the salvation that He brings.  Verse fourteen continues, Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.  When those in power begin to secretly devour, or misuse, the poor, especially those who are God's people, God takes notice.  We may think that we can get away with things done in secret, but nothing is secret from God.  Verse fifteen states, Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, through the heap of great waters.  This is probably a reference to God's deliverance of Israel out of Egypt when He parted the Red Sea.  Some today would claim that this was really just a marsh land and not really a sea.  If this were true, then God would have drowned the Egyptian army in a marsh.  People, in their attempt to limit God's power, often make statements that when viewed honestly only serve to show His power.  Verse sixteen adds, When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.  When God comes in judgment, we like Habakkuk should tremble in the presence of His power.  Fortunately for those who put their faith in Christ, though we may tremble in awe of God's power, we do not have to face the wrath of His judgment.  Verse seventeen continues, Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:  Habakkuk lists the failure of all the things that they relied on for sustaining life.  Then, in verse eighteen he declares, Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.  After saying that if all were to fail in the world, even the sources of food, Habakkuk declared that he would still rejoice in the Lord and joy in the God of his salvation.  We must likewise rejoice in the Lord, because He is the only source of our salvation.  Our rejoicing in God cannot be based on the material things of the world but must simply be due to His gift of salvation, which is everlasting.  Verse nineteen adds, The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.  Habakkuk said that the Lord God was his strength, and that God would lift him up to walk in high places.  This has not changed.  No matter what happens in this world, when God comes in judgment, He will lift up those who put their faith in Christ to walk in heavenly places.  Until then, we must simply rejoice in God, no matter what.

Habakkuk 3:5

Habakkuk 3:5 says, Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet.  This is a continuation of Habakkuk's prayer and a continued reflection about God's work in the past.  God has sent a pestilence on the people of Egypt to gain the freedom of Israel.  Even when Israel was enslaved, God had not forgotten them, but in His time, He delivered them.  They didn't leave Egypt with just their freedom, but they left with riches as well.  When God delivers a person from sin, He also delivers them into the riches of His kingdom.  Though we may never see riches in this world, we are joint heirs with Christ to all of God's blessings if we only put our faith in Christ.  Verse six adds, He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting.  God created the heavens and the earth, and He still has power over them.  They will move at His command.  If we are told that if we have even a mustard seed worth of faith we can move mountains, imagine what the One we put our faith in can do.  As Habakkuk stated, God's ways are everlasting.  Verse seven continues, I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.  Habakkuk said that just as God had worked in the past to overthrow those who oppressed His people, he was praying for the same deliverance.  We know that God has delivered us from our sins through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, but if we find that we are suffering under the oppression of the world today, we need to ask God to strengthen us that we might remain faithful to Him.  Verse eight states, Was the LORD displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses and thy chariots of salvation?  The question was whether God was angry with the rivers and sea when He changed their course.  The answer was no that God was just using His dominion over nature to deliver and sustain His people. Nature of itself has never done anything against God.  It is only the sins of people that cause nature to be out of balance.   We were to care for the earth, not abuse and misuse it.  Verse nine adds, Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.  This is a continuation of remembering God's power and work in protecting Israel.  I believe if we are ever in a bad situation today, all we need to do is remember how God has worked in our lives in the past to have faith that He will work in our lives again today to deliver us from the power of sin.  Verse ten continues, The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high.  This is just another reminder that God controls all of the universe.  We read today of new planets or heavenly bodies being discovered, but they are not new or unknown to God.   Verse eleven concludes, The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear.  God did indeed once stop the sun from setting to enable the Israelites to win a battle.  What we need to acknowledge is that God does indeed control the universe, and that victory over sin will always be His.

Habakkuk 3:1

Habakkuk 3:1 says, A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth.  Habakkuk stops his prophecy and offers a prayer to God.  Even if we realize the truth of the coming judgment of God, we need to continue to pray for the lost.  Verse two adds, O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.  Habakkuk had spoken to God, and God to Habakkuk in chapter one, then God spoke to and through Habakkuk in chapter two, now Habakkuk was speaking to God.  Habakkuk had said he would watch for God's answer, and God had given it.  Habakkuk said he had heard God, but still asked God to remember His mercy on the people of Israel, His chosen people. Even as we acknowledge to coming judgment of God, we need to be in prayer for the lost, that they may come to know God's merciful gift of salvation.  Verse three continues, 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.  Habakkuk recalls when God first displayed His power and majesty to the people of Israel at the giving of the law to Moses.  God displayed His glory in the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, and Habakkuk asked that He remember His people. We need to remember the works that God did in the past, especially our redemption through Christ, when we find ourselves in trouble today.  Verse four concludes, And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.  Habakkuk is still reflecting on the majesty of God shown to His people in the past.  When we are feeling that the world is overwhelming us today, we need to first turn to God in prayer.  As we do, we need to remember His work in our lives.  God never fails those who are truly His, and as followers of Christ we should be able to recall how He has been at work in our lives.

Habakkuk 2:15

Habakkuk 2:15 says, Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!  Habakkuk continues to speak of the woe that is coming to those who take advantage of their neighbors.  Here he speaks of getting the neighbor drunk in order to take advantage of them.  We cannot prevent people from getting drunk, but we can make certain that we are not the ones to cause them to be that way and also make certain that we don't take advantage of them when they are.  Verse sixteen adds, Thou art filled with shame for glory: drink thou also, and let thy foreskin be uncovered: the cup of the LORD’s right hand shall be turned unto thee, and shameful spewing shall be on thy glory.  Habakkuk said that those who caused others to be drunk, to profit from or enjoy their drunkenness, would someday suffer the same fate when confronted with God's judgment.  All pretence of power will be laid bare and become a shameful spewing instead of the glory that it was thought to bring.  Verse seventeen continues, For the violence of Lebanon shall cover thee, and the spoil of beasts, which made them afraid, because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.  Though Babylon, which had imprisoned Israel, may have been proud of their military might, it was going to fail them.  There was a great violence coming and they would be very afraid..  No matter what we put our faith in today, in the coming judgment of God, those who are not His will be very afraid.  Verse eighteen asks, What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?  Just as military might would fail, so would manmade gods, or idols.  Not only was their military to fail them, but their idols, their manmade gods, were to especially fail them.  God asked, through Habakkuk, what was the profit in these idols for those who made them.  We today need to ask what the profit is in worshipping anything in the world and placing it above our relationship to God.  Verse nineteen adds, Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach!Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.  No matter how beautiful an idols may be, Habakkuk warned that there was no real power in them.  No matter how enticing an idol may be today, and it does not have to be a graven image, it is without saving power.  Anything that comes between God and us becomes an idol to us.  Verse twenty continues, But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.  No matter how good or bad things may be in our lives, we need to acknowledge that God is in charge.  We can keep silent in our complaints, but we should be bold in our witnessing for God.

Habakkuk 2:9

Habakkuk 2:9 says, Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil!  Habakkuk begins to pronounce the woe of God on them.  Though Habakkuk was speaking to a particular group of people at that time, the message is for all people who have come since.  Habakkuk warned against the evil of covetousness.  We often think of coveting as wanting something that someone has that is better than what we have.  I believe that this applies to wanting anything that belongs someone else, even those that have less than we do.  Habakkuk warned those who were rich against taking from those who were poor in order to increase their own wealth.  Verse ten adds, Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people, and hast sinned against thy soul.  Habakkuk said that instead of bringing honor to themselves, that those who became rich by mistreating others brought shame on their house, or family name.  What we have to realize is that this has not changed.  God's expectations of His people is always the same.  Verse eleven continues, For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it.  Habakkuk said that the injustice was so great that even the stones in the walls would cry out.  Those who built their houses from the labor and sufferings of others might feel safe, but Habakkuk said creation itself would witness against them.  Verse twelve states, Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity!  I believe that Habakkuk was saying that might does not make right.  When houses or cities or even countries are built on iniquity, or outside of God's will, they will never last.  When God's judgment does come, all that is built outside His will shall be destroyed.  Verse thirteen adds, Behold, is it not of the LORD of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity? This is a warning that those things gained through injustice will prove to be worth nothing.  They will even tire those out who gain them.  We know that those who live for the riches of the world will never be satisfied.  Verse fourteen continues, For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.  Habakkuk stated that judgment was coming and that afterwards the world would be filled with the knowledge of God, like the waters that cover the sea.  Though this happened in a limited extent to Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom, we are still awaiting the full implementation of this prophecy, which will occur at Christ's return to claim His people.

Habakkuk 2:1

Habakkuk 2:1 says, I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. Habakkuk said that he would stand upon his watch and set upon his tower to see what God would do.  We today need to be just as vigilant and alert to see the work of God in the world.  We cannot become impatient, because God will act in His own time.  We cannot become indifferent, or we may fail to see God working at all.  Verse two adds, And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.  God answered Habakkuk and gave him a task.  In verse sixteen of chapter one, Habakkuk had asked if sinful people would always rule cruelly over just people.  As Habakkuk said he would wait and watch alertly, God begin to give him the answer.  When God answers us today, we need to be ready to do what He asks us to do.  Verse three continues, For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.  God told Habakkuk to be patient, that the vision he was to see was not going to happen immediately.  Still, Habakkuk could put his faith in it happening.  We today need to simply live secure in the knowledge that God will bring the final judgment on sin at His appointed time.  Verse four declares, Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.  God said that those who lived by self pride, not acknowledging God, were not upright.  No matter how exalted a person may feel themself to be in the world if they do not acknowledge and follow God, the will never be upright in God's judgment.  The second part of the verse states that the just shall live by his faith.  This is not faith in ourselves, but faith in God.  Verse five adds, Yea also, because he transgresseth by wine, he is a proud man, neither keepeth at home, who enlargeth his desire as hell, and is as death, and cannot be satisfied, but gathereth unto him all nations, and heapeth unto him all people:  This verse speaks of the overpowering greed of many people who only look to themselves for purpose in life.  All they are concerned with is their own happiness.  Verse six continues, Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay!  When people begin to increase their wealth from the misuse of others, God's people should cry out against them, yet too often we hold them up in honor.  Matthew Henry says that gold and silver are but colored earth.  In God's eyes, silver and gold are as valuable as clay.  Habakkuk said we should question how long the things gained by dishonest or greed driven means would last.  Verse seven says, Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them?  When people put their faith in their wealth, especially that obtained at the cost of others, and deny God's will for and power over their lives, then their riches are temporary.  Someone bigger and more powerful will eventually take away what they have, and if not in this life, then God will strip away all things that are not gained from following His will.  Verse eight adds, Because thou hast spoiled many nations, all the remnant of the people shall spoil thee; because of men’s blood, and for the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein.  Habakkuk warned of God's pronouncement of judgment because of their actions.  People may live long lives built on greed, but one day God's judgment is coming, and those things gained by mistreating others will be gone.