HABAKKUK SUMMARY
Author: Habakkuk 1:1 identifies the Book of Habakkuk as an oracle from the Prophet Habakkuk.
Date of Writing: The Book of Habakkuk was likely written between 610 and 605 B.C.
Purpose of Writing: Habakkuk was wondering why God was allowing His chosen people to go through the current suffering at the hands of their enemies. God answers and Habakkuk's faith is restored.
Key Verses: Habakkuk 1:2, "How long, Oh Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, 'Violence!' but you do not save."
Habakkuk 1:5, "Look at the nations and watch and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if I told you."
Habakkuk 1:12, "Oh, Lord are you not from everlasting? My God, My Holy One, we will not die."
Habakkuk 2:2-4, "Then the Lord replied: Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation waits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and not delay. See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright - but the righteous will live by his faith."
Habakkuk 2:20, "But the Lord is in His Holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him."
Habakkuk 3:2, "Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy."
Habakkuk 3:19, "The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go on the heights."
Brief Summary: The Book of Habakkuk begins with Habakkuk crying out to God for an answer to why God's chosen people are allowed to suffer in their captivity (Habakkuk 1:1-4). The Lord gives His answer to Habakkuk, essentially stating, "You wouldn't believe it if I told you" (Habakkuk 1: 5-11). Habakkuk then follows up by saying, "Ok, you are God, but still tell me more about why this is happening" (Habakkuk 1:17-2:1). God then answers him again and gives him more information, then tells the earth to be silent before Him (Habakkuk 2:2-20). Then Habakkuk writes a prayer expressing his strong faith in God, even through these trials (Habakkuk 3:1-19).
Foreshadowings: The Apostle Paul quotes Habakkuk 2:4 on two different occasions (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11) to reiterate the doctrine of justification by faith. The faith that is the gift of God and available through Christ is at once a faith that saves (Ephesians 2:8-9) and a faith sustains throughout life. We attain eternal life by faith and we live the Christian life by the same faith. Unlike the "proud" in the beginning of the verse, whose soul is not right within him (NASB) and whose desires are not upright (NIV), but we who are made righteous by faith in Christ are made completely righteous because He has exchanged His perfect righteousness for our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) and has enabled us to live by faith.
Practical Application: The application to the reader of Habakkuk is that it is permissible to question what God is doing, although with respect and reverence. Sometimes it is not evident to us what is going on, especially if we are thrown into suffering for a period of time or if it seems our enemies are prospering while we are just barely getting by. The Book of Habakkuk affirms that God is a sovereign, omnipotent God who has all things under control. We just need to be still and know He is at work. He is who He says He is and does keep His promises. He will punish the wicked. Even when we cannot see it, He is still on the throne of the universe. We need to stay focused on this: "The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights" (Habakkuk 3:19). Enabling us to go on the heights is taking us to the higher places with Him where we are set apart from the world. Sometimes the way we have to go to get us there is through suffering and sorrow, but if we rest in Him and trust Him, we come out where He wants us.
The book of Habakkuk is Narrative History and displays Prophetic Oracle. Habakkuk wrote it approximately 612-589 B.C. just before the fall of Judah in the Southern Kingdom. Key personalities are Habakkuk and the Babylonians. As is true of the many other prophets, Habakkuk is a short book. The information in it was vital since it carried God's message to His people. Its purpose was that Habakkuk was announcing a familiar message of judgment. He was identifying the wickedness and sin of Judah before them. Habakkuk declared that God is the "Rock" (1:2) and that they would be judged.
• In chapters 1-2, Habakkuk poses some difficult questions to God. He was wondering why evil was prevailing. God claimed that He would do amazing things that, "you would not believe if you were told" (1:5). All of the surrounding neighbors who were super powers at that time would fall in ruin, as no one expected. Babylon was a growing empire that would rule over everything, for a time. In chapter two, God answers Habakkuk's question. He urges everyone to be patient and ultimately trust in Him. ''Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith" (2:4).
• Chapter 3, Habakkuk gives God the glory and praise for faithfully responding to his questions, "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" (3:2).
Christ Revealed: The terminology utilized by Habakkuk in 3:13 ties the idea of salvation with that of the anointing of the LORD. The roots of these Hebrew words reflect the two names of our LORD: Jesus, which means "Salvation", and Christ, which mens "the Anointed". The context here alludes to the great power of GOD manifested in favor of his people, through a king of the lineage of David, to deliver them from their enemies. The Messiah came in the fullness of time (2:3; Gal. 4:4), was given the name of Jesus" as a prenatal prophecy of his future ministry (Matt. 1:21), and was born "in the city of David", as "a Savior", "Christ the LORD (Luke 2:11).
Personal Application: Habakkuk shows us that the question of how can, should and has to be established. The circumstances of that moment brought him to ask GOD about the apparent triumph of the injustice in their midst. Since he believed in GOD, he thought that he must have an answer for that problem. His questions demonstrated the presence of faith, not the absence of it. For an atheist the question "why?" doesn't make sense; for a believer this can only be answered by GOD.
The Apostle Paul took the declaration of Habakkuk 2:4 and made it the heart of the gospel. GOD's righteousness can only be achieved through faith, so the just manner of living is by faith. Habakkuk calls believers of all times to trust in GOD, to be faithful and thus live as GOD wants us to live.
The final verses of this prophecy teach that it's possible to raise ourselves above the circumstances, and even rejoice in them, putting our eyes on the one who is above the contingent. Habakkuk doesn't cloud the problems that concern him, nor underestimate them; instead, he discovers that GOD is sufficient in the midst of difficulties.
The Book of Habakkuk
Introduction to the Book of Habakkuk in the Bible
Habakkuk 1:13 - [Thou art] of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, [and] holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth [the man that is] more righteous than he?
Habakkuk 2:4 - Behold, his soul [which] is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
Habakkuk 3:16-19 - 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. 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: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 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.
The Old Testament - A Brief Overview
Bible Survey - Habakkuk
Hebrew Name - Chavaquq "Embrace"
Greek Name - Habakkouk (Greek form of the Hebrew)
Author - Habakkuk (According to Tradition)
Date - 626 BC Approximately
Theme - The Judgement of the Babylonians
Types and Shadows - In Habakkuk Jesus will judge the oppressors
Summary of The Book of Habakkuk
Quick Overview of Habakkuk. - - 1:1-4 - - Habakkuk complains about violence and oppression in Judah - - 1:5-11 - - the Chaldeans (Babylonians) will be God's instruments - - 1:12-17 - - Habakkuk protests about using the Babylonians as the oppressors - - 2:1-5 - - the righteous shall live by faith and the wicked shall perish - - 2:6-20 - - five woes against the oppressors - - 3:1-19 - - God will come to save his people.
The prophet Habakkuk asked God two questions: (1) Why would you allow so much corruption to continue in the land of Judah for so long without being punished? God told Habakkuk that he was going to do something spectacular, He was raising up the cruel and violent Babylonians to come and crush the land of Judah. (2) Why would a holy God allow such a wicked people as the Babylonians to come and ravage the land of Judah whom He loves? God told Habakkuk that the Babylonians are fearless and determined and they scoff at Kings, and they would become his instrument of judgment because of the land of Judah's wickedness for they had forsaken God. But the mighty Babylonians would have a day of judgment coming upon themselves as well. Habakkuk also gave hope to God's people of a future glory where the "earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Habakkuk 2:14).
There is little known about the man Habakkuk, he began to prophesy around the same time as Jeremiah in the latter part of the seventh century BC. This was a time after the northern kingdom of Israel have fallen, and only the southern kingdom of Judah remained. They had their moments of glory yet their disobedience was uncurable, and the Babylonians were on the rise.
Outline of the Book of Habakkuk
Habakkuk makes complaints against God and God's answers to these complaints. Habakkuk exemplifies a great faith and a high conception of God, but he is perplexed because events have not taken the course which he had desired.
The first complaint which he brings is in Habakkuk 1:2-4 and he says that his preaching to the people has not resulted in repentance on their part: God's answer to this is that he is raising up the Chaldeans to punish the Jews for their disobedience (Habakkuk 1:5-11). This leads Habakkuk to his second complaint - Why would God punish His own people at the hand of a nation which is even more wicked and unholy than that which is being punished? (Habakkuk 1:12-2:1). God then assures Habakkuk that the Chaldeans are not to go without punishment and that unwavering faith on the part of the Jews will ultimately be rewarded (Habakkuk 2:2-4). Habakkuk 2:5-20 contains a condemnation and threat of punishment for aggression, violence, and idolatry. The final chapter of the book is a song of praise of God and His judgment, exemplifying belief in the principle set out in Habakkuk 2:4, "the just shall live by his faith."
Hab 3:1 - upon Shigionoth-a musical phrase, "after the manner of elegies," or mournful odes, from an Arabic root [Lee]; the phrase is singular in Ps 7:1, title. More simply, from a Hebrew root to "err," "on account of sins of ignorance." Habakkuk thus teaches his countrymen to confess not only their more grievous sins, but also their errors and negligences, into which they were especially likely to fall when in exile away from the Holy Land.
Ref: Ps. 7:1 A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush, a Benjamite. O LORD my God, in You I have taken refuge; Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me, 2Or he will tear my soul like a lion, Dragging me away, while there is none to deliver....
