The Message of Habakkuk: The book presents a picture of a man who trusted God, yet was perplexed. Habakkuk’s questions were two:
- (1) Why did God permit the increasing evil in Judah to go unpunished (1:2-4)?
- (2) How could a holy God justify using the Babylonians, a people more wicked than the Jews, to punish the Jews (1:12-2:1)?
Key Verse
17 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,
18 Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NASB)
Available Lessons
Content Outline
Setting and Timeline
“Like Job, the prophet argued with God and throughout that experience, he achieved a deeper understanding of God’s sovereign character and a firmer faith in Him (cf. Job 42:5; Is. 55:8-9).
The queries of the prophet represent some of the most fundamental questions in all of life, with answers providing crucial foundation stones on which to build a proper understanding of God’s character and sovereign ways in history.
The core of his message lies in the call to trust God (2:4), ‘the just shall live by his faith.’”
Dr. John MacArthur
“His name means ‘to embrace’ or ‘to wrestle’, and in his book, he does both.
He wrestles with God concerning the problem of how a holy God could use a wicked nation like Babylon to chasten the people of Judah; and then by faith he embraces God and clings to His promises.”
Dr.Warren Wiersbe
“We do not know much about Habakkuk personally, for he is mentioned nowhere else in the Old Testament. But it is evident from the situation described in this book that he must have been writing sometime after the fall of Nineveh to the Babylonians in 612 B.C. (as prophesied by Nahum) and before the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 587 B.C.
After the death of Josiah, disillusionment with the reform set in and Judah reverted to its former evil ways. Jeremiah and Ezekiel describe this age in detail. It continued until the fall of Jerusalem in 587 B.C.
This was the age in which Habakkuk lived and wrote, and it is against this background that we must understand the questions the puzzled prophet raised.”
Dr. James Montgomery Boice
“The book of Habakkuk isn’t a set of sermons. It’s an unusual conversation between Habakkuk and his God about what was happening in Judah.
Troubled by the life of the nation, Habakkuk wondered why God would let Judah pursue an ungodly path. The Lord replied in effect, ‘Be patient, Habakkuk. I will send Babylon to judge Judah for her sins.
That raised more questions: How could God use a godless nation to judge Judah? The Lord assured Habakkuk that Babylon would face judgment too.
By the end of the book, Habakkuk had a clearer understanding of the heart and hand of God.”
Dr. David Jeremiah
“The book of Habakkuk is a compilation of the prophet’s laments, not an accusation against Israel and its sin or a message to the people on God’s behalf like some of the other prophetic books.
Instead, Habakkuk questions God’s goodness because he sees so much injustice, evil and tragedy in the world. He’s also concerned because God plans to send Babylon, an intensely evil nation, to judge Israel.
Throughout the book, we see that Babylon is an example of any nation that exalts itself above God and practices injustice, violence and idolatry. In the end, God reminds Habakkuk and every generation that God will deal with evil. We can continue to love and trust His timing and plan as we remain faithful to Him.”
The Bible Project
About the Author
References
- The Minor Prophets Volume 2 (Micah – Malachi): An Expositional Commentary by James Montgomery Boice
- Be Amazed: an OT Commentary on the Minor Prophets by Warren W. Wiersbe
- The MacArthur Bible Commentary: by John MacArthur
- The Bible Project: Habakkuk