Habakkuk

Title:1. Hebrew -

qWQßb;x]2. Greek - Ambakouk3. Latin - Abacuc

Author:

HabakkuHabakkukk

Date of Writing:

607 BC

Theme:

Trusting God in the Hard Trusting God in the Hard TimesTimes

Habakkuk 1:3-4Habakkuk 1:3-4 Why dost Thou make me Why dost Thou make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention are before me; Strife exists and contention arises. arises. 44 Therefore, the law is ignored And Therefore, the law is ignored And justice is never upheld. For the wicked justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore, justice surround the righteous; Therefore, justice comes out perverted.comes out perverted.

Habakkuk 1:6 Habakkuk 1:6 For behold, For behold, I am raising up the I am raising up the Chaldeans, That fierce and Chaldeans, That fierce and impetuous people Who impetuous people Who march throughout the march throughout the earth To seize dwelling earth To seize dwelling places which are not theirs.places which are not theirs.

Habakkuk 1:13 Habakkuk 1:13 Thine eyes are Thine eyes are too pure to approve evil, And too pure to approve evil, And Thou canst not look on Thou canst not look on wickedness with favor. Why dost wickedness with favor. Why dost Thou look with favor On those Thou look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why art who deal treacherously? Why art Thou silent when the wicked Thou silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous swallow up Those more righteous than they?than they?

A Tale of Two Cities . . . .

Babylon or Israel?

Habakkuk 2:4-5 Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith. 5 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.

Habakkuk 2:7-10 Will not your creditors rise up suddenly, And those who collect from you awaken? Indeed, you will become plunder for them. 8 Because you have looted many nations, All the remainder of the peoples will loot you-- Because of human bloodshed and violence done to the land, To the town and all its inhabitants. 9 Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house To put his nest on high To be delivered from the hand of calamity! 10 You have devised a shameful thing for your house By cutting off many peoples; So you are sinning against yourself.

Purpose of Writing:Habakkuk wrote to expose the sinfulness of the people of Israel. He reminded them of God’s judgment and compared them to a nation which they would all have recognized as being horribly wicked: the nation of Babylon. In the midst of the wickedness of the people of Israel though, Habakkuk is reminded that the responsibility of the godly will always remain the same: to live by faith (2:4).

Christ in Habakkuk:

1. Justification by Faith2. Evangelization of the World

Justification by Faith:

Habakkuk 2:4 But the righteous will live by his faith.

Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Martin Luther

Evangelization of the World:

Habakkuk 2:14 For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.

Place in the Canon:

Historically, Habakkuk gives us an insight into the spiritual state of the nation of Judah right before the fall to Babylon.

Theologically, we are led to the dual realizations that all sin is worthy of righteous punishment by God and that the only escape from such punishment is faith in God’s eternal grace and goodness.

Devotionally, Habakkuk teaches us to trust in God, especially in the midst of the trials of this life.

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. 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. 19 The Lord God is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds' feet, And makes me walk on my high places.