I knew nothing about Habukkuk until about 6 weeks ago when a few of my friends came over for a former-prayer-cell reunion one weekend and we read it together...
I found it such a great book to look at because it reads as Habakkuk's personal dialogue with God. As you read it, you experience Habakkuk changing through the course of his dialogue in the way he relates to God and thinks about his situation.
In chapters 1 and 2 we read of Habakkuk's complaints to God and hear God's responses. Habakkuk's first complaint is how wickedness and violence seem to go unpunished. God responds by saying that there will be coming judgement on the wicked, and this anticipates the invasion of the Babylonians (1.6). Habakkuk then complains that those being used to bring judgement (the Babylonians) are worse than those being judged; "Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?" (1:13) - this complaint seems so relevant to us today as how often do we complain of injustice and ill treatment...'it's not fair...'
Yet Habakkuk decidedly waits for the Lord's response (2:1)- something we should do! -how often do we give our frustrations to God and do not wait for an answer?!!
Then we get God's reply which thankfully isn't the standard 'well life's not fair' but is: I am God and you are not! Have faith and look to me! ... Most of chapter 2 is God saying woes against the unrighteous, reminding Habakkuk that as God he sees far more ungodliness than H does, and he is reassuring him that wrong will be punished. The woes against the people expose how our sinful pride is the opposite to faith- our pride being when we are bent in on ourselves and look to ourselves for satisfaction. God is reminding H of who he is and is saying Look to me! (v.20)
Habakkuk then of course remembers God for who he is and in chapter 3 we read his prayer of praise, feel H being transformed to being in awe of God again, and see H putting his renewed faith into action. My commentary sums up verses 16-19 as Habakkuk 'Trembling yet trusting'...which I think is a brilliant summary and Habakkuk's response and words here are a great model for us:
"I heard and my heart pounded,
my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
and my legs trembled.
Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity
to come on the nation invading us.
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Saviour.
The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights." (3:16-19 NIV)
I loved studying this book as I think seeing how Habakkuk has grown in faith through the course of his dialogue with God shows us how we should relate to God- we can bring our complaints/frustrations to God but should wait patiently and value the reply. And also seeing H change his attitude when he remembers God for who He is reminds us that we should be keeping an eternal perspective. It is H's renewed fear and awe of the Lord that brings him to trust God in his situation and leads him to rejoice in his salvation. I for one also need to continually remind myself of who God is... And how much more do we have to rejoice in knowing we have an assured salvation through Christ!
In conclusion: I'm so glad I read Habakkuk!
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