The Piety of the Prophet Habakkuk

These are words and images of comfort for Habakkuk because he knows that God is faithful to deliver His people and defeat His enemies. The prophet has the assurance of victory over all the problems he complained about at the beginning of his prophecy. We have the assurance that God will act on behalf of His people today because He has acted on behalf of His people in history.

Verses 12-15 continue the depiction of God as the divine warrior who defeats His enemies and brings salvation to His people. While verses 8-11 appear more cosmic in nature, verses 12-15 appear more historical. This part of the poem is focused on the leader of the enemies of God’s people, the king of Babylon. There are six declarations of the Lord’s victorious power over His enemies:

The Lord’s wrath is directed against the nations that oppressed His people. He totally defeats the cosmic and earthly powers in order to save His people Judah. It may sometimes seem like a long time in coming, but God will act on behalf of His people with great power and victory. The Lord is exalted because He is the Savior of His people in every generation.

Habakkuk 3:16-19

These final verses of Habakkuk contain some of the most beautiful and profound words ever written. James Montgomery Boice wrote,

What is it that makes this chapter, and particularly the final verses, so forceful? In my judgment it is the courageous way in which Habakkuk embraces all the calamities he can imagine and nevertheless triumphs over them in the knowledge and love of his Savior. (Minor Prophets, 433)

In verse 16 Habakkuk reports his personal response to all that has been revealed to him by the Lord. It is not clear whether the prophet is referring to the coming attack on Judah (1:5-11) or the divine theophany (3:3-15). I think both these cataclysmic events are behind his response when he experiences great emotional and physical trauma at the hearing of the sound of approaching judgment. It is not clear whether he is literally hearing the sound of the approaching invaders or if he is anticipating their arrival at some point in the future. In either case, the profound sense of dread can be felt in his statement of resolve in verse 16: “Now I must quietly wait for the day of distress to come against the people invading us.” He waited on the Lord’s answer in 2:1, and now he will wait for the fulfillment of that answer in the future.

Waiting on the Lord is often not easy for us because only the Lord knows exactly how long He will take to fulfill His promise. Since God is not confined to time and space as we are, it can be challenging for us to wait, not knowing how long. This is where our faith in God is tested the most. Do we trust God no matter how long it takes? Are we willing to persevere in faith to the end? Do we still trust God, even if the fulfillment of His promise doesn’t happen in our lifetime? Habakkuk has resolved in his heart that he will trust the Lord whatever happens.

Though the fig tree does not bud and there is no fruit 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 triumph in Yahweh; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation! Yahweh my Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights! (vv. 17-19)

The prophet has come a long way on his spiritual journey from complaint to contentment. In the beginning of his prophecy Habakkuk was deeply disturbed by all he had seen around him in Judean society. But now after seeing his Savior coming in His splendor, he has become deeply determined to trust in the Lord. Habakkuk will rejoice in the good news of God our Savior even though there is bad news for Judah. The good news is that God is faithful even when we are not faithful. Like Habakkuk, we can also walk on the heights when we put our trust in the sovereignty of our God who reigns over all the nations of the earth. When the Lord is our strength, we can rise above the troubles of this world and say like Habakkuk, “He enables me to walk on mountain heights!”

Verse 19b. The colophon at the end of the verse contains musical instructions for the director of music. This indicates that chapter 3 is also a musical piece. No further information is given.

The prophecy of Habakkuk is one of the most challenging and engaging books in the Bible. The issues Habakkuk treats are profound and complex. There are no easy answers to be found in the book of Habakkuk. It demands serious prayer, thoughtful reflection, and persistent reading over and over again to attempt to understand the truths that are contained in this prophecy. Yet, for the Christian who dares to take the challenge, the spiritual rewards can be immense. Habakkuk’s prophecy contains deep truths of the gospel that few Christians venture to understand. Contained within his oracles is the gospel according to the prophets of the Old Testament. Though at first Habakkuk struggled to understand the ways of God, he would come to a point of total surrender after receiving the word of God in a vision from God. Habakkuk’s journey is the journey of every believer who seeks more than a mere simplistic knowledge of God and superficial faith in God.