Habakkuk Introduction
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Habakkuk 2:4 summarizes the prophet’s message from the Lord: “Look, his ego is inflated; he is without integrity. But the righteous one will live by his faith.” In other words, those who trust in themselves and have no concern for others will perish in divine judgment, but those who trust in the Lord and obey his laws will live. While this verse does not explicitly mention judgment, the rest of the chapter develops the consequences of the sin of pride (2:6-20). Also, the chapter lays out what it means to be righteous. The righteous person is not a drunkard, is not deeply in debt, is not given to violence, is not a robber, is not sexually immoral, and is not an idolater. Instead, the righteous person trusts completely in the Lord, pleading for mercy and waiting patiently for him to bring about salvation in the day of judgment.
The prayer of chapter 3 describes the awesome character of God as Judge in powerful and moving imagery. The closing lines where Habakkuk speaks of his resolve to wait patiently for the Lord despite all the signs of disaster around him are a classic expression of faith and are much quoted.