Overview of Habakkuk | January 12th, 2025

As we begin our study of the book of Habakkuk, we need to have a vision of what God has before us so that we can endure moments of conflict and difficulty that occur on the path to obtaining that vision.  Such is the pathway to living by faith. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  For by it the men of old gained approval” (Hebrews 11:1-2). From Romans, we know that faith is “trust”: we fully trust what God says, what He knows and what He is going to do.  The people in the “Hall of Faith” (Hebrews 11) are known as individuals who fully trusted God, took Him at His word and acted in obedience because of their trust, their faith.  We are compelled to ask ourselves how are these men and women able to maintain this faith in God in the midst of the circumstances about which we find them as we read Scripture?  Faith enables a perspective, the granting of vision of that which is to come.

Things that are yet future truly are present realities to those who have faith.  Again, we always see action that demonstrates belief in those who live by faith.  The victory over death through our Lord Jesus Christ, spoken of 1 Corinthians 15:54-57, that which should enable us to get through each day, is made tangible through faith.  As we see in Romans 8:37-39, through faith we know that we are secure in our salvation and nothing in this world can, “...separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord”.  It is faith that enables us to see, to know and to hold onto the truth of Christ’s return and His final victory, seeing ourselves forever reigning over the angels with Him (Revelation 21), this being a vision of what is to come, a present reality in which we live today.

The vision of what is to come is the source of our lives being filled with joy, a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).  It is the supernatural work of the Spirit that enables us to have a conviction and a foresight of what is to come, an assurance that what is to come is a true thing, a reality we will one day experience.  By way of reminder, joy is a gladness of heart, a heart that is being full.  In Nehemiah 8:10, “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength”, where God, knowing that sin was heavy on the hearts of the people of Israel, reminded them that the vision of what is to come is to be their strength.

This reminder resonates within our own hearts because joy is one of the greatest struggles in the Christian life.  We must remember that the supernatural fruit of joy is anchored in God Himself, in who He is, in His love for us through the knowledge of Him that He reveals to us.  Joy is not anchored in ourselves.  The more we know, understand and believe about God, the greater our joy and the more stable is that joy in our lives; therefore, our faith is an informed faith, and by it we walk through this life.  Joy is crucial for our spiritual success in life because it is our joy that energizes our Christian walk.  If we are not feeding on the truth of the word of God, we can adopt a distorted view of joy in our lives, treating joy as a superstition.

Again, joy is rooted in a perspective of what is to come by faith through that which God reveals to us in His word.  Praise God, joy is anchored in the obedience of Christ, what He has already done, is doing and will do for us, not in anything we do!  In this alone should we be found rejoicing, as Peter informs the church, “And though you have not seen Him, you love Him, (because of the picture you have of Him, because you understand what He has done and because of who you understand Christ is!) and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9).  We rejoice because we know the salvation of our souls is already done, a present reality that will come to pass in the future.

God’s sovereign work, already completed through Christ, which precedes our obedience, supplies our joy.  In this truth alone, as informed by Scripture, we should be rejoicing every day.  When we wrongly believe that our joy is based on the level of our obedience, not on the completed work of Christ, our joy is unsteady, with our lives feeling like they are tossed to and fro as if on the ocean, filled with peaks and valleys, never knowing where we will land from day to day.

God, through the prophet Habakkuk, at the very center of this book, highlights this truth, his reason for writing, where we find, “But the righteous will live by his faith” (2:4).  Later, we find that Paul used this truth as the thesis for the book of Romans.  Habakkuk is prophetic poetry that includes parallelism and vivid imagery throughout.  This style of poetry pulls on our emotions and allows us to see what is real and then to experience that reality.

Structurally, the book is written as a beautiful chiasm.  Recognizing the chiastic structure helps the reader understand the author’s focus and intention.  By definition, a “chiasm” is a literary device in which parallel ideas are arranged symmetrically around a central point, with the center of the chiasm functioning as the lens through which the rest of the passage is interpreted.  Habakkuk 2:4 is the center of this chiasm, the author’s intent for his writing.

In Habakkuk’s “chiastic” style of writing, there is a beginning and there is an end with the purpose being to highlight the promises and the attributes of God.  Habakkuk opens with a lament, not a complaint, as some would inaccurately conclude.  A “lament” is a faithful expression of grief, sorrow and anguish that is directed towards God, coupled with trust in His character, appealing for God’s intervention.  It is truly an act of worship before God!  It acknowledges God’s sovereignty, His control and simultaneously provides a hope of deliverance from our situation.  A lament is God-centered, not man-centered.  It is God who will be the one to provide the solution, to provide the hope.  A lament has characteristics of trust and faith.  Even though the speaker may express pain, he maintains trust in the faithfulness and sovereignty of God in the midst of the pain.  A lament includes both petition and praise.  Psalm 13 is a good example of a lament.

In contrast, a complaint has a tone of accusation, dissatisfaction and distrust.  It includes a frustration with God and the absence of acknowledgement of His sovereignty.  It is self-centered because the one complaining has unmet expectations that he wants met.  It does not include seeking and trusting in God’s will.  There is dissatisfaction with God’s timing, methods and justice.  We find complaining exemplified in Exodus 16:2, where the Israelites complained against Moses regarding their hunger.  The key difference between a lament and a complaint is the heart posture before God.

For Biblical theology, laments are very important.  In allowing believers to humbly bring their pain and their questions in a faithful way, we see the goodness of God.  Laments normalize the human experience of grief and suffering, balanced with a trust in God.  As a culture, because of pride, Americans neglect the richness of lament.  It is truly a way in which the righteous live by faith.  If we strictly look at the book of Psalms, we find over 50 individual Psalms of lament.  We have the book of Lamentations and many laments are found within the prophetic and narrative books.  Although fewer in number, we find laments in the New Testament, even some expressed through Christ.

We find Habakkuk opening with lament (1:2-4), knowing God is just, knowing the character of God but asking an earnest question.  At the heart of what Habakkuk wants to know is the reason for God’s tolerance of injustice (v3).  God responds (1:4-11) and informs Habakkuk His justice is going to come to bear and that it will come through the Chaldeans, known for their harshness and aggression, for seizing lands by force, imposing their standards of justice without regard for God’s law.  They were likened to fast and relentless predators, consumed with violence and destruction.  The knowledge of this brought fear to Habakkuk.

God’s response then leads to Habakkuk’s second lament, his wanting to know why God looks on those who deal treacherously?  Habakkuk understands the awfulness of Judah but they are nothing when compared to the Chaldeans.  Why would God use the Chaldeans?  He knows God is sovereign but he still does not understand.  Habakkuk affirms God’s eternal nature and holiness and grounds his questions to God in the assurance of God’s sovereignty and of His covenant relationship with His people.

In 1:12-13, we find Habakkuk wrestling with God’s justice, not able to understand how God can appoint the Chaldeans to judge when God’s eyes are too pure for evil, God’s using of wickedness as instruments of judgment.  In theology, this is known as “theodicy” or “the problem of evil”.  In 1:14-17, Habakkuk wrestles with the helplessness of humanity in the path of such ruthlessness.  How is it Lord, You are able to encourage such ruthless evil?  Then, he questions God’s tolerance of evil (v13) asking, “Why do you remain silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they?” Habakkuk is confused as to why God seems to allow the Babylonians to triumph over nations, including Judah, which he considers relatively more righteous.  With that said, we see in 2:1 Habakkuk declares he will submit to God by waiting patiently and expectantly for His answer, demonstrating his faith and humility even in the midst of his doubts.

God then responds to Habakkuk’s lament, instructing him to wait with confident expectation for the coming of His justice (2:3).  Know that it is going to come!  We then see Habakkuk’s theological and personal resolve: “Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; but the righteous shall live by his faith” (2:4).  Faith is the solution to the injustice that he sees, to the tension within the heart, knowing what is to come and knowing who God is.  Faith in the face of pride.  The righteous depend on God, which leads to life.   Habakkuk’s resolve becomes his call to live beyond his circumstances through the lens of faith, seeing what is to come, allowing that to inform him as he walks by faith in this world.  Just as God is teaching Habakkuk, He is teaching us: the righteous do not depend on visible results or immediate deliverance but on their faith in God’s character and His plan for ultimate justice and redemption.

For the wicked, six times (2:6-19) God says, “Woe to him….”, which communicates that God’s justice will not be unmet. Greed and oppression will lead to eventual plunder.  Exploitation for self-glory will result in downfall.  Violence and bloodshed will end in futility under God’s judgment.  Corruption and humiliation will turn back on the guilty.  Idolatry and false worship will be exposed by the glory of the true God.  With the coming awareness and certainty of God’s righteous judgment, Habakkuk calls the whole earth to be silent before the Holy God (2:20) and to wait with anticipation.  This is God’s answer: the righteous can live by faith knowing that God never overlooks injustice.  With the hope of glory in Jesus Christ, we can be full of joy even now.

Habakkuk ends his book in prayer to God, beginning with a petition for mercy (3:1-2), then praising God’s power (3:3-13) and concluding with joy in God’s promises (3:17-19).  As was mentioned in the beginning, a chiasm is written to elicit an emotional effect, which results from an understanding of the attributes of God.  Now that we better understand who God is and what it means to live by faith, seeing what is to (certainly!) come as a present reality, the dramatic effect is in how we live.  This is the symbolic picture we have when we read, “Yahweh, the Lord, is my strength, and He has set my feet like hinds’ feet and makes me tread on my high places” (3:19).

In Christian literature, as it does here, “deer” symbolizes God’s devotion and care for His children.  What Habakkuk wants us to see is that our faith should produce joy in all circumstances.  As we understand God’s character and observe the evil around us, we know that He is just and we are able to live above our circumstances, we will run with hinds’ feet on high places, treading on the heights.  God gives us the grace, courage and strength necessary to press on to attain new heights and to experience new vistas.  We will not just make it through the difficulties.  We will run with the peace that we will not stumble or waiver or fall because we know that God has us; thus, we will live full of joy with the vision of what is to come.

Knowing the evil, wickedness, devastation and destruction that is coming, Habakkuk rejoices in Yahweh, taking joy in the God of his salvation because the sovereign Lord is his strength!  In that will he trust!  Habakkuk resolves to run as God has called him to run, knowing that God will shore up his feet wherever he puts them down.

Where does the Lord find you today?  Of greatest importance, may you be found to be in Christ, knowing the tangible fruit of joy of Christ’s obedience granted as a gift given freely to you.  For those who are in Christ, perhaps now is a time of lament or maybe it is a time where you are experiencing walking on high places, living in that reality.  In either case, we should offer praise to God, understanding His love and His sovereignty.  Regardless, our study of Habakkuk will prove profitable for each of us, as it provides practical guidance and encouragement for navigating all of life’s circumstances and challenges.

In the end, we know that we have victory in Christ Jesus because of what He has accomplished on our behalf.  As we study this book, may we always be found walking on high places, even in the midst of despair, as was Habakkuk, living by faith with a view of what is to come.  May God bless us with a grand view of His character and of His love and of the hope to come so that we can interpret the evil around us in a God-honoring way, in a way that gives Him glory.

Selah

• With a correct understanding of a biblical lament, as contrasted with a complaint, have you considered whether there is a need to change the way you think, approach the Lord in prayer and live?

• If you are struggling to find joy in your daily walk, could it be that joy is wrongly anchored in yourself, in your successful obedience to God, rather than rightfully anchored in God?  (Remember that God’s completed work through Christ, which precedes our obedience, should supply our joy!)

• Does the life you live exemplify to those around you that you are living by faith in the one true God?  Are you living silent, with breathless anticipation and excitement, the certain promise of what God tells us is to come?

• Do you find yourself walking on high places, treading on the heights, regardless of your circumstances?