Bible Study Outline - Habakkuk

Bible Study at Gospel Light Christian Church, Singapore
by Pastor Dr Paul Choo
Mid-Week Teaching Service on 07 Feb 2001

Overview of the Old Testament:
The OT can be subdivided into three major divisions:
(1) 17 Historical books
(a) 5 books (Genesis to Deuteronomy) called the Pentateuch (literally: "Five Books")
(b) 12 books (Joshua to Esther)
(2) 5 Poetical books (experiential)
(3) 17 Prophetical books
(a) 5 Major Prophets (Isaiah to Daniel)
(b) 12 Minor Prophets (Hosea to Malachi)

Introduction: Like the other "minor prophets," nothing much is known of Habakkuk, other than that he was a prophet - a contemporary of Jeremiah. The name Habakkuk means "one who embraces" - which is an appropriate name because the prophet clings to God in spite of his confusion over the way God governed. Habakkuk lived in terrible apostate times when Israel, under a wicked king, had turned away from God and was about to be destroyed by the Babylonians. The Babylonians were about to conquer their former masters, Assyria, or had just conquered them, when Habakkuk wrote this book. In other words, this book was written during the final days of the Assyrian Empire and the beginning of the Babylonian Empire. Unlike the other prophets, Habakkuk does not address either his own countrymen or a foreign nation but his speech is to God alone. Also, unlike the other prophets, he is not concerned so much with delivering a message as with solving a problem, namely, why does God allow the wicked to trample over people who are more righteous than them?

Habakkuk can be divided into three parts:
(1) Chapter 1 - A burden (faith grappling with a problem)
(2) Chapter 2 - A vision (faith grasping the solution)
(3) Chapter 3 - A song (faith glorying in assurance)

The book begins with a burden and ends with a victory song. The key-verse is "the just shall live by his faith" (2:4) - which is quoted in Romans 1: 17, Galatians 3: 11, Hebrews 10:38. In other words, we are not only saved by faith but also must live daily by faith.

Habakkuk Chapter 1

v. 1 The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see - The burden (literally: a heavy load) speaks of the sentence from God upon the Jews. Habakkuk did see God's sentence not only in the future certainty of it in a vision but also in the present trouble that affected the Jews.

v.2 O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! - We are not told how long Habakkuk had prayed to God regarding this matter but we know that he perceives that God was indifferent to his complaint. We often become impatient with God when He does not answer our prayers in the time that we expect - and forget that God, who sees the whole picture and is wiser than us, and answers us at the right time (not a second earlier or later)

cry out unto thee of violence - The people were unrestrained in their evil - the strong grabbed whatever they wanted from the weak ("spoiling and violence are before me," v.3)

v.3 Why dost thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? - It is very grievous for a righteous man to see sin committed - especially when it is committed without restraint

and there are that raise up strife and contention - The endless violence of thieves and robbers raise up strife and contention.

v.4 Therefore the law is slacked and judgment doth never go forth ... therefore wrong judgment proceedeth - Crime is so rampant and accepted and the law is ignored and criminals are not brought to justice (ie, judgment doth never go forth). In many countries, lawlessness prevails and even the judges are crooks, who punish the righteous (ie, wrong judgment).

the wicked doth compass about the righteous - The righteous were a victimized minority who are considered by the others as fools.

v.5 Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe - The Lord answers (v.5-11). He tells the Jews that the destruction of Judah will be so terrible that the surrounding heathen nations will regard and wonder marvellously at the magnitude of its destruction. The destruction will happen in Habakkuk's days - and it would be beyond his wildest imagination. Though the Babylonians would be the destroyers, God says "I will work a work," ie, they are just His "agents."

v.6 For lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation - It was God that activated and enabled the Babylonians. The Chaldeans (ie, Babylonians) were bitter (ie, cruel and merciless) and hasty (ie, quick to execute their cruelty).

which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces that are not theirs - The Babylonians would conquer every part of Judah and dispossess the Jews of all their belongings.

v.7 their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves - They make their cruel judgments, without regard of the needs of others. The abuse their superiority (ie, dignity) by doing whatsoever they please.

v.8 Their horses also are swifter than leopard…fly as the eagle - The Jews could not escape from them.

more fierce than the evening wolves - Wolves that did not get food during the day, come out to hunt at night (ie, evening wolves) and are very dangerous.

v.9 their faces shall sup up as the east wind - The east wind in Israel was extremely hot and destroys the buds and plants.

they shall gather the captivity as the sand - This phrase describes the ease with which they will capture multitudes of Jews.

v.10 And they shall scoff at kings - The Jewish king and his allies were no match for the Babylonians.

they shall heap dust, and take it - The Babylonians made earth-mounds to overcome high city walls.

v.11 Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god - As the Babylonians continued victorious, they became proud ("mind change"), and they passed over the bounds of reasonable behavior and began to behave offensively and believing that it was their god (called Bel) who gave them their great power.

v.12 Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One - Habakkuk is in agony over the coming destruction of his people and perplexed how God would allow wicked Babylon to conquer them, yet he reaffirms his faith in His personal, everlasting, holy and sovereign God. When we are discouraged and confused by events, we must immediately turn our eyes upon our unchanging, holy and sovereign God.

we shall not die…thou hast ordained them for judgment… established them for correction - Though the "burden" that Habakkuk saw seemed to picture a total destruction of Judah, he is sure that they would not be utterly destroyed (because God's promise to the Jews was faithful) but that God was punishing them for their sins and teaching them a lesson.

v.13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look upon iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously….when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he - Though Habakkuk has faith in God's holiness and goodness, he cannot understand why God allows so much wickedness to continue and worse still, why God allows the wicked Babylonians to devour the Jews who are less wicked than them. These two questions continue to trouble good men.

v.14 fishes of the sea… that have no ruler - Fishes are easily caught, and men without kings to protect them are easily captured.

v.15 take up all of them with the angle…net….drag - The Babylonians used all types of weapons to capture the Jews.

v.16 they sacrifice unto their net, and burn incense unto their drag - They attributed their success to their cleverly invented weapons, and believed that their success was due to their own efforts (rather than to God's help). Though they claimed to honor their god (v.11), they ultimately take the honor to themselves.

v.17 Shall they therefore empty their net, and not spare continually - Habakkuk wonders if the Babylonian attacks would continued on and on - as fishermen empty their nets and continue to fish.

2.1 I will stand upon my watch…and will watch and see what he will say unto me - In his confusion, Habakkuk resolves to await God's answer.