Habakkuk Chapter 3

Bible Study at Gospel Light Christian Church, Singapore
by Pastor Dr Paul Choo
Mid-Week Teaching Service on 28 Feb 2001

Habakkuk, unlike the other prophets, 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 then them? This book can be divided into three parts:

(1) Chapter 1 - A burden (faith grappling with a problem, ie, faith sighing)
(2) Chapter 2 - A vision (faith grasping the solution, ie, faith seeing)
(3) Chapter 3 - A song (faith glorying in assurance, ie, faith singing)
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), ie, live eternally and daily by faith. We must not judge things merely by our understanding because God's ways are not our ways (ISA 55:9). Furthermore though we hope for lives of comfort and ease, God has higher purposes for us. He does not tell us His whole plan for our lives (so that we may learn to trust in Him) but has told us enough in His Word, His Creation and His providence that we may have an intelligent (not blind) faith.

v. 1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet on Shigionoth - Though this is a prayer, it contains only one supplication (v.2). The remainder of the prayer praises God for His marvelous dealings on behalf of us (v.3-15) and for the assurance that Habakkuk received from recollecting God's goodness (v. 16-19).

The meaning of "shigionoth" is uncertain. Some believe that it is a type of music with strong staccatos and quick changes of rhythm - appropriate for a strong emotional message. The presence of selahs (ie, pauses) in verses 3, 9 and 13 and the last line in the last verse ("To the chief singer on my stringed instruments") suggest that Habakkuk chapter 3 was meant to be sung in Temple worship.

v.2 O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid - Habakkuk had heard of God's judgment (ie, speech) upon Israel by the wicked Chaldeans (1:5-11) and was afraid (see v. 16).

revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy - Habakkuk was aware that Israel would be captive in Babylon for seventy years. Therefore, he pleads for God's mercy in the midst of the (seventy) years of exile. He pleads that God would revive (i.e keep alive, refresh, give new strength) to His people (ie, "thy work") during their Babylonian captivity. He also pleaded that God would make known His presence, His mercy and His love to them during this period. He pleaded that God would remember to show mercy during this time of his wrath upon His disobedient people.

v.3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah - Teman and mount Paran the area where God performed His great miracles as He delivered His people from Egypt. "Selah" is used seventy-one times in the psalms. It is probably a musical notation for "Pause." In other words, when we consider God's incredible miracles, we should pause and let the thoughts "sink in."

His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise - At Mt. Sinai God sent lightning, thunder, fire and smoke (EXO 19:16-19). His pillar of cloud led the Israelites in the day and His pillar of fire led them in the night. He fed His people daily for forty years with manna from heaven. The Israelites and others who witnessed and heard of God's glory were full of his praise.

v.4 And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand. and there was the hiding of his power - God's Shekinah glory (EXO 40:34-38) shined for forty years in the wilderness. Horns can be translated as beams or rays (of light). Habakkuk combines recollections of God's mighty deeds with conventional images of power to give poetic beauty to this song of praise.

Though God's brightness shined as the light, it was only a miniscule token of His great brightness - and this great brightness was the hiding of his power.

v. 5 Before him went the pestilence, and the burning coals went forth at his feet - God sent forth pestilence and burning coals (or fevers) to the Egyptians.

v.6 He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations, and the everlasting mountains were scattered, and the perpetual hills did bow. his ways are everlasting - God measured the Promised Land and drove asunder the nations that dwelt there. The "everlasting mountains" and "perpetual hills" may be poetic descriptions of the kings that ruled in Canaan before God drove them out. None can stop God's will from being done (ie, his ways are everlasting).

v.7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble - The lands of Cushan and Midian were just outside the Promised Land. Even they, who were mere spectators of God's mighty deeds, trembled and were in affliction, "Curtains" are hangings from tents.

v.8 Was the LORD displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon thine horses, and thy chariots of salvation? - God appeared displeased and angry with the Jordan River and Red Sea when "He ripped them apart." It appeared as God rode His horses through them and parted them, delivering His people on chariots of salvation.

v.9 Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah - God's bow refers to His weapons of war. They were unsheathed ("were made quite naked") for battle. God has promised (ie, through oaths made by His word) to give each tribe a parcel of land in the Promised Land.

Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers - God provided water for His people in the wilderness by cleaving the rocks and exposing underground springs of water (PSA 78:15-16, PSA 105:4 1).

v. 10 The mountains saw thee, and they trembled. the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high - The mountains may refer to literal mountains or kings (see v.6). When God parted the Jordan River, the backed-up water "rose up upon an heap" (JOS 3:16) until the Israelites had crossed over, then it 'flowed over all his banks" (JOS 4:18). The sound of this event is poetically described as the "deep uttered his voice" and the "helplessness" of the river is described as a surrender (ie, Iifted up his hands an high).

v. 11 The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear - The sun and moon stood still at God's commands (JOS 10: 12,13). They are under His direction (and are poetically described as His soldiers being led by His arrows and spear.

v. 12 Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger Joshua conquered every nation that he fought against in the Promised Land.

v. 13 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed Though Joshua (God's anointed) conquered the nations, it was God who went forth for His people.

thou woundest the head ... by discovering the foundation unto the neck - Kings were utterly destroyed

v. 14 they came out as a whirlwind to scatter ... to devour the poor - The kings were militarily superior

v. 15 Thou did walk through the sea with thine horses - See v.8.

v. 16 and I heard, my belly trembled, my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble. when he cometh up unto the people will invade them with his troops - When Habakkuk heard of God's judgment of voice (1:5-11), his belly (inward parts) to the deepest parts of him (ie, his bones) trembled. Therefore, in his helplessness, he turned to his only help, God, that he might rest in the day of trouble, when the king of Babylon comes unto his people and invades them with his troops. He strengthens himself by recollecting the mighty deeds of his God on behalf of His people and is comforted by these remembrances.

v. 17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labor of the olives shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall no herd in the stall - Famine usually follows war and destruction. Therefore, Habakkuk anticipated a severe famine to follow the brutal Babylonian destruction prophesied by God.

v. 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation - Habakkuk had learned life's most important lesson, namely, that the just shall live by his faith (2:4) and not by his sight. His faith was able to soar above all doubts and fears and clearly "see" his loving God, the sovereign One, whose ways are higher than his and "know that all things work together for good to them that love God' (ROM 8:28) The literal translation of this verse is "I will jump for joy in the Lord; I will spin around for delight in God." This is joy in the highest in the midst of circumstances of the lowest! "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (I JO 5:4). We need not have the answer to every question in life or the solution to every problem in life because He who knows all the answers and has all the solution: our Father, who lovingly works all things out for our good. Let us rejoice in the God of our salvation.

v. 19 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hind's feet, and he will make me walk upon mine high places - Habakkuk's strength was not in his own understanding nor abilities but his God. In the midst of great troubles, he would walk steadfastly without falling (ie, he will have hind's feet). Hinds (ie, deer) walked upon high rocky mountain-places without slipping. When God is our strength, we too can confidently walk victoriously through all of life's troubles and difficulties.