THEME: Prophet with a Problem KEY WORDS The Righteous in Violent and Wicked Societies Violence (7x) The Hope of Salvation in a Wicked Human bloodshed Society (3x) Trusting God in the Face of wicked(-ness ) (4x) Impending Judgment ** Chaldeans ** Righteous (3x) Woe (5x) THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE BY HIS FAITH Anger words (6x) (2:4) Salvation (4x) Why (5x) Purposes: 1. To solve the question of God s silence & apparent lack of punitive action when the wicked overwhelm the righteous (1:2-4) 2. To reveal God s impending judgment on Judah (1:6-11) 3. To teach that God will always judge sin at the proper time (2:2-3) 4. To strengthen the righteous to live by faith (2:4) 5. To display the sovereignty and power of God (2:20) 6. To teach future generations to trust God as Habakkuk did AUTHOR: HABAKKUK RECIPIENTS: JUDAH HISTORICAL SETTING Political: Ungodly king reigning, Babylon on the rise Societal: Violence, & wickedness, destruction, strife, contention & injustice abound (1:2-4) Corrupted Judiciary (1:4) Evil Gain (2:9) Moral/Religious: sinful, idolatrous (2:19) Prophetic: Judgment coming at the hands of the Chaldeans (1:5-11) DATE: 607BC, King Jehoiakim s ungodly reign (609-597 BC) (cf. 2 Kings 23:34-24:5; Jeremiah 22;17)
Habakkuk Chapter 1 Habakkuk Chapter 2 Habakkuk Chapter 3 Habakkuk s Perplexity Habakkuk s Praise Hab s 1 st Problem God s 1 st Reply Hab s 2 nd Problem God s 2 nd Reply 2:2-20 Habakkuk s Response 3:1-19 1:1-4 1:5-11 1:12-2:1 They also will be judged Why no judgment on our sin? The Problem of Unpunished Wickedness I m raising up the Chaldeans Why use those more unrighteous to judge us? The Problem of Excessive Judgment 5 woes pronounced on their Greed & aggression, 2:5-8 Exploitation & Extortion, 2:9-11 Violence, 2:12-14 Immorality, 2:15-17 Idolatry, 2:18-20 God s Person Praised 3:1-3 God s Power Proclaimed 3:4-12 God s Plan Pronounced 3:13-19 Problems of Faith Prayer of Faith Oracle (1:1) Faith Troubled Questioning Vision (2:2) Faith Taught Listening Prayer (3:1) Faith Triumphant Praising
Habakkuk, called the prophet of faith, was troubled & perplexed by the apparent inequalities of life. He found it difficult to reconcile these with his lofty conception of Yahweh. In his attempts to solve the perplexing problems raised by the unpunished sins of his countrymen & the unlimited success of the Chaldeans that Habakkuk gives utterance to two sublime truths: 1.The Universal Supremacy of Yahweh: Yahweh s rule embraces the whole earth& all their destinies. Being the only God, He cannot permit worship of other deities & He will attest His supremacy by utterly destroying the boastful conqueror with his idols. 2. Faithfulness the Guarantee of Permanency: The righteous shall live by his faith or faithfulness which signifies integrity, fidelity, steadfastness under all provocations. A living faith determines conduct & especially in the hour of adversity a belief in Yahweh & unflinching reliance upon Him are the strongest preservers of fidelity and integrity. God s eternal unchangeable character: eternal, sovereign and holy 1:12 Art Thou not from everlasting, O LORD, my God, my Holy One? We will not die. Thou, O LORD, Thou, O Rock, Under God s faithful hand, the Chaldeans are coming to correct, not to annihilate hast appointed them to judge; hast established them to correct. 1) The Person of God (1:12a) a) He is Different from Man in His Existence - He is Eternal (1:12a1) b) He is Different from Man in His Essence - He is Holy (1:12a2) 2) The Purposes of God (1:12b-d) a) God s Judgment was Really Consistent (1:12b) b) God s Judgment was Really Corrective (1:12c-d) Rock, a title expressing God s immovable & unshakeable character
1:13 Thine eyes are too pure to approve evil, Thou canst not look on wickedness with favor. Why dost Thou look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why art Thou silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they? 1:14 Why hast Thou made men like the fish of the sea, Like creeping things without a ruler over them? 1:15 The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook, Drag them away with their net, Their Ruthlessness Therefore, they rejoice and are glad. 1:16 Therefore, gather them together in their fishing net. they offer a sacrifice to their net. burn incense to their fishing net; Because through these things their catch is large, their food is plentiful. 1:17 Will they therefore empty their net Their Idolatry Their evil character 1) A Simple Declaration of God s Character (1:13a) 2) A Seeming Denial of God s Character (1:13b) 1) The Fishing of the Foe (1:14-15) Babylon became an independent state in 625 BC & began its expansionist activities by 620 BC. They only became a significant threat to Judah after 605 BC & by 597 BC they had already captured Jerusalem. 2) The Folly of the Foe (1:16) The Problem of Excessive Punishment (1:12-17) 3) The Fate of the Foe (1:17) continually slay nations without sparing?
How to Live with the Perplexities of Life? Know Your God (1:12-13) Live by Faith (2:4) Know God has Judged Eternal = the same thro out eternity. Once a relationship is established with God, it is secure! LORD (Yahweh) => self-existent (Ex 3:14) => ever present with His people (Ex 3:12) = memorial name (Ex 3:15) * Every generation is to remember God as the One who is always present & to act accordingly God (Elohim) = the Creator, the one & only true God, the source & sovereign over all that exists in the material & immaterial universe My Holy One = the One who defines the sacred for His people, who is quintessential holiness Himself & who is the standard for mankind to live by Rock => God is faithful (Dt 32:15), holy (1Sam 2:2), a stronghold & a refuge (2Sam 22:3) Judge = the only One able to evaluate all things rightly * Hosea 6:4-11 The Righteous will live by his faith * Habakkuk 2:4 context of certain judgment by the Chaldeans * Romans 1:16-32 context of human society which has rejected God & is under His judgment * Galatians 3:1-14 context of false teaching in the churches of Galatia * Hebrews 10:32-39 context of persecution & death for Christ s sake 1 st Woe (2:6-8) 'Woe to him who increases what is not his & makes himself rich with loans?' - will be plundered & looted (v7) 2 nd Woe (2:9-11) "Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house To put his nest on high To be delivered from the hand of calamity! - have cut off many peoples - sinning against yourself 3 rd Woe (2:12-14) "Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed & founds a town with violence! 4 th Woe (2:15-17) "Woe to you who make your neighbors drink, Who mix in your venom even to make them drunk So as to look on their nakedness! - will be filled with disgrace not honor - will drink & expose own nakedness - cup in the LORD's right hand will come to you & utter disgrace upon your glory 5 th Woe (2:18-20) "Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, 'Awake!' To a dumb stone, 'Arise!
2:1 I will stand on my guard post II. The Prophet is Taught (2:1-20) A. God s Righteousness is on the Individual Plane (2:1-4) Hosea 6:4-11 station myself on the rampart; I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, how I may reply when I am reproved. Awaiting an Answer (2:1) 1. The Eagerness of the prophet (2:1) a. His Receptive Attitude (2:1a) b. His Responsive Attitude (2:1b) The LORD s Second Response (2:2-20) 2:2 Then the LORD answered me and said, "Record the vision inscribe it on tablets, 2. The Enlightenment of the prophet (2:2-4) a. Regarding the Truth of God (2:2) 1) To be Recorded Simply (2:2a) 2) To be Relayed Swiftly (2:2b) That the one who reads it may run. 2:3 "For the vision is yet for the appointed time; Though it tarries, wait for it; It hastens toward the goal, and it will not fail. Perhaps referring to (1) clarity of form, so that one who runs by it may easily absorb its meaning or (2) clarity of content so that the courier could easily transmit the message to others. b. Regarding the Timing of God (2:3) For it will certainly come, it will not delay.
2:4 "Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith. c. Regarding the Trustworthiness of God (2:4) B. God s Righteousness on the International Plane (2:5-20) 2:5 "Furthermore, wine betrays the haughty man, So that he does not stay at home. He enlarges his appetite like Sheol, he is like death, never satisfied. He also gathers to himself all nations collects to himself all peoples. 2:6 "Will not all of these take up a taunt-song against him, Five Woes (2:6-20) The Plunderer (2:6-8) 'Woe to him who increases what is not his Even mockery and insinuations against him, makes himself rich with loans?' 2:7 "Will not your creditors rise up suddenly, those who collect from you awaken? Indeed, you will become plunder for them. 1. The Wars of the Chaldeans (2:5) 2. The woes of the Chaldeans (2:6-20) The LORD will deal with: say, a. Their Crimes (2:6-8) 1) The Property They Had Stolen (2:6) The Chaldeans exacted heavy taxation of conquered nations & loans with excessive interest was made to the poor For how long 2) The People They Had Slain (2:7-8)
2:8 "Because you have looted many nations, All the remainder of the peoples will loot you Because of human bloodshed a. Their Covetousness (2:9-11) and violence done to the land, The Plotter (2:9-11) To the town and all its inhabitants. 2:9 "Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house The Chaldeans built impregnable cities to protect themselves To put his nest on high To be delivered from the hand of calamity! 2:10 "You have devised a shameful thing for your house By cutting off many peoples; So you are sinning against yourself. The walls will testify of their premeditated 2:11 "Surely the stone will cry out from the wall, exploitation born out of covetousness the rafter will answer it from the framework. 2:12 "Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed b. Their Cruelty (2:12-14) They build luxurious palaces by means of bloodshed & forced labor The Violent One (2:12-14) founds a town with violence! 2:13 "Is it not indeed from the LORD of hosts Nothing will remain & the whole earth That peoples toil for fire, will recognize God s glory when He nations grow weary for nothing? establishes His millennial kingdom. 2:14 "For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea.
2:15 "Woe to you who make your neighbors drink, c. Their Carousings (2:15-17) Divine retribution is on its way. Who mix in your venom even to make them drunk The very thing they gloried in will become the object of their shame. The Immoral Drunkard (2:15-17) So as to look on their nakedness! According to his royal annals, 2:16 "You will be filled with disgrace rather than honor. Neb. ordered his army to construct a road for the Now you yourself drink and expose your own nakedness. transport of the cedars of Lebanon. he describes how they The cup in the LORD's right hand will come around to you, cut through steep mountains, split rocks, [and] opened utter disgrace will come upon your glory. passages to build this commercial logging road. This 2:17 "For the violence done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, was done in the name of freeing Ruthless exploitation of the land of its foreign enemies. trees & animals to provide the devastation of its beasts by which you terrified them, However, these trees actually building materials, were used to build his palace & to Because of human bloodshed enhance the temple of Marduk in firewood, & food on their Babylon. His workers likely military campaigns and violence done to the land, hunted in the woods for food to The Idolater (2:18-20) supplement their stores. To the town and all its inhabitants. 2:18 "What profit is the idol when its maker has carved it, The ritual of opening the Or an image, a teacher of falsehood? mouth was employed in Bablyon to transform a For its maker trusts in his own handiwork wooden image, decored with gold & precious jewels, into When he fashions speechless idols. the physical embodiment of the god. The incantations of 2:19 "Woe to him who says to a piece of wood, 'Awake!' the priests proclaimed to the god, from this time forth you To a dumb stone, 'Arise!' shall go before your father Ea. Ceremonial processions then that is your teacher? take place, the mouth of the d. Their Cults (2:18-20) image is washed repeatedly Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, (14x in all), & food & drink are presented. After an evening of there is no breath at all inside it. sacrifices the priest opens the eyss of the image with a want 2:20 "But the LORD is in His holy temple. of tamarisk, and then the god is enthroned within the Let all the earth be silent before Him." temple & dressed with the insignia of office.