13 You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot. Selah
14 With his own spear you pierced his head when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though about to devour the wretched who were in hiding.
15 You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the great waters.

vs 13-15 How does Habakkuk now view the enemies of Israel? What caused this change? When you are being attacked, do you find it difficult to focus on God’s deliverance? How can you overcome these doubts and fears?

Habakkuk now sees Israel’s enemies as those on whom God’s judgement will fall. He now understands that even this coming invasion is part of God’s divine plan, and Israel will eventually be delivered. This change came because Habakkuk now realizes the might and the power of God. He intellectually understood it before, but now he sees with spiritual eyes. He sees the panoramic vision of God’s eternal control of events on this earth.

When we are going through a time of trouble and turmoil, it is difficult to be able to see God’s deliverance at the end. But just as Habakkuk, we must learn to view things through the eyes of faith. God is in control of events, no matter how difficult it may be to believe that. Doubts and fears may come, but faith in God’s providence will chase them away. We must gain a heavenly vision. Habakkuk received his vision by going to God with his complaints. Let us be also willing to go to God, no matter how bitter or disappointed we may feel.

16 I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.

vs 16 Why do you think Habakkuk makes this statement? What does this speak to you about his faith? Why is it important that we stay calm in the face of trouble?

As Habakkuk considers the coming destruction, it is a time for him to fear for his own safety, the safety of his family, and of his nation. Just because he trusts God’s ultimate design in this invasion does not mean he won’t experience fear. In spite of this fear, he makes the statement, "Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us." In other words, he would wait patiently for God to work his divine plan.

This gave him a calmness even in the face of imminent danger. When we are facing trouble, we need to learn, as Habakkuk did, not to panic. Whenever we react with desperation, we will do foolish things. But when we react to troubles calmly, we will be able to trust in God and accept his will.

Pusey remarks, "The prophet sums up, resuming that same declaration with which he had begun, I heard, I was afraid. Only now he expresses far more strongly both his awe at God’s judgments and his hopes. ... It is a filling out of the day of trouble. However near the trouble came, he, under the protection of God and in firm trust in Him, would be at rest in Him."

17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

vs 17-18 What has Habakkuk determined to do? What are the implications of the six events in verse 17? Name 6 bad things that you are facing? Can you, as Habakkuk, rejoice in the Lord even if all these bad things occur?

Habakkuk recites six bad things that he anticipates could happen – the fig tree does not bud, no grapes on the vine, the olive crop fails, the fields produce no food, no sheep in the pen, and no cattle in the stalls. If all these were to occur, he and his family would be in serious trouble. What bad things are you facing? What do you fear? Even though Habakkuk was facing a coming upheaval, he still is able to say in verse 18, "yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior." Can you rejoice when bad things happen? Habakkuk had discovered the source of his joy. It was not in outward circumstances, but in inward peace. He could rejoice because his trust was not in the armies of men, but in the armies of God. He could rejoice because his outlook was not on the material, but on the spiritual. When our confidence is placed firmly on God, we too can rejoice no matter what might happen to us.

19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

vs 19 Why do you think Habakkuk uses the imagery of a deer? How does Habakkuk see himself overcoming the imminent dangers? How can you overcome any imminent danger?

Habakkuk realizes that his strength is not good enough. He must rely on God’s strength. He uses the imagery of a deer. I believe he is thinking of a deer bounding over troubles and calamity. Notice he speaks of going to the heights. I think he is imagining that God will carry him over the dangers just as the deer leaps over the barriers and climbs to the high places.

If you are facing confusion or trouble, be like Habakkuk. Look to God for your strength, and have faith that you will be able to leap over your problems and be safe on the heights above those circumstances that seem so threatening.

Pusey comments, "He is our strength, so that through Him, we can do all things; He is our strength, so that without Him, we can do nothing; He is our strength, so that when we put forth strength, we put forth nothing of our own, we add nothing of our own, we use not our own strength, of which we have none, but we do use His; and we have It ever ready to use, as if it were our own."

Review Habakkuk

In order to better understand the message of Habakkuk, I think it’s important for us to review this short book. As we began this study, we started by looking forward through the book of Habakkuk and did an overview of what we saw. But now that we have seen how God slowly and methodically revealed himself to Habakkuk, I think it will be beneficial if we end this study by looking back through the book and see what lessons God might have for us in the context of the overall teaching of the whole book.

Re-read 1:2-4 What is Habakkuk’s attitude in these verses? Based on this study of Habakkuk, how should you handle times when you feel God is not fair?

As we re-examine this first complaint of Habakkuk, we see here how he started off whining and complaining that God wasn’t being fair. There was injustice in the land that was going unpunished. He wondered why God delayed in taking care of this matter. The important lesson we need to realize from this study is that if Habakkuk had not come to God with his initial complaint in chapter 1, he would not have written the beautiful psalm of faith in chapter 3. If you feel God is being unfair, go to God. Don’t try to hide those feelings or allow them to eat at you. God already knows how you feel. If you don’t come to God, you will never be able to receive divine instruction. Christians will sometimes carry bitterness or anger at God for years over some perceived injustice or wrong. Don’t let those things gnaw at you. Go to God with your complaint. He will hear you, and he will answer you.

Re-read 1:12-17 How has Habakkuk’s attitude changed in these verses compared to verses 2-4? Based on this study how should you handle times when you received an answer from God you didn’t like?

In Habakkuk’s first complaint, he was concerned about things not being fair. In this second complaint he is alarmed by God’s solution – he thinks God must be making a mistake. The injustice in Israel was bad enough, but using the wicked Babylonians to punish Israel seemed even worse. All of us have received answers from God we didn’t like. Once again, Habakkuk returns to God with his complaint and his concerns. It is only after he returns a second time that he begins to understand how God is in control of Israel’s destiny and the destiny of all other nations. If you have received an answer from God you didn’t like or didn’t understand, go back to him. As with Habakkuk, God will patiently show you the divine design. We can never learn from God if we don’t go to him, no matter how angry, confused, or upset we may be.

Re-read 3:1-19 How has Habakkuk’s attitude changed in these verses compared to his previous two complaints? Which one or two verses in this book indicate his change of heart? Based on this study, what do you need to do to change your attitudes about God?

Now in this last chapter we see Habakkuk’s faith in God being restored. With the first complaint, Habakkuk was upset that God was not acting against injustice. In the second complaint Habakkuk was upset over how unjustly, it seemed to him, God was going to deal with these problems. But in chapter 3 we see Habakkuk now has confidence in God’s justice. His faith has been restored.

It seems to me there are two key points in the narrative where Habakkuk seems to be changing his attitude. First is in 2:1 where he says, "I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me...." He has just completed his second complaint, and now instead of grumbling more, he decides to stand and wait for God to speak to him. Until we are ready to hear what God has to say to us, we cannot receive the help and strength that God wants to give us. It is one thing to take our complaints to God, but we must also be willing to wait and hear God’s answer.

The second key to Habakkuk’s change is in 3:1, "A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth." This is the start of Habakkuk’s psalm of faith. As he sat to write it down, this indicates a change. He knows he is going to compose a poem or psalm about God. Perhaps he’s not sure what he’s going to write, but he is no longer complaining. He is now ready to record God’s message in the form of a psalm. Sometimes when I am searching for answers from God, as I meditate before him, I write down my thoughts. And just the very act of sitting and writing indicates a faith and trust on my part. As the words come out, it is amazing how they seem guided by the Holy Spirit. It is the act of sitting and beginning to write that caused Habakkuk to be receptive to God’s message.

For Habakkuk to understand God, he had to adjust his thinking. He had been looking at things from a selfish viewpoint, from the view of the world. When he began to see the divine viewpoint, the spiritual viewpoint, it was then that he could understand why God was doing things the way he was doing them. Our problem in understanding God is that we are so closely tied to this world and this life, it is difficult for us to gain a heavenly perspective. We are blinded by earthly thinking. We need to allow God to give us a divine vision – to change the way we look at things. If you are having some problems with the way God is doing things, sit before God like Habakkuk. You may not be writing a psalm, but as you sit before him, God will speak to your heart and show you his ways.

Footnotes:

This study on Habakkuk 3:13-19 © 1999 by David Humpal, all rights reserved.
All scriptures unless otherwise noted are from the New International Version © 1971, Zondervan Bible Publishers

Pusey: The Minor Prophets, A Commentary, vol. II, pg.220-221, Baker Book House (published as part of Barnes’ Notes on the Old Testament series)

Pusey: The Minor Prophets, A Commentary, vol. II, pg. 222, Baker Book House