Habakkuk's Prophecy

INTRO

This week, we not only finish up our study of the Minor Prophets, but we finish up the Old Testament books as well. The study of the Old Testament has been life-changing. So far in the Minor Prophets, we’ve studied Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, and Nahum. The eighth Minor Prophet is Habakkuk.

The book of Habakkuk is named for its author, and the name means “one who embraces.” MacArthur states, “By the end of the prophecy, this name becomes appropriate as the prophet clings to God regardless of his confusion about God’s plans for His people.”¹ Nothing is known about the prophet except what’s provided within the book. Because even that information was given sparingly, some scholars suggest Habakkuk didn’t need more information because he was already known at the time. Habakkuk was also a contemporary of (lived at the same time as) Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zephaniah, and his message was for the southern kingdom of Judah. Habakkuk 1:6 mentions the Chaldeans (Babylonians), which suggests dating it to the late seventh century BC. MacArthur explains this would have been “shortly before Nebuchadnezzar began his military march through Nineveh (612 BC)”² and “Habakkuk’s bitter lament (Habakkuk 1:2–4) may reflect a time period shortly after the death of Josiah (609 BC), days in which the godly king’s reforms (2 Kings 23) were quickly overturned by his successor, Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 22:13–19).”³ Habakkuk therefore covered this shift in world power from the Assyrians to the Babylonians.

Habakkuk prophesied during the end of the Assyrian Empire and the beginning of the Babylonian Empire. These and other world powers will all fall before God’s kingdom. The Babylonian empire under King Nabopolassar and then his son Nebuchadnezzar attacked the Assyrians, overthrowing their capital city of Nineveh in 612 BC and finally defeating them in Carchemish in 605 BC. While Necho the Egyptian king traveled through Judah to assist Assyria, he came against King Josiah and the king’s army. In the battle, King Josiah was killed. King Josiah had led reforms in Judah that found the mission book of the Law in the temple. Through the Law, Josiah led the people to renew their covenant with the Lord in 622 BC. However, under the leadership of his sons, Judah moved away from the Lord and back to its worship of idols and pagan gods.⁴

Our phrase for Habakkuk for where we can see Jesus is Coming Salvation. This can be seen in Habakkuk 2:3 and 3:18. (Hebrews 10:37.)

• Habakkuk 2:3: “For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it testifies about the end and will not lie. Though it delays, wait for it, since it will certainly come and not be late.”
• Habakkuk 3:18: “Yet, I will triumph in Yahweh; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!”

TEACHING

Habakkuk 1:1-17: Habakkuk explained that he had seen God’s vision of what was to come (v. 1a) and questioned why God wasn’t listening to his prayers (vv. 1b–4). God responded that Habakkuk should be utterly astounded at what was happening in the world (vv. 5–8). God was raising up the Babylonians to take over His own people through violence (vv. 9–11). Habakkuk then questioned God again (vv. 12–17). Habakkuk said the Babylonians were so wicked that they would draw the Judeans into their net as well.

Habakkuk 2:1–5: Habakkuk said he would stand at his post until he heard from God (v. 1). God replied in verses 2–5 and told Habakkuk to write His response so everyone could see it. MacArthur noted, “Habakkuk was to record the vision to preserve it for posterity, so that all who read it would know of the certainty of its fulfillment.”⁵ This was so the vision would testify about the end times (v. 3a). It would happen in God’s timing (v. 3b). In verse 4, God described Babylon as having an inflated ego with no integrity, who would be conquered by the righteous one (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:37–38). We are to live like the righteous one without drawing back from the world. On the other hand, the arrogant man is never satisfied and always wants more for himself (v. 5).

Habakkuk 2:6–20: In verse 6 God began to outline the five woes that the arrogant would face:

First, woe to the arrogantwho would amass great wealth that would not belong to him permanently. This continued the picture of Babylon’s aggressiveness against other nations, even taking things that belonged to others. Verse 7 describes these as Babylon’s “creditors” who would one day collect against them (v. 7). Babylon would fall to all the nations that they had captured (v. 8).

Second, woe to the dishonest man who thinks wealth would save him (v. 9). His dishonesty will be shouted out by the stones in the wall and the rafters in the ceiling (vv. 10–11).

Third, woe to the one who builds a city through bloodshed, for their efforts would come to nothing (vv. 12–14). Only the millennial kingdom will bring back God’s glory into the world.

Fourth, woe to him who makes his neighbors drunk so he could take advantage against them (vv. 15–17).

Fifth, woe to him who crafted idols from wood or iron that could not speak or have any power (vv. 18–19).

Verse 20 concludes, “But the Lord is in His holy temple; let everyone on earth be silent in His presence.” MacArthur explains the use of “silence” here: “In contrast to the silence of the idols, the living, sovereign ruler of the universe calls all the earth to be silent before Him. None can assert his independence from Him; all the earth must worship in humble submission (Psalm 46:20; Isaiah 53:15).”⁶

Habakkuk 3:2-16: In chapter 3, Habakkuk offered another prayer. He asked God to revive His work in this time (v. 2). Habakkuk described God’s splendor covering the heavens and the earth as full of His praise. Even the mountains shudder before the Lord, and the sun and moon stand still in His presence (vv. 3–15). Habakkuk responded in praise and his willingness to “quietly wait for the day of distress to come against” those who invaded them (v. 16).

CLOSING

That creates a serious question for all of us. In this time of waiting on the Lord, do we wait patiently? Or do we complain while we wait upon the Lord? Do you believe that God is coming? Habakkuk believed God was going to show up, even though the Babylonians were already on their way. Habakkuk concluded with this statement of trust with these words (Habakkuk 3:19): “Yahweh, my Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights!”