yet I will rejoice in the LORD;I will take joy in the God of my salvation Habakkuk 3:18 Despite the world falling apart around him, Habakkuk decides he will rejoice in the Lord. What does it mean to rejoice? How can we do that today? Types of Rejoicing There are several words in Hebrew which carry the concept of rejoicing. Two of them appear in our verse. The first line uses the word alaz, which is most often translated “exult”. The second is gil, which most often is translated “rejoice”. A few other words bear mentioning: samach (to rejoice or […]

Though the fig tree should not blossom,nor fruit be on the vines,the produce of the olive failand the fields yield no food,the flock be cut off from the foldand there be no herd in the stalls,yet I will rejoice in the LORD;I will take joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:17-18 God revealed to Habakkuk the terrible times to come. He can only sit and wait for the inevitable outcome. What would you do? How do you respond when it feels like the world is falling apart? Forsaken Fields Habakkuk describes a frightening situation: fruit that fails to […]

I hear, and my body trembles;my lips quiver at the sound;rottenness enters into my bones;my legs tremble beneath me.Yet I will quietly wait for the day of troubleto come upon people who invade us. Habakkuk 3:16 Continuing with Habakkuk’s prayer of response to the Lord’s revelation of impending disaster, I want to focus on the last two lines of verse 16. Despite the impending invasion causing him to shake, he will quietly wait for the invaders to come. Restful Waiting When Habakkuk says he “will quietly wait”, the word he uses is נוּחַ (nuach), which means to settle down or […]

I hear, and my body trembles;my lips quiver at the sound;rottenness enters into my bones;my legs tremble beneath me.Yet I will quietly wait for the day of troubleto come upon people who invade us. Habakkuk 3:16 Habakkuk began his prayer by telling the Lord he had heard the report of him. This launched the first part of his prayer, proclaiming God’s majesty and power as a mighty warrior. He now begins the second part of the prayer, once again saying that he heard the Lord. What did he hear? The Chaldeans are coming; judgment is near. Over the next few […]

You pierced with his own arrows the heads of his warriors,who came like a whirlwind to scatter me,rejoicing as if to devour the poor in secret. Habakkuk 3:14 God attacks those who do evil. What are they doing that gets God so worked up? They “devour the poor in secret”. Poor and Afflicted God describes himself as a defender of the poor and needy. “He judged the cause of the poor (ani) and needy (evyon)” (Jeremiah 22:16). Habakkuk’s word translated “poor” is ani (עָנִי). Often paired with evyon, it carries the connotation of being afflicted and humble, which could be […]

You pierced with his own arrows the heads of his warriors,who came like a whirlwind to scatter me,rejoicing as if to devour the poor in secret. Habakkuk 3:14 Israel’s enemies came to disperse them, but God would fight for them. How do we respond when enemies and storms come? Scattered Habakkuk describes what their enemies have done. They came “to scatter me.” How can the Babylonians scatter Habakkuk? How can an individual be scattered in battle? The “me” seems to refer to the nation (Israel) that Habakkuk is a part of. Some translate it “us”. While diverging from the literal […]

You went out for the salvation of your people,for the salvation of your anointed.You crushed the head of the house of the wicked,laying him bare from thigh to neck. Selah Habakkuk 3:13 Habakkuk describes God riding out as a warrior to bring salvation to his people. Those who oppose him will pay the price. I want to focus on the second half of verse 13 today. Mixed Metaphors Even if you don’t know the original languages of the Bible, you can still infer more about what is going on by comparing multiple translations. The second half of Habakkuk 3:13 provides […]

You went out for the salvation of your people,for the salvation of your anointed.You crushed the head of the house of the wicked,laying him bare from thigh to neck. Selah Habakkuk 3:13 The word “anointed” in this verse is the Hebrew word מָשִׁיַח (mashiach), which is where the English word “messiah” comes from. A messiah is someone or something that is anointed (typically with olive oil). It comes from the verb mashach, which means to anoint or spread a liquid on. This anointing sets this person or object apart as something special for a particular task. Who was Anointed? Three […]