You who are of purer eyes than to see eviland cannot look at wrong,why do you idly look at traitorsand remain silent when the wicked swallows upthe man more righteous than he? Habakkuk 1:13 When Habakkuk complained about the injustice and violence around him in Israel, the Lord responded that he was sending the Chaldeans to punish them. This raises a difficult question: Israel certainly had problems, but Babylon was even worse! How can the Holy God who cannot look upon evil use the pagan city of Babylon to punish Israel? Pure God, Pure People A couple of weeks ago […]
Tag Archives: Habakkuk
Habakkuk: The Rock Of Refuge and Rejection
Are you not from everlasting,O LORD my God, my Holy One?We shall not die.O LORD, you have ordained them as a judgment,and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof. Habakkuk 1:12 Last week we looked at how Habakkuk described God as “my Holy One”. This week I want to look at the last line of this verse, where he calls God a rock. What does that mean? God as the Rock The Hebrew word for “Rock” in this verse is צוּר (tzur). There are two other synonymous words (sela and eben) commonly also translated as “rock” or “stone”. I […]
Habakkuk: What Does It Mean To Be Holy?
Are you not from everlasting,O LORD my God, my Holy One?We shall not die.O LORD, you have ordained them as a judgment,and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof. Habakkuk 1:12 Habakkuk addresses the Lord as “my God, my Holy One”. It is on the basis of God’s holiness that Habakkuk is confident that the nation of Israel will not die. What does it mean for someone (or something) to be holy? Set Apart At its core, holiness is about separation – someone or something set apart from normal use. People need to treat the holy differently than what […]
Habakkuk: Directions to the Past
Are you not from everlasting,O LORD my God, my Holy One?We shall not die.O LORD, you have ordained them as a judgment,and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof. Habakkuk 1:12 The Lord has just revealed to Habakkuk his shocking plans: he is sending the Babylonians to punish the people of Israel. How does Habakkuk respond to this news? He begins by reminding God who he is. From the East The prophet first rhetorically asks, “Are you not from everlasting?” The word everlasting is kedem (קֶדֶם). There’s a related word in verse nine: “forward” (kadim, קָדִים). The common root […]
Habakkuk: Laughing in the Face of Adversity
They all come for violence,all their faces forward.They gather captives like sand.At kings they scoff,and at rulers they laugh.They laugh at every fortress,for they pile up earth and take it.Then they sweep by like the wind and go on,guilty men, whose own might is their god! Habakkuk 1:9-11 The Babylonian hoard is on the move. Who could possibly stand in their way? Habakkuk continues describing them and their attitudes towards those they will conquer. A Laughing Matter Two sets of parallel phrases appear in verse 10, describing the Babylonian’s attitude towards their enemies. They laugh at the feeble attempts of […]
Habakkuk: Facing A Ferocious Foe
They are dreaded and fearsome; their justice and dignity go forth from themselves.Their horses are swifter than leopards,more fierce than the evening wolves;their horsemen press proudly on.Their horsemen come from afar;they fly like an eagle swift to devour. Habakkuk 1:7-8 We continue to look at Habakkuk’s description of the Chaldeans/Babylonians. He presents an image of them marching onward, displaying the discipline of an organized fighting force ready to pounce on its prey. How do we respond when people are attacking each other like ferocious wild animals? Dreaded and Dignified They are dreaded and feared. The first word is rare, only […]
Habakkuk: What do you do when Life is Bitter?
For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own. Habakkuk 1:6 God responds to Habakkuk’s complaint about the injustice around him by revealing that he is raising up the Chaldeans/Babylonians to execute justice. He goes on to describe what these invaders are like. The first words, bitter (מַר, mar) and hasty (מָהַר, mahar), form a nice alliteration. What does it mean to describe people as bitter? A Bitter Taste The word “bitter” derives from the verb marar (to be bitter or emotionally […]
Habakkuk: Who were the Chaldeans?
For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own. Habakkuk 1:6 God told Habakkuk something unbelievable was going to happen. He was going to answer the prophet’s petitions by dealing with the evils in Israel. They were going to be conquered by foreign invaders: the Chaldeans! Introducing the Chaldeans Who were the Chaldeans (Hebrew Chasdim; also translated “Babylonians” from their capital city of Babylon)? They are first mentioned outside the Bible in Assyrian sources around 878 BC living by the Persian Gulf […]
Habakkuk: Something Unbelievable is in the Works
Look among the nations, and see;wonder and be astounded.For I am doing a work in your daysthat you would not believe if told. Habakkuk 1:5 After Habakkuk’s inquiry about why God allows evil to thrive in the world, the Lord responds. He tells the prophet to “look” and “see”, using the same two words used in verse 3. He will see something unbelievable in the days to come. All the commands and “yous” in this verse are plural: “look”, “see”, “wonder”, “be astounded”, “your”, and “you”. God isn’t just addressing Habakkuk. This message is for anyone who will listen. Unbelievable! […]
Habakkuk: What is Justice in the Bible?
O LORD, how long shall I cry for help,and you will not hear?Or cry to you “Violence!”and you will not save (yasha)?Why do you make me see iniquity,and why do you idly look at wrong?Destruction and violence are before me;strife and contention arise.So the law is paralyzed,and justice (mishpat) never goes forth.For the wicked surround the righteous (tzadik);so justice (mishpat) goes forth perverted. Habakkuk 1:2-4 We’ve looked at all of Habakkuk’s first complaint. He sees violence and people wronging one another. While this is bound to happen in any society to some extent, what is most troubling is how the […]