So the law is paralyzed,and justice never goes forth.For the wicked surround the righteous;so justice goes forth perverted. Habakkuk 1:4 Habakkuk continues to recount what he sees is wrong with the world around him. Because God seemingly ignores peoples’ violations of his law and inhibit justice, the wicked flourish while the righteous perish. Weary Obedience The word law is תּוֹרָ֔ה (torah), the name of the first five books of the Bible. It stems from verbs meaning to throw/shoot or to instruct/teach. In both cases, someone acting out this verb is providing direction. The Torah is God’s instruction for us, providing […]

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. Habakkuk 1:3 Vivid language oozes out of this verse. Last week we looked at the first half. We’re examining the second half this time. As I wrote last time, Hebrew poetry often makes couplets that parallel one another. The second couplet of this verse pairs “destruction and violence” with “strife and contention”. Destruction and Violence The word “destruction” (שֹׁד, shod) comes from a verb (shadad) meaning to “devastate, lay waste, overpower”. The prophet Joel uses this word to […]

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. Habakkuk 1:3 Habakkuk remarks about the terrible things he sees all around him. One common poetic device in Hebrew is to have lines repeat or parallel one another for emphasis. In this verse, we see two pairs of similar ideas. This week we will look at the first couplet, followed by the second next week. Iniquity The word “iniquity” (אָוֶן, aven) describes a wide range of evils. “Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity (aven)” (Proverbs 22:8). “Woe to […]

O LORD, how long shall I cry for help,and you will not hear?Or cry to you “Violence!”and you will not save? Habakkuk 1:2 Habakkuk complains that amidst the violence around him, God will not save. What is salvation? What does it mean to be “saved”? This is a common theological word within Christianity, but what do we mean by that? What does the Bible mean by that? Outside the Bible, how do you use the word “save”? I think of saving files on my computer. I save money. A Doctor performs a life-saving surgery. A fireman saves someone from a […]

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth. Habakkuk 3:1 We have finally arrived at the third chapter of Habakkuk’s short book! A quick bit of review is in order to set the context for what’s ahead. Habakkuk begins by complaining about the injustice and violence around him. How can the world be so messed up and God does nothing about it? God answers him saying he was going to act by sending the Chaldeans (Babylonians) to punish Israel and the nations. Habakkuk then responds with another question: how could God use a nation even more wicked than Israel […]

O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? Habakkuk 1:2 Habakkuk begins his first complaint to the Lord, distressed by what he sees and hears. He asks why God has not acted when there is so much injustice. Crying Out There are two words the prophet is using for crying out. The first (translated as “cry for help”) is שׁוע (shiva). It is a desperate request for aid or relief from a bad situation. It only shows up in poetry, predominantly in Job and […]

The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw. Habakkuk 1:1 Have you ever felt like the world doesn’t make sense? Have you ever wondered where God is in the midst of the chaos? What would it look like if you asked God some hard questions and he answered you? This year we are going to explore a short book that does just that. After a year traversing the lengthy book of Jeremiah, this year we will be going through the short book of Habakkuk verse by verse. We will largely focus on crossing the linguistic bridge, including looking at Hebrew words/definitions, […]