All Praise And Glory to God

All Praise And Glory to God Habakkuk Praised God's Design of Creation Habakkuk 3:1-19 * Habakkuk's distress over Judah's sin 1:1-4 * God's revelation about Babylon 1:5-17 * Habakkuk's response and waiting 2:1 * The dirge/taunt-song 2:2-20 * His humble adoration and praise 3 A. Habakkuk's prayer for mercy (3:1-2) 3:1. At the opening of chapter 2, Habakkuk had positioned himself to await God's reply and to determine how he might respond to the Lord concerning his complaint (2:1). He then recorded God's extensive reply (2:2-20). The prophet gave his response to God. It was no protest, however. It was a prayer of praise as indicated by its simple title: A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. * The heading is like the titles of several psalms. * It tells the reader the kind of writing, the author, and the form of the song. * Habakkuk again identifies himself as a prophet, just as he did in 1:1. * Shigionoth is a hard Hebrew word to define and appears only rarely in the Bible. * It most likely refers to a musical or worship setting rather than the content of the song. 3:2. Habakkuk had heard God's purposes to discipline Judah and destroy Babylon. The report filled him with awe. God's plans were beyond human understanding and God's preeminence beyond comprehension. The reaction to what he "heard" (lit., "Yahweh I have heard the hearing of You") was to fear God (lit., "I am afraid"). The prophet then expressed two petitions. 1. The first request for renewal or revival of God's intervention. 2. The prophet's second request Habakkuk pleaded for mercy. B. God's presence of majesty (3:3-15) Then suddenly the prophet was ushered into the very presence of the Creator with whom he had spoken so boldly from a distance. The prophet stood face-to-face, so to speak, with the sovereign Lord. 1. God's arrival (3:3a) 3:3a. As God came down to His people at Sinai to establish His covenant with them, so He would come to liberate His people and reaffirm His covenant with them. Habakkuk wrote of God's earlier visitation at Sinai: God came from Teman, the Holy One (cf. 1:12) from Mount Paran. Moses had said the Lord's appearance was like a light shining "from Seir ... and from Mount Paran" (Deut. 33:2). * Teman was an oasis in Edom and may also mean the whole region south of the Dead Sea. * Seir is a poetic name Moses used for the same mountain area as Teman. * Paran was west of Edom, between Sinai in the south and Kadesh Barnea in the north. * God appeared to Moses from the south, while Babylon later attacked Judah from the north. * The singular word for "God" in this verse may emphasize the unity of the Holy One who delivers His people. 2. God's appearance (3:3b-7) 3:3b. At Sinai God had come like an awesome thunderstorm sweeping down from the mountainous region in the south. As His glory covered the heavens, the sun and the moon appeared pale in comparison. God's shimmering glory not only filled the heavens but His praise filled the earth. 3:4. The prophet indicated a progressive quality to God's appearance by comparing His splendor to a sunrise. God's radiance is both emanating and concealing. It reveals His glory but veils His power. God's power is hidden in His glory. His revelation is restrained lest it consume its beholders. 3:5. God is fully capable of exercising His might. He is a terrifying God to those who oppose Him. Habakkuk saw that as God moved across the land, plague preceded Him and pestilence (lit., "burning heat" or "bolts of fire") lay in His wake. 3:6. Habakkuk's vision of God coming from the distance and marching across the land rose to a climax. Having reached the place from which He would execute judgment, God stopped, stood, and shook the earth. His very presence caused the earth to shake. 3:7. Witnesses to God's appearance at the Exodus and in the wilderness wanderings were Cushan and Midian, nations that lay on either side of the Red Sea. God's wondrous acts at the Red Sea (when He led His people from Egyptian captivity) threw neighboring nations into terror and they experienced distress (fear) and anguish. 3. God's actions (3:8-15) * Habakkuk now turns from God's appearance to God's actions on earth. * Verse 8 begins this part of the poem. * It opens with a series of questions. * These questions make the message more vivid and invite the reader to reflect. * They are poetic questions that do not expect spoken answers. a. In nature (3:8-11) 3:8. Three questions center on God's motive for His appearance: Was God showing His wrath at the rivers? And at the streams? And at the sea? In other words, was God angry with nature? While direct answers are not given, a no answer was implied. God is not displeased with nature. He was using nature as a tool to demonstrate His power. 3:9. God uncovered His bow, that is, He pulled it from its sheath for ready action. The statement translated You called for many arrows is an enigma in Hebrew. The parallel between this verse and parts of Deuteronomy 32 is striking. The Song of Moses speaks of a consuming fire (Deut. 32:22), pestilence and plagues (Deut. 32:24), and arrows drunk with blood (Deut. 32:42) as part of His oath for vengeance against His adversaries (Deut. 32:41). Whatever the translation of this rather minor phrase in Habakkuk, there is another call by the word Selah to stop and meditate. God's motive and His majestic power were seen in His actions in nature, among the nations, and against His enemies. The effect of God's power is seen in the way He creases the earth's surface with rivers. 3:10. In personifying the mountains, Habakkuk said they added their reaction to God's presence and power, for they saw God and writhed. The Hebrew verb translated "writhed" depicts a person twisting or turning while seized with pangs like a woman in childbirth. Earlier (v. 6) the prophet had said that mountains crumble before God; now he said they writhe. Mount Sinai had quaked when God appeared to Moses. 3:11. In the chorus of nature, the sun and moon stood still (cf. Josh. 10:12-13), eclipsed by the dazzling majesty of God. They were pictured as being in the heavens. b. Among the nations (3:12-15) 3:12. Habakkuk envisioned God as being like a thundering giant who strode through the earth. God was hardly "tiptoeing through the tulips." In wrath (cf. vv. 2, 8) He had threshed the nations. As an ox treads the grain to beat out and crush the chaff, so God marched across the earth to crush sinful people and bring salvation to Israel. And the prophet was confident God would do it again. 3:13. The motive of God's judgment is clear. His anger was not vented toward nature or against everybody. His purpose was to crush wickedness and deliver His own. God, Habakkuk said, crushed the leader of the land (lit., "head of the house") and stripped him. The figure in the Hebrew is that of a building from which the gable is ripped off and then the entire structure demolished, so that the foundations are laid bare. Again, the musical score of this dreadful song called for a pause. The third and final Selah is inserted 3:14. These final two verses of this song on God's awesome self-revelation speak of the ultimate destruction of the enemy. Thrown into panic, those who sought to destroy Israel would destroy each other with their own weapons, as the warriors (lit., "village hoards") stormed into battle. 3:15. The awesome recital of God's acts came to a crashing conclusion with a reference to one of the most spectacular of His miracles. He took His people through the Red Sea and then delivered the pursuing Egyptians to their watery grave (Ex. 14:15-18; 15:8-10). God's victory over Egypt's horsemen was pictured figuratively as if He Himself had trampled the sea with His own horses and chariots (cf. Hab. 3:8). In this victory God had churned the great waters (cf. v. 10). C. Habakkuk's peace in ministry (3:16-19) Obviously anyone who witnessed this amazing display of God's power would be left in awe. Habakkuk was no exception. He had asked for a show of God's might (v. 2). Little did he realize what a display it would be. 3:16. The prophet's heart pounded, his lips quivered, and his legs trembled. Habakkuk was about to collapse from this amazing encounter with God. He felt as though his bones were in a state of decay and his nervous system was all unraveled. In his weakened state, however, his confidence and hope were renewed. He found a new sense of peace and purpose in his prophetic ministry. He said he would 1. wait patiently (lit., "rest") for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading Judah. The prophet was determined to wait for that day which would be filled with destruction and yet be a day of victory and vindication over wicked Babylon. 3:17. The prophet's weakened physical state contrasted with his incredibly strong spiritual state. Habakkuk outlined the worst possible consequences: complete failure of crops total loss of sheep and cattle. Even in the midst of absolute ruin and famine (which came when the Babylonians captured Jerusalem, the prophet was prepared to 2. trust God. He realized that inner peace did not depend on outward prosperity. 3:18. Habakkuk did not state that he would merely endure in the hour of distress. He said he would 3. rejoice in the Lord and be joyful. God is the infinite source and infinite supply of joy. God my Savior is literally, "the God of my salvation". Far too many people keep trying to buy joy, but happiness is not found in circumstances. Joy is available to everyone, even to those stripped of every material possession, for joy is to be found in a Person. It comes through an intimate and personal relationship with the Lord, so that even those in the worst circumstances can smile. 3:19. The unfailing source of strength and confidence necessary to satisfaction and contentment is the Sovereign ('ădōnāy) Lord (Yahweh) Himself. The strength He gives is like the power found in the feet of a deer, a gazelle, or any active, swift-footed animal. Much as a deer can quickly bound through a dark forest, so the prophet said he could move joyfully through difficult circumstances. Though his legs trembled (v. 16) at the awesome theophany of God, that same Lord was His joy (v. 18), strength (v. 19), and assurance. Furthermore, God enabled the prophet to walk on the heights. Not only would he bound through trials; he would also climb to the mountaintops. 4. God was his victory and triumph. Conclusion * Habakkuk's song was meant to be used in public worship with stringed instruments. * The book shows that God gives strength and victory to those who trust Him. * Habakkuk began in fear and confusion, but God led him to confidence and hope. * The book moves from dialogue, to judgment, to praise. * In the end, Habakkuk teaches that faith brings joy, strength, and victory.