Habakkuk (Session Three)

abakkuk 3:1-19

Open with prayer.

Psalms are a different kind of Biblical literature. They can offer a lot of different insights and teach us various things, but they are really intended to express emotion and our feelings toward and about God more than to be treated as deep theological documents. As a result, I am not going to try to go through this psalm line by line. I will make a few points but want us more to focus on it’s overall message.

Habakkuk 3:1–19 NIV

1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth. 2 Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. 3 God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. 4 His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden. 5 Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. 6 He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed— but he marches on forever. 7 I saw the tents of Cushan in distress, the dwellings of Midian in anguish. 8 Were you angry with the rivers, Lord? Was your wrath against the streams? Did you rage against the sea when you rode your horses and your chariots to victory? 9 You uncovered your bow, you called for many arrows. You split the earth with rivers; 10 the mountains saw you and writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on high. 11 Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of your flying arrows, at the lightning of your flashing spear. 12 In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations. 13 You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot. 14 With his own spear you pierced his head when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though about to devour the wretched who were in hiding. 15 You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the great waters. 16 I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. 17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

Some notes:

Some notes:

This was a psalm designed to be sung. “Shigionoth” is a Hebrew word that refers to the musical setting although we do not know exactly what it means. The psalm ends with additional musical instructions.

It is Habakkuk’s response to what God has said in the course of their “conversation”

It describes the work of God not just in this instance but refers to God’s power and work in general

Mount Paran was a place where the Israelites camped during the Exodus. The spies were sent into Canaan from here. When they came back, 10 reported the land would be too difficult to conquer but Joshua said God would help them conquer.

There are many other references in the psalm to various events that took place over the course of Israel’s history

What stands out to you about this psalm? What was the author/composer trying to say about God? How does it leave you feeling after reading it? What can we learn from it?

What stands out to you about this psalm?