Living By Faith: An Overview of the Book of Habakkuk

Introduction

As we continue on our study a section of the Old Testament called the “Minor Prophets” we come to a prophet named Habakkuk. Scholars are not exactly sure when he prophesied, but in general, the book itself seems to indicate somewhere between 650 BC and 600 BC. This was the time that Babylon was rising in power and Assyria diminishing. As Habakkuk prophesies about the Babylonians were coming to invade Judah as God’s punishment for the sins of His people, it makes a date in this time period probable. The first mention of the rise of Babylon is seen in Isaiah 39:1-8. Hezekiah and Jerusalem had just been delivered by the LORD from the Assyrian siege. During the extra fifteen years of Hezekiah’s life he was granted, the Babylonian ambassador paid a visit to Jerusalem. Hezekiah showed him everything in the kingdom and all his wealth. Isaiah came to him and chided him from the LORD for such foolishness. He told them that everything he had showed him would be taken to Babylon one day. Not only this, but his descendants would be taken away and castrated and have to live there. This was around 700 BC. This was even before Babylon’s great rise to power.

Habakkuk complains to the LORD about the iniquity in Judah (Habakkuk 1:1-4)

The Book of Habakkuk consists of a dialogue between Habakkuk and the LORD. In the first four verses, Habakkuk complains to the LORD about all the iniquity he sees going on in Judah. The land was full of violence and strife. The people were lawless. There seemed to be no justice to be found. Habakkuk was distressed that he had to look at all that was going on. Later on in the book, Habakkuk says: “Thou art of purer eyes to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity.” (Habakkuk 1:13). What Habakkuk wants the LORD to do is to set things right so that neither he nor the LORD would have to deal with this iniquity.

The LORD’s Surprising Response to Habakkuk (Habakkuk 1:5-11)

The LORD responds to Habakkuk by telling him that he was going to do something about the sins of Judah. He was going to send the Babylonians to ravage Judah. They would be fierce and cruel to Judah. They would come powerfully and swiftly. Then they would gather them into captivity. The violence which characterized the land would be punished by even greater violence by the Babylonians who would attribute the victory to their gods.

Habakkuk Responds to the Prophecy

Habakkuk is shocked that the LORD would raise up the godless Babylonians to punish Judah. He reminds how wicked the Babylonians were. They were far more wicked than Judah. Surely the LORD beheld how evil they were. Should it not be they who much more deserved punishment? Not only this, that would glorify their gods for the victory which would also blaspheme Yahweh in the process.

It might be helpful at this point to give some insight to the practices of the Babylonians. The Babylonians would be called “globalists” today. They wanted to impose their ways, their gods, and their culture on everyone. They practiced the idea of “cancel culture.” They did this by selecting some of the more promising youths and re-educating them in the Babylonian ways. We see this prominently in the Book of Daniel. (Daniel 1:3-4) Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were among the youth taken for this purpose. Their names were changed from names which honored the God of Israel to names which honored the Babylonian gods. Daniel’s new name, Belteshazzar, did not stick, but we know the others as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They tried to make Babylonians out of them. They tried to feed them rich and non-kosher food in the attempt to convert them. Then these would convert the Jews into Babylonians. This was nothing short of a holocaust. They would kill a large number of Jews in the conquest. The rest would be assimilated and lose their identity which is cultural genocide. In these practices, they followed the practices of the Assyrians who had done this to the Northern Kingdom of Israel. So Habakkuk had good reason to be concerned. He did not go as far as to say this, but Habakkuk wondered if God knew what He was doing.

The LORD Responds: The Just Shall Live by Faith (Habakkuk 2:1-4)

Habakkuk waited for the LORD’s response which begins at 2:2. Habakkuk is told to write it down. This was because the judgment would not happen right away. But it would certainly come. People were invited to read His response. Terrible times would come. This was no time for human pride. Jeremiah prophesied about this to Jerusalem. He told the king and leaders not to resist the Babylonians. (Jeremiah 38:16-18) Those who wished to be saved had to leave the city and surrender to them. Those who remained in the city and trusted in the walls of the city, the proud false prophets, and the strength of their king would be ravaged. They were also warned no to trust in the fact the LORD’s Temple was there. We also see in Ezekiel 10:18 the vision of the presence of the LORD leaving the Temple and heading east toward Babylon.

It is the people who trusted in the word of the LORD to Jeremiah who lived through the calamity of the fall of Jerusalem. Trust in the LORD is the same as faith. Those who had faith entrusted themselves to Him during this time and found life. They would have to go to Babylon. But the LORD would prosper them there. There would come a time that they would be able to return. So I think this is the context which Habakkuk is prophesying of which was soon fulfilled. Those who believed the LORD were the just. They would live.

Babylon Will be Judged (Habakkuk 2:5-20)

Babylon would get drunk on its power. We see this again in Daniel where Nebuchadnezzar said: “Is this not great Babylon which I have built?” (Daniel 4:30). The LORD responded by severely humbling that great king. Later on, Belshazzar got drunk in the palace trusting his walls and defenses, not knowing that Babylon would be captured that very night, (Daniel 5) Habakkuk prophesies of the demise decades earlier. It would be God’s scourge in Habakkuk’s day. But in its appointed time, it would be scourged as well. All of its violence against other nations would be judged. Also it would be judged for taking peoples captive. Their idolatry would be punished as well, for they had ascribed victory over the Children of Israel to their gods of gold and gods of silver.

Habakkuk’s Prayer of Praise to Yahweh (Habakkuk 3:1-19)

Chapter three contains Habakkuk’s response to all that the LORD had shown him. It was to be accompanied by musical instruments which suggests that Habakkuk might have been part of a Levitical music and worship guild. It is fine Hebrew poetry. In it, Habakkuk gives the LORD all the majesty that is due his name. His glory and awe makes all creation shake. Not only this, Habakkuk declares the LORD’s sovereignty over all nations and tribes. The time for Habakkuk’s questions are over. The LORD does indeed know what He is doing and is capable of making His will happen. Habakkuk can now live through the difficult times ahead in faith, knowing that the LORD takes care of His people.

Application

What can we learn from the study of Habakkuk? The most important thing we learn is that the Christian doctrine of justification by faith is taken from Habakkuk 2:4. Justification by faith is a doctrine which is especially espoused in the Lutheran and Reformed traditions. Paul quotes Habakkuk 2:4 in Romans 1:16. Luther understood it as reading “The one whose source of justification is faith shall find life.” This is supported by the Greek translation of the Hebrew text. It takes the “ek” and the genitive “pisteos” as being a Genitive of Source. Some rather see it as saying “The just person is one who lives out his/her faith.” Which is it? One could take James’ quote of the verse to support the latter where he says that Abraham’s faith was justified by his offering up Isaac. (James 2:20-26) Hebrews 10:38 quotes Habakkuk in a similar way to James. The answer could be both, and is both. Paul is concerned with the source of justification. It answers the question: “How does one become a Christian?” It isn’t only Paul who is interested in this question. John the Baptist and Jesus called on everyone to believe on Jesus. It is clear that when Jesus says in John 14:6 that He is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” He means that the one who would find life must follow and believe on Him. Jesus condemned all who would not put their trust in Him. these would not find eternal life. Peter on the day of Pentecost calls upon all hearers to repent and be baptized. These would then by justified.

But we must realize that faith is more than some mental assent. It is an entry into a new way of life. Paul in Romans begins and ends the epistle with the term “unto the obedience of faith.” How does the one who is justified live out his faith. Paul is as concerned as James and Hebrews on this point that the Christian live out the life of faith. Works must come forth from saving faith but works are not the source of faith. So what the meaning of “the just shall live by faith” depends whether one is a Christian or not.

Putting these two together gives us a richer appreciation of Habakkuk’s contribution to our understanding. We must not depend upon ourselves when we face difficult times. We cannot save ourselves. This is as true after we become Christians as before. There is no room to be lifted up with pride. Habakkuk says that the soul that is prideful (lifted up) is not right (just). Just as those who would face the coming calamity in Judah would only save their lives by believing what the LORD had said to Habakkuk, Jeremiah, and the other prophets and acting accordingly, we must realize the same as we face the difficulties we do in this present age. We also are flummoxed by all the evil we see going on. We hate to behold what we see. We know that the LORD hates evil also and wonder why the LORD hasn’t judged us yet. But when we see other nations starting to lord it over us who are more godless than we are (we being the US), we wonder why the LORD would use them to chasten us.

I would like to add at this point is that we might be missing the point here. Israel had a special national status that has never been given to any other nation on earth. The US and a lot of Europe at one time wanted to call themselves “Christian nations,” but does that make these nations “Christian?” If they are in God’s sight, then we are doubly liable for all the evil we see going on in our nation. Habakkuk says judgment is coming to Babylon even as it would come to Judah. Either way, the unrighteous will not escape judgment. This is true for nations. This is true for individuals as well.

It is the Church to which we must turn now. It is called Israel by Paul at the end of Galatians. We are a peculiar and chosen people who come from all nations and tongues. Our solidarity is based upon a common confession of Jesus. But just as Paul says from Hosea that “They are not all Israel who call themselves Israel,” we can just as easily say “They are not all Christians who call themselves Christian.” Some denominations have utterly abandoned the central doctrines of the Christian confession as well as many individuals. Does that not mean that God’s judgment is coming upon these? Do we not have to pull them out of the fire, hating the very garments spotted with the flesh? It is the blood of Jesus which cleanses the believer. These are made just in the sight of God by faith. It is these who shall have eternal life. But we must also live out our faith in very difficult times. But all will work out to the good in the end. Even Habakkuk tells us this: “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14) This is in line with the words of hope by other prophets like Micah and Isaiah. Those who find life will all know Jesus and that abundantly. So as Habakkuk also notices, even if the fig tree casts its fruit, whether blossoms or harvests fail, we can rejoice in God who is the God of our salvation. (Habakkuk 3:17-18).