Habakkuk Simplified

Title & Author

We Don’t Know Very Much About Habakkuk

But He was Likely a Contemporary With Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zephaniah

There is an Apocryphal Book Called “Bel and the Dragon/Snake”

In it, Habakkuk is Said to Have Fed Daniel While He was in the Den of Lions

But this is Considered a Legend Instead of Actual History

Date

We Aren’t Given Any Information as to When This Book was Written

But We Do Know it was Before the Babylonian Invasion of Judah

Because God Tells Habakkuk that He is Going to Punish Judah with Babylon

We Can Assume that Habakkuk was Still Alive When the Day of the Lord Came

Literary Features

Habakkuk is a Unique Book Among the Minor Prophets

The First 2 Chapters are a Dramatic Dialogue Between Habakkuk and God

Habakkuk is Complains to God Twice

He Questions God’s Justice:

Allowing Sin to Run Rampant

And Allowing the Wicked to Devour the Righteous

And Then God Answers Habakkuk Twice

Then Chapter 3 is a Psalm Written By Habakkuk…

Praising God for His Power and Salvation

Habakkuk is Struggling With His Faith in the First 2 Chapters

But His Faith is Strong in the 3rd Chapter

Purpose

Again, Habakkuk is Unique

His Prophetic Book is Different From the Others

He Never Directly Addresses the People of Judah

Instead, it is a Dialogue Between Habakkuk and God

Habakkuk Notices the Rapidly Progressing Sins and Spiritual Deterioration of Judah

And He Complains About God’s Lack of Justice Because He was Not Doing Anything About it

Then God Answers Habakkuk By Telling Him that He is in the Process of Doing Something About it

But Habakkuk Doesn’t Like God’s Plan

God was Going to Punish Judah With the Wicked Babylonians

So Then Habakkuk Complains About God’s Lack of Justice Again

Why Would God Punish His Wicked People With a Much More Wicked People?

God Assures Habakkuk that Both Nations Will Be Punished Appropriately

Habakkuk Learns That God Truly is Just and Deserves to Be Praised

The Words of Habakkuk Would Have Resonated With the People of His Day

They Likely Were Wondering About the Same Things

And His Book Would Have Brought Clarity and Comfort to Them

Habakkuk Still Brings Clarity and Comfort to Christians Today as Well

God is Just, Even When it Doesn’t Seem Like It

He is at Work in the World

We Just Have to Learn to Trust in and Wait On Him to Act

Key Themes

Trust In & Wait On the Justice of God

God Will Act in Favor for His People Who Faithfully Wait On Him

God is Just and Merciful

Even When We May Not Always Fully Understand What He is Doing

God Uses Wicked People to Do His Will

But Don’t Worry, They Will Receive Their Just Punishment as Well

The Righteous Will Live By Faith

This is What We Will Talk About Next

Habakkuk in the New Testament

After Habakkuk’s Second Complaint Against God’s “Injustice”…

God Begins His Second Response to Habakkuk With:

Habakkuk 2:2–4 (NASB95)

Then the Lord answered me and said, “Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run.

“For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay. “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.

He is Giving Habakkuk Information Concerning Future Things to Come

These Things Aren’t Here Yet, But They are Coming Fast, Even if it Doesn’t Seem Like it

What is it that is Coming?

Babylon’s Fall

The Rest of the Chapter is Made Up of 5 Sections of 3 Verses of Woes Against Babylon

“The Proud” Refers to Babylon and Her King

But “The Righteous” are Those Who Faithfully Wait On God

Those of Faith Will Live Because of Their Faith

Verse 4 is Quoted 3 Different Times in the NT

Each Time, a Different Aspect of the Phrase is Brought Out

Romans 1:16–17 (NASB95)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”

In This Text, the Major Point is that Through Faith in the Gospel of Christ…

All People Will Be Made Righteous

And Therefore Will Be Given Life

Faith in the Gospel Brings Life

Galatians 3:8–11 (NASB95)

The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “All the nations will be blessed in you.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them.” Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.”

In This Text, the Major Point is that Righteousness Does Not Come Through Obedience to the Law

Righteousness Comes Through Faith in God

Hebrews 10:35–39 (NASB95)

Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. But My righteous one shall live by faith; And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.

In This Text, the Major Point is that the Audience Should Hold On to Their Faith so That They Will Receive Salvation/Life

The Hebrews Author Uses the Language of Habakkuk in a Neat Way

Where Habakkuk was Talking About the Coming of the Day of the Lord - Babylon’s Destruction…

The Author of Hebrews Referred to the Final Day of the Lord - Jesus’ Return and Destruction of the Unfaithful

So in Order to Be Considered Righteous and Receive Eternal Life On That Day…

You Must Live By Faith

Continue Trusting and Placing Your Confidence in Jesus

The Other Text From Habakkuk that is Quoted in the NT is:

Habakkuk 1:5 (NASB95)

“Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder! Because I am doing something in your days— You would not believe if you were told.”

The Astonishing and Unbelievable Thing that God is Going to Do is…

Raise Up the Babylonians to Bring Judgement Upon Judah

Paul, When Speaking in the Synagogue of Pisidian Antioch…

Told the Jewish Listeners an Abbreviated Version of Israel’s History Leading to Jesus

He Proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus to Them and Then Said…

Acts 13:38–41 (NASB95)

“Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. “Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you: ‘Behold, you scoffers, and marvel, and perish; For I am accomplishing a work in your days, A work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you.’ ”

Just as Punishment From the Babylonians was Coming to Those Who Lacked Faith in Habakkuk’s Day

Punishment From King Jesus is Coming Upon the Unfaithful One Day in the Future

Outline

Habakkuk’s 1st Complaint & God’s Answer (1:1-11)

Habakkuk’s 2nd Complaint & God’s Answer (1:12-2:20)

Habakkuk’s Psalm of Praise (3)

Active Reading