Habakkuk 3
BBCHabakkuk 3:1
V. HABAKKUK PRAYS AND TRUSTS (Chap. 3) A. He Appeals to God to Act for His People (3:1, 2)Habakkuk now prays to the LORD. He had heard of the Lord’s dealings in the past with the enemies of His people; now he asks Him to revive His work by punishing His foes and saving His people.
Habakkuk 3:3
B. He Reviews God’s Care for Israel from Egypt to Canaan (3:3-15)3:3-7 In a splendid vision of God’s sovereignty that Scroggie calls a “Theophanic Ode” (song about God’s manifestation), Habakkuk pictures God marching forth against His foes, crushing them by His power and triumphing gloriously. He makes frequent allusions to the Lord’s past punishment of Israel’s enemies, the judgment of Egypt at the time of the Exodus, the countries that opposed Israel on the way to the promised land, and the nations that had to be driven out of Canaan by Joshua. In the first section of the prayer God’s glory and brightness are seen in both the heavens and the earth. The geographical detailsTeman, Mount Paran, Cushan, and Midian, all speak of enemies of Israel. For example, Teman, a large city in Edom, stands for all of Idumea, and Cushan is probably the same as “Cush,” or Ethiopia. 3:8-11 God’s power is stressed in these words, especially as manifested over the rivers, the seas, and the mountains. Verse 11 refers to the famous event at Gibeon during which the Lord worked a mighty miracle in the sky to help Joshua win the battle (Jos_10:12). 3:12-15 Here God is seen marching through the land for Israel and trampling their enemies in anger. The reference in v. 15 is to the crossing of the Red Sea (Ex. 14) when there was a heap of great waters on either side of the people of God as they marched through as if on dry land. Habakkuk envisions God as moving through the sea with His horses.
Habakkuk 3:16
C. He Waits for the Enemy to Be Punished (3:16)When the prophet heard of the judgment of the Babylonian invaders, he trembled and determined to wait quietly for the event to come to pass.
Habakkuk 3:17
D. No Matter What Happens, He Will Trust in God, His Strength (3:17-19) In the meantime, whatever trials the Prophet Habakkuk and his people might be called upon to endure as a result of the Babylonian invasionThough the fig tree may not blossom, . . . and the fields yield no food; . . . and there be no herd in the stallshe would rejoice in the LORD and joy in the God of his salvation. Baxter exclaims: The literal is “I will jump for joy in the Lord; I will spin around for delight in God.” Here is the hilarity of faith!joy at its best with circumstances at their worst! What a victory! May it be ours!