Among the minor prophets, Habakkuk displays more personality than most because we see an evolution in his thinking. He moved from questioning the Lord in chapter 1 to relying utterly on him in chapter 3. He speaks of the cycle of the Lord’s actions the defeat of the Babylonians at the hand of the oppressed…
Category: Habakkuk
Condemnation to Babylon, warning to Israel: Habakkuk 2
Chapter 2 of Habakkuk answers the prophet’s questions of chapter 1. Habakkuk asked in ch. 1 how long the Lord would afflict them and why he would use such rotten means of affliction. Here in ch. 2 the Lord explained that the cycle of oppression is not about the participants but about their attitudes. If…
Bully on the Playground
Habakkuk draws its reader right in, questioning the Lord’s dominion over the enemies of war, famine, poverty, and injustice. What kind of Lord won’t listen and won’t save? Habakkuk doesn’t mess around with niceties, listing the Lord’s steadfast love, mercy, patience, justice, and strength. He goes straight for the jugular. And teaching Habakkuk to young…
Why establish justice with the unjust?: Habakkuk 1
We continued to discuss the theme that has been developing in the past several books (Jonah, Michah, and Nahum), that the Lord is the entire mechanism of affliction and comfort, the storm and the shelter. Habakkuk continues to argue this point, but while questioning the Lord’s methods. This book takes place after the destruction of…