Habbakuk

Richard Belcher focuses on the book of Habakkuk, offering an in-depth exploration of its themes, particularly how it addresses the issue of why a good God allows evil. Belcher discusses the prophet Habakkuk’s dialogue with God, which moves from questioning to trusting in God’s sovereign plans, despite the apparent triumph of injustice.

The following unedited transcript is provided by Beluga AI.

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This audio lecture is brought to you by RTs on iTunes U at the virtual campus of Reformed Theological Seminary. To listen to other lectures and to access additional resources, please visit us at itunes.rts.edu. For additional information on how to take distance education courses for credit towards a fully accredited Master of Arts in Religion degree, please visit our website at virtual.rts.edu.

Well, one more smaller prophet today, I think we can probably get through Habakkuk. All right, so let’s talk about Habakkuk. Nahum, Habakkuk.

And again, in the order of your notes, Habakkuk may come before Nahum on your CD or whatever, but I’ve switched the order around. So let’s talk about the historical situation of the prophet Habakkuk. Habakkuk does not connect his prophecy to any particular king of Judah or any particular historical connection that we can say for sure that we know when Habakkuk prophesied. So we got to sort of piece it together. The one piece of information we do have comes from Chapter 1, verses 2 through 4, his what’s been called, his complaint.

So why don’t we have those verses read? BJ, would you mind, again, make you our official reader here, read verses two through four of Habakkuk 1.

² O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? ³ Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. ⁴ So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted. (Habakkuk 1:2-4, ESV)

All right, we have a description here: Wickedness. It seems like wickedness to the book of the law that was discovered. Well, these verses don’t seem to fit Josiah’s reign as king. What might have happened? What could have happened? What did happen actually in the historical setting that can explain these words of Habakkuk?

Well, let’s review our history to sort of see when Habakkuk may have prophesied. We’ve already said Assyria was the major power at the beginning of this century, but after 627, with Ashurbanipal, Assyria became weak. Nineveh fell in 612.

We also saw that Babylon is the rising power. After 627, especially, they become the major dominant power. Egypt is still strong but declining. So you’ve got three major powers: Assyria, powerful, on its way down; Babylon is struggling, but it’s on its way up; and Egypt is in there somewhere in the middle. Josiah, King Josiah, gets caught up in the international struggles of the day. Egypt goes to try to help Assyria fight Babylon in 609. So we’re now here. We’ll have to move 600 here. Back a little bit. We’re now here about 609.

Assyria is trying to hold on. Egypt is allied with Assyria. Egypt makes its way up to try to get together with Assyria to fight against Babylon. For some reason, Josiah intercepts Egypt up at Megiddo. Megiddo is a valley area where a good place to have a battle is, up in the northern part. It’s called the battle of Megiddo, 609. 609 is a key date. You need to know this date. The battle of Megiddo. Josiah dies. He dies in that battle.

We don’t know why exactly he got involved in this, why he went up there to intercept Egypt. Some speculate that maybe he was pro babylonian. Some speculate that he sees some weakness in Egypt and he thought it was a good time, that he might be able to put a hurt on Egypt. Some think that maybe he thought he had the opportunity of surprise. But it was tragic, tragic for Josiah, tragic for Judah, because when he dies, his reforms come to an end.

We don’t know how strong they were by this time, 609, but when he dies, that impetus for reform is gone. Jehovah has. Is quickly proclaimed king. He’s an evil king. He only reigned three months. You have your chart. You can look at your chart and sort of see the progress of the kings here.

Egypt obviously is intercepted by Josiah. Judah loses Egypt, goes on and gets together with Assyria. And that is not exactly clear how successful they are.

But Egypt, on her way back to Egypt, stops in at Jerusalem and removes Jehoahaz as king and puts in Jehoiakim. Hard to keep all these names straight. So Egypt removes Jehoahaz and puts in Jehoiakim. Jehoahaz was probably known to be anti-Egyptian. So Egypt puts in a king that will be more pro-Egyptian king, Jehoiakim. He also was an evil king. He reigned from 609 to 597. In 609, with the death of Josiah, events take place that can explain Habakkuk 1:2-4.

The end of the reforms of Josiah and the return to wickedness and apostasy, and no concern for the law of God, Babylon. Just to fill in one more piece of the picture, Babylon, as we’ve said, is becoming strong under Nabo PiLAsser. Babylon defeats Egypt in another key date, 605. 605. The battle of Carchemish. Babylon defeats Egypt. And all of the area of Palestine now is open to Babylon. In fact, in 605, you have what we call our first deportation.

Because when Babylon defeats Egypt at Carchemish, she comes down into Jerusalem, and that’s when Daniel goes to Babylon. And so now Judah, Jerusalem, and the kings are going to have to deal with Babylon on a regular basis until 587 or 586, depending on when Judah is going to fall. But it’s likely that Habakkuk prophesies somewhere in this period between 609 and 605. It’s the events that take place with the death of Josiah and then knowing that the kings that reign after him are evil kings. That helps us understand this description.

In chapter one, verses two through four, where justice is perverted, the law of God is not being paid attention to, and wickedness seems to be winning the day. So I would place Habakkuk somewhere in that period. Now, let’s get to the message of the book. He begins, the book begins the title, the oracle that Habakkuk, the prophet, saw. Now, this word oracle is the Hebrew term masah, or massa. Is it a. No? Probably Massa. It’s a term that means burden, literally means burden. It can be used of a burden that a donkey would carry.

So it can literally mean burden. Some people think that it has implications for prophecy, some don’t. I mean, there are some people that say there’s no connection between Masa, the idea of burden, and prophecy. It’s just translated oracle. It’s just an oracle. It’s a word for oracle. You know, something that is proclaimed. Others, like Robertson O. Palmer Robertson in his commentary, argues for a connection between the concept burden and the prophetic word, especially the prophetic word of judgment.

The concept burden certainly does fit a bacchuk, because at the beginning of this book, he is a burdened prophet, burdened with what is taking place, burdened with the will of God for God’s people. And so certainly in this particular book, the burden idea may carry some weight. Now, Habakkuk is a dialogue between the prophet Habakkuk and God, a little bit different than a lot of prophets. Jonah was a narrative about the events in Jonah’s life that was different. Other prophets are just a collection of their oracles. Isaiah, primarily a collection of his oracles.

But with Habakkuk, we have a dialogue that takes place, at least in the first two chapters, between Habakkuk and God. And we are sort of listening in on that dialogue. Habakkuk speaks to God. When God responds to Habakkuk, he doesn’t just respond to Habakkuk; he responds to God’s people because the pronouns are plural. When God responds to Habakkuk, God is not just talking to Habakkuk, but he is talking to a broader audience.

But this is a little unusual because it is a dialogue that’s taking place between Abba and God, and we are, in essence, listening in on it. And the message here is not just for Habakkuk, it is for all of God’s people. Habakkuk’s first problem, complaint, and verses two through four does sound very much like some of the lament psalms. How long shall I cry? And you will not hear? His first complaint is, how can God allow wickedness to continue and not do anything about it? And we’ve read verses two through four.

This is a situation that Habakkuk is facing. This is a situation he’s struggling with. He’s prayed to God about it. Nothing has happened. God has not responded. How long shall I cry for help? And you don’t hear me or cry to you. Violence and you will not save. There is a situation where there’s a neglect of the law, there’s a perversion of justice. There’s a prominence of violence and strife and conflict in the nation. How can you allow this to continue? Now, some people wonder whether it’s appropriate to question God in this way.

And if you’re familiar with the psalms and lament, psalms are full of questions. So these questions, especially as they arise out of a covenant relationship, are not necessarily inappropriate. A lot of times the questions addressed to God come out of the conflict that a person, the psalmist, is experiencing between the promises of God and what’s going on in his life or in the life of the nation. Here are your promises. Here’s what’s happening. I don’t see how they relate. I don’t see how they match up. Lord, what’s going on here?

When are you going to do something about it? And of course, the Psalms are full of those kinds of questions. This is prayer to God, and God is big enough to handle all of our questions. Now, these questions must be asked from a context of trust, a covenant relationship with God. And it’s always a danger that our questions will lead toward arrogance. I think the questions in Romans 9 are more on the arrogant side of challenging God, so questions can be appropriate. There’s plenty of questions in the Psalms.

They arise out of a covenant relationship with God. But as we will see in the book of Habakkuk, there may come a time when the questions must stop, as we’ll see then, they do. They stop in the book of Habakkuk. But this is the way this book opens: How, Lord, can you allow this situation of injustice and the perversion of your law? How can you allow that to continue? Why aren’t you doing something about it? So God responds. He says back, I’m doing something about it. Here’s what I’m doing. Verse five.

⁵ “Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told. (Habakkuk 1:5, ESV)

I’m doing something. Abba, what is he doing? What is God doing? Verse six.

⁶ For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth, to seize dwellings not their own. (Habakkuk 1:6, ESV)

That’s what I’m doing. I’m bringing in the Chaldeans. I’m raising up the Babylonians.

And there follows verse six, over 20, details describing the fierce Babylonian army that will be God’s instrument of judgment against the wickedness of His people. The wickedness of the Bacchus himself is described in verses two through four. Just a couple of them. I have mentioned a couple of these details. Traits of the Babylonian army: They are cruel. They are a law unto themselves. They are swift, verse eight. Like leopards, wolves, vultures, verses nine and ten. They are unstoppable. They are the instrument in the hand of God.

Although they think that their power comes from their gods, no, they’re an instrument in my hand. God says so. I’m not sitting back doing nothing; I am at work. I’m raising up the Babylonians to judge the wickedness of my people. Well, that explains everything, right? That solves all the problems, right? No, Habakkuk doesn’t like that answer. In fact, that answer raises more questions, more problems, which are expressed in Habakkuk 1:12 through 2:20. And now, Habakkuk accesses God. I don’t understand. How can you do this?

How can you use a nation more wicked than your people to punish your people? You who are holy, verse 13.

¹³ You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he? (Habakkuk 1:13, ESV)

I don’t understand how you can do this, you being a holy and righteous God. And his complaint centers on the character of God; in light of your character, how can you do this?

Well, in Habakkuk 2:1, Habakkuk braces himself for the rebuke that he thinks is sure to come. In Habakkuk 2:1, he says,

¹ I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint. (Habakkuk 2:1, ESV)

He’s challenged the purposes of God. Well, God doesn’t rebuke Habakkuk. God gives him further revelation. And in Habakkuk 2:2, He tells him to write it down:

² And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. (Habakkuk 2:2, ESV)

And the importance of writing it down is to confirm, to confirm the vision when the events take place, and then follows. God’s answer to Abbak’s complaint in verse four. Here’s his answer. Here’s God’s answer.

⁴ “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2:4, ESV)

That’s God’s answer. God contrasts the proud, which is at the beginning of verse four, the first part of verse four, the soul that has puffed up the proud. The proud is not upright, contrasted with the righteous.

And the righteous is described as living in Emuna. That’s the English transliteration, living in or by faithfulness. The focus of this verse is that the righteous will persevere. Emunah means faithfulness, to live in faithfulness. God doesn’t try to justify himself to Habakkuk. He just basically says, the righteous will continue to live faithfully. That’s his response. Habakkuk, continue to live in faithfulness. Persevere. Don’t give up. Some of your English translations say, the righteous shall live by his faith.

⁴ “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2:4, ESV)

There is some debate, as you know, Paul refers to this passage in Romans 1:17 to substantiate justification by faith. And there are some who argue that Paul misappropriates this verse because Habakkuk is focusing on persevering in your faith in faithfulness, whereas Paul is referring to being justified by faith. And so there are some who argue that Paul is sort of misappropriating Habakkuk 2:4. Well, Paul is not misappropriating Habakkuk 2:4. There are two concepts that you cannot separate.

There is a concept of Aman which is related to Amuna, Genesis 15, Abraham, who believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness at the man.

⁶ And he believed the Lord , and he counted it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:6, ESV)

If you believe God, and it’s accounted to you as righteousness, you will live faithfully. You can’t separate these two concepts. The word group in the Septuagint is pistuo. I think the English would be something like that, transliteration and pistis, the word for faith. You can’t separate these two concepts. And you’re either starting at the initial point like Genesis 15:6, or you’re living out that faith that justifies.

And so there is no discrepancy here. It’s just which side of the equation are you emphasizing? You can’t separate ammon from Amuna. You can’t separate pisteo from pistes. These things cohere together. And Habakkuk 2:4 is used both ways in the New Testament. Paul uses it for justification by faith, but Hebrews 10:38 uses it for endurance, perseverance. So both of these ways of understanding this passage are correct. In the book of Abbakuk, the emphasis falls a little bit more on living faithfully in light of a very difficult situation.

But you can’t live a muna unless you have Aman. You can’t live faithfully unless you have faith. So those things go together. You cannot separate him. That’s God’s response to a bacchic. Persevere. Live out your faith. Live in faithfulness. And God tells Habakkuk, “The proud,” Habakkuk 2:4a. The proud will get theirs one day. And you see that in Habakkuk 2:6-18, there are five woe oracles. And in the ESV, they begin with “woe.” And in these five woe oracles, whatever the proud has done will come back to them.

So if they’ve pillaged, they will be pillaged. If they have been the pillager, they will be pillaged. If they have dismantled others, they too will be dismantled. So you see that that’s the connection in these five woe oracles. Whatever the crowd has done, and obviously the immediate connection here would be Babylon. Whatever they have done, it will be done to them. But the righteous will continue to live in a way that’s pleasing to God. That’s the basic answer. Habakkuk’s response to this answer, Habakkuk 2:20:

²⁰ “But the Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.” (Habakkuk 2:20, NKJV)

There comes a time when the questions and the complaints have to stop, and they do with Habakkuk. The Lord is in his holy temple. His will is sovereign. Let everybody be silent before him.

Then you have chapter three. Yes. It doesn’t have lines. What? The dialogue of Habakkuk says, God says, like in my translation, it attaches verse 20 with what God has said. Either way, that’s the way this section ends. So whether God is saying or a backup saying it, this is what’s being affirmed.

Okay, so I didn’t necessarily mean the impression that we have the impression that the Vatican was the one saying this, but obviously he is submitting himself, which then is apparent in chapter three, which is his prayer or psalm. Chapter three is a prayer or psalm by Habakkuk, and chapter three is an elaboration of Habakkuk 2:4. What does it mean that the righteous shall persevere in faithfulness? What does it mean that the righteous shall live by faith and persevere in faithfulness? Chapter three describes what it means.

Chapter 3:2-13 is a description of the glory of God in his coming wrath, his coming judgment. Verse two: Lord, I’ve heard the report of you and your work. O Lord, do I fear. In the midst of the years, revive it; in the midst of the years, make it known; in wrath, remember mercy, because God is coming in Jesus.

² O Lord , I have heard the report of you, and your work, O Lord , do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy. (Habakkuk 3:2, ESV)

That’s what he said in Chapter 1: I’m raising up the Babylonians. Chapter 3 describes that. It describes the judgment that’s going to come in. The Babylonian army comes to Jerusalem, and Habakkuk is waiting.

He’s waiting for what we saw at the end of chapter two. He’s waiting for the crowd to get theirs, which he mentions in verse 16.

16 …Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us. (Habakkuk 3:16, ESV)

What’s going to come first is the chaos of the Babylonian army destroying Jerusalem. That’s what’s described in essence in verses 17 through 19.

¹⁷ Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, (Habakkuk 3:17, ESV)

I mean, that’s what’s going to happen. The siege, the fall of Babylon, their whole life is going to fall apart, the judgment of God, the Babylonian army coming against Jerusalem. But here you have Habakkuk 2:4: I will rejoice in the Lord. I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord is my strength. He makes my feet like the deer’s. He makes me tread on high places, difficult terrain.

¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the Lord ; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. ¹⁹ God , the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. (Habakkuk 3:18-19, ESV)

The deer walks on difficult terrain, but ultimately the high places signify victory for those who trust in the Lord and who persevere in faithfulness.

So this chapter three is an acknowledgement that the speaker accepted God’s response and was willing to persevere in the midst of a very, very difficult situation.

This audio lecture is brought to you by RTS on iTunesU at the virtual campus of Reformed Theological Seminary.

To listen to other lectures and to access additional resources, please visit us at itunes rts.edu. For additional information on how to take distance education courses for credit towards a fully accredited Master of Arts in Religion degree, please visit our website at virtual rts.edu.