June 3, 2023
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Habakkuk? Here’s today’s reading:
Habakkuk 3 (NIV)
Habakkuk’s Prayer
1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.
2 Lord, I have heard of your fame;
I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.
Repeat them in our day,
in our time make them known;
Habakkuk 3
Habakkuk 3, The Lord God is good. 3:18 We too can joy in the God of our salvation!
Prophet writings are difficult to follow, is it only me? When I wrap my brain around one or two verses, and think I got it understood, the next verse throws me for a loop! There is more to Habakkuk than the last three days can reveal, perhaps I’ll revisit it later. Micah too. -gy
Habakkuk 3
After his conversation with God, Habakkuk seems to end with a solemn prayer/praise to God. A desire to see change and things restored to a time when the people were obedient and following God despite where things are now. He had a heavy message for the people and this prayer showed his praise of God for the amazing creator and His ability to do ALL things and his trust in God to provide and know the plan even when Habakkuk himself may not see or understand it!
Some key verses that stood out to me were verse 3b [His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise.] And verse 6c [ His ways are everlasting.] His person and glory will be forever and we will rejoice in Him forever as believers. In the final verses from 17–19 Habakkuk states that no matter the troubles that he goes through he will trust in the Lord. And ends it with a joyful heart he will always joy in the salvation that God gave him. For God is his strength, and He will make his feet like hinds feet to walk upon high places. How often do we take our eyes off of the One who holds us and has the best for us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He sees our beginning and our end. He knows our very thoughts and indwells us. How can we not be grateful for His salvation for us/ That He desires for us to live godly lives in Him with His help. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. [ Romans 16;24 ]
I get what you are saying Gordon, but I always find so much to be edified by in what I do understand (usually) and then trust God for what I don’t understand and figure often that more time needs to go by for things to unfold in the way that Scripture defines. But what a chapter we have here. Habakkuk concludes in the way we all should who go back and forth with God and wonder why He is doing what He is doing and why He isn’t doing what He isn’t doing. It is the plight of finite humans engaging with an eternal God and how gracious He is to even give us the time of day. And yet He does. He knows we are but dust and still reaches out and makes Himself and His resources available. And as Habakkuk affirms at the beginning of the chapter, God is worthy of praise. He is worthy of recognition for all that He is and all that He has done. He has and will make things right. He will deal with the things of the earth and the nations just the way it should be done, with both wrath and mercy when appropriate. And this God who is worthy of praise is also worthy of faith…to trust Him to know and to do what is right and best for us. Habakkuk 3:16b-19 are some of my favorite verses in scripture. What a great truth to understand that regardless of what is going on in our lives there is always a reason to believe in someone better and truer, to be gladdened and to follow.
I couldn’t help but think of our state of being as believers when reading this chapter.
There are two kinds of fear – fear with reverence and awe and humility, and there is fear of wrath and destruction. It seems that Habakkuk sees wrath and asks God to remember mercy. He sees God’s power over all creation and in troops that God sends upon His enemies. He also seems to be internally confident (faith? belief?) that God has mercy towards him.
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills.
Looking at any end-times scriptures, we see Jesus coming in power and judgment. We see the plan of God’s wrath on the evil and the unbeliever. It strikes us with fear as well, but a reverent, awe-struck fear, not a fear of wrath.
“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” – Titus 2:11-14
Habakuk declares the Lord’s awesome power, glory, splendor, and mercy. He knows that calamity will overtake his nation and he is afraid; however, he resolves to stand firm in his faith. When there is no food to be had, he will rejoice in the Lord, be joyful in God his Savior, and know that God will give him the strength to withstand it. God will do the same for us as this world becomes more and more corrupt, violent and desolate by hostile nations and the forces of nature.