Agere Sequitur Esse

Habakkuk

Book of Habakkuk

Notes.. .

. ..Introduction. By Habakkuk to show that God is still in control of the world despite the apparent triumph of evil. People are Habakkuk and the Chaldeans. The place is Judah.
. ..Themes. Struggle and Doubt, God’s Sovereignty, and Hope.
. ..Outline. “Why would a good God who controls the world also allow the righteous to suffer and the wicked to prosper” (William Seay 2019, L14 24:16–24:22).
. ..Application. “For Habakkuk, the righteous shall live by faithfulness or moral steadfastness. We can live with the assurance that God will come to our aid to achieve His goals. Righteousness will triumph even though wickedness oftentimes seems to go unchecked. We are encouraged to trust God and wait” (Seay 2019, L14 29:37–30:04).
. ..Timeline. Habakkuk becomes a prophet in 612. King Josiah dies in 609. Daniel was taken captive to Babylon in 605. Ezekiel becomes a captive of Babylon and Hezekiah becomes king in 597. Habakkuk’s ministry ends 589.

Introduction. 22:00 – The purpose is to show that God is still in control of the world despite the apparent triumph of evil. The author is Habakkuk. It was written to Judah, the southern kingdom, and God’s people everywhere. The key people are Habakkuk and the Chaldeans. The key place is Judah.

Themes. 22:40 – There are three major theological themes. (i) Struggle and Doubt. Habakkuk asked God why the people of Judah were not being punished for their sin. He could not understand why a just God would allow such evil to exist. God promised to use the Babylonians to punish Judah. When Habakkuk cried out for answers in his time of struggle, God answered him with Words of hope. (ii) God’s Sovereignty. Habakkuk asked God why He would use the wicked Babylonians to punish His people. God said that He would also punish the Babylonians after they had fulfilled His purpose. (iii) Hope. God is a creator. He is all-powerful. He has a plan and will carry it out. He will punish sin. He is our strength and place of safety. We can have confidence that He will love us and guard our relationship with Him forever.

Outline. 24:05 – Why would a good God who controls the world also allow the righteous to suffer and the wicked to prosper? It sounds a lot like Ps. 73. God knew His people would fail Him but why did God use the Chaldeans as an instrument of chastisement? Habakkuk argued with God that a wicked Judah was more righteous than a wicked Babylonia or Chaldea. Habakkuk may have been a contemporary of Jeremiah during the time of Judah’s decline. The reference to the Chaldeans, they were the Babylonians, as God’s raising point and all probably to the last quarter of the seventh century BC. During that time, Babylonia reasserted her independence and replaced Assyria as the dominant power in western Asia.

The Book of Habakkuk begins in dialogue form. The prophet uttered a complaint and God answered promising an even worse situation. Again, the prophet complained. God responded in a vision assuring salvation The Psalm of chapter 3 consisted of a description of God’s coming judgement and an assertion of utter faith in God’s goodness in spite of adversity. Habakkuk and his people posed honest questions as they struggled to understand and trust God.

The Book of Habakkuk is designed to answer these three questions: (i) How could God use such a wicked instrument as the Chaldeans to execute His purpose? (ii) Could the divine purpose be justified in such events? (iii) Why do the wicked seem to triumph while the righteous suffer?

God’s government is moral. The prophet was practical rather than philosophical in dealing with his defense of God’s goodness and omnipotence in view of the existence of evil. He learned that God is moral in relation with His universe. In the outcome, God will turn the worst to a good end. This does not completely solve the problem of suffering and evil, but it provides a part of the right response to a harsh reality. God’s just government of His world may not be immediately apparent to us, in the long run, it will become apparent. Meanwhile, God calls His people to fidelity through good or evil times until God’s day shall fully come. Tyranny is suicide. Evil carries in it, the seeds of its own destruction. Greed and pride will eventually lead to a realization that peoples’ labor is only fuel for the fire and the affairs of nations, a law of retribution is assumed. The [ ] songs in chapter 2 give a total picture of self-destruction.

The righteous live by faith. Faithfulness is steadfast and trustworthiness. The righteous are not morally perfect but persistently faithful even amidst present perils and perplexities. The righteous will live, prosperous, successful permanent lives. The meaning of live carries the germs of belief in future life. Thus, being both qualitative and quantitative. This decoration of faith is recorded by Paul who asked to the meaning in Romans 1 and Galatians 3 of this important truth.

Application. 28:50 – The Book of Habakkuk is relevant to us today since injustice and violence so often plague Christians. The fact of life do not always agree with traditional teachings about God. Our question, like the prophet’s, is why God seems to be inactive when difficulties occur. This question should be directed to God and not against Him. Out of our doubts we may afford a new belief in the character of the infinite and then discover the grace of God which is sufficient. For Habakkuk, the righteous shall live by faithfulness or moral steadfastness. We can live with the assurance that God will come to our aid to achieve His goals. Righteousness will triumph even though wickedness oftentimes seems to go unchecked. We are encouraged to trust God and wait. Take a look back, God will do right in the government of the whole wide world. The concluding verse of the book expresses true faith of one in fellowship with God. This magnificent passage echoes the thought of Habakkuk 2:4. In spite of all loses, a true believer rests in the Lord and waits patiently for Him, strengthened to walk on higher ground.

Timeline. 30:40 – Habakkuk becomes a prophet in c. 612 BC. King Josiah dies in battle in c. 609 BC. Daniel was taken captive to Babylon in c. 605 BC. Ezekiel, a captive of Babylon and Hezekiah becomes king in c. 597. Habakkuk’s ministry ends in c. 589 BC.

Ref.

Seay, William. 2019. Old Testament Theology [MP3