Introduction to
Habakkuk
Overview
The book of Habakkuk consists of a series of dialogues between the prophet Habakkuk and God that wrestle with the issue of God’s justice. The prophet is initially challenged by the rise of violence within Judah and complains about it to God. God responds by saying he will raise up the Chaldeans (a Semitic people from Mesopotamia who came to dominate Babylon and thus are often referred to as Babylonians) as an instrument of judgment upon Judah, leading Habakkuk to complain that the solution seems worse than the initial problem. But God responds once more, summoning Habakkuk to faith (2:4). In light of this, the prophet proclaims a series of woe oracles (2:6–20), recognizing that God’s justice will ultimately be seen. Habakkuk’s own response, presented as a model for all, is then expressed in prayer in chapter 3. This prayer, drawing on many other parts of the OT, celebrates the fact that God comes in victory. Habakkuk is thus able to declare that he can rejoice in God in even the most trying circumstances, recognizing the certainty of God’s ultimate victory. Understanding that God’s victory will ultimately be seen, rather than focusing only on present circumstances, becomes the means of resolving Habakkuk’s questions regarding God’s justice.
Author
Nothing is known about Habakkuk other than that he was a prophet.
Considerable debate has focused on the question of whether or not chapter 3 is an integral part of the book. Its separate title (3:1) and colophon (3:19b) clearly mark it off from the rest of the book, and its archaic language is quite different from the first two chapters. Moreover, although commonly translated that way, the title (3:1) does not necessarily affirm that Habakkuk is the author. However, without chapter 3 the issue of God’s justice is left unresolved, whereas its inclusion allows this key matter to be brought to a close. Although the language is different, the extent of allusions to other parts of Scripture, and perhaps other ancient hymns, suggests that Habakkuk is intentionally reworking traditional material in this prayer in order to address the issues at hand. All in all, it seems likely that chapter 3 is an intentional part of the book and should be attributed to Habakkuk.
Date and Occasion
A near contemporary of Nahum, Habakkuk is writing perhaps only ten to twelve years later. Yet his is a startlingly different work. By his time, Nineveh (the main audience of Nahum’s ministry) had already fallen, and the final conflict between Babylon and Assyria was near. If he were writing after the Battle of Carchemish (605 BC), his fears must have been greatly clarified. By that time Babylon was clearly the major world power, having defeated the Assyrians and Egyptians, even if some of the details of how that would work out were still to be resolved. The few years’ difference between these two prophets (Nahum and Habakkuk) allows us to clarify their differing perspectives. Whereas Nahum could rejoice in the coming destruction of Nineveh, Habakkuk wrestles with the question of how to deal with a new power that seems no better than the previous one. All of this suggests that Habakkuk was most likely written between the final overthrow of Assyrian power at Carchemish in 605 and the invasion of Judah by Babylon in 597. It is the chaos of this period, with problems within Judah as well as pressure from without, that makes the issue of God’s justice so important.
Genre and Literary Features
Habakkuk is distinct from the other Prophetic Books in that it is predominantly composed of dialogues between the prophet and God. This is particularly evident in 1:1–2:5 and 3:1–19, but even the woe oracles of 2:6–20 are to be included in this dialogue. However, although the book does not contain the type of preaching most commonly found in the Prophetic Books, it is still presented as a word from God. It is as Habakkuk, “the prophet” (1:1; 3:1), wrestles with God in his dialogues, and ultimately in prayer, that this is also God’s Word to us.
Theology of Habakkuk
Understanding God’s justice is the central issue in Habakkuk. Faced with violence within Judah (1:3–4) and God’s promise to raise up the Chaldeans in response, Habakkuk struggles to understand how God can be just; how could he permit such abuses among and on his people? After all, if God is good, holy, and just, should not he keep his people from such experiences? Indeed, how could he use violence for his purposes? This seems to be central to the complaints Habakkuk makes in 1:2–4 and 1:12–2:1. The turning point is found in God’s response in 2:2–5, in which he summons Habakkuk to a life of faith, trusting that justice will be done even if its timing is unknown. It is in light of this that Habakkuk is able to declare woes on the oppressors (2:6–20) and offer his own prayer as an expression of that faith (3:1–19), knowing it is possible to rejoice in God no matter the circumstances.
Relationship to the Rest of the Bible and to Christ
Habakkuk 2:4 is a crucial verse for the NT, cited twice by Paul (Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11) and once in Hebrews (Heb. 10:37–38). None of these citations exploits the whole of this verse, but they show that the faith summoned from Habakkuk is both a commitment to God and a life lived in light of that commitment. Yet the significance of Habakkuk for the NT is wider than this. Paul’s declaration that he could do all things through Christ (Phil. 4:10–13) draws on Habakkuk 3:16–19, while the announcement of Christ’s final victory (Rev. 19:11–21) draws on themes developed in Habakkuk 3:2–15.
Preaching from Habakkuk
Although only a short book, there is much in Habakkuk that should be explored by preachers. It can easily be addressed in three or four sermons by those wishing to expound the whole book and its key themes. Preachers will need to attend to the book’s particular literary form and recognize that, although it is finally a prophetic work, its constituent parts have more in common with various psalms. There is one key temptation that should probably be avoided: focusing only on the book’s conclusion (3:16–19). Although it is an attractive text, the conclusion emerges from a book where each part builds on what has gone before, and congregations need to appreciate how this conclusion derives from a serious engagement with the issues of God’s justice if they are to appreciate just how radical it is.