Overview of the Book of Habakkuk

Moore's Corner Church

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The overview of the week for this Sunday is the book of Habakkuk. The prophet wrote sometime in the 7th century

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BC before the Babylonian captivity and the theme of his prophecy has been described as a journey from doubt to faith.

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The book begins with the prophet questioning God. He couldn't figure out why

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God was or wasn't doing this or that. Basically, this was a period of moral decay in Jewish society.

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Violence and corruption were running rampant and the prophet wanted to know why,

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God, are you not doing anything about it? The book begins in chapter 1 verse 1.

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The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw. Oh Lord, how long shall

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I cry and you will not hear? Even cry out to you violence and you will not save.

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Why do you show me iniquity and cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me.

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There is strife and contention arises. Therefore, the law is powerless and justice never goes forth.

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For the wicked surround the righteous. Therefore, perverse judgment proceeds.

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So the prophet has this question. Lord, why are you not doing anything about all this iniquity in the nation?

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And the Lord responds, which leads to an even bigger question.

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The Lord tells the prophet that no, I am going to judge the nation of Judah and I'm going to do it by raising up the

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Chaldeans or the Babylonians. They are going to come in and conquer the Jews.

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And Habakkuk's response is, Lord, how can you do that? The Babylonians are even more wicked than the

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Jews are. So that didn't make any sense to the prophet. Of course, ultimately, God was going to judge the

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Babylonians as well. So this is what leads Habakkuk to have this dialogue with God.

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It really leads him to trust in God even more. The key verse of the book is chapter two, verse four, where the

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Lord says the just shall live by his faith.

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And that's what God ultimately was telling Habakkuk. You need to trust me. You need to trust me.

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This verse, the just shall live by his faith. The apostle Paul quotes this verse in both

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Romans and Galatians to back up his doctrine of justification by faith alone.

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So in conclusion, the book ends with chapter three, with a prayer and a hymn of faith.

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Habakkuk writes, though the fig tree may not blossom, nor the fruit beyond the vines, though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food, though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the