Little is known about the prophet Habakkuk, whose name is only mentioned twice in Scripture (Hab. 1:1 and 3:1) and of whom no biographical information is given. His prophecy, set shortly before the time of the Babylonian captivity, is unique and interesting in that it includes a questioning of God and also a song in its final chapter.
The book opens in chapter 1 with Habakkuk questioning God: “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? Even cry out to You, ‘Violence!’ And You will not save” (verses 1-2). The theme is the familiar line of questioning found also in Psalm 37 and Psalm 73: wondering how long the wicked will “prosper.” The word “prosper” is in quotation marks here because although it sometimes seems as if the wicked prosper, in the end, their ways will surely lead to death (Pro. 14:12).
In verses 3 and 4, Habakkuk cites iniquity, trouble, plundering, violence, strife, contention, lawlessness, and lack of justice as evidence for the current plight of the land which prompted Habakkuk’s questioning. Readers in modern America cannot help but notice strong parallels to what is happening in our society today as well; thus, we might be tempted to ask similar questions as Habakkuk’s.
God’s reply to Habakkuk is found in verses 5 through 11. Essentially, God says that He is raising up a powerful nation, the Chaldeans (also known as the Babylonians), who in their military might would shortly bring judgment upon the land. Habakkuk then responds with a second line of questioning in verses 12 and following, asking, “Are You not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die.” Although Habakkuk recognizes that God had appointed the Chaldeans for judgment, he questions why the evil Chaldeans should be allowed to punish God’s people.
In verse 1 of chapter 2, Habakkuk states that he will await the Lord’s response, and Habakkuk’s open-mindedness to the Lord’s will is admirable. The Lord then responds by stating the surety of the impending judgment, including the famous declaration: “but the just shall live by his faith” (verse 4). In the remainder of chapter 2, the Lord then describes in great detail the calamity of the wicked, concluding in verse 20: “But the Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.” In other words, when the heathen nations rage, God is still in control and ultimately will bring punishment upon evil nations when punishment is due.
Chapter 3 is Habakkuk’s deeply poetic and prayerful song, acknowledging that Habakkuk has heard God’s message loud and clear. Of particular comfort are the imprecatory words of verses 12-13:
You marched through the land in indignation; You trampled the nations in anger. You went forth for the salvation of Your people, For salvation with your Anointed. …
Although wicked nations raging is the story of human history, Christians can take comfort in God’s salvation with His Anointed Messiah, Jesus Christ, leading the charge. In the words of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, “His truth is marching on!” The book of Habakkuk concludes with the utmost optimism: “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” (verses 18-19).