This is a summary of the Old Testament book of Habakkuk.
Main Idea
Habakkuk, astonished that God would use the evil Babylonians to judge his people, complains and laments, but finally prayerfully surrenders to the mysterious ways of God.
Explanation of Main Idea
Habakkuk is struggling because he sees all the evil in the land and it seems that God is silent. The Lord reveals that He is raising up the “ruthless and impetuous” (Hab. 1:6) Babylonians to “sweep across the whole earth” and bring His judgment. This doesn’t make sense to Habakkuk because God’s eyes “are too pure to look on evil” (Hab. 1:13) and the Babylonians are the epitome of evil!
The Lord tells Habakkuk to write down the vision, all is not lost because the righteous will live by faith (Hab. 2:2, 4). While still struggling, Habakkuk prays, letting God know that no matter what happens, he will rejoice in the Lord.
Purpose
The purpose of the book of Habakkuk is to reveal God’s holiness in spite of earthly evil and to show that He is sovereign in the affairs of nations. In fact, He directs, even evil people and nations to accomplish His purpose. Habakkuk also demonstrates that it is okay to have doubts, especially about God’s ways.
Leading Themes
- God uses evil
- While God is not the author of evil, He certainly is sovereign over it. Habakkuk teaches us that the evil happening in the world does not prevent His plan from being accomplished.
- The righteous will live by faith.
- The great Bible truth elaborated upon by Paul is mentioned here in Habakkuk. It is interesting that in the middle of a national crisis, Habakkuk is given a message of maintaining faith.
- No matter what happens, rejoice in the Lord.
- Habakkuk 3:17-19 is one of the most beautiful statements in all of Scripture. Nothing could be more disheartening than to watch the nation that you love disappear at the hands of a violent and ruthless people. Yet, because of the Lord, Habakkuk is able to by strong and joyful.
- Doubt and Prayer
- Habakkuk struggled. His heart is revealed in the first chapter: “How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?” (Hab. 1:2). We journey with him over the next two chapters until we see him pray and arrive at a place of joy and strength.
How Does This Relate To Us?
Every Christian, if they are honest, has been in Habakkuk’s shoes. We look at the problem of evil in our world. We doubt God’s involvement in our lives and in the big picture of what is happening. Habakkuk provides much needed certainty that God is involved in the world, even in the evil things that happen.
While all of our questions may never be answered, Habakkuk teaches us that, through prayer, we can say just like he did, “Though everything is going wrong, I will still rejoice and be strong in the Lord.”
Study Questions
Textual Questions
- Read Hab. 1:2-4. What do you think is Habakkuk’s root issue?
- Look at the beginning of Habakkuk’s prayer in Hab. 3:2. What does it mean to remember mercy in wrath? Do you think this is prayer that is appropriate for your context?
- How did God answer Habakkuk’s complaint in Hab. 1:2-4? Why do you think He did this?
Life Application Questions
- Look at Hab. 1:2. Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t do something about evil and injustice in the world? Why do you think this is the case?
- Notice that Habakkuk appeals to God’s character (Hab. 1:12-13). How can this help in your prayer life?
- What evil do you see in the world today that causes you to wonder what God is up to?
- Take your doubts to the Lord as you prayerfully read Hab. 3:17-19. Read it as many times as necessary.