Habakkuk Introduction

Timeline of the Prophets

Jonah – 820-804 B.C. – spoke to the Assyrians

Amos – 810-785 B.C. – spoke to the northern kingdom

Joel – 800 B.C. – spoke to the southern kingdom

Hosea – 785-725 B.C. – spoke to the northern kingdom

Micah – 749-722 B.C. – spoke to the northern kingdom

Isaiah – 740-681 B.C. – spoke to the southern kingdom

722 B.C.: Northern Kingdom of Israel destroyed by the Assyrians

Nahum – 661-612 B.C. – spoke to the Assyrians

Zephaniah – 630 B.C. – spoke to the southern kingdom

Habakkuk – 610-599 B.C. – spoke to the southern kingdom

Jeremiah – 625-582 B.C. – spoke to the southern kingdom

605, 597, 586 B.C.: Jerusalem is attacked in three waves and ultimately destroyed by the Babylonians

Daniel – 605-534 B.C. – spoke to captives in Babylon

Ezekiel – 592-570 B.C. – spoke to captives in Israel

Obadiah – 585 B.C. – spoke to the Edomites

539 B.C.: Babylon is conquered by Cyrus, and Jews allowed to return to Jerusalem

 

Haggai – 520 B.C. – spoke to the returned exiles of Babylon

Zechariah – 518 B.C. – spoke to the returned exiles of Babylon

Malachi – 430-400 B.C. – spoke to the returned exiles of Babylon

 

Author

Little is known of Habakkuk. The apocryphal book titled “Bel and the Dragon,” a source not trusted for its historical accuracy, tells of Habakkuk being dragged by the hair of his head to take food to Daniel while Daniel was in the lion’s den—most likely a spurious story. 

Some place Habakkuk’s ministry contemporarily with Ezekiel and Daniel, while others have him ministering before captivity and contemporarily with Jeremiah. Because he predicted the Babylonian invasion (1:6), he certainly lived before that event, but how far is unknown. 

Key events Habakkuk could have witnessed were the destruction of Nineveh by Babylon in 612 B.C., Josiah’s death in battle in 612 B.C., the complete overthrow of the Assyrians at Carchemish in 605 B.C., and possibly the fulfillment of his prophecy concerning Babylon’s invasion of Jerusalem. It is possible Habakkuk could have been one of the exiles taken to Babylon. 

For the purpose of this review, I place him as a witness to all of the above events.

 

Message

Habakkuk questioned the very justice and equity of Yahweh. Judah assumed, like every other nation, that it was too good for God to allow for its destruction at the hands of nations far more wicked. Habakkuk’s message was therefore met with immense skepticism. It is easy to watch the transformation of Habakkuk from skeptical to trusting in Yahweh’s justice and sovereignty. 

Habakkuk foretold the punishment and downfall of Judah at the hands of the Chaldeans. Then, Habakkuk’s message moved to include the ultimate punishment of Babylon.

Habakkuk revealed the truth that during trials and troubles, those in a right relationship with Yahweh live because their relationship is built on faith. 

 

Prophecies

Throughout the book, Habakkuk’s prophecies include:

  • Babylonian expansion throughout the Near East (1:5-11)

  • Babylonian invasion of Judah and the doom of Jerusalem (1:12; 3:14-16)

  • The New Heavens and the New Earth (2:14)

  • The ultimate doom of Babylon (2:6-13, 15-19; 3:16)

 

Audience 

Habakkuk never addressed Judah directly, but his book was a dialogue between himself and Yahweh. Habakkuk watched Judah’s rapid moral decline after the death of Josiah and was troubled. 

Even more troubling to Habakkuk was God’s response to Judah’s decline—destruction at the hands of a nation more wicked than Judah. Habakkuk could hardly get his mind around the idea that God would use a nation more wicked than Judah to judge Judah, and then, after the more wicked nation was used by God in judgment, Yahweh would judge the judging nation. Habakkuk had to work through this difficult aspect of God’s justice. 

In the end, Habakkuk trusted in God’s decision and worshiped Him as being just in His judgment and merciful in causing people of faith to live and thrive through difficult times.   

 

Outline 

  • Habakkuk’s First Prayer and Yahweh’s Response (1:1-11)

    • Habakkuk’s Prayer: “God, You Don’t Seem to Care” (1:1-4)

    • Yahweh’s Response: “You Won’t Believe What I Am Doing” (1:5-11)

  • Habakkuk’s Second Prayer and Yahweh’s Response (1:12-2:20)

    • Habakkuk’s Prayer: “God, Your Plan Won’t Work”  (1:12-2:1)

    • Yahweh’s Response: “I Do Not Change” (2:1-20)

  • Habakkuk’s Prayer: “Yahweh Will Save Us” (3:1-19)