Habakkuk 3

Habakkuk has questioned God’s use of the Chaldeans to judge Judah (Hab. 1); God has answered (Hab. 2); now Habakkuk falls in worship with a psalmic-prayer.  This is the form of the Psalms, including the instructions for the type of music to accompany it (Shigionoth, probably lively music according to Feinberg) and the accompanying Selah (v3,9,13) that is used 70 times in the Psalms, probably to call worshipers to special attention.

The prophet begins by recalling his fear, expressed in chapter 1, and then makes his basic request, that God would be merciful in His wrath (v2).  He knows as we should know that based on pure justice, the soul that sins should die, and the nation that rejects her God should be cast out.  But Habakkuk also has basis in the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:1-3) and the Song of Moses (Deut. 32) that God will not completely destroy His people.

Hab. 3:3-15 we believe speaks of a future deliverance of Israel that involves the coming of God Himself and is based in previous deliverances such as in the time of the Exodus and crossing of the Red Sea.  Again, Feinberg (p217) makes a case that v3 should read, God comes from Teman rather than God came.  We would maintain this is equivalent to Isa. 63:1-6, a Messianic passage that speaks of His coming from Edom when He comes to the take His stand on the Mount of Olives.  In Hab. 3:3 Teman is the capital city of Edom and Paran is that part of the Negev that is opposite Edom.  

The rest of v3 through v5 speaks of the manner of His coming, with glory and great power in judgment.  Verses 6-7 describe the effect of His coming as the nations tremble.  A further effect in v8-11 is that creation itself trembles.  His coming is accompanied by plagues in creation, a scenario that is given more detail in the plagues of Revelation 6, 8-9 and 15-16.  

In all this the question is raised, why does the LORD come with such power?   The answer is in v12-13.  It is not simply His wrath against the nations; it is the salvation of His people.  It is a deliverance like that when the people entered the land under Joshua (v13-15).  

What is the point of all this as far as Habakkuk is concerned?  Remember that God has said that the prophet must trust in God (2:4).  The predicted deliverance and the reminder of past deliverances are all encouragements to his faith.  He again calls to mind His fear at what is coming (v16) but affirms that no matter what happens and how difficult it is that he will rejoice in the LORD (v17-18).  It will be the LORD who enables him to have such a response.  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.  This is the place for Habakkuk.  And it is the place for God’s people in all times.  True to His word, He has wrought salvation by His Anointed (3:13).  The just shall live by his faith!