Who is Habakkuk?
This minor prophet is the eighth of twelve and was a part of my daily Bible reading for the week. I had forgotten the power of the truth conveyed in this book until unleashing it upon my heart again a few days ago. We do not know much about the prophet except that he was probably a contemporary of Jeremiah during the decline of Judah.
In his book, Habakkuk laments the spiritual depravity of the nation and calls for God to revive the land. God responds by declaring that He will judge the sins by destroying the nation and sending the people into exile rather than by bringing revival. This is not the answer for which he had hoped. Habakkuk is visibly confused and questions the plan of God, which in his limited understanding makes no sense. The power of the book is brought to a culmination as God calls Habakkuk to trust in Him when things don't seem to make sense. He presses Habakkuk to have a deeper faith and so this prophet surrenders to God's plan in the midst of confusion. The last several verses tear at my soul as the prophet acknowledges that everything he loves is about to be taken away...the land will be stripped bare and the cities fall and the temple torn down and yet he chooses to praise God. Here is the summation of his surrender to God as found in Habakkuk 3:16b-19:
"I must wait quietly for the day of distress,
for the people to arise who will invade us.
Though the fig tree should not blossom
and there be no fruit on the vines,
though the yield of the olive shall fail
and the fields produce no food,
though the flock should be cut off from the fold
and there be no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will exult in the Lord,
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength,
and He has made my feet like hinds' feet
and makes me walk on my high places."
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May we always remember that although the Lord may allow difficulty to come, He will strengthen us through it. He is our salvation and even when we walk among the rough precipices of life our feet will fall on solid ground. Praise the Lord!
posted by Eric @ 9:50 AM
2 Comments:
Amen Eric. Good post.
A very good post Eric.
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