Habakkuk 3
Dear RTB’ers,
We are covering two STS assignments today to make up for one of the four we fell short last year.
Without the STS intro and my Study Bible I would have been lost in today’s reading. Habakkuk is using poetic environmental images to describe Israel’s escape from Egypt and entry into the Promised Land. The mountains saw You and writhed; the raging waters swept on; the deep gave forth its voice; it lifted its hands on high. The sun and moon stood still in their place at the light of Your arrows as they sped, at the flash of Your glittering spear. (vv. 10-11, as an example…)
We end Habakkuk with one of the strongest statements of faith that we will find in all of Scripture: Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. (vv. 17-18)
Finally, one more time, a call to wait: Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us. (v. 16b) Habakkuk has been told to expect the Babylonian invasion – it will happen. But in the end it is the Babylonians who will be defeated. In the end of all the trouble that we see around us, God will win out. Yes, wait.
Blessings!
See also: July 6 (2023) / Habakkuk (again).