Introduction to Habakkuk
The Book of Habakkuk records God’s message through the prophet Habakkuk. Nothing definitive is known about Habakkuk, though many legends, including apocryphal references, exist. It is likely that Habakkuk lived during the time of the Babylonian conquest of Judah.
As with all Bible studies, commentaries or guided studies are useful resources to help keep the study on track. A good place to start is with the People’s Bible Commentary available from the Northwest Publishing House of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
BibleGatway.com is the source of the Bible references used in these Bible studies.
This study is part of the three-year Bible study available from the WELS and begun on 1 January 2006 on this weblog.
Context for Habakkuk 1:1-2:5
Habakkuk’s language is that of one of the faithful crying out for relief. He is surrounded by injustice, and he wonders when God’s salvation will come.
We have all been there, at that point where things seem so bad that there is almost no point in trying anymore. In our limited view of events and the future, everything seemed lost and hopeless.
The prophet Habakkuk seems to have been at a similar point when he appealed to God and received this prophecy. To Habakkuk’s view, the world was lost. Jerusalem and Judah had rejected God and the Babylonians were coming to destroy them. Habakkuk had to wonder how God would fulfill His promises when things were so bad.
Yet, in the depths of that despair, Habakkuk gives us a lesson for our own dark times. He called out to his God, and God answered Him. Of course, it is not likely that God will reveal His will to us through prophecy, however God does reveal Himself to us through His Word, and by our prayers He guides us back to His sure promises contained in those words.
And in that Word, we will find God’s sure revelation to us. From that Word, we will find both calm for our troubles and strength to endure until we reach our goal, the fulfillment of our faith in Heaven.
