Overview of the Book of Habakkuk - Pillar of Truth Ministry

Chapter 1 & 2 – A Conversation between God and Habakkuk

He is raising up the Babylonians to destroy the Israelites because of their injustice and evil

Habakkuk:

Astonished and tells God that Babylon is worse than Israel
They are more corrupt
Violence — they treat humans like animals
They devour nations
He asks God: “How can You use a corrupt nation as Your instrument, and You are a good and holy God?”

Habakkuk 2:1

God’s Second Response (2:2–5):

God tells Habakkuk to take a tablet and write what he hears and sees (vision about an appointed time). Even though it is slow, it will come to pass
God says “The righteous will live by their faith”
In the future, God says He will bring Babylon down
Violence and cycles of oppression of the nations create a never-ending cycle of revenge
He will use this cycle to bring down the rise and fall of nations
Even though God used a corrupt kingdom, He does not endorse them

Habakkuk’s Complaint

Unjust economics (low wages, paid with debt)
Paid high interest to keep poor people in debt
Built their wealth in crooked ways
Slave labour — they treated humans as animals and with violence
Irresponsible leaders (they wasted people’s money in sex and drinking irresponsibly)
Idolatry — they made money, power, and national security into their gods

God’s Response

Habakkuk pleads with God to act now in the present as He has done in the past in bringing down corrupt nations (3:2)
God appears in power (3:3–7) — similar to Micah, Nahum, & Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19:20; Exodus 3:8–15)
Habakkuk describes the future exodus and how in the past God brought down corrupt nations
And God will bring Babylon’s just like He brought down Pharaoh

When God’s anointed one (3:13)

Habakkuk Concludes with Hopeful Praise