Habakkuk 3
THE prophet’s feelings, in view of these communications front God (chapters 1 and 2), are expressed in the prayer psalm with which this book closes. The precious fruit of an exercised heart, directed and developed by the Holy Spirit, is seen throughout these nineteen verses.
Habakkuk had been afraid, but now he is at rest; he understands that though judgment must be expended on the sons of Judah, the hand that God employs for that work will in turn be dealt with, and when Israel is restored, the Chaldean enemy will be no more.
Now he pleads for a revival: “Revive Thy work in the midst of the years!”— Wait not until that distant day of universal blessing (chapter 2:14)! — “In the midst of the years make it known! In wrath remember mercy!” Often have such prayers ascended to God, even repeating the very words of Habakkuk, in the past century, and He has granted precious measures of revival; but we long for fresh tokens of His love to the Church of God.
The prophet’s thoughts go back to that early day in Israel’s history, when “God came from Tetuan, and the Holy One from Mount Paran”; the localities mentioned were passed as the forty-year journey from Egypt to Canaan neared its end. Then the enemies who disputed the way were defeated, for God was with His people.
The language used in verses 4 to 11 is poetical, but its meaning is quite plain; see the words of Rahab in Joshua 2:9-119And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you. 10For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. 11And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath. (Joshua 2:9‑11); and the utterances of Balaam in Numbers 23:22, 2322God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn. 23Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought! (Numbers 23:22‑23). Verses 11 and 12 relate to the conquest of Canaan under Joshua (see Joshua 10:12-1412Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. 13And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. 14And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel. (Joshua 10:12‑14)).
In verse 13, the second clause should be read, “for the salvation of thine anointed”, referring to Israel; and in the beginning of the next verse an altered reading is warranted: “Thou didst strike through with his own spears the head of his leaders.” We would on no account discredit the excellent “King James” translation in common use; it contains not a single serious error, but careful study of the oldest manuscripts has brought to light many small defects in the work of the faithful men who served as translators in 1611. In part these faults were due to the exact meaning of some Hebrew words and expressions, and even Greek ones, not then being understood.
The latter part of verse 16 should be read, “that I might rest in the day of trouble (or distress), when their invader (or he that rusheth in troops upon us) shall come up against the people.” It is the Chaldean conqueror; Habakkuk here mentions again his former fear as in verse 2, growing out of God’s first communication to him, in chapter 1.
Space forbids more than passing reference to verses 17-19, in which faith is seen to rise entirely above circumstances —the most discouraging, —and the saint rejoices in the Lord, the God of his salvation. It makes a glorious ending for this precious portion of the Word of God.
ML 06/13/1937