Introduction

The book of Habakkuk was written in the period of the campaigns of the Chaldeans[1] against Judah[2], around 600 BC.
The book is composed of a dialogue between the prophet Habakkuk and God, of complaints, of a vision of God’s sovereignty and of a final trustful prayer.
“... a number of commentators have argued that the book may have been kept deliberately vague about historical detail so that it could be found relevant in a number of situations.” [3]
In this essay it is assumed that in the original context; Habakkuk’s complaints in 1:2-4 are about Judah’s sin, the wicked oppressors of 1:5-17 are the Chaldeans and the righteous are the faithful remnant of Judah (1:4, 2:4).[4]
Emerging from a period of deep distress, this book’s main theological themes are of great value to the Christian faith. In this essay I will look at six of these themes: the prayer of lament, the character of God, faith, righteousness & life, the patience of the believer, the fear of God and the joy in the midst of darkness.

Prayer of lament
“O Lord, how long…?”[5] This cry of the prophet comes from his wrestle with the seeming inactivity of God when his people need him most. Habakkuk saw around him horrors in Judah, the righteous outraged by the wicked and justice perverted.[6] In verse 3 Habakkuk expresses his great trouble.[7] Is God really on the throne? Has he lost control over history? Is he still holy and loving? God seems deaf to his prayer.
It is good to be reminded that God sometimes hides[8] and does not answer immediately. Even great prophets had to wait for him to talk. By this, God teaches man to walk by faith and to search for him.
Habakkuk is honest, fully human and fully himself before God. His prayer came from the depths of his heart (1:2-4, 12-17).
“Christian worship tends to be all triumph, all good news. And what does that say to those who, at the moment, know nothing of triumph?” [9] There should maybe be a place for such cries as those of Habakkuk in Christian worship.

Character of God
We can draw some of God’s character through the verses 5 to 17 of the first chapter. Verse 12 tells us that God is everlasting and that he uses the Chaldeans to manifest his judgements. God is just and what he has promised, he will accomplish. If the people of Israel were to be unfaithful, God would remove his hands from above them and punish them[10]. God can not tolerate sin. Verse 13 reinforces that God is holy and uncompromising and Israel was called to be holy like God.[11] Habakkuk is however surprised that God uses such an unholy instrument to exercise his judgements.
In his answer to Habakkuk (1:5-11), God does not indicate that the righteous and the wicked would be treated differently. No assurance or comfort is given to the prophet. God is sovereign above the righteous and the wicked. His sovereignty his revealed again clearly in verse 20.

Faith, righteousness & life
Paul has used the verse 4 of chapter 2 of Habakkuk’s book for an important theme of his theology.[12] The justification by faith versus the justification by the observance of the Jewish law is one of his central themes.[13] Paul’s point is that life is given to the man who through faith is accounted righteous. However in the original context, verse 4 seemed to indicate rather how the righteous was to live (by faith) than where the justification came from (faith). Paul quotes verse 4 in the former sense in Hebrew 10:38.
The righteous in the context of the Old Testament was one who showed compassion towards the oppressed[14] and who did his possible to build a just society. By doing that he would live. But, like verse 5 stipulates, the one who ignores that would naturally run to his ruin.
Someone faithful regards God as absolutely trustworthy and commits himself to God without reserve. The one who by faith would perseveringly live a righteous life, would have this wholeness and everlasting life.

Patience of the believer
The attitude of Habakkuk is one of patience. On two occasions, the prophet says that he will wait. He will wait to hear God’s answer (2:1) and wait for the fulfilment of God’s prophecy (3:16).
God when he addresses Habakkuk gives him the warning to be patient (2:3). The believer is often in a middle position between what he knows God has done in the past and what is promised for the future. Habakkuk knew that God had delivered his people from the Egyptians in the past and now had received this promise that ultimately, the righteous would conquer.[15] But he had to live in this interim period where he saw the righteous being trampled and the wicked prosper.
Maybe the right prayer in such a situation is the one of Habakkuk that says (3:2), “Now Lord, do again in our times the great deeds you used to do.”

The fear of God
Verses 3:2-3 and 3:16 testify of the fear of God that Habakkuk experienced. After he has had a revelation of what will happen and a vision of God’s power, his lips quiver, his body goes limp, and his feet stumble beneath him. Habakkuk is shocked to have learned what will happen to his people and to the Chaldeans, but he is also shaken by his encounter with the Almighty.[16] His fear is real but does not make him run away from God. Because he knows who God is, his fear draws him closer to God so that he can say, “I will wait quietly”.

Joy in the darkness
The last two verses of the book reveal Habakkuk’s decision to rejoice whatever will come: famine, poverty, death (v. 17). The circumstances may not change but his attitude toward the circumstances has changed. His focus is now on the Giver and no more on the gifts. He can be confident in God who will give him the patience and the strength to be able to cope in his present time. Habakkuk understands the transcendence and imminence of God. He can rejoice because Adonai, the covenant Lord is close; he is not alone. He can rejoice because God is Jehovah, his strength and Master. And finally he can rejoice because God is his salvation.
In spite of present sufferings, Habakkuk has this hope that one day the earth would be as full of knowledge of the Lord’s glory as the seas are full of water (2:14).

Conclusion
The book of Habakkuk assumes that God is active in history and absolutely holy. He judges Judah (1:5-17) but will also judge the Chaldeans (2:6-19). God is sovereign, he doesn’t tolerate sin and works in his own time. However, his salvation will walk hand in hand with his judgement (3:18).
Like Habakkuk, Christians are not sheltered from sicknesses, failures and persecutions but they are offered patience and God’s strengthening. In their waiting they should be eagerly expectant to see God’s promise fulfilled[17] but also humble and not too easily dogmatic about what will happen. “Rejoice whatever happens”; this is the decision that Habakkuk took, who had learned what it meant to live by faith.

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[1] Another name for the Babylonians
[2] See Habakkuk 1:6
[3] Mason R., 1994, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Joel, Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1994, p. 68
[4] See arguments concerning the unity of the book in Mason R., 1994, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Joel, Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1994, p. 66-79
[5] See Habakkuk 1:2
[6] See Habakkuk 1:4
[7] Goldsmith M., 1982, Habakkuk & Joel, London: Marshalls Paperbacks, 1982, p. 17 “… the Christian ought to experience God’s clearly miraculous answers to prayer every day. This sounds very spiritual, but actually is both unbiblical and also highly dangerous…”
[8] See Isaiah 45:15
[9] Kelley, P., 1984: Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Tennessee: Brodman Press, 1984, p. 73
[10] See similarity between Habakkuk 1:8 and Deuteronomy 28:46.
[11] See Deuteronomy 26:19
[12] And later by the reformers
[13] See Galatians 3:11, Roman 1:17, Philippians 3:9,
[14] The poor, the orphan, the widow and the stranger
[15] See Habakkuk 2:4
[16] See similar experience of Moses (Exodus 3:6), Isaiah (Isaiah 6:5) or Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:24)
[17] For example: Christ ’second return