Habakkuk
So, how do you pronounce “Habakkuk?” Do you say, Ha-BACK-uck? Or do you say, HAB-a-cuck? I find myself going “back” and forth. Get it?
Little is known about the prophet, Habakkuk, other than he lived near the end of the Kingdom of Judah, when God’s people were on the moral downward spiral that led to the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B. C. and the exile of many of her inhabitants.
Habakkuk’s prophecy, however, is unlike the prophecies of others, who predicted the coming judgments for Israel and the nations around her. The book of Habakkuk is, instead, a conversation with God. Well, actually, it’s less a conversation and more a “gripe session.” Here’s how the book is organized: complaint → answer → complaint → answer → prayer.
Habakkuk wonders, “How long, O Lord, until you punish the wicked in Judah?” God responds, in essence, “Just watch and wait; the Babylonians are coming to execute judgment.” Habakkuk’s second complaint follows, “Why use a wicked nation to punish your people’s wickedness?” God responds, “Don’t worry; they will be punished, too.”
Habakkuk’s closing prayer is one of the greatest prayers of faith ever uttered. Read it, and you’ll see!
Your fellow pilgrim through the prophets,
Pastor Gary
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