Habakkuk 3:1-7 - I have heard of your fame

3:1

This final chapter has the appearance of a psalm. Indeed, 3:1 and 3:19 include musical terms normally associated with psalms. “Shigionoth” is such a term, “selah” also occurs in v 3, 9 and 13. This psalm, or prayer of praise, comes after Habakkuk’s complaints to God, and God’s response. If we just bottle up our frustrations or lack of comprehension we will never fully praise God. If instead, we are open with God, but knowing that it is us who need to change, not Him, then we will reach far deeper levels of praise and faith than if we just pretend to trust God.

3:2

Remember the situation Habakkuk was in. He was a prophet, so he knew of the things that God had done in the past. Yet in his day he looked at the nation of Israel and saw little apart from disobedience and lack of faith. He looked at the nations and saw nothing better. He now stands before God in faith and calls on God to make His presence felt in this day. He also calls on God to have mercy as well as wrath.

3:3-7

Teman and Mount Paran were both in Edomite territory, and is reminiscent of God helping Israel in the Exodus and subsequent conquest. Habakkuk is looking back to the times spoken of in v2 when he says “I have heard of your fame”. Habakkuk is expecting God to act once again on Israel’s behalf. God came in great power and glory and rescued Israel.

Plague and pestilence were used in the signs against Pharaoh, but they were also used against Israel herself when she sinned against God. As the people of God we need to follow the ways of God, otherwise we put ourselves in great danger. The Lord came with power and the earth trembled.

“I saw ...” Habakkuk is now expecting God to act again. At the start of this book he had been complaining that God was doing nothing, now his faith has been restored and he fully expects God to act. God works by producing faith within a man or woman, for faith is evidence of what is to come. As the KJV says “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb 11:1). Faith that comes from God, and is founded on His word (as opposed to the vain imaginations of men) is what will come first before the outworking of God’s plan. It is how He will often work in our lives. We so often want to see the reality first, but God’s way is to produce faith in us, then the manifestation of that faith will take effect.