Redemption in Habakkuk

Habakkuk is unique among prophetic books. He does not address the nation but instead records his conversation with God and God's reply. Habakkuk was upset that evil was rampant in the land and it didn't seem that the Lord was doing anything about it. God responded, to Habakkuk's surprise, that He was bringing the Babylonians to punish His people. Habakkuk objected that God is too pure to approve of the evil of the Babylonians. God replied that He was bringing judgment on them as well as Judah.

The book is structured in three cycles: Habakkuk's first lament and God's response (1:2-11); the prophet's second lament and God's answer (1:12-2:20); Habakkuk's prayer of trust in response to God (3:1-19). In the last section, the prophet recalls God's mighty work in Israel's history and concludes that, even in God's judgment, he would trust Him.

Habakkuk's brief book concludes with one of the most powerful statements of faith in all of Scripture: “Even if the fig tree does not blossom, and there is no fruit on the vines, if the yield of the olive fails, and the fields produce no food, even if the flock disappears from the fold, and there are no cattle in the stalls, yet I will triumph in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like deer’s feet, and has me walk on my high places” (3:17–19). God redeems.

Ben