Habakkuk 3

Habakkuk 3:3-15

It is here here the prophet’s prayer. 1. He earnestly begs of God to relieve and favour his people in affliction, ver. 2. He calls to mind the experiences which the church formerly had of God’s policies and precious appearances on her behalf, when he brought Israel out of Egypt, and conducted them free to Canaan, ver. 3-10. 3. He with a holy concern regards the prophet trunks of his church, but encouraged himself and others to hope that the issue will be comfortable and glorious at the left, though all visible means fail, ver. 10-19.

1. A Prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Sigi-onoth. 2. O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, I revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.

v. 1, 2. This chapter is called a prayer of Habakkuk the prophet; it is drawn up like David’s plains, and suited for the service of the sanctuary, to be sung upon Sigi-onoth, probably the musical instrument which accompanied it.

1. The prophet acknowledges the notices of his will, which God had given him, and the impression they made upon him. O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid; because of the sad tidings concerning the defecations of his people, which affected him exceedingly.

2. He cries on their behalf, that God would manifest his favour to them in the time of their distress. O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years; give the people some tokens of regard before the captivity ends, or revive the work of grace among them, which cannot but comfort and support them. In the midst of the years make known thy joys, providence, and love: in wrath remember mercy, and shew them some signs of reconciliation, that they may not sink into despair. Nate, (1.) The work of grace in a believer’s heart sometimes appears decaying, his spirit lifeless, and he feels abundant cause to cry, Revive thy work, O Lord! (2.) When we are filtered up to cry to God, whatever wrath our souls appear to be under, there is then good hope of mercy in store for us.

3. ‘God came from Teman, and the holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. 4. And do brightenest was as the light, he had horns coming out of his hand, and there was the hiding of his power. 5. Before him went the pethlenece, and burning coals went forth at his feet. 6. He stood and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove afunder the nations, and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting. 7. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble. 8. Was the LORD displeased against the rivers? was thine anger against the rivers? was thy wrath against the sea, that ’thou didst ride upon thine horses, and thy chariots of salvation? 9. Thy bow was made quite naked, according to the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. ‘Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers. 10. The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by the deep uttered his voice, and lift up his hands on high. 11. The son and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear. 12. Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger. 13. Thou wrenest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine a-nointed: thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah. 14. ‘Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to ‘devour the poor secretly. 15. ‘Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, through the heap of great waters.

The prophet, as the encouragement of his faith, remembers the days of old, and mentions the past deliverances God had wrought for his people, as a plea for present help.

1. He had appeared to them on Sinai, with most magnificent displays of his greatness and glory. He was seen advancing in majesty from afar, from Teman and Paran, whilst the heavens shone with his brightness, and earth rang with his praise, or was full of his light, v. 3. as the son he shone; he had horns, or beams, coming out of his hand, or fairs; begirt around with irradiation: and there was the hiding of his power; a little of his glory appeared; the far greater part was hid; for the greatness of his power who can understand?

2. He sent his messengers before him, to prepare the way of his people. Before him went the pethlenece, and burning coals went forth at his feet; when Egypt fell his plagants, or when the Canaanites were by his judgments consumed and weakened, in order to their final defecations. He stood and measured the earth; dividing the land of Canaan among the tribes, and with a look expelled the inhabitants. The mighty sons of Anak, strong as the everlasting mountains, were scattered and broken; and all the nobles and princes of the land, who thought their possessions were as the perpetual hills, and been before the God of Israel: for his ways are everlasting, nor can any of the sons of men frustrate his

his decrees, or stay his arm. With panic fears the neighbouring nations of Midian and Cushan, v. 7. beheld and trembled, left to them also the desolations should extend: so easily can God dismay the mightest.

3. When the Red Sea was divided, and Jordan driven back, it seemed as if the very rivers affrighted fled from his displeasure; whilst, as the captain of Israel’s host, he rode triumphant through the parted waters, and led them on horses and chariots of salvation, v. 8. walking securely along through the bed of the Red Sea, v. 15. The overflowing streams, 7th, iii. 15, passed by, resting on either side: the deep watered his boars, and left up his hands on high; roaring as it fled, and heaping up on either side a watery wall, that reached to the skies.

4. His rivers cleaved the earth, v. 9. when in the barren wilderness the stony rock at his command poured forth a torrent of waters, following Israel’s camp through all their journeys in that dry and barren land.

5. To give Israel an opportunity to destroy their enemies, the sun and the moon stood still in their habitation, Iod. x. 13. At the light of those arenas they went, and at the shining of the glittering spear; God himself fought for them, and directed them in the pursuit of their routed foes. The two was made quite naked, to consume their enemies, according to the oaths of the tribes, even the word, having sworn to their fathers to give them this land for an heritage. From one end of Canaan to the other did the Lord, as the leader of Israel’s army, march in indignation against the wickedness of the inhabitants, and threshed them in anger, as corn in the floor, v. 12. Thus won’t forth for the salvation of the people, even for salvation with those anointed: affixing and shren, shining his divinely appointed generals, Moses, Aaron, and Joshua: thus wounded the head out of the houses of the wicked, the princes of Canaan, by discovering the foundation, utterly destroying their cries and the inhabitants, unto the neck; the whole body politic, with all the members of it, being cut in pieces. Thus drift thrice through with his fakes the head of his villages; turning their own arms against them, and ruining the country throughout. Their rejoicing was as to devour the poor fiercely; they were confident of victory over God’s poor people; or this was a part of their crimes which provoked these judgments of God against them.

Some suppose the whole of this section refers to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the flesh, his erection of his spiritual kingdom in the world, the subdual of sin, Satan, death, and hell before him, and especially his coming at the latter day for the destruction of the antichristian powers; of all which, his appearances for his people in time past no doubt were typical; and we may, in every time of our distress and trouble, as confidently hope to see this great salvation of God, as ever Israel experienced his salvation from their enemies of old.

16. When I heard, my belly trembled: my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, + that I might rest in the

day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will I invade them with his troops. 17. Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labour of the olive shall fail, and the field, shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: 18. Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19. The Lord GOD is my strength and he will make my feet like, hinds, feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief finger on my stringed instruments.

Habakkuk 3:16-19

The tidings of distress which the prophet heard concerning the people of God, though there was hope in the end, affected him deeply.

1. When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice; overpowered with fear and dismay: rottenness entered into my bones; his whole frame seemed as disloyal: I trembled in myself, at the desolations he beheld; that I might rest, or notwithstanding I shall rest in the day of trouble; he safe under the divine protection, and delivered from the evil, though he plainly foresaw, that when he cometh up unto the people, when the Chaldeans with their king come up, he will invade them, or cut them a piece with his troops. Note, (1.) Holy souls tremble at God’s word, and with awful apprehensions look forward to the wrath ready to be revealed from heaven. (2.) God’s people are enabled to exercise faith in him in the worst of times, and they shall be hid in the day of his fierce anger.

2. Notwithstanding every discouraging circumstance, his faith triumphs in the God of his salvation. He supposes the worst of calamities that can happen; that drought, blasting malice, or the ravages of an enemy, destroy their vines, fig-trees, and olives; that pestilence and famine devour the cattle, so that the barren fields are quite forsaken, v. 18. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. And thus can a faithful soul under the loss of every earthly comfort rejoice in Christ Jesus, in the present experience of his grace, and the assured expectation of his glory; a joy which the world can neither give nor take away. The Lord God is my strength, when every other help fails, and upheld by his everlasting arms, our present and eternal salvation is secured to us; he will bring us safe through all our trials, and none shall pluck us out of his hand: and he will make my feet like hinds feet, firm, and swift to run the way of his commandments, amidst every difficulty and danger: and he will make me to walk upon my high places; victorious over every foe, as every believer shall shortly be, when he cometh to the mount of God in glory. Thus ends the prophet’s prayer, with assured faith, and joyful hope; and he hath left it upon record, directed to the chief finger on the stringed instruments, to teach God’s people in all their trials never to cease from prayer and praise; but, rejoicing in hope, to expect with humble confidence the final, full, and eternal salvation of God.

THE