Habakkuk is a unique prophetic book in the form of a dialogue between the prophet and God. Troubled by the injustice and evil in Judah, Habakkuk questions why God seems inactive. God responds by revealing His plan to use the Babylonians as judgment but also assures that evil will not go unpunished and that the righteous will live by faith. The book ends with a powerful prayer of trust and worship.
Background
Author: Habakkuk
Audience: The people of Judah
Date: 612–589 BC (shortly before Babylon’s rise and Judah’s fall)
Location Written: Judah
Context: Judah was filled with corruption, violence, and spiritual decline. Habakkuk wrestled with how God could allow such wickedness to continue. When God revealed that Babylon would bring judgment, the prophet struggled even more, questioning how God could use a nation more wicked than Judah. Through this dialogue, God teaches Habakkuk to trust His timing, justice, and sovereignty even when events seem confusing.
Characters
- Habakkuk — prophet questioning God’s justice and ultimately choosing trust
- God — responding to Habakkuk’s concerns with wisdom, justice, and assurance
- Babylonians (Chaldeans) — nation raised up by God to bring judgment
- Judah — people whose sin prompts Habakkuk’s lament
Major Events
- Habakkuk questions why God allows injustice in Judah (Chapter 1)
- God reveals His plan to use Babylon as judgment (Chapter 1)
- Habakkuk questions how a wicked nation can judge a less wicked one (Chapter 1)
- God assures that the righteous will live by faith and that evil will be judged (Chapter 2)
- Five woes pronounced against Babylon for pride and violence (Chapter 2)
- Habakkuk’s prayer expressing awe, trust, and hope in God (Chapter 3)
- Declaration of faith despite difficult circumstances (Chapter 3)
Application & Life Lessons
- God welcomes honest questions and sincere struggles
- Faith means trusting God even when circumstances make no sense
- God’s justice may be delayed but is always certain
- The righteous live by faith, not by sight
- God can use unexpected means to accomplish His purposes
- Worship and trust sustain believers through uncertainty
- True joy is rooted in God, not circumstances
Bible Study Videos
Video by the Bible Project providing an overview of Habakkuk
Sermons & Teachings
Sermon by Skip Heitzig offering a brief overview of Micah, Nahum, and Habakkuk
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Books
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Disclosures & Notices
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