A Study (With Lessons and Sermon Suggestions) on Habakkuk for MINTS Students
Habakkuk Craig Mobey
Habakkuk
BAB/MAB 322
Habakkuk 3:19: “The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to go to new heights.” (NIV).
A study (with lessons and sermon suggestions) on Habakkuk for MINTS students
Ps. (Dr.) Craig Fredrick Mobey
Filadelfia Ministries, Bloemfontein, South Africa
Email: /
Web: www.filadelfiainstitute.org
MINTS International Seminary,
14401 Old Cutler Road Miami, Florida 33158 USA Tel. 786-573-7000, www.mints.edu
ABSTRACT
Habakkuk complained toward God. God answered and Habakkuk complained again. Only once God had reminded Habakkuk who He is, could Habakkuk praise God in the midst of what he observed. This foreshadows Christ’s words[1] in John 14:29: “And now I have given you word of it before it comes, so that, when it comes, you may have faith.” and also 16:33 where Christ says in the second sentence: “In the world you will have trouble: but take heart! I have overcome the world.” To the natural man, this does not make sense, but to the believer, it makes perfect sense.
The book of Habakkuk reveals a lot about hardship and God’s ultimate control over everything. The Book also encourages the believer to be honest with self, regarding what is seen and to then also be honest with God, who knows man’s heart anyway.
This commentary touches on historical criticism as a means to understanding and encourages the student to contextualize, particularly in lesson eight. Some attention is paid to the Hebrew-poetic nature of the Book.
Study leader: Rev. (Dr.) Julian Zugg
February 2016
ACADEMIA 6
KEY WORDS 6
PREFACE 6
INTRODUCTION 6
STRUCTURE OF THE LESSONS ACCOMPAYING THE COMMENTARY 8
MATERIALS 8
LESSON OBJECTIVES 9
COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS 10
EVALUATION 10
BENEFITS OF DOING THE LESSONS 10
VERSE BY VERSE NOTES 11
LESSON ONE: INTERPRETING HABAKKUK 12
Introduction 12
Contemporary Interpretation of Habakkuk 12
Historical Criticism of Habakkuk 14
The history of the text 15
The history in the text 15
Notes on Biblical Poetry 15
Conclusion 16
Lesson One Assignment 17
LESSON TWO: VITAL STATISTICS (1:1) 20
Introduction 20
Purpose 20
Megathemes 21
Outline 22
Author 22
To whom written 22
Date Written 23
Timeline 23
Setting 24
Key Verse 24
Key People 25
Biography: king Josiah 25
Biography: king Jehoiakim 25
Biography: king Nabopolassar 26
Biography: king Nebuchadnezzar 27
The Babylonians 28
Key Places 28
Message 28
Literary Features 29
Chapter One 30
Lesson Two Assignment 31
LESSON THREE: HABAKKUK'S FIRST COMPLAINT (1:2 – 10) 33
Introduction 33
The First Complaint 33
Conclusion 36
Lesson Three Assinment 37
LESSON FOUR: THE LORD'S FIRST ANSWER (1:5 – 11) 39
Introduction 39
The Lord’s First Answer 39
Conclusion 45
Lesson Four Assignment 45
LESSON FIVE HABAKKUK'S SECOND COMPLAINT (1:12 – 2:1) 48
Introduction 48
The Second Complaint 48
Chapter Two 52
Conclusion 53
Lesson Five Assignment 53
LESSON SIX: THE LORD'S SECOND ANSWER (2:2 – 2:20) 55
Introduction 55
The Lord’s Second Answer 55
Conclusion 65
Lesson Six Assignment 65
LESSON SEVEN: HABAKKUK'S PRAYER (CHAPTER 3) 68
Introduction 68
Chapter Three 68
Conclusion 78
Lesson Seven Assignment 78
LESSON EIGHT: WHATS WRONG WITH THE WORLD? 80
Introduction 80
The Problem of Sin in the World 81
The nature of sin 81
The results of sin 81
The need for Christ 82
Looking Around 82
Poverty 82
Starvation 83
Gender un-equality 83
Elderly 83
Widows 84
Orphans 84
Racism 84
Abuse 85
Sex trafficking 85
War and grief 86
Habakkuk: A Message of Hope to South Africa 86
Separation between State and church 89
Religious education 89
South Africans are the creators of their own misery 90
Conclusion 91
Lesson Eight Assignment 92
BIBLIOGRAPHY 94
Books 94
Articles and Papers 95
Bibles 95
Internet 95
BIOGRAPHY 98
INSTRUCTORS MANUAL 99
Lesson One 99
Lesson Two 102
Lesson Three 104
Lesson Four 106
Lesson Five 108
Lesson Six 110
Lesson Seven 112
Lesson Eight 114
Examination 116
APPENDIX A 119
The Lord is in His Holy Temple – Amy Grant 119
When the going gets tough, the tough get going…the story of Habakkuk?
ACADEMIA
This is a 3 MINTS academic credit course; undergirded by a minimum of 90 and a maximum of 120 hours academic work.
KEY WORDS
Habakkuk, hope, salvation, justice, mercy, care, love, sense, compassion and encouragement.
PREFACE
“Habakkuk” means, “to embrace[2][3]”, and is among the shortest of the Old Testament books; it is only three chapters; 56 verses. The book is a dialogue between God and Habakkuk. Two conversations are recorded and the book closes with a hymn and doxology, which reveals all the questions have been answered and there is a new confidence in God.
Habakkuk changed my life profoundly. I too was asking questions of God as to what I was witnessing in the world. I had to reach the point where I blocked the world out in order to hear what the Lord was saying. Habakkuk 2:20[4] gave me the reassurance that He is in control and that the history to come is in His hands and His purposes will be achieved. The book of Habakkuk is as relevant now as then.
I pray that each student doing a study on Habakkuk be blessed as you delve into this seldom-read book.
INTRODUCTION
Little is known about Habakkuk except that he was a contemporary of Jeremiah, and a man of vigorous faith rooted deeply in the religious traditions of Israel. The account of his ministering to the needs of Daniel in the lions’ den in the Apocryphal book “Bel and the Dragon[5]” is legendry rather than historical[6].
Habakkuk was a man who sought answers, like many people today. Troubled by what he saw, he asked difficult questions because he could not reconcile his belief in a good and righteous God with the facts of life as he saw them[7]. These questions were not merely intellectual exercises or bitter complaints. Habakkuk saw a dying world, and it broke his heart. Similarly, today, we see people of faith equally bewildered at the many things that are going on in the world. He boldly and confidently took his complaints directly to God. And God answered with an avalanche of proof and prediction[8].
We learn much about Habakkuk as a thinker and a man of faith from his own words[9].
Judah needed punishment and God was using Babylon the correct Judah, but Babylon’s time would come. Babylon would be utterly blotted out[10].
As for God’s people, there was yet to be a glorious future and a kingdom where God Himself would reign[11]. Habakkuk concludes this book with a prayer of triumph[12].
Habakkuk’s prophecy is technically known as an oracle. Unusually, rather than deliver the prophecy orally, as many of the prophets did, he was told to write it down. Two reasons for writing it down come to mind:
1. To remind oneself of what to presently focus on; have clear thoughts and
2. Get to know yourself and your life better with a view to long-term focus.
That Habakkuk finished with a psalm, may mean that he was a “singing prophet” connected to the temple in Jerusalem[13][14].
STRUCTURE OF THE LESSONS ACCOMPAYING THE COMMENTARY
The lessons are divided into eight lessons as follows:
1. Lesson1: Interpreting Habakkuk.
2. Lesson 2: Vital statistics.
3. Lesson 3: Habakkuk’s first complaint.
4. Lesson 4: The Lord’s answer to Habakkuk’s first complaint.
5. Lesson 5: Habakkuk’s second complaint.
6. Lesson 6: The Lord’s answer to Habakkuk’s second complaint.
7. Lesson 7: Habakkuk’s prayer.
8. Lesson 8: What’s wrong with the world.
MATERIALS
The students are required to read this guide thoroughly along with the following.
B.A. students are required to read at least 300 pages and M.A. students 600 pages. To this end, all students are referred to
1. BAB310 Overview of the Prophets[15] by Rev. Neil Stewart.
2. Good News Bible[16] Version Translation of Habakkuk.
3. Revised Version[17] of Habakkuk.
4. Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible – Habakkuk[18].
5. The Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (book of Habakkuk only) by R. Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and D. Brown[19].
6. Hobbins, J.F. Habakkuk[20]. Virginia Theological Seminary. 2012.
7. M.A. students to also source and read: Driver, S.R. The Century Bible, The Minor Prophets[21]. New York: Oxford University Press. N.d.
LESSON OBJECTIVES
1. To study Habakkuk with other students.
2. To acquire a detailed knowledge of the history and lessons of Habakkuk.
3. To develop a deeper understanding of God’s work in this world.
4. To grow in knowledge of how God deals with an unjust world.
5. To gain reassurance that God is in control.
6. To master Habakkuk in order to use it in preaching, teaching, and in pastoral counseling.
COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS
1. Participate in fifteen hours of common teaching time.
2. Complete and pass (50%) all eight assignments.
3. Complete and pass (50%) the essay.
4. Complete and pass (50%) the exam on Habakkuk.
5. B.A. students, read the first five listed reading under “materials” – M.A. students, all 6 listed readings.
EVALUATION
1. Student class attendance (15%): One point will be given for each class hour attended.
2. Student Reading (25%): Students will be given credit for completing the required reading.
3. Student Essay: (25%): Students will prepare exegetical notes for a sermon/teaching.
4. Student Homework (25%): Points will be given for completing the questions at the end of each lesson.
5. Student Exam (10%): Students will complete an exam drawn from the questions at the end of each lesson.
BENEFITS OF DOING THE LESSONS
1. Understand that evil will not go unpunished.
2. Appreciate that God is in control, even though at times it may not appear to be so.
3. Be able to draw near to God in holy silence and to meet Him in the midst of life, as it is happening.
4. Begin to explore the care of God in relation to those He loves.
5. Give praise to Him who unconditionally loves you.
VERSE BY VERSE NOTES
1. The 1769 King James Version of the Bible[22] is quoted unless otherwise stated.
2. Cross-referencing is based on the Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge[23].
3. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance by James Strong, S.T.D., LL.D., 1890 has been used together with an understanding of the structure of the Hebrew language in all word studies and exegesis in this commentary.
LESSON ONE: INTERPRETING HABAKKUK
Introduction
This lesson introduces the student to a number of principles and factors to keep in mind when reading, studying and interpreting Habakkuk. As part of this process, the lesson touches very lightly on some general principles of not only Biblical, but also prophetic interpretation with reference to the common poetic structures encountered in Hebrew writing.
Habakkuk is a minor prophet who asked big questions of God and was active in Judah from 612 to 588 B.C. His interaction with God as well as God’s interaction with him lends much understanding to the world in which we live today.
Contemporary Interpretation of Habakkuk
Prophecy is one of the most important themes that highlight the continuity of God’s salvific acts in history[24]. Prophecy shows that the entire history of salvation points to Jesus Christ Himself, and in this sense, all Scripture is fulfilled in Jesus (Luke 24:44) and He alone can be considered the telos[25] of history (2 Corinthians 1:20). Prophetic activities testify to the act of God in history and cannot be separated from the community of believers because it affects the life of the community and the community is responsible to discern the content of the prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:29).
Habakkuk (referred to as a “navi” in Hebrew) is a minor prophet and together with all prophetic books, except for Daniel, is a collection whose focus is not on the prophet, but on the divine message. Habakkuk follows Nahum canonically and logically and set during the twilight of the Assyrian empire (Nahum celebrates the end of this empire).
Habakkuk features both main genres of prophetic writing, being “oracles of judgment” and “oracles of salvation[26]”. The book does not begin in the same manner as many other oracles that testify that the prophet is speaking in the Lord’s name. Habakkuk follows the basic pattern of all prophetic books: sin, judgment and salvation. Modern interpretation follows the general tendencies of historical-critical criticism while pursuing issues relevant to investigation.
In the post-modern world, there is an increasing focus on the text itself, which is positive. The down side is that the reader is placing emphasis on the interpretative processes – this obviously allows possibly too much room for the post-modern humanistic interpretation of a Divine document. Another danger is that in a post-modern world, the Divine Scripture may be reduced to a humanistic understanding, which becomes a breeding ground for sectarianism and unconventional theologies that ultimately contort the message of the Holy Scriptures. I appeal to fellow students to consistently apply the four legs of exegesis: grammar, history, theology and literary analysis.
Any interpretation of the Holy Scriptures cannot be done outside the conventions of classic Scriptural criticism. To remind the student:
Classic Scriptural criticism[27]
Textual criticism is a quest to find the original wording.
Historical criticism is the study of the narrative, which conveys historical information in order to determine what actually happened. This is concerned with the setting in time and place.
Grammatical criticism It is the language of the text.
Literary criticism focuses on the composition and rhetorical style of the text.
Form criticism deals with the genre and life setting of the text.
Traditional criticism seeks to understand stages behind the text.
Redaction criticism addressed the final viewpoint and theology.
Structuralism criticism is interested with the universals in the text.
Canonical criticism is in reference to the sacred text of Synagogue and Church.
People interpret things in order to understand what they mean. They interpret texts, including the Bible, in order to understand the meaning of what is written in these texts. Religious texts are normally foundational to religious tradition and practice. Therefore, the interpretation of such texts is of great importance for the faith of believers and how they practice what they believe. Such interpretation can also be a source of division within the body of Christ[28].