Habakkuk Pt. 9 An Overwhelming Vision of our Creator!

Good morning and thank you for coming to visit our Bible study blog. 

My prayer & sole desire is to help people understand the blessed Word of God with careful, clear, and accurate teaching. This happy task continues to be an absolute joy for me personally, as I study and prepare each series of lessons for all of you. My wife of 48 years is my able editor and she does an excellent job.

Habakkuk continued his proclamation of God's praiseworthiness through to the end of chapter 3. In verses 8 to 15 the prophet described the awe inspiring works of Jehovah in the earth and he helps us see the glory, majesty, and power of God.

God as Creator is overwhelming in power. 

Habakkuk 3:8-9  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. 

Habakkuk begins this section by asking 3 questions. These are rhetorical questions designed to make us think about what is being asked. Each question requires a "No" answer. 

We are to ponder the reason why God has come to the earth. Was He displeased with the rivers that He made?  No. Was He angry at the rivers He made? No. Was He angry at the oceans for some reason? No?

Habakkuk wants us to think about why God came to earth. He is not angry at the things He made or the elements of nature. Rather, He is using those things as tool to demonstrate His power. 

He turned the Nile River into waters of blood (Exodus 7:20-21). He parted the waters of the Red Sea so that the Hebrews could cross safely. He used the same waters to drown and destroy Pharaoh's army and chariots (Exodus 14:15-28).  

The picture God is showing Habakkuk is His motive is always to destroy His enemies and grant deliverance to His people. Thus, He is a Divine Conqueror riding on horses and chariots of salvation. His bow was drawn and ready to fire His arrows of Divine Judgment on His enemies. None could stand before His Glory. 

Here Habakkuk inserts a "Selah" which is a musical notation meaning to pause. When we have a "Selah" in the text of scripture it means we are to stop and think about what it is we just read. 

The prophet had one final note of interest to us. He declared that God cleaved the earth,s surface with rivers. No one seems to have an accurate count of how many rivers there are in the world but in the United States there are more than 250,000!

Making hundreds of thousands of rivers was nothing for our God. Therefore, we know that He is more than able to sustain us and strengthen us and carry us through difficult times. He is more than able to make all things work out for the good of His born again people. 

Mountains quaked; Oceans heaved up. 

Habakkuk 3:10  The mountains saw thee, and they trembled: the overflowing of the water passed by: the deep uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on high. 

Next, the prophet saw visions of mountains and oceans reacting to the presence of God on earth. The mountains trembled. This word means that the mountains writhed in pain like a mother about to give birth. Why? Because they saw God!

The oceans became extremely agitated and overflowed. The fountains of the deep burst forth and high waves crashed together in tumult. Why? Because God was near and the created things reacted to the presence of the Creator. 

The sun stood still & the moon stopped.

Habakkuk 3:11  The sun and moon stood still in their habitation: at the light of thine arrows they went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear. 

The vision Habakkuk saw returns again to another well known event from the Old Testament. Joshua assumed leadership of Israel after Moses died and he began the conquest of Canaan. In one of the battles, daylight was fading and he did not want the enemy army to slip away and regroup. 

Joshua 10:12-13  Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. 13) And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. 

He asked Jehovah to stop the sun and the moon to stand still until the battle was finished. The sun stood still and the moon stopped because Jehovah's power is irresistible. 

God's omnipotence protects His people. 

Habakkuk 3:12-13  Thou didst march through the land in indignation, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger. 13) Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, even for salvation with thine anointed; thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto the neck. Selah. 

In this part of the vision Habakkuk saw God as a thundering, powerful warrior striding through the lands of His enemies, trampling them underfoot like they were nothing, like an ox treading grain during harvest season. 

God marched across the earth, crushing evil people and saving Israel. Habakkuk was confident that God would do this again, in light of the vision he saw. 

The "anointed one" refers to Israel's Messiah, the Seed of the Woman (Genesis 3:15) that was their promised Redeemer. In preserving the nation Israel God also preserved the line of Shem through which Messiah would be born. 

This text ends by describing God striking the head of His enemies who sought to destroy Israel. Instead, Jehovah crushed their head and the enemies were like the roof of a home being violently torn off and the walls falling down to the foundation. Utter destruction would be their end and Jehovah would save His people. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

God gave Habakkuk a vision showing His overwhelming power over all things. He controls nature and uses it as a tool for blessing or a tool for judgment. None can stand before His glory. Yet, Jehovah promised to tenderly care for the sheep of His pasture. Why should the born again believer be afraid when God is for us?

God showed Habakkuk that He could command the sun and the moon to stop orbiting. He showed him that He controlled the mountains, oceans and fountains of the deep. 

Habakkuk was reassured by this powerful vision. His questions had been answered in amazing ways. His cares and concerns were put to rest. His soul was no longer agitated and troubled. 

God led his prophet to fully trust Him and to faithfully follow Him. Isn't this where you and I need to be as well? Trusting Jesus day by day and faithfully following Him no matter what obstacles come our way.

Bob