The Written Prophecy of Habakkuk

By H. A. (Buster) Dobbs

I.  Introduction.
    A.  The man.
        1.  Very little is known about Habakkuk, except for what can be 
            learned from his writing.
            a.  He appears to have been a prominent man in Jerusalem.
            b.  He was a man of faith who had a great respect for God.
            c.  He knew the history of his nation.
        2.  Rabbinaical writers say that Habakkuk was of the tribe of 
            Levi.
    B.  The background.
        1.  Josiah reformed the nation.
        2.  Assyria declined.  
        3.  Babylon was fighting to become a world empire.
        4.  Babylon defeated Egypt at Megiddo.
        5.  Josiah fought against Egypt and was killed in the battle of
            Megiddo.
II.  The Book.
     A.  Conditions in Judah (1:1-17).
         1.  Habakkuk "saw" a message (burden) from Jehovah (1:1).
         2.  Habakkuk complains about the sinful condition of Judah
             (1:2-4).
             a.  The prophet called on God to punish the violence of
                 Judea (1:2).
             b.  The wickedness of Judah was increasing (1:3).
             c.  Law was disregarded and victims' rights ignored in favor 
                 of the guilty (1:4).
             d.  Justice was perverted (1:4).
         3.  Jehovah answers that he will send the Babylonians to punish 
             and cleanse (1:5-11).
             a.  Jehovah is about to do an incredible thing (1:5).
             b.  The ruthless Babylonians were about to sweep across the 
                 whole earth (1:6-7).
             c.  The Babylonians described as vicious and merciless 
                 (1:8-11)
             d.  The non-covenant people to punish the covenant people.
         4.  The prophet's plea for Judah (1:12-17).
             a.  The nature of God should prevent the pillage of Judah 
                 and the world (1:12-13).
             b.  The godless Babylonians punished their enemies and the
                 prophet enquired if this is to continue without end 
                 (1:14-17).
     B.  The Babylonians described and denounced (2:1-20).
         1.  The prophet watches to see the outcome (2:1).
         2.  God's instructions to the prophet (2:2-3).
             a.  Write the revelation and make it plain (2:2).
             b.  The herald may run while he reads the message (2:2).
             c.  The threatened punishment will surely come (2:3).
         3.  The proud shall not continue but the righteous shall live by faith
             (2:4-5).
         4.  Defeated nations and captured people will rise against the 
             oppressor (2:6-8).
         5.  Woes pronounced on Babylon (2:9-17).
             a.  Their greed is condemned (2:9-11).
             b.  Their covetousness, cunning and brutality are condemned 
                 (2:12-14).
             c.  Their treatment of captive nations is condemned 
                 (2:15-17).
             d.  Their idolatry is condemned (2:18-19).
         6.  Jehovah is in his holy temple (2:20).
     C.  The prayer of Habkkuk (3:1-19).
         1.  The title (3:1).
         2.  Fear of the Lord and appeal for mercy (3:2).
         3.  The coming of God in judgment (3:3-15).
             a.  The awesome power and glory of Jehovah (3:3-4).
             b.  Jehovah sends pestilence and plague (3:5).
             c.  The earth withers in the glance of the Lord (3:6-7).
             d.  Was God angry with rivers and streams? (3:8).
             e.  The might of the Lord on display (3:9-10).
             f.  God controls the elements and is irresistible in war 
                 (3:11-12).
             g.  The purpose was to save God's anointed people 
                 (3:13-15).
         4.  The people fear and tremble at the prospect of chastisement 
             (3:16-17).
         5.  In Jehovah there is ultimately joy and victory (3:18-19).