Daily Devotions
Habakkuk
"A prayer of Habakkuk"
Text: Habakkuk 3:1
IN HUMBLE RESPONSE
Habakkuk began his book with questions he raised to the Lord. Graciously, the Lord answered and gave him a detailed reply concerning His divine will with reference to the Chaldeans. The prophet stood in awe as he pondered the word that came to him from the LORD!
“A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, on Shigionoth.
O LORD, I have heard Your speech and was afraid;
O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years!
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember mercy.”
Habakkuk 3:1-2
1. “A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet”
a) This identifies the kind of response he made to the Lord.
b) There was a deep sense of awe of God as he offered this prayer.
c) The meaning of the word “Shigionoth” is lost to us.
2. “O LORD”
a) This expresses the deep regard that Habakkuk had in his heart for the Lord God.
b) He acknowledged God as his covenant-LORD.
3. “I have heard Your speech and was afraid”
Habakkuk had heard and understood the message God has given to him. He declared that he was afraid.
4. Why was Habakkuk afraid?
a) He was afraid for the Chaldeans for they would be severely chastised for their wicked ways.
b) He was afraid for his people Judah for they too had committed similar sins.
i) There was the sin of pride.
ii) There was the sin of increasing in wealth through wrong-doing.
iii) There was the sin of evil coveting.
iv) There was the sin of violence.
v) There was the sin of idolatry.
5. “O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years”
iii) There was the sin of evil coveting.
iv) There was the sin of violence.
v) There was the sin of idolatry.
5. “O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years”
Judah needed a special spiritual revival or they too could suffer the same fate as the Chaldeans!
6. “In the midst of the years make it known”
Revival must be evidenced or it may be just a figment of the imagination. God’s revival must be a true one.
7. “In wrath remember mercy”
Habakkuk knew that God’s wrath would be righteous when He judges sin! The need of the hour was mercy!