Habakkuk

Habakkuk's prophecy uniquely presents a dialogue between the prophet and God, wrestling with the problem of evil and divine justice.Habakkuk 2:4—'the just shall live by his faith'—is quoted three times in the New Testament with different emphases: Romans 1:17 stresses 'the just' (justification), Galatians 3:11 emphasizes 'by faith' (means), and Hebrews 10:38 highlights 'shall live' (perseverance). The prophet's watchtower imagery (2:1) reflects ancient Near Eastern practice where watchmen stood guard to announce approaching messengers. Habakkuk's chapter 3, marked 'to the chief singer on my stringed instruments,' is a psalm with musical notations including 'Shigionoth' (possibly indicating an intense, passionate style) and three 'Selah' pauses. Writing around 609-605 BC as Babylon rose to power, Habakkuk first complained that God tolerated violence and injustice in Judah without acting. God's startling response—He would use the even more wicked Babylonians as His instrument of judgment—provoked Habakkuk's deeper theological crisis: How could a holy God use such an unrighteous nation to punish His people? The prophet stationed himself on his watchtower to await God's answer. The divine response established a principle central to both Judaism and Christianity: 'The just shall live by his faith.' Though Babylon would indeed conquer, it too would face judgment. Habakkuk's concluding prayer-psalm expresses faith triumphant: though fig trees fail and fields yield no food, 'Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.' Paul quotes Habakkuk 2:4 to establish justification by faith (Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11).