The burden of Habakkuk hits hard. The violence and numbing of justice in Judah hit the prophet hard, so he cried to Yahweh for help. Why wasn’t the LORD saving? The answer from the LORD hit even harder. It was not what Habakkuk had in mind, and that in multiple ways; the answer was ruin not revival. While all of this is 2500 year-old history, the application hits us hard, too.

Habakkuk’s repeated prayers for help must have come sometime after good King Josiah died (609 BC). And it seems reasonable to think that Habakkuk’s prayers must have wanted the Lord to fix the problems by giving Judah another king like Josiah. Josiah didn’t restore justice overnight after 55 years of Manasseh’s evil rule, but right did return. Josiah led the way. Josiah showed it could be done. Why not send another righteous king to make Judah great again, so that justice would not be perverted but prevail?

There are at least three surprising parts of Habakkuk’s vision of the Lord’s reply. First, contrary to appearances, the Lord was not “idly looking at wrong” (verse 3), because immediately the Lord tells Habakkuk to “Look” (verse 5) at something the Lord has already been doing. Second, there would not be help or saving from violence (verses 2 and 3), but instead more violence; violent enemies were coming to kill and take captives (verse 9). And third, the judgment was coming from an upstart and ungodly superpower.

Habakkuk couldn’t have predicted this on his own if his middle name was Blackswan.

In the Lord’s answer we get an initial call to pay attention and then the identity of the coming punishers with a dreadful set of attributes.

A Harrowing Surprise (verse 5)

What you can’t see in English is that all the imperative verb endings in verse 5 are plural. This is why we’re not just peaking in on Habakkuk’s melancholy quiet time one morning. This is a harrowing/distressing word to the people of Judah.

Look among the nations, and see;
wonder and be astounded.
For I am doing a work in your days
that you would not believe if told.
(Habakkuk 1:5 ESV)

That’s a four-fold alert to open the newspaper, turn on the TV, refresh the app, prepare to be amazed: Look, see, wonder, be astounded . The first two are the same as Habakkuk’s complaint: “Why do you make me see (ra’ah) iniquity, and why do you idly look (nabat) at wrong?” (verse 3). The Lord could see what was happening, better than Habakkuk, and beyond what Habakkuk could conceive.

To look among the nations indicates from the start of the Lord’s answer that Yahweh’s sovereignty covers the world stage, not just the land and peoples of Palestine. I am doing a work in your days also pulls back the curtain to reveal a lot of activity, not ignorance or idleness. That you would not believe if told is not going to introduce a happy surprise.

A Horrible Superpower (verse 6-11)

Here is the nation, a horrible/dreadful superpower.

For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans,
that bitter and hasty nation,
who march through the breadth of the earth,
to seize dwellings not their own.
(Habakkuk 1:6 ESV)

The Lord not only identifies the surprise nation among the nations, the Lord takes credit for that nation’s ascendence in power. I am raising up the Chaldeans , which we can call Babylonians, though the Chaldeans were first a nomadic tribe that then moved to and took over the city and region of Babylon (though for less than 100 years). Babylon itself is located in modern-day Iraq, about 50 miles south of Baghdad.

During Manasseh’s day, and most of Josiah’s reign, Assyria was the dominant power in the Middle East, and Judah paid tribute. Egypt had always been a different world power to the south. But Nobopolassar rose to power in 626, defeated the Assyrian city of Asshur in 614 and the capital city of Nineveh in 612 (after a three month siege). His son Nebuchadnezzar chased the Egyptian Pharaoh Neco in 605, and in that same year Nobopolassar died and Nebuchadnezzar took over.

It’s one thing when a tiny mob is bitter, though even a TM can cause a lot of havoc. This whole nation is bitter (or “fierce” NASB, “ruthless” NIV) and hasty ; they are disgruntled and hotheaded. With speed they march through the breadth of the earth , the swath of bitter brutality is wide. They take over and occupy furnished buildings that they didn’t build (which wouldn’t be the first time in the same land).

They are dreaded and fearsome;
their justice and dignity go forth from themselves.
(Habakkuk 1:7 ESV)

Dreaded and fearsome would be responses to either the previous attributes or the rest of verse 7.

The Babylonians were not reasonable. It was bad in Judah that the law was paralyzed, but the Babylonians were a law unto themselves. It’s frying-pan when the standard is known but ignored, it’s the fryer when the standard is whatever a pagan feels like that day. You can complain, but there’s no grounds to argue your case.

Their horses are swifter than leopards,
more fierce than the evening wolves;
their horsemen press proudly on.
Their horsemen come from afar;
they fly like an eagle swift to devour.
(Habakkuk 1:8 ESV)

The horses and their riders are compared to leopards, wolves, and eagles. The military is compared to predators: swift and hungry and vicious.

Habakkuk said the righteous were surrounded (verse 4), but there was no place to escape the Babylonians. They could not be outrun, they could not be hid from.

They all come for violence,
all their faces forward.
They gather captives like sand.
(Habakkuk 1:9 ESV)

Violence . Habakkuk thought he knew violence, and no doubt he did. And also it would be worse. To see all their faces forward implies that the Babylonians could not be appeased. Nothing turned them to the side, let alone turned them back.

Many would be killed, others they gather captives like sand . This could be a play on numbers, this could be a reference to inhumanity. You could count the grains of sand in buckets but why bother—it’d be a high total, and also you wouldn’t think that sand very precious.

At kings they scoff,
and at rulers they laugh.
They laugh at every fortress,
for they pile up earth and take it.
(Habakkuk 1:10 ESV)

After a while you’d consider yourself invincible. “You and what army?” This laughing is mock-talk. “That’s all you’ve got?” Kings and rulers and walls meant nothing. When they came to a barrier they’d make ramparts, their own temporary hills. They had time and manpower.

Then they sweep by like the wind and go on,
guilty men, whose own might is their god!”
(Habakkuk 1:11 ESV)

Tornados never stick around to see what damage they’ve done, the Babylonians wouldn’t either.

The last part in verse 11 is key. Judah was guilty, and these Chaldeans being raised up by the Lord are also guilty men . Were any one of the things good in verses 6-11? The very first attribute is that they were bitter. And the last is that they are idolators, whose own might is their god! They worship themselves as the superpower.

Conclusion

The Babylonians were the Lord’s tools. This leads to Habakkuk’s second complaint, 1:12-2:1, but the Lord’s second reply is that the Babylonians they were just temporary tools; they would get their own judgement. We know now that Babylon did conquer Judah by 586 and then that Cyrus and the Persian army conquered the Chaldeans in 539.

One question we get to ask is, what about the Messiah? The promised King of David? Not only is another righteous king like Josiah or the Messiah not the answer to Habakkuk’s complaint, Messiah isn’t mentioned at all in his burden or song. Living by faith, yes, but in Habakkuk’s history God sendt ruin not revival.

That said, Paul quoted Habakkuk 1:5 in Acts 13:41, by way of application, about those who reject Jesus as the Lord’s Holy One. The burden of Habakkuk had already happened, and yet, more judgement was coming (by way of the Romans in AD 70 on the Jews) if they would not receive the word and grace of God in Jesus.

What about the United States? I do not know our national destiny, but I do know what we deserve. We do not have the same covenants as Judah, our future is not explicitly revealed. And yet collectively, we have both more revelation we’re sinning against and more violence. What should we do? “The righteous shall live by his faith.” We should repent and kiss the Son (Psalm 2:12). We should confess that Jesus is Lord.

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Charge

When you hear of wars and rumors or wars, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. The God of all grace has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, and He is at work. Cast your cares on Him, because He cares for you. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Benediction:

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16–17 ESV)