Habakkuk 3: Yet I Will Rejoice
Habakkuk prays in awe, recalling God's mighty acts of salvation, and resolves to rejoice in the Lord even if every earthly support should fail.
Habakkuk 3 (WEB)
1 A prayer of Habakkuk, the prophet, set to victorious music.
2 Yahweh, I have heard of your fame. I stand in awe of your deeds, Yahweh. Renew your work in the midst of the years. In the midst of the years make it known. In wrath, you remember mercy.
3 God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and his praise filled the earth.
4 His splendor is like the sunrise. Rays shine from his hand, where his power is hidden.
5 Plague went before him, and pestilence followed his feet.
6 He stood, and shook the earth. He looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains were crumbled. The age-old hills collapsed. His ways are eternal.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction. The dwellings of the land of Midian trembled.
8 Was Yahweh displeased with the rivers? Was your anger against the rivers, or your wrath against the sea, that you rode on your horses, on your chariots of salvation?
9 You uncovered your bow. You called for your sworn arrows. Selah. You split the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw you, and were afraid. The storm of waters passed by. The deep roared and lifted up its hands on high.
11 The sun and moon stood still in the sky, at the light of your arrows as they went, at the shining of your glittering spear.
12 You marched through the land in wrath. You threshed the nations in anger.
13 You went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed. You crushed the head of the land of wickedness. You stripped them head to foot. Selah.
14 You pierced the heads of his warriors with their own spears. They came as a whirlwind to scatter me, gloating as if to devour the wretched in secret.
15 You trampled the sea with your horses, churning mighty waters.
16 I heard, and my body trembled. My lips quivered at the voice. Rottenness enters into my bones, and I tremble in my place, because I must wait quietly for the day of trouble, for the coming up of the people who invade us.
17 For though the fig tree doesn’t flourish, nor fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive fails, the fields yield no food; the flocks are cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls:
18 yet I will rejoice in Yahweh. I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
19 Yahweh, the Lord, is my strength. He makes my feet like deer’s feet, and enables me to go in high places. For the music director, on my stringed instruments.
Habakkuk 3 (KJV)
1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth.
2 O Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.
3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.
4 And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.
5 Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet.
6 He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.
8 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.
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.
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.
12 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.
14 Thou didst strike through with his staves the head of his villages: they came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.
15 Thou didst walk through the sea with thine horses, through the heap of great waters.
16 When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.
17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
18 Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19 The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.
Habakkuk 3 (ASV)
1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, set to Shigionoth.
2 O Jehovah, I have heard the report of thee, and am afraid: O Jehovah, revive thy work in the midst of the years; In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.
3 God came from Teman, And the Holy One from mount Paran. [Selah His glory covered the heavens, And the earth was full of his praise.
4 Andhisbrightness was as the light; He had rayscoming forthfrom his hand; And there was the hiding of his power.
5 Before him went the pestilence, And fiery bolts went forth at his feet.
6 He stood, and measured the earth; He beheld, and drove asunder the nations; And the eternal mountains were scattered; The everlasting hills did bow; His goings were as of old.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; The curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.
8 Was Jehovah displeased with the rivers? Was thine anger against the rivers, Or thy wrath against the sea, That thou didst ride upon thy horses, Upon thy chariots of salvation?
9 Thy bow was made quite bare; The oaths to the tribes were asure word. [Selah Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers.
10 The mountains saw thee, and were afraid; The tempest of waters passed by; The deep uttered its voice, And lifted up its hands on high.
11 The sun and moon stood still in their habitation, At the light of thine arrows as they went, At the shining of thy glittering spear.
12 Thou didst march through the land in indignation; Thou didst thresh the nations in anger.
13 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people, For the salvation of thine anointed; Thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked man, Laying bare the foundation even unto the neck. [Selah
14 Thou didst pierce with his own staves the head of his warriors: They came as a whirlwind to scatter me; Their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.
15 Thou didst tread the sea with thy horses, The heap of mighty waters.
16 I heard, and my body trembled, My lips quivered at the voice; Rottenness entereth into my bones, and I tremble in my place; Because I must wait quietly for the day of trouble, For the coming up of the people that invadeth us.
17 For though the fig-tree shall not flourish, Neither shall fruit be in the vines; The labor of the olive shall fail, And the fields shall yield no food; The flock shall be cut off from the fold, And there shall be no herd in the stalls:
18 Yet I will rejoice in Jehovah, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19 Jehovah, the Lord, is my strength; And he maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, And will make me to walk upon my high places.
Summary
The book closes with a prayer of Habakkuk set to music, and it rises into one of the great songs of faith in Scripture. The prophet declares that he has heard of God's fame and stands in awe of his deeds, and he pleads, “Renew your work in the midst of the years… In wrath, you remember mercy.” He then paints a majestic vision of God coming in power: the Holy One from Teman and Mount Paran, his glory covering the heavens and his praise filling the earth, his splendor like the sunrise. He recalls how God shook the earth and made the nations tremble, how the ancient mountains crumbled, how he rode out on his chariots of salvation, splitting the earth and trampling the sea. All of this God did to go out for the salvation of his people and his anointed, crushing the head of wickedness. Habakkuk says his body trembled and his lips quivered at the voice, yet he resolves to wait quietly for the day of trouble. Then comes the climax of the whole book: though the fig tree does not blossom, though there is no fruit on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields yield no food, though the flocks and herds are cut off, yet he will rejoice in Yahweh and be joyful in the God of his salvation. Yahweh the Lord is his strength, who makes his feet like a deer's and enables him to walk on the heights.
Voices
- Habakkuk — The prophet who, having brought his questions to God, now prays in awe of God's mighty deeds and resolves to rejoice in the Lord even if every earthly comfort fails.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The glorious, saving God whose coming shakes the earth and the nations, who rides out for the salvation of his people, and who becomes the prophet's strength and joy.
Key Verse
Habakkuk 3:18 (WEB)
yet I will rejoice in Yahweh. I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
Lessons Learned
- Remembering God's past acts of salvation builds faith for present and future trials.
- A right view of God's majesty produces awe, reverence, and even trembling.
- Even in wrath God remembers mercy, and his judgments serve the salvation of his people.
- True faith can rejoice in God himself when every earthly support is stripped away.
- God is our strength, lifting us to walk surefooted through hard and high places.
- In wrath, God remembers mercy. Habakkuk prays, “In wrath, you remember mercy” (Habakkuk 3:2, WEB). Even God's judgments are bound up with his saving purposes for his people.
- God comes for the salvation of his people. “You went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed” (Habakkuk 3:13, WEB). God's power is aimed at rescue—fulfilled at last in Christ, his Anointed.
- Joy can rest on God alone. Though the harvest fails, “yet I will rejoice in Yahweh. I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!” (Habakkuk 3:18, WEB). Faith finds its joy in God himself, not merely in his gifts.
- God is our strength. “Yahweh, the Lord, is my strength. He makes my feet like deer’s feet” (Habakkuk 3:19, WEB). The God we trust enables us to walk steadily over the hardest ground.
- How does recalling God's mighty deeds of the past (3:3-15) help Habakkuk face the trouble that is coming?
- Habakkuk prays, “In wrath, you remember mercy” (3:2). How do we see God's mercy woven through even his acts of judgment?
- Verse 13 says God went out “for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed.” How does this point us forward to Jesus, God's Anointed?
- In verses 17-18 Habakkuk lists everything that could fail, then says, “yet I will rejoice.” What is the difference between joy in God's gifts and joy in God himself?
- What “fig tree” in your life feels barren right now, and what would it look like for you to say with Habakkuk, “yet I will rejoice in Yahweh”?
- Habakkuk rehearses God's deeds at the exodus and beyond, when he shook the earth, rode out on his chariots of salvation, and crushed wickedness (3:3-15). Remembering what God has done assures him of what God can still do. Encourage the group to build their faith on God's proven track record.
- Habakkuk asks God to remember mercy even as he acts in wrath, and the song shows God's judgments serving to save his people (3:2, 13). God's discipline is never separate from his love. Help the group see that even hard providences can carry God's mercy within them.
- The Hebrew for “anointed” is messiah; God's going out to save his people and his anointed reaches its fulfillment when God sends Jesus the Messiah to crush the head of evil and rescue his people (compare Genesis 3:15). Habakkuk's vision of a saving God is ultimately a vision of the gospel.
- Joy in God's gifts depends on the gifts remaining; joy in God himself remains even when the gifts are gone. Habakkuk strips away every earthly comfort and finds his joy still standing in “the God of my salvation” (3:18). Invite the group to consider where their joy is truly anchored.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to name, even silently, an area of barrenness or loss, and to practice grounding their joy in God rather than in circumstances. As leader, close by pointing to Christ, the God of our salvation and our strength, in whom such joy is possible.