Habacuque 3
G. Campbell Morgan · Citado em PreceptAustin
Habacuque 3
Morgan writes "This is an arresting text. There is rhythm in its movement and a vividness in its description which compel our attention, yet that which is most impressive is the contrast between the conditions described and the experience claimed. The conditions are these (Hab 3:17) and the experience is this (Hab 3:18). The earlier part of the text constitutes one of the dreariest pictures man ever drew. To summarize in a word, it is the picture of a scene of desolation. (Jubilation in Desolation) Though the fig tree should not blossom - In context of the coming Babylonian invasion, Habakkuk is referring to the overwhelming desolation of the land and livestock which would be wrought by the invading hordes of savage soldiers. Faith in Christ knows The best is yet to come.
Habacuque 3
Morgan writes that "If we were reading this for the first time, or if we found it in any other literature than this, we should be driven to inquire, Was this man a fanatic? Was he deluded? Or did he speak a wisdom of which this world knows nothing when he crowned the song which describes desolation with the song which expresses jubilation? We believe that this is a song of the higher wisdom, and that the singer was a philosopher in possession of the true secret of life....His knowledge of God produced his confidence in God, and that confidence in God immediately and inevitably produced joy. I will exult (I will jump for joy)...I will rejoice - Habakkuk makes a volitional choice is to rejoice, even in the face of imminent judgment. However, this choice is not simply "mind over matter", but reflects God giving His prophet the desire and the power to exult and rejoice (Php 2:13NLT). Exult (05937) (alaz) means to rejoice, to exult, to be jubilant and describes a state and act of celebration. TWOT says this Hebrew word group describes "an emotion of joy which finds expression in singing and shouting." This Hebrew verb is translated in the Lxx by agalliao (from agan = much + hallomai = jump; leap, spring up) which literally means "jump for joy" ( Mt 5:12 Lk 1:47 10:21) Alaz - 16v in NAS - become jubilant(1), exult(11), exults(1), jubilant(1), rejoice(2). 2Sa 1:20; Ps 28:7; 60:6; 68:4; 94:3; 96:12; 108:7; 149:5; Pr 23:16; Isa 23:12; Jer 11:15; 15:17; 50:11; 51:39; Hab 3:18; Zeph 3:14 Rejoice (01523) (giyl/gul) is derived from a root word which means "to circle around", from which such ideas as "to circle in joy" are readily derived. It is more applicable to vigorous, enthusiastic expressions of joy and can even mean to spin round (under influence of any violent emotion)! It is not surprising that most of the uses are in the psalms (songs) and mean to rejoice or be glad. Habakkuk has two uses of this verb, but in markedly contrasting contexts, for the first use of giyl/gul refers to the rejoicing of the pagan Babylonians. (Hab. 1:15) The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook, Drag them away with their net, And gather them together in their fishing net. Therefore they rejoice and are glad. Giyl/gul translated in this verse with chairo meaning to rejoice or be glad in NT. Ancient Hebrew Lexicon Definitions giyl/gul - Something that is round or a second time around of a time or event. A dancing in a circle. (eng: skull - an added s and an exchange of the k and g, Greek golgotha) Giyl/gul - 44x - cry(1), exult(1), glad(3), rejoice(38), rejoiced(1), rejoices(1). 1 Chr. 16:31; Ps. 2:11; Ps. 9:14; Ps. 13:4; Ps. 13:5; Ps. 14:7; Ps. 16:9; Ps. 21:1; Ps. 31:7; Ps. 32:11; Ps. 35:9; Ps. 48:11; Ps. 51:8; Ps. 53:6; Ps. 89:16; Ps. 96:11; Ps. 97:1; Ps. 97:8; Ps. 118:24; Ps. 149:2; Prov. 2:14; Prov. 23:24; Prov. 23:25; Prov. 24:17; Cant. 1:4; Isa. 9:3; Isa. 25:9; Isa. 29:19; Isa. 35:1; Isa. 35:2; Isa. 41:16; Isa. 49:13; Isa. 61:10; Isa. 65:18; Isa. 65:19; Isa. 66:10; Hos. 10:5; Joel 2:21; Joel 2:23; Hab. 1:15; Hab. 3:18; Zeph. 3:17; Zech. 9:9; Zech. 10:7 Gilbrant on giyl/gul - Gil is primarily concerned with verbal expressions of joy, it may also include the action of turning in circles with joy, based upon an Arabic cognate (cf. gālal). The word often occurs in parallel constructions with other Hebrew words. It is found with sāmach, "to rejoice"; sûs, "to exult"; rānan, "to cry out loud"; ʿālaz, "to exult"; rāwach, "to shout" (in the Hiphil, or causative stem); pātsach, "to break forth with joyous shouts"; and hālal, "to praise" among others. It refers to spontaneous and enthusiastic cries of joy. Most of the references are concerned with rejoicing in God's actions, but there are a few passages that refer to rejoicing in other things. A father and mother rejoice in their son who lives a godly life (Pr 23:24f). Friends rejoice over the groom and in his love for his bride (Song 1:4). The Lord disapproves of rejoicing over the failure of an enemy (Pr 24:17). The Lord promises living by godly wisdom will save a person from those who rejoice in the perverseness of evil (Pr. 2:14). The people and priests of Samaria had rejoiced over the splendor of their calf-idol (Hos. 10:5). Habakkuk compared the victories and joys of the Babylonian nation over the nations they conquered to a fisherman who rejoices over his catch (Hab 1:15). Many people are called to rejoice in the Lord, and many reasons are given for expressing this joy. Those who have experienced the Lord's forgiveness and received his righteousness are to express their joy to the Lord (Ps. 32:11; Isa. 61:10). The gods of the nations do not reign, but the Lord reigns, and He judges in righteousness and justice, so let all the people of the earth be glad (Ps. 97:1, 8). The kings and rulers of the earth are to act wisely and rejoice with trembling in the King of heaven (Ps. 2:11). Zion should rejoice in their King who is also their Maker (Ps. 149:2). Those who have experienced the Lord's care and concern, and his deliverance from their enemies should rejoice in the Lord (Ps. 9:14; 16:9; 21:1; 31:7; 49:13; Hab. 3:18). After David was confronted with his sin with Bathsheba, he repented and sought God's forgiveness and cleansing. He prayed, "Let the bones you have crushed rejoice," indicating joy can emerge from the Lord's conviction in our lives (Ps. 51:8). The messianic hope, was cause for rejoicing in the Lord. Zion is called to rejoice and shout because their King will come with salvation riding on a donkey (Zech. 9:9). The New Testament writers quoted this passage in reference to Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matt. 21:5; John 12:15). The stone the builders rejected became the cornerstone, and that day of rejection became the day of salvation. The Lord made that day, and we are to rejoice and be glad in it (Ps. 118:24; Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10f). The Lord promised Israel one day he would judge their enemies, restore them to their land, bless Jerusalem, and cause their land to produce abundantly. This is cause for rejoicing (Isa. 41:16; 66:10; Joel 2:21, 23; Zech. 10:7). In the future reign of the Messiah, the people of God will rejoice because their hope in the Lord as their savior will be rewarded. Total healing will come to all God's people, and they will reside in God's creation of the new heavens and earth (Isa. 25:9; 29:19; 35:1f; 65:18). Many passages refer to God's people rejoicing in their Lord, but two passages indicate God rejoicing over his people. The Lord will rejoice over the New Jerusalem and delight in his people (Isa. 65:19), and the Lord will save his people, and He will sing a song of joy concerning them (Zeph. 3:17). (Complete Biblical Library Hebrew-English Dictionary) G Campbell Morgan has some insightful comments on these two Hebrew words for exult and rejoice... I hope I shall produce no shock when I translate them literally. Take the first Hebrew word and express it quite literally, and this is it: I will jump for joy in the Lord. Take the second of the words and translate it with equal literalness, and this is it: I will spin round in the God of my salvation. Does that seem as though I were spoiling a great passage? I think some of these passages need spoiling in this way in these pre-eminently respectable days when congregations are shocked if a man say Amen! Exuberant joy, a bounding joy was this man's experience, and in these words we have such joy expressed. This was no cool, calculating word. I will jump for joy in Jehovah, I will spin round with delight in the God of my salvation. Do we know anything of that emotion in the midst of desolation, not when the ordinary activities of everyday life are prospering, but when it seems that there is the most calamitous failure everywhere, no blossom on the fig tree, no fruit on the vine, the labor of the olive failing, the flock gone from the field and the herd from the stall? It is all Eastern; I should hardly know how to express that in the language of London, but you business men know. Perhaps we might employ a modern word, bankruptcy. Everything gone, yet will I jump for joy in the Lord, I will spin round with gladness in my God. I believe that one thing the Church most sadly lacks today is exuberant, buoyant joy in the Lord God. I do not forget that a woman laughed at a king who danced before the Lord; but I thank God that the king danced before the Lord. This word of Habakkuk was compelled by the joy that sprang within him. This was not imitation joy. It was that of a man filled with delight even in the midst of circumstances of desolation. Exult in the LORD...rejoice in the God of my salvation - The source and sphere of our joy is in the Lord. As Spurgeon said "Joy in God is the happiest of all joys." In fact, joy ceases to be joy when it ceases to be "in the Lord." G Campbell Morgan has a superb discussion of the sphere of the Habakkuk's joy... "I will rejoice in the Lord." "I will joy in the God of my salvation," not in circumstances but over them, not in the part that is seen, but in the whole that faith alone can comprehend. Not in circumstances can I rejoice oftentimes, but if I have this clear vision of God it is given to me to rejoice over them; if I simply look at them my heart will be depressed, filled with a sense of sorrow; but if I see the whole, the ultimate, the unveiling of the purpose of God; if I really believe that the bud may have a bitter taste but sweet will be the fruit; if I have seen God and know that His purpose is a purpose of great love, then surely I may triumph over circumstances, not in self, but in God. The NT formula for believer's to have joy independent of circumstances is... Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! (Phil 4:4) Billy Graham said it this way... We have to be tuned to God. We will never be free from discouragement and despondency until we know and walk with the very fountainhead of joy....The ability to rejoice in any situation is a sign of spiritual maturity....No matter what the climate is, what the troubles are, what the difficulties are, there is joy for the child of God, because joy is produced supernaturally by the Holy Spirit in us. (Billy Graham in Quotes) Wiersbe astutely notes that... By the time Babylon was through with the land of Judah, there wouldn’t be much of value left (Hab 2:17-note). Buildings would be destroyed, treasures would be plundered, and farms and orchards would be devastated. The economy would fall apart and there would be little to sing about. But God would still be on His throne, working out His divine purposes for His people (Ro 8:28). Habakkuk couldn’t rejoice in his circumstances, but he could rejoice in his God! G. Campbell Morgan said Our joy is in proportion to our trust. Our trust is in proportion to our knowledge of God. Our trust is in proportion to our knowledge of God. To know Him is to trust Him. To trust Him is to triumph and excel. May we be led into fuller knowledge and so find fuller faith and so enter the fuller joy. (From his sermon Jubilation in Desolation) As someone has well said "Joy is the flag that is flown from the citadel of the heart when the King is in residence." John Calvin said it this way "There is nothing in afflictions which ought to disturb our joy." J I Packer noted that "Joy is a condition that is experienced, but it is more than a feeling; it is, primarily, a state of mind." Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary - Joy is the fruit of a right relation with God. It is not something people can create by their own efforts. The Bible distinguishes joy from pleasure. The Greek word for pleasure is the word from which we get our word “hedonism,” the philosophy of self-centered pleasure seeking. William Cowper paraphrased Hab 3:17-18 in the poem entitled "Joy and Peace in Believing"... Though vine nor fig tree neither Their wonted fruit shall bear, Though all the field should wither, Nor flocks nor herds be there: Yet God the same abiding, His praise shall tune my voice; For, while in Him confiding, I cannot but rejoice. (Habakkuk 316) Corrie Ten Boom has several quotes which nicely summarize the book of Habakkuk... Habakkuk 1 The Prophet Worrying Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength. Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength. Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around a center of fear. Habakkuk 2 The Prophet Trusting Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. Faith is like radar that sees through the fog -- the reality of things at a distance that the human eye cannot see.” It is not my ability, but my response to God’s ability, that counts.” Habakkuk 3 The Prophet Worshiping This is what the past is for! Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see. You can never learn that Christ is all you need, until Christ is all you have. Skip Heitzig sums up Habakkuk's message "Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, though the labor of the olive may fail and the field yield no food, though the flock may be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice," or exult in Hebrew. Jump for joy (Ed Note on gil from TWOT - Root meaning is "to circle around" from which such ideas as "to circle in joy" are readily derived. The root meaning is more applicable to vigorous, enthusiastic expressions of joy; but, in the OT, it and its derivatives serve as poetic and prophetic terms for various kinds of joy) Spin around. A hallelujah jig. "I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength. He will make my feet like deer's feet. He will make me walk on my high hills to the chief musician with my stringed instruments." He looks ahead. He sees the Babylonians coming. He doesn't understand the means that God is going to use to judge His own people, the Jews. But he does trust in the motives of God, and that's important. Sometimes we question the means that God uses to do His work. Why would God do that? I don't get it. But never question God's motive. Here the prophet ends in faith. He begins with a furrowed brow. He ends with his hands raised. I'm going to rejoice in the Lord. Though I know the Babylonians are coming and they're going to strip the vines and the fig trees and the olive groves, and they're going to wipe us out with our animals in the stalls, I, he says, will rejoice not in my situation, not in the sorrowful condition and the temporary punishment. I'll rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation. When we face trouble and our first instinct is, oh, Lord, how can I get out of this? Stop and think. Hold on to those things you know to be true about God. God's holy. He's my God. I'm under his new covenant, the blood of the cross. He has a plan for me. He has a plan to deal with the evil. In the meantime, I'm going to trust. The just shall trust. That will bring a level of joy as you commit it to the Lord. Your eyes are off of what you see, and by faith, you see him. And the joy comes from him. So instead of, how can I get out of this? Lord, what can I get out of this? What are you trying to teach me? So from perplexity to anxiety, and now to ecstasy, how? The same journey as the prophet. The life of faith. Now you know, we do suffer. In this world, you will have tribulation. That's a promise for you from the word of God. It's not a promise you like to hear, but it is a promise. In this world, you will have tribulation. However, do you know that suffering in the hands of a loving God can result in some of the most marvelous work of God in your life? God can take and use the most horrible situations and bring about great good. And if you think about it, God proved that on himself. God played by His own rules God show that the very worst thing that could ever happen in human history could actually become the best thing. I'm talking about the cross. When God died, that could be regarded as the greatest historic tragedy. Deicide. God was killed on a cross. But God showed that what could be regarded as the greatest tragedy was actually the greatest blessing, because it opened wide the doors of salvation to anyone who would believe in the finished work on that cross. God showed that He can take the worst situation and work the best. If God can do that at Calvary, then God over and over again in our lives can bring great good out of what we think is horrible. God, I don't get it. I don't understand. Shh. The just shall trust. Live by faith. Your joy will go sky high when you learn to commit what you don't understand to God. And just hold on to those things you do, understand. (See full Transcript of Habakkuk 1-3) Marvin Williams writes: Habakkuk concluded his book with a wonderful affirmation: “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Hab 3:18). Though it was not clear how Judah would survive, Habakkuk had learned to trust God amid injustice, suffering, and loss. He would live by his faith in God alone. With this kind of faith came joy in God, despite the circumstances surrounding him. We too can rejoice in our trials, have surefooted confidence in God, and live on the heights of His sovereignty. Be this the purpose of my soul My solemn, my determined choice: To yield to God’s supreme control, And in my every trial rejoice. —Anon. Praising God in our trials turns burdens into blessings. The Choice To Rejoice --Habakkuk 3:18 - When a grief-stricken woman was sharing her feelings, her friend said sympathetically, "Sorrow does color life, doesn't it?" "Yes," the woman agreed, and then added, "but I intend to choose the colors." In today's Bible reading, the prophet Habakkuk expressed the same intention. Facing the possible loss of crops and livestock, he declared, "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation" (Hab 3:18). The words "I will" revealed Habakkuk's belief that he could choose his response to loss--either to sink into despair or to rejoice in God's redeeming power. His decision to rejoice wasn't a denial of the pain. It was a decision of trust based on the truth that God would remain with him to be his strength and enabler (Hab 3:19). The choice to rejoice is with us every day (Comment: One caveat - Don't try to make this choice in your own strength - yes, we must each individually make the choice to rejoice, the desire and the power to do so comes from the indwelling Spirit - see Php 2:13NLT-note. It's not "self reliance" but "Spirit reliance" that will allow us to rejoice [supernaturally] independent of the circumstances we are experiencing!). To refuse to choose is itself a choice. It's an unconscious consent to be overcome rather than to be an overcomer (Ed: See 1Jn 5:4-5, faith/trust in God's goodness, His promises, etc, will allow us to be experiential overcomers - all believers are positionally overcomers, but not all are living up to their position and privileges in Christ, enabled by His Spirit!). I recently met a disabled elderly woman who exemplified this. When I inquired, "How are you," she replied cheerfully, "Just fine! If I were any better, I'd have to be twins!" When rough the path from day to day, When sorrows fill our eyes with tears, Our choice to find our joy in Christ Can soothe our soul and calm our fears. -DJD When you choose to rejoice, your life takes on a beautiful color. (See above caveat re "choice to rejoice") Joy—Even In Poverty - In the book 450 Stories for Life, Gust Anderson tells about visiting a church in a farming community of eastern Alberta, Canada, where there had been 8 years of drought. The farmers' economic situation looked hopeless. But in spite of their poverty, many of them continued to meet together to worship and praise God. Anderson was especially impressed by the testimony of a farmer who stood up and quoted Habakkuk 3:17-18. With deep feeling, he said, "Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls—yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." Anderson thought, That dear saint has found the secret of real joy! It's not wrong to find pleasure in the good things money can buy, but we should never rely on them for happiness. If our fulfillment depends on material possessions, we are crushed when we lose them. But if our joy is found in the Lord, nothing can disrupt it, not even economic distress. Pleasures of earth, so seemingly sweet, Fail at the last my longings to meet: Only in Thee my bliss is complete; Only, blest Lord, in Thee. —Anon. Happiness depends on happenings; Joy depends on Jesus! CAN WE REJOICE?—Habakkuk 3:18, 19 - I’ll never forget the question our Bible-study leader asked: “What do you fear would test your faith in God the most?” We were studying Habakkuk 3:17, 18, where the prophet said that even if God sent suffering or loss, he would still rejoice. As a single woman in my twenties, my answer was “I don’t know if I could stand the pain of losing my parents.” But I told God that day that even when they died I would rejoice in Him. I found out too soon that it’s easier said than done. A month later, Dad learned he had heart disease and didn’t have long to live. He didn’t know Jesus as his Savior, so I begged God not to let him die without coming to know Him. Not only did he die that year, so did Mom, who was a believer. I didn’t know if my prayer for Dad was answered. I couldn’t rejoice; I wondered if God had even heard my prayer. As I wrestled with Him about my questions, I experienced the Lord as my “refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). I found hope in the truth that God, “the Judge of all the earth,” would do what was right by everyone (Genesis 18:25). Why must I bear this pain? I cannot tell; I only know my Lord does all things well. And so I trust in God, my all in all, For He will bring me through, whate’er befall. —Smith God tries our faith so that we may try His faithfulness The Secret Of Joy - One of the shortest books in the Old Testament is the book of Habakkuk. In its three brief chapters we see an amazing transformation in the prophet’s outlook on life. His opening words express depths of despair, but at the close of the book he has risen to heights of joy. What caused this remarkable change? Why did Habakkuk begin with a complaint and end with a song of praise? The answer lies in three verses in Habakkuk 2. In addition to God’s message of judgment on the wicked, the Almighty told the troubled prophet, “The just shall live by his faith” (Hab 2:4-note). He also promised that someday the earth would “be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Hab 2:14-note). Finally, He assured him that “the Lord is in His holy temple” (Hab 2:20-note). These wonderful truths were just what Habakkuk needed to lift him out of his deep depression. By fixing his eyes on God, he rose above his discouraging circumstances and found a source of lasting joy in the Lord. Like the prophet, we too must walk by faith and look forward to that glorious time when Jesus will return to earth to set up His kingdom of peace and righteousness. Maintaining our confidence in Him is the secret of true joy!— by Richard De Haan Rejoice in Christ the Lord, again The Spirit speaks the word; And faith takes up the happy strain: Our joy is in the Lord. —Anon. To improve your outlook, Keep looking up. Counterfeit Happiness - It’s easy to fool people about how we really feel. Simply wear a deceptive smile or hum a cheerful song like this one that was very popular during World War I and many years afterward: What’s the use of worrying? It never was worthwhile, So, pack up your troubles In your old kit-bag And smile, smile, smile. Those words, written by British vaudeville actor George Powell, were set to a cheerful melody by his piano-playing brother Felix. It earned them $60,000. Yet one day years later, Felix sat down at a piano and played his well-known melody “Smile, Smile, Smile.” Then he went into a room where he was all alone and shot and killed himself. Troubles can’t be packed away and magically forgotten. A smile and a song may camouflage deep unhappiness, but only God can lift the burden of gnawing worry from our hearts. Knowing that He cares for us, we can cast all our anxiety on Him (1Pe 5:7). If in our difficulties we trust in the Lord as our strength, He will do even more than give emotional relief. He will enable us to rejoice (Hab 3:17-19). A smile can conceal pain And camouflage despair, But trust in God gives inner peace And joy beyond compare. —Sper Joy is the byproduct of trusting God. ABOVE THE CIRCUMSTANCES - I remember a story about a woman who was very discouraged because of the many problems in her life. As she was walking down the street, she met a fellow believer who asked, "How are you doing today?" With a sour look and a bitter shrug she replied, "Oh, not too bad--under the circumstances." The other person quickly countered, "Well, get above the circumstances! That's where Jesus is." The prophet Habakkuk was of the same mind. He refused to let circumstances dampen his faith or crush his hope. He looked to the future not with pessimistic fears of what else could go wrong, but with faith in God no matter what would happen. Even if he lost all his possessions, Habakkuk proclaimed that he would continue to trust the Lord to meet his needs (Hab 3:17-19). Our eyes are to be focused on the Lord, not on our circumstances. We are to live above the shadows of fear and bask in the sunlight of faith. Even though we, like Habakkuk, may have a long list of troubles, faith's answer to disappointment must always be: "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation" (Hab 3:18). That type of attitude will enable us to live above the circumstances instead of under them. - Henry G. Bosch Although my trees are fruitless, No grapes are on the vine, Yet Christ is all my fullness, And all His sweetness mine. -Anon. As you go along life's weary road, let Jesus lift your heavy load. Always Thankful--Habakkuk 3:18 - Perhaps Habakkuk 3:17-19 was an unusual Bible passage to read as our family and guests sat down to a traditional feast of turkey with all the trimmings. But I had a reason for choosing it. Simply to bow my head and give thanks didn't seem to be enough. Compared with the poverty of many of the world's people, I am wealthy. The prophet Habakkuk was awaiting the destruction of his country by the ruthless Chaldeans, whose army was called by God to punish His people for their disobedient and evil ways (Hab. 1:5-6-note). He said, "Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls--yet I will rejoice in the Lord" (3:17-18). Those words made me stop and ask, "Am I thankful to God regardless of what He gives or withholds?" Habakkuk pondered how he would respond to the loss of every material blessing. He concluded, "I will joy in the God of my salvation" (v.18). We can give thanks in every trial And say, "Your will be done," For God's at work in everything To make us like His Son. -DJD Thankfulness depends on what is in your heart, not what is in your hand. The Smile Of Joy -1 John 1:4 - Remember those round, yellow, happy-face stickers that showed up frequently on stationery and postcards? They were often accompanied by the one-word message, "Smile." They implied that you can put a smile on your face as easily as you can put a hat on your head. In a sense, that is true. A good actor can look happy even when his heart is breaking. Favorable circumstances can also produce smiles. A person with good health, an adequate income, and a nice house finds it easy to look happy. The best smile, though, comes naturally from within. It reflects a joy that remains even when a person has few of life's material blessings. It comes from knowing God, believing and obeying His Word, being assured of sins forgiven, possessing eternal life, and anticipating the glories of heaven. The believer who depends on God for these blessings can smile despite adversity. A smile can conceal our pain And lighten our despair, But trust in God gives inner peace And joy beyond compare. —Sper Happiness depends on happenings, but joy depends on Jesus. A M Hodgkin summarizes Habakkuk 3... Habakkuk begins by questioning God, but he concludes his book with a psalm of praise for the person (Hab 3:1–3), power (Hab 3:4–12), and plan (Hab 3:13–19) of God. He now acknowledges God’s wisdom in the coming invasion of Judah, and though it terrifies him, he will trust the Lord. God’s creative and redemptive work in the past gives the prophet confidence in the divine purposes, and hope at a time when he would otherwise despair. “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Hab 3:18). Targum Jonathan to the Prophets: "Then, in consequence of the miracle and deliverance which Thou shalt perform for Thy Messiah and for the remnant of Thy people who remain they shall give thanks thus, says the prophet: “I take joy in the Memra of the Lord, I rejoice in God, who accomplishes my deliverance.” Though the prophet trembles at the revelations of the LORD, yet he stays himself upon Him in quiet confidence, knowing that he can rest in the day of trouble. He sums up in the finest poetical language the failure of everything of earth, and when all nature and every seeming hope is dead, he adds, “Yet will I rejoice, as with exulting joy, in the God of my salvation.” It is almost the name of Jesus, for Jesus is ‘Jehovah—Salvation,” or “Jehovah is Salvation,” whence the words are here rendered, even by a Jew, “in God the Author of my redemption,” and by Augustine, “In God my Jesus.” (Christ in All the Scriptures) Habakkuk 3:19 The Lord GOD [is] my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds' feet, And makes me walk on my high places. For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.: my strength: Ps 18:1 Ps 27:1 Ps 46:1 Isa 12:2 Isa 45:24 Zec 10:12 2Co 12:9,10 Eph 3:16 Php 4:13 Col 1:11 Like hinds' feet: 2Sa 22:34 Ps 18:33 Walk: Dt 32:13 Dt 33:29 Isa 58:14 Stringed: Ps 4:1-8 Ps 6:1-10 Ps 54:1-7 Ps 55:1-23 Ps 67:1-7 Ps 76:1-12 LITERALLY: JEHOVAH THE LORD MY STRENGTH! LXE = The Lord God is my strength, and He will perfectly strengthen my feet; He mounts me upon high places, that I may conquer by His song. When we meditate on the little book of Habakkuk, we need to remember that we are to live by faith (Hab 2:4), and we are to rejoice in the Lord (Hab 3:18). His Spirit will enable us to exult in the Lord and give us the confidence to proclaim that one day "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord" (Hab 2:14), and the assurance that at that time the Lord will be in His holy temple (Hab 2:20).The Lord is our strength, and He makes our feet like hinds’ feet on our high place. Constable sums up Habakkuk writing that "This book can be a great help to people who are discouraged about their present circumstances and or can see nothing good coming in the future. It helps us adjust our attitude from one of pessimism and even despair to optimism and rejoicing. The crucial issue is whether we will listen to God and believe Him, namely, exercise faith." Warren Wiersbe's closing comments on Habakkuk are priceless - Habakkuk teaches us to face our doubts and questions honestly, take them humbly to the Lord, wait for His Word to teach us, and then worship Him no matter how we feel or what we see. God doesn’t always change the circumstances, but He can change us to meet the circumstances. That’s what it means to live by faith. (Hab 2:4) Spendera comments... Habakkuk has learned that the waiting of faith and the waiting of doubt produce vastly different results. Doubt raises fears and creates turmoil. As Christians we can learn from Habakkuk on this matter. The best thing to do with our doubt is to take it to the Lord. Our willingness to struggle with the Lord will produce a greater faith. And a willingness to wait in faith merges our desire to serve with submission to the Lord’s authority. The Lord has come, not just to startle nature and nations, but to save His people. Salvation and faith are closely linked in this book. For Habakkuk, the silent Lord (Hab 1:2-note) has become the strong Lord (Hab 1:19). Further, his view of a God who did not deliver (verb from the root יָשַׁע, yāša, Hab 1:2) became the “God of my salvation,” (noun from the root yāšaʿ, Hab 3:18). Remember too, that Habakkuk is rejoicing in God even though disaster looms on the horizon. He has understood the vision of God. He has applied it to his life in a very practical way, and he rises above the turmoil to walk in high places with God (Hab 3:19). Like Habakkuk the growth of our faith can give us the surefooted nature of the deer, so that we too can walk in the heights with our Lord. Ironically, high places in the Old Testament were often places of idolatry, but God wanted Israel to destroy centers of idolatry and to eradicate the names of the places from the land (Deut. 12:3). In faith the believer can walk with the Lord in new and higher ground. Habakkuk’s closing note reminds us that this psalm, uttered first as a prayer, continued to be used by Israel in song. After the exile they again rejoiced in the victory of faith and God’s salvation. The Lord God is my strength (See Isaiah 12:2, Isaiah 49:5) - It is not that the Lord God had lent Habakkuk strength, but that God Himself was his strength. The corollary is "I am not my strength," contrary to what the modern physical fitness movement would have us believe (However, as an aside - I love to bike and swim and highly recommend physical exercise of some kind.) Habakkuk had come to understand that he needed God's strength to be on his high place and so do we as His beloved children. Indeed, as difficult as this truth is to fully grasp, it is still true that the Almighty god Himself becomes our strength! As Corrie Ten Boom said... Trying to do the Lord's work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you. (Amen!) Comment: Every believer is "in ministry." No, not all preach or teach or sing solos on Sunday, but all of us who are in Christ, are priests, ministers in His Body, each with at least one unique spiritual gift and each of us in "full time" ministry! The difficulty comes when we try to carry out the ministry He has given us by relying on our own strength. So here is the question - "Are you confused and exhausted and finding ministry tedious?" If so, it may be that you have not yet come to the realization of Habakkuk, that the Lord God is your strength! We all need to pray the prayer (for ourselves and those saints in our sphere of influence) which Paul prayed for the saints at Ephesus that God the Father would grant "according to the riches of His glory, (that we would each) be strengthened with power through His Spirit in our inner being" in the Name of Christ. Amen (Eph 3:16) Then strengthened with the Spirit of Jesus, the ministry of Jesus will flow forth as a river of living water (John 7:38, 39). Like hinds' feet - This is simile (term of comparison), which helps us visualize Habakkuk's confidence in God even in the face of overwhelming odds. As an aside, terms of comparison can add wonderful "color" to a passage, but one must be careful to not see these terms as "license" for fanciful imaginative interpretations, because such language while figurative is always meant to convey literal truth! The hind (doe, female dear) was a surefooted animal, able to make its way on high, dangerous terrain. In context, Habakkuk is alluding to the security God gives to those who place their trust in Him (cp Hab 2:4-note). Below are similar descriptions in Dt. 32:13; 33:29. David rejoiced that God had made his feet like a doe's feet in preparation for battle (Ps 18:33 - see Ps 18:34, ). Ps 18:33-note (David declares) He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, And sets me upon my high places (See also 2Sa 22:34). 34 He trains my hands for battle, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. Deut 32:13 “He made him (Jacob/Israel) ride on the high places of the earth, And he ate the produce of the field; And He made him suck honey from the rock, And oil from the flinty rock, Deut 33:29 “Blessed are you, O Israel; Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, Who is the shield of your help, And the sword of your majesty! So your enemies shall cringe before you, And you shall tread upon their high places.”