Habacuque 1
Thomas Constable · Citado em PreceptAustin
Habacuque 1
Constable - The prophet’s first question (Hab 1:2–4) arose out of an apparent inconsistency between God’s actions and His character. He was a just God, but He was allowing sin in His people to go unpunished. His second question arose out of the same apparent inconsistency. Yahweh was a just God, but He was allowing terrible sinners to succeed and even permitted them to punish less serious sinners. These questions evidenced perplexed faith rather than weak faith. Clearly Habakkuk had strong faith in God, but how God was exercising His sovereignty baffled him. Warren
Habacuque 1
Constable - Babylonian monuments depict the Chaldeans as having driven a hook through the lower lip of their captives and stringing them single file, like fish on a string. Therefore (term of conclusion) they rejoice and are glad - Their joy is circumstantial (they are victorious), but temporal and therefore transient. In stark contrast, in that coming day when God exacts perfect retribution from the godless, idol worshipping Babylonians. Jeremiah writes… And Chaldea will become plunder; All who plunder her will have enough," declares the LORD. Because you are glad, because you are jubilant, O you who pillage My heritage, Because you skip about like a threshing heifer And neigh like stallions, Your mother will be greatly ashamed, She who gave you birth will be humiliated. Behold, she will be the least of the nations, A wilderness, a parched land, and a desert. Because of the indignation of the LORD she will not be inhabited, But she will be completely desolate; Everyone who passes by Babylon will be horrified And will hiss because of all her wounds. (Jer 50:10-13) In a similar way God will come against all non-believing evil-doers who have transient joy over their "victories", for in that day "all joy turns to gloom. The gaiety of the earth is banished." (Isaiah 24:11, context Isa 24:1-10 = coming judgment on the entire earth) Habakkuk 1:16 Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net and burn incense to their fishing net; Because through these things their catch is large, And their food is plentiful.: They offer sacrifice: Hab 1:11 Dt 8:17 Isa 10:13-15 Isa 37:24 Eze 28:3 29:3 Da 4:30 5:23 Habakkuk 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries The offer a sacrifice - Describes the Babylonians worship of the "gods" of power and violence. Ronald Blue comments that "“Idolatry is not limited to those who bring sacrifices or burn incense to inanimate objects. People of position, power, and prosperity often pay homage to the business or agency that provided them their coveted status. It becomes their constant obsession, even their ‘god.’” (Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., et al: The Bible Knowledge Commentary. 1985. Victor) Their net… fishing net - These are figurative allusions to the implements of war and military prowess and power. (cp Hab 1:11) Habakkuk 1:17 Will they therefore empty their net and continually slay nations without sparing?: Hab 1:9,10 Hab 2:5-8,17 Isa 14:16,17 Jer 25:9-26 Jer 46:1-49:39 Jer 52:1-34 Ezekiel 25:1-30:26 Habakkuk 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Will they… continually slay nations? - Will Babylon's cruelty and warfare go on unabated? Constable - Yahweh’s policy of not interfering with Babylon’s wickedness baffled Habakkuk more than His policy of not interfering with Judah’s wickedness. It was Yahweh using a nation that practiced such excessive violence to judge the sins of His people that Habakkuk could not understand. Wiersbe paraphrases Habakkuk's question - How could God honor them by giving them a victory over Judah? God was filling their net with victims, and the Chaldeans were emptying the net by destroying one nation after another What the Bible Teaches - Having used the analogy of fish and fishing in Hab 1:14-16 to illustrate the activity and cruelty of the Chaldeans, Habakkuk, in Hab 1:17, resumed his questioning by asking, "Would such activity and cruelty continue unchecked?; Would the Chaldeans continue to prosper from their oppression and violence?; Would the Lord allow them to go on in this unmerciful and idolatrous way?". The prophet seems to say, "Since they attribute all their success to themselves and not to Thee, wilt Thou allow them to continue to succeed?". Habakkuk knew that the Chaldeans would continue their onslaughts if they could, but he also knew that for God to allow this would be inconsistent with His character. Jewish tradition translates this opening statement as, "Is it because of this that he empties his net?". The idea here is that of emptying a full net in order to use it again and again to catch more and more fish. Leaving the metaphor, Habakkuk's question then goes on to address the conduct of the Chaldeans. Would they continue to slaughter whole nations unmercifully? Whereas the prophet fully expected the answer to his first question in this section (Hab 1:12) to be in the affirmative, he now expected a negative answer to this last question. God could not and would not allow the Chaldean onslaughts to continue unabated. Jehovah would, in His time and in His way, intervene and deal righteously with the Chaldeans.