I know Habakkuk might seem like a weird place to be for daily reading. If you‚Äôre anything like me and I sure hope not, sometimes it’s just the right fit.
Habakkuk was a complainer! He does not, however, complain about the stuff over which people normally complain. His complaints are not personal. They are collective. His complaints are not private. They are corporate. He is complaining to God regarding the way the Israelites are being treated at the hands of their own leaders.
The narrative opens with Habakkuk complaining followed by the Lord answering. What I find interesting is that the Lord’s first answer does not satisfy Habakkuk and so guess what he does? If you said “complain” give yourself 20 points. Yes, he complains again and man oh man does that man know how to complain. You’ve got to be a skilled complainer if someone can take your complaint and turn it into a sermon!
Perhaps Habakkuk was not satisfied with the length of God’s answer to his first complaint. It was barely seven sentences. To make up for this brevity, God answers the second complaint (even tells Habakkuk to write down his answer) with around nineteen carefully worded sentences. This response by God to the complaints of Habakkuk results in a prayer. It’s an interesting prayer for many reasons. You should read it.
I find it interesting that we get to the end of his prayer and it turns out all along the prayer was a psalm (a song) “for the director of music” intended to be presented on Habakkuk’s stringed instruments.
Habakkuk was a man distressed at the behavior of his people, distressed at the behavior of the ruling nations and distressed at the seemingly lack of response from God. When he mentioned his concerns to God, he was assured by God of a sure response. God’s response would be the final word. God’s response would even silence all complaints:
The Lord is in his Holy Temple; all the earth should be silent in his presence.
2 Responses to “Habakkuk Was A Guitar Player”
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July 5th, 2005 at 11:46 am
Don’t know if you’re familiar with Al Maxey’s web articles or not, but I just came away from his site to your blog. Al is a very interesting writer who takes the legalists and patternists head on with his sound biblical teaching. (Not suggesting you’re any different!) He was dealing with some mid-twenty-year-old preacher in Texas over the same old issues. In this case, this young preacher had withdrawn fellowship with some church over hand-clapping in worship.
Then I open your blog and see this fascinating title! (Leave it to you!)
Habakkuk has always been a one of my favorite of the OT minor prophets … I suppose because I feel somewhat justified by this man of God (faults and all) when I complain.
Good post! See you in about 10 days!
July 6th, 2005 at 9:32 am
I was about to write that Habakkuk may have happened on a psychologically attractive from of supplication until I read the last carefully worded sentence. It sort of killed the momentum I was operating under.