Summary
Habakkuk records a dialogue between the prophet and God, wrestling with the question of why God permits evil to go unpunished and then uses an even more wicked nation as his instrument of judgment. The book moves from questioning to a triumphant declaration that the righteous will live by faith.
Outline
- Habakkuk's First Complaint and God's Answer (1:1–11)
- Habakkuk's Second Complaint and God's Answer (1:12–2:20)
- Habakkuk's Prayer and Praise (3)
Key Verses
"Look at the nations and watch — and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told."
"See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright — but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness."
"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior."
Christ in Habakkuk
The righteous shall live by faith (2:4, quoted in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11); faith as the means of justification in Christ