Scripture Text: Habakkuk 3:8-15
The sun and moon stood still in their place at the light of your arrows as they sped, at the flash of your glittering spear.
Habakkuk 3:11
The children are restless. They bounce from toy to toy, occasionally running to the front window to look out at the empty street. They are full of questions: “When are they coming?” “Did they forget?” “What time is it now?” “Are they driving fast enough?” At last the moment arrives. The sun flashes off the windshield of a familiar green sedan as it turns into the driveway. “They're here, they're here!” the kids shout. Grandma and Grandpa smile and wave as they step out of the car.
Waiting impatiently for important people to show up makes their coming all the sweeter. That's the background feeling for today's reading, in which God Almighty arrives in power to save His people. Pictured as a Warrior, He fights on their behalf and wins the victory, just as He did during the conquest of the Promised Land. Some of the pictures are military, such as God riding in a chariot or shooting a bow and arrows. Others are supernatural, such as God splitting the earth with rivers and using other elements of nature as weapons. And some can only be called sovereign, such as God threshing the nations like a farmer harvesting wheat.
Many commentators see specific historical references in these verses. For example, the mention of rivers (v. Cool alludes to when God turned the Nile to blood and later parted the Jordan so the Israelites could cross. The sun standing still (v. 11) recalls the victory at Gibeon. The sea (v. 15) brings to mind the miraculous parting of the Red Sea in the escape from Egypt. The verbs in this passage are powerful: God “rages” in righteous wrath in order to “deliver” or “save” His chosen people. He used a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to protect and guide them during the Exodus, and Habakkuk's continuing prayer is that those days would come again. His faith was strong—he believed that God would bring future restoration as surely He brought past deliverance!
Reflect
Do you ever review God's work in your own life as a source of praise?
Remember
The book of Habakkuk, like many of the Psalms, uses the history of God's work with His people to inspire praise and worship. You could compose your own hymn of praise that acknowledges God's character and work. If writing words or music doesn't seem like your strong suit, you can at least approach the praise time during the next church service with a fresh perspective on reasons to give praise to the Lord.
Dear readers, when we truly see who Christ is, what He did for us and what is in store for us because of Him, all we could ever do is to live a life that is grateful and produces a never ending praise and thanksgiving that comes for a heart that really seen, understood and felt God’s grace showed and given to us.
Read
Exodus 7:19-20; 14:16-31 / Joshua 10:12-13 / Ephesians 1:3-14
Pray
Dear Heavenly Father, Lord, make me always see and focus my attention to Your Son who personified Your grace and in Him as the only way that I received Your special grace that is only bestowed to Your children. Teach me as I trust You with my life, I also praise You and offer thanksgiving to You through all my words and deeds. This I pray in His name, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Comments