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BACKGROUND-the book of Habakkuk probably predates the first siege of
Jerusalem in 597. Habakkuk’s announcement of the "Chaldean" invasion comes
somewhere around 605-604 BCE, the fifth year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah,
whose corrupt reign is alluded to in 1:2-4. Literary form-Most translations use the
word "oracle" in the first verse as the medium of communication from God to the
prophet. Oracle carries more the idea of vision or revelation than simply prophecy. [1]
Authorship-If you rummage around the biblical material, Habakkuk shows up in Bel and
the Dragon in an imaginative scene (vs. 33-39). Beyond that citation, not much exists on
Habakkuk.
THEOLGICAL ISSUES -the concern for justice; the prophet has witnessed apparently
firsthand the miscarriage of justice inside his community of faith, city, and nation as
well as from without. Even the agents of justice-Chaldeans / Babylonians / Assyrians?-are
inherently unjust. So Habakkuk raise this whole issue of injustice-why does it linger and
seem to survive in spite of God’s just rule? [2]
We might view the book of Habakkuk as a counter-movement within the world of
conventional wisdom. If the book of Proverbs paints the world in the predictable and
reliable primary colors of logical consequence, then Habakkuk paints the world in a random
splattering of shades and hues that suggest chaos more than order. The psalms too, such as
Psalm 73 or Psalm 88 also challenge conventional wisdom and looks at injustice with eyes
wide open.
connections
Authentic faith is not just a matter of personal spirituality or
belief, but a passion for the notion of fairness and justice in political, social,
judicial, and economic life. How has your living by faith led you to stand for social
justice?
What breakdowns in the social order and fabric in the culture around you have you seen?
What disparities have you observed between those who hold power and wealth and those who
are their opposite?
gambits
This would be a great opportunity to listen to Habakkuk as he
offers social critique of his own day and culture and to allow that text to engage our
Christian communities as well. As Richard Neibuhr and brother Rheinheld, offered a
critical view of their generation of Church and Society, such could this passage allow us
that opportunity.
The task could be as simple as pulling up the single verse that everyone
knows-"the just shall live by faith"-from Habakkuk and presenting the various
ways that Christians have interpreted the phrase. (Too often the focus has been
interior-making sure that the phone lines between the individual and God are in fine
working order.)
Move, however, quickly to the other side of faith-that seeks to be committed to the
principles of fairness and equity.
Present a way of viewing the world that balances our passion for God with our
commitment to neighbor as an act of worship and honor of God.
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