Habakkuk 3

Notes

Ver. 2. Terrified by thine answers to my former complaints, Lord, I beseech thee to support thy people under these calamities, and under their captivity give them some tokens of thy favour, and some mitigation of trouble. 3, 4. How wonderful were thy appearances for thy people on former occasions! At the giving of the law on Mount Sinai the whole firmament shone with the rays of thy glory, and the earth rang with thy praises; and yet that was but a very scanty manifestation of thy power. 5, 6. By divers plagues thou didst destroy the Egyptians and Canaanites; and taking up thy abode in the ark, thou didst expel the latter, and gave their land to thy people. The mightiest giants and best fortified cities were forced to yield; and thy dispensations are, in every age, powerful and gracious. 7. The Midianites, who trembled at the earthquakes occasioned by the descent on Mount Sinai, were afterwards marvellously destroyed by Phinehas and Gideon. 8, 10. Not from any displeasure with the waters, but in love to thy people, didst thou divide the Red Sea and the river Jordan, and conduct them through, marching before them in the pillar of cloud. 9, 11, 12. In fulfilment of the covenant promise, made to our fathers, thou didst manifest thy power in destroying the Canaanites; and didst even make the sun and moon to stop, move, and shine as was necessary for their effectual destruction. 13, 14. Yea, not only at first, but all along, thou didst assist Joshua, David, and other leaders of thy people, and grant them signal victories over all their enemies who took arms against them. 16-19. Thy intimations of the Chaldean invasion fearfully distressed my spirits, and rendered me deeply concerned for my own and others' protection. But even though they should destroy every outward comfort in my country, I will trust and rejoice in God himself, as my all-sufficient Portion and Saviour, who will enable me to bear up under trouble, preserve me from danger, and bring me again to my own land.

Ver. 3. Teman was five miles from Petra, the capital of Edom, in which was Mount Seir. See De. 33.2. C.

Ver. 4. Horns. The original signifies also 'rays, or beams of light,' as in the margin, which is the preferable translation. C.

Ver. 9. Bow . . . quite naked. In warm climates certain kinds of bows must be carried in a cover to prevent injury—the allusion is to uncovering these for battle. C.

Ver. 10. When the rock was smitten for the people and their cattle, the Red Sea divided, Ex. 14.2, or the Jordan was dried to let the people pass, Jos. 3.15; 4.23. C.

Ver. 11. At the light, &c. 'By their light thine arrows went abroad; by their brightness, the lightning of thy spear' (Newcome).

Ver. 16. That I might rest. 'O that I might be at rest before the day of trouble, when the invader shall come up with his legions against the people.' C.

Reflections.—Attentive hearing of God's Word animates to prayer. And even under tokens of his wrath, we must never despair of his mercy: there is enough of it in his stores—in his heart. Nor ought we to neglect observing his former providences of mercy or judgment. Even in his most majestic manifestations, he has the salvation of his people chiefly at it. If he then be our leader, our assistant, no enemies can withstand us. And if God, from regard to his promise, did so much to Israel, what will he not do in the work of our redemption through Christ. Let me therefore never indulge slavish fear. If I enjoy created comforts, let me not fix my heart upon them: and if I want them, let me always rejoice in my unchangeable all in all, the great God my Saviour. Thus the worst of times may be the best for my soul.

Concluding Remarks on the Book of Habakkuk.

A third part of this prophecy is prayer; and, considered merely as a specimen of Hebrew piety, it presents an important subject for contemplation. It embraces four principal topics: (1) An acknowledgment of fear at God's message of judgment, ver. 2, 16. (2) An earnest petition for mercy and revival to a decaying church, ver. 2. (3) A sublime record of the wonders of Providence in delivering the church and overturning her enemies, ver. 3-15. (4) Unshaken confidence and joy in God in the midst of want and ruin. The last topic is that which comes most practically home to the 'lives and bosoms of men;' and that for two reasons: (a) Because times of general calamity are always recurring; and though, in some countries, the intervals may be long, yet still the records of history afford a sufficient warning to all nations to read the words of the apostle in a temporal as well as in a spiritual sense—'Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.' (b) Because, though great national calamities may be 'few and far between,' yet personal or family afflictions are of frequent and daily occurrence—losses, disappointments, sickness, and death are continually treading upon the heels of one another; and under any, or it may be all, of these visitations, what a blessed refuge does the faith of the prophet provide! A refuge in which he not merely bears with resignation and patience, but in which he 'rejoices in the Lord;' yea, 'joys in the God of his salvation.' Happy believer!—by the cross of Christ crucified to the world, the world is also crucified to him!—praying without ceasing; rejoicing evermore; glorying in tribulation; and, in the midst of them all, a conqueror; yea, more than a conqueror, through Jesus that loved him! C.