knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (2:14). In chapter 3, Habakkuk "saw" this powerful glory, and his heart pounded. It changed his attitude from complaining to joy.
Because the future belongs to God, a believer can cling to the truth embodied in 2:4: "The righteous shall live by his faith." Habakkuk beautifully expressed this attitude of faith in the last three verses of his book: no matter how hard life might become, he would rejoice and find strength in the Lord.
Living by Faith
Did Habakkuk explain why God allows evil? Not precisely. He did affirm that God has not lost control. Evil is moving toward its own logical end of self-destruction, and God's glory will someday fill the earth. Habakkuk offers no proof of this, merely the record of God's communication to him. A believer can find hope and joy through faith in God, regardless of circumstances. Habakkuk's capsule of faith was quoted at three crucial points in the New Testament: Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; and Hebrews 10:38.
Though Habakkuk probably did not live to see it, the Babylonians were destroyed. Today they are merely a memory. Yet we, like Habakkuk, must still wait in faith to see the earth "filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord." |
