Introduction

Habakkuk 3 is a response psalm to the powerful revelations given to Habakkuk by God in the earlier chapters. Faced with the certainty of Babylon’s invasion, Habakkuk turns to the Lord in prayerful song, recounting His mighty works in creation and salvation throughout history. The psalm crescendos with a confident declaration of joy in God, regardless of the hardships to come.

Key Points

• Main Point: Our merciful and sovereign God will powerfully save His people by justly avenging all evil.
• Purpose: Stand in awe of God’s mighty works, and quietly wait and rejoice in His salvation.
• Situation: Babylon is imminently going to invade Israel for the latter’s violation of their covenant with the LORD.

Habakkuk 3:1; 19

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth…To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.

Habakkuk’s prayer is a psalm of response to God’s revelations, acknowledging His justice in using Babylon to judge Israel and later judging Babylon itself. This deeply emotional song, meant for communal worship, extends beyond Habakkuk’s time as a model of faith-filled response to God’s sovereign plans.

Habakkuk 3:2

O LORD, I have heard the report of you,
and your work, O LORD, do I fear.
In the midst of the years revive it;
in the midst of the years make it known;
in wrath remember mercy.

Habakkuk recalls God’s past acts of salvation, fearing His power yet pleading for mercy amid judgment. Just as God saved Israel from Egypt, he trusts that God will again show mercy. We, too, live in hope, knowing that through Jesus, God has delivered us from sin and will establish His kingdom fully.

Habakkuk 3:3–4

God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran.
His splendor covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.
His brightness was like the light; rays flashed from his hand; and there he veiled his power.

Describing God’s coming like a rising sun, Habakkuk highlights His majesty and power over creation. The same God who spoke the world into being has authority over history, ensuring justice and salvation. Our faith is not in myths but in the Creator who actively rules His world.

Habakkuk 3:5–7

Before him went pestilence, and plague followed at his heels.
He stood and measured the earth; he looked and shook the nations;
then the eternal mountains were scattered; the everlasting hills sank low. His were the everlasting ways.
I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.

God’s dominion extends over all nations, scattering those who oppose Him. He stands above creation, shaking the earth and humbling the proud. When Christ returns, all rebellion will be silenced, and His perfect reign will banish evil forever.

Habakkuk 3:8

Was your wrath against the rivers, O LORD?
Was your anger against the rivers, or your indignation against the sea,
when you rode on your horses, on your chariot of salvation?

Using imagery of chariots and waters, Habakkuk recalls the Exodus, where God turned the Red Sea from a death trap into a path of salvation. In Christ, what seemed like defeat—the cross—became the ultimate victory over sin and death.

Habakkuk 3:9–11

You stripped the sheath from your bow, calling for many arrows.
You split the earth with rivers.
The mountains saw you and writhed; the raging waters swept on; the deep gave forth its voice; it lifted its hands on high.
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.

God’s arrows of lightning and command over creation reveal His unmatched power. If the highest mountains and deepest seas bow before Him, how much more should we stand in awe of our sovereign Lord, trusting in His plan and justice.

Habakkuk 3:12–13

You marched through the earth in fury; you threshed the nations in anger.
You went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed.
You crushed the head of the house of the wicked, laying him bare from thigh to neck.

Marching in righteous anger, God crushes the wicked and saves His anointed people. This echoes Christ’s victory over sin, fulfilling God’s promise to defeat evil and restore His people through His sacrificial death and resurrection.

Habakkuk 3:14–15

You pierced with his own arrows the heads of his warriors,
who came like a whirlwind to scatter me, rejoicing as if to devour the poor in secret.
You trampled the sea with your horses, the surging of mighty waters.

Just as God defeated Egypt through the Red Sea, He will turn Babylon’s own violence against them. Likewise, He will one day fully judge all who persist in rebellion, and right now in part, by letting them experience the natural painful effects on themselves as a consequence of their rebellion. Without repentance, all sinners face the just and logical consequence of separation from Him.

Habakkuk 3:16

I hear, and my body trembles; my lips quiver at the sound;
rottenness enters into my bones; my legs tremble beneath me.
Yet I will quietly wait for the day of trouble to come upon people who invade us.

Though trembling at Babylon’s invasion, Habakkuk chooses to wait on God’s justice. Likewise, we trust that God will right every wrong, bringing perfect judgment and ultimate salvation at Christ’s return.

Habakkuk 3:17–18

Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail, and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

Even in total devastation, Habakkuk rejoices in the LORD, trusting in His salvation. Regardless of circumstances, we find lasting joy not in worldly security but in the unshakable hope of Christ’s return and eternal reign.

Habakkuk 3:19

GOD, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me tread on my high places.

Habakkuk declares God as his strength, quoting Psalm 18. Just as God empowered him to endure Babylon’s judgment, He strengthens us to stand firm in faith, trusting His past, present, and future salvation through Christ.

Conclusion

Habakkuk 3 reveals a profound trust in God’s sovereignty, even amidst impending disaster. Habakkuk models a faithful response to God’s promises by remembering His mighty works, standing in awe of His glory, and rejoicing in His salvation. This psalm calls us to turn to the Lord with quiet confidence, trusting in His power to save and His justice to prevail.

Summary

1. Habakkuk’s prayer praises God’s mighty works and calls for His mercy amidst judgment (3:1–4).
2. God’s sovereign power shakes creation and nations, ensuring ultimate justice (3:5–15).
3. Habakkuk acknowledges fear but chooses to wait patiently for God’s deliverance (3:16).
4. Despite future hardships, Habakkuk rejoices in God’s salvation and strength (3:17–19).