Introduction to Habakkuk: Righteousness of God
The book of Habakkuk is a unique and profound dialogue between a prophet and God, addressing deep questions about justice, suffering, and faith. Unlike many prophetic books that deliver direct messages to the people, Habakkuk records a personal conversation in which the prophet boldly questions God’s actions—or seeming inaction—in the face of rampant evil and injustice. Living during a time of great turmoil, likely in the late 7th century BCE, Habakkuk sees violence and corruption within Judah and struggles to reconcile this with God’s holiness.
When God responds that He will use the Babylonians to judge Judah, Habakkuk is even more disturbed, wondering how a righteous God can use a more wicked nation as an instrument of justice. God’s answer reveals a central theme of the book: “The righteous shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). This declaration becomes a cornerstone of Christian theology and a call to trust in God’s timing and purposes, even when they are not fully understood.
The book ends with a beautiful prayer of praise, affirming God’s power, faithfulness, and ultimate justice. Despite his doubts, Habakkuk chooses to rejoice in the Lord. His journey from lament to trust offers timeless wisdom for those wrestling with life’s hard questions.
Authorship, Location & Date
Author: The Prophet Habakkuk: The book is attributed to Habakkuk, about whom we know very little outside of this text. He is introduced simply as “the prophet Habakkuk” (Habakkuk 1:1), suggesting he held an official prophetic role. Unlike other prophets who speak primarily to the people, Habakkuk addresses God directly, wrestling with divine justice. His name may be related to the Hebrew word for “embrace,” fitting his posture of both confronting and clinging to God in faith.
Location: Judah (Southern Kingdom): Habakkuk’s ministry takes place in the Kingdom of Judah, likely centered around Jerusalem, the religious and political hub. His complaints about violence, injustice, and lawlessness align with the moral and spiritual decline seen in Judah before the Babylonian invasion.
Date: Late 7th Century BCE (Around 609–605 BC): Most scholars date the book to the reign of King Jehoiakim or just before the Babylonian invasion of Judah. This places Habakkuk’s writing between the fall of Assyria and the rise of Babylon as a dominant power. The Chaldeans (Babylonians) are mentioned as an emerging threat (Habakkuk 1:6), indicating a time just prior to their full-scale conquest of Judah, which began in 605 BCE.
Habakkuk’s Historical Context
1. Political Context: The Rise of Babylon and Fall of Assyria
Habakkuk’s ministry likely occurred during the reign of King Jehoiakim (609–598 BCE), a vassal of Egypt and later Babylon.
Assyria, which had dominated the region for over a century, was collapsing, and Babylon (Chaldea) was on the rise.
Judah was caught in the middle of imperial power struggles, leading to fear, uncertainty, and national vulnerability.
God’s announcement that He would raise up the Babylonians (Hab. 1:6) to judge Judah would have shocked the people—Babylon was known for its violence and ruthlessness.
2. Social Context: Injustice and Violence in Judah
Internally, Judah was marked by social corruption, oppression of the poor, and lawlessness.
Habakkuk complains about violence, injustice, and the perversion of the law (Hab. 1:2–4).
The judicial system had broken down, and the powerful exploited the weak. This deterioration grieved the prophet, who expected more from a nation called to reflect God’s covenant values.
3. Religious Context: Spiritual Decline and Idolatry
Though Josiah had led a religious reform earlier (around 622 BCE), by Habakkuk’s time, those reforms were eroding under Jehoiakim.
The people had turned back to idolatry and formal religion, forsaking true worship of Yahweh.
Religious hypocrisy was rampant, and the temple system no longer reflected justice or true devotion.
Habakkuk, as a faithful servant of God, is disturbed not only by Judah’s sins but also by God’s seeming silence in the face of such evil.
Definition of Lamentation & Habakkuk’s Purpose
A lamentation is a passionate expression of grief, sorrow, or mourning, often directed toward God. In the biblical sense, it is a structured form of prayer or poetry in which individuals or communities cry out in distress, express pain or confusion, and sometimes ask hard questions about suffering, injustice, or loss.
Key Elements of a Lamentation
Complaint
Honest description of the problem: suffering, oppression, injustice, or divine silence.
Example: “How long, O Lord?” (Habakkuk 1:2)
Petition
A plea for help, healing, or justice.
Often includes a call for God to act, intervene, or remember His promises.
Expression of Trust or Hope
Many lamentations turn from despair to renewed trust in God’s faithfulness.
This can take the form of praise, remembrance of past deliverance, or a commitment to wait.
The purpose of the book of Habakkuk is to explore the tension between faith and doubt in the face of injustice, suffering, and divine silence, ultimately leading the reader to a deeper trust in God's justice, sovereignty, and timing.
Here’s a breakdown of its core purposes:
1. To Wrestle with God's Justice
Habakkuk boldly questions why a holy and just God allows evil to go unpunished in Judah, and why He would use a more wicked nation (Babylon) to execute judgment. This makes the book unique among the prophets—it is more of a dialogue with God than a direct address to the people.
The purpose here is to show that questioning God is not faithlessness, but can be part of a faithful relationship.
2. To Affirm that the Righteous Live by Faith
At the heart of the book is Habakkuk 2:4 – “the righteous shall live by his faith.” This is not only a theological centerpiece, but also a spiritual survival guide for those enduring suffering, oppression, or delay in divine intervention.
The book teaches that even when God's ways seem confusing, faith sustains the righteous.
3. To Encourage Hope and Trust in God’s Sovereignty
Though it begins in complaint, the book ends in worship (Habakkuk 3). The prophet moves from lament to a song of trust, affirming that God is in control, even over the rise and fall of empires.
The purpose is to lead readers to rejoice in God regardless of circumstances, trusting in His ultimate justice.
Its Theological Themes
1. The Justice and Sovereignty of God
A core theme is that God is just, even when His actions—or delays—are hard to understand.
God controls history, including the rise and fall of empires (e.g., Babylon), to fulfill His purposes.
Habakkuk questions God’s use of a wicked nation to judge Judah, but God reveals that He will ultimately judge all evil, including Babylon.
Key verse: “For still the vision awaits its appointed time… it will not delay” (Habakkuk 2:3)
2. Living by Faith
Central to the book is the idea that the righteous will live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4).
This teaches that trust in God—not circumstances—is what sustains believers through injustice, suffering, and delay.
This verse becomes foundational in the New Testament (Romans, Galatians, Hebrews), emphasizing faith over works.
3. Honest Dialogue with God
Habakkuk models that it is acceptable—and faithful—to wrestle with God through prayer, lament, and questioning.
The prophet begins with confusion and complaint, but ends with praise and trust.
Faith is not blind; it engages God honestly and persistently.
How to Read Habakkuk
Read in Historical Context – Consider the setting of the Southern Kingdom of Judah prior its destruction, prosperous, corrupt, evil and proud even with the impending Babylonian empire.
Read and reflect upon it honestly – Be honest with the text and your personal context. Embrace the lament in honesty looking towards its conclusion which is trust.
Look for Christological Themes – There are multiple scripture passages that are fulfilled in Christ & His church. Look for NT connections.
Near-Far Fulfillment – Compare Habakkuk’s message and context to the context of the church and the message of the gospel. What are the similarities?
An Outline of Habakkuk
I. Superscription (1:1)
“The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet saw.”
Introduces the prophet and the nature of the book as a vision or burden.
II. First Complaint: Why Does God Tolerate Injustice? (1:2–4)
Habakkuk laments the violence, injustice, and lawlessness in Judah.
He asks, “How long, O Lord, must I call for help and you do not listen?”
III. God’s First Response: Judgment through Babylon (1:5–11)
God reveals He is raising up the Chaldeans (Babylonians) to punish Judah.
The Babylonians are described as ruthless and swift instruments of judgment.
IV. Second Complaint: Why Use a Wicked Nation? (1:12–2:1)
Habakkuk is shocked—how can a holy God use a nation more wicked than Judah to execute judgment?
He pledges to wait and watch for God’s reply.
V. God’s Second Response: The Just Shall Live by Faith (2:2–20)
A. Instruction to Write the Vision (2:2–3)
God’s judgment is sure, even if delayed.
B. Central Verse: Faith vs. Pride (2:4)
“The righteous shall live by his faith.”
C. Five Woes Against the Wicked (2:5–20)
Woes against oppressors, the greedy, the violent, the immoral, and idolaters.
Ends with a reminder: “The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.” (2:20)
VI. Habakkuk’s Prayer (Chapter 3)
A. Petition for Mercy in Judgment (3:1–2)
“In wrath remember mercy.”
B. Theophany: God’s Mighty Acts (3:3–15)
A poetic recounting of God’s past power and deliverance in history (e.g., Exodus, conquest).
C. Expression of Trust and Joy (3:16–19)
Even if all physical provisions fail, Habakkuk declares:
“Yet I will rejoice in the Lord… God, the Lord, is my strength.”
Visual Images in Habakkuk
1. Violence and Chaos in Society (Habakkuk 1:2–4)
“Violence!” – A society filled with unrest and bloodshed.
“Strife and conflict abound” – Social breakdown and constant contention.
“The law is paralyzed” – A picture of justice frozen and useless.
These images evoke a community overwhelmed by moral decay and legal impotence.
2. The Ruthless Advance of Babylon (Habakkuk 1:6–11)
“Bitter and hasty nation” – Babylon is portrayed as swift and aggressive.
“Their horses are swifter than leopards” – Speed and predatory instinct.
“They fly like an eagle swift to devour” – Aerial assault, inevitable and violent.
“They gather captives like sand” – Innumerable victims, helpless against their power.
Babylon is seen as a terrifying storm of destruction unleashed by God.
3. Idolatry and Futility (Habakkuk 2:18–19)
“Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, ‘Awake!’”
“Can this idol teach?” – A mockery of lifeless statues.
The imagery contrasts silent idols with the living God in His temple (2:20).
This points to the absurdity and emptiness of man-made gods.
4. The Lord’s Cosmic Appearance (Habakkuk 3:3–15)
This section, a theophany (vision of God), is filled with awe-inspiring natural imagery:
“His splendor covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise” (3:3)
“Pestilence and plague march before Him” (3:5)
“He stood and shook the earth” (3:6)
“The mountains saw You and writhed… the deep gave forth its voice” (3:10)
God appears like a storm, moving through creation with unstoppable force.
5. A Barren Yet Joyful World (Habakkuk 3:17–19)
“Though the fig tree does not blossom… no herd in the stalls” – Images of total agricultural and economic collapse.
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD – A picture of joy rising amid desolation.
This contrast is deeply visual—devastation around, yet trust and praise within.
Get more content on our Visualizing Theology website
Other Biblical References to Micah
1. Habakkuk 2:4 – "The Righteous Shall Live by Faith"
“Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith.”
— Habakkuk 2:4
This verse is quoted three times in the New Testament to emphasize justification by faith:
a. Romans 1:17
“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’”
Paul uses this to introduce his central theme: salvation is by faith, not by works or heritage.
b. Galatians 3:11
“Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’”
Paul again uses Habakkuk to argue that faith, not the law, is the basis of being made right with God.
c. Hebrews 10:37–38
“Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”
The writer connects faithful endurance with salvation, drawing from both Habakkuk 2:3–4.
2. Possible Allusions to Habakkuk 1:5
“Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.”
— Habakkuk 1:5
Acts 13:40–41
“Beware, therefore, lest what is said in the Prophets should come about: ‘Look, you scoffers, be astounded and perish; for I am doing a work in your days, a work that you will not believe, even if one tells it to you.’”
Paul quotes this verse in his sermon at Antioch, warning the people not to reject God’s surprising work—just as the Jews once did when Babylon was raised up as an unexpected instrument of judgment.
Next Steps
Search this theme in Micah: lamentation to God
Read Habakkuk & keep a journal.
Look for the major parts of a lamentation.
Write out the verse with the key word in it. Look for at least one per chapter.
Look for the concept which is connected to the key word & identify how it is being used.
Identify the eternal truth that is being taught.
Look for some of these verses in the New Testament especially their connection to Jesus, his people & his gospel along with the human sin nature, forgiveness of sin & righteousness.
Practice praying a lament prayer in your own context. Write it out and then pray it.
Remember the end of lamentation is “The righteous shall live by faith.”