BEMA Episode Link: 58: Habakkuk — Watchtower
Episode Length: 26:31
Published Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2018 01:00:00 -0800
Session 2
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings dive into one of Marty’s favorite prophecies: the book of Habakkuk. They examine the complaints submitted by the prophet and his ensuing dialogue with God.

Discussion Video for BEMA 58

Transcript for BEMA 58

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA Episode 58: Habakkuk — Watchtower

Title & Source Summary

This episode explores the Book of Habakkuk, a unique prophetic work from the Babylonian period that presents an intimate dialogue between the prophet and God. Unlike most prophets who simply receive and deliver God’s word, Habakkuk boldly questions God’s justice and demands satisfactory answers. The episode examines the prophet’s complaints about divine inaction, God’s surprising response, and Habakkuk’s ultimate posture of faith in the face of impending calamity.

Key Takeaways

• Habakkuk represents a unique prophetic voice that dares to question God directly, demanding answers about divine justice and the apparent triumph of evil
• The prophet’s primary complaint centers on why God allows the wicked (Babylon) to oppress the righteous (Judah)
• God’s response reveals that He is using Babylon as an instrument of judgment, but Babylon itself will also face consequences for its injustice
• The book contains strong parallels to Israel’s own sins, suggesting that God’s condemnation of Babylon mirrors His judgment on His own people
• Habakkuk concludes with one of Scripture’s most powerful declarations of faith: trusting God even when circumstances are utterly bleak
• The watchtower becomes a symbol of waiting for God’s answer and perspective, representing persistence in seeking divine understanding
• Faith means trusting God’s plan even when the future is frightening and the present makes no sense

Main Concepts & Theories

The Structure of Prophetic Periods

The episode situates Habakkuk within the Babylonian prophetic period, the third major era after:

1. Pre-Assyrian Prophets (4 total):
   • To Israel: Amos (plumb line) and Hosea (prostitute/guerilla theater)
   • To Judah: Micah (judge) and First Isaiah (vineyard)
2. Assyrian Prophets (4 total):
   • To Israel: Jonah (potential/mercy) and Nahum (judgment/justice)
   • To Judah: Zephaniah (t’shuva/repentance) and Second Isaiah (woes)
3. Babylonian Prophets:
   • Jeremiah (weeping prophet)
   • Lamentations (alphabet chiastic acrostic with center nugget of hope)
   • Habakkuk (watchtower/complaint and response)

The Prophetic Paradox

Habakkuk embodies the tension between two aspects of God’s character explored earlier in Jonah and Nahum:

• God’s patience and mercy (Jonah): Why doesn’t God immediately judge the wicked?
• God’s justice and action (Nahum): Will God do nothing about injustice?

Habakkuk’s Complaint Structure

The book follows a unique dialogue pattern:

1. First Complaint (Habakkuk 1:1-4): Why does God allow injustice and violence to prevail? Why does He tolerate wrongdoing when the wicked oppress the righteous?

2. God’s First Response (Habakkuk 1:5-11): God reveals He is raising up the Babylonians as an instrument of judgment, describing their fearsome military might and ruthless character.

3. Second Complaint (Habakkuk 1:12-2:1): Habakkuk objects that this answer is insufficient. He acknowledges God’s holiness but questions how a pure God can use an even more wicked nation to punish Judah. He climbs into his watchtower to wait for a better answer.

4. God’s Second Response (Habakkuk 2:2-20): God instructs Habakkuk to write down the vision clearly. He delivers five “woes” against those who build empires through injustice, violence, exploitation, and idolatry.

5. Habakkuk’s Prayer Response (Habakkuk 3): After glimpsing God’s plan, Habakkuk responds with awe, trembling, and ultimately profound trust in God’s sovereignty.

The Watchtower Motif

The watchtower (Habakkuk 2:1) symbolizes:

• Persistence in seeking answers: Habakkuk refuses to accept a superficial response
• Waiting for divine perspective: The elevated position represents gaining God’s viewpoint
• Chutzpah (holy audacity): Bold faith that believes God welcomes honest questions
• Patient expectation: Trusting that God will provide understanding in His timing

T’shuva: The Concept of Repentance

The Hebrew word t’shuva (introduced via Zephaniah) means “to return” or “turn back.” It conveys:

• Making a U-turn to return to the original path
• Not just feeling sorry, but actively returning to God
• Restoration to a former relationship, not just behavioral modification
• The ongoing nature of covenant relationship that requires repeated returning

The Mirror Effect: Babylon and Judah

God’s condemnation of Babylon in Chapter 2 contains striking parallels to His indictments against Judah:

• Building houses through unjust gain
• Violence and bloodshed
• Idol worship and trust in created things rather than Creator
• Exploitation of neighbors and the vulnerable
• Empire-building through oppression

This mirroring suggests that Habakkuk realizes Judah’s own guilt, making his initial complaint more complicated. Both nations stand condemned for the same sins.

Source A and Source B Violations

God’s response in Chapter 2 addresses both categories of covenant violation:

• Source A (relationship with God): Idolatry, making images, trusting in lifeless objects
• Source B (treatment of people): Violence, exploitation, unjust gain, bloodshed, drunkenness leading to sexual abuse

Genesis Echoes

Chapter 2-3 contains numerous allusions to Genesis:

• Waters covering the sea (Genesis 1: waters over the deep; Genesis 6-9: the flood)
• The imagery of Noah getting drunk and being exposed naked
• God’s pattern of “making creation new” when the world becomes too corrupt
• The bow, the deep, the sun and moon in the heavens
• God’s wrath against waters and rivers

The Revelation that Awaits

God tells Habakkuk to write the vision plainly because:

• It speaks of the end and will not prove false
• Though it lingers, it will certainly come
• The righteous will live by faithfulness while waiting
• The vision enables endurance through the waiting period

Divine Concealment and Revelation

The episode reflects on why God sometimes reveals the future and sometimes doesn’t:

• Job receives no explanation for his suffering
• Habakkuk receives a glimpse of God’s plan
• Sometimes knowing the future would prevent us from walking into it
• God’s concealment can be an act of mercy, enabling us to face what we couldn’t bear if we knew in advance
• Revelation brings both understanding and terror (Habakkuk’s knees tremble)

The Righteous Shall Live by Faithfulness

This central verse (Habakkuk 2:4) becomes foundational in later biblical theology:

• Faithfulness/faith as the posture of the righteous
• Living in covenant relationship even when circumstances argue against it
• Trust in God’s character when His actions seem contradictory
• Endurance through waiting for God’s promises to unfold

Habakkuk’s Final Faith Declaration

The closing verses (Habakkuk 3:17-19) represent one of Scripture’s most powerful statements of faith:

• Total deprivation: No figs, grapes, olives, food, sheep, or cattle
• Agricultural disaster: In an agrarian society, this means complete economic collapse
• Yet rejoicing: Not despite circumstances, but anchored in God’s character
• Future hope: Written while staring at Babylonian invasion
• Not prosperity gospel: This is faith in the face of guaranteed calamity
• Strength for the journey: God enables navigation of impossible terrain (“feet like a deer”)

The Role of Music and Art

The episode concludes with notation “For the director of music. On stringed instruments,” indicating:

• This prophecy was meant to be sung
• Art and music sustain communities through suffering
• Corporate worship becomes the vehicle for maintaining hope
• Beauty and truth combine to form resilience
• Shared lament and shared hope bond the community

Examples & Applications

Historical Context

Babylonian Conquest: Habakkuk prophesied during the rise of Babylon (late 7th century BCE), when Nebuchadnezzar’s armies were sweeping across the ancient Near East. The Northern Kingdom (Israel) had already fallen to Assyria, and Judah faced similar destruction. The prophet witnessed:

• The collapse of regional powers
• Brutal military campaigns
• The impending destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
• Mass deportation and exile

Real-World Parallels

Modern Injustice: Habakkuk’s questions remain relevant when confronting:

• Genocides and ethnic cleansing
• Oppressive regimes that seem to prosper
• Economic systems that enrich the few while impoverishing the many
• Environmental destruction for short-term gain
• The seeming triumph of dishonesty and corruption in public life

Personal Application: The watchtower principle applies when:

• Wrestling with unanswered prayers
• Facing devastating diagnoses or losses
• Watching evil seem to prevail in your workplace, community, or family
• Questioning why God doesn’t intervene in obvious injustice
• Struggling to maintain faith when circumstances contradict God’s promises

The Danger of Answers

Habakkuk’s Terror: After demanding answers, Habakkuk’s response shows:

• “My heart pounded, my lips quivered”
• “Decay crept into my bones and my legs trembled”
• Sometimes we think we want to know the future, but we really don’t
• God’s perspective can be more frightening than the mystery
• Yet knowing still produces faith rather than despair

The Mirror of Self-Examination

Condemning Others: Habakkuk’s experience warns against:

• Pointing out the sins of enemies while ignoring our own
• Assuming our relative righteousness justifies us
• Demanding God judge others while excusing our own injustice
• Empire-building (whether national, corporate, or personal) through exploitation
• The hypocrisy of identical behaviors judged differently based on who commits them

Waiting Patiently for Calamity

Counterintuitive Faith: Habakkuk models:

• Facing reality honestly (calamity is coming)
• Not engaging in denial or false optimism
• Trusting God’s larger story even while acknowledging painful details
• Finding joy not in circumstances but in relationship with God
• Strength for the journey, not escape from the journey

Corporate Worship in Crisis

Singing Through Suffering: The musical notation suggests:

• Communities need shared expression of lament and hope
• Art provides what mere propositions cannot
• Beauty sustains what logic cannot support
• Corporate memory (rehearsing God’s past faithfulness) builds courage
• Worship is not escape but engagement with reality through God’s lens

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

Theological Questions

1. The Problem of Evil: How does Habakkuk’s dialogue inform our understanding of why God allows suffering and injustice? What does it teach about the relationship between God’s sovereignty and human free will?

2. The Use of Evil for Good: How can God use evil empires as instruments of judgment while still holding them accountable for their wickedness? What does this reveal about God’s ability to work within historical circumstances?

3. Faith vs. Sight: What does it mean that “the righteous shall live by faith/faithfulness”? How does this verse connect to its later use in Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews?

4. Divine Pedagogy: Why does God sometimes answer our questions and sometimes remain silent? What can we learn about spiritual maturity from the different ways God relates to different biblical figures?

Literary Analysis

1. Complaint Psalms: How does Habakkuk’s dialogue relate to the lament psalms? What does the inclusion of such texts in Scripture teach about honest communication with God?

2. Prophetic Poetry: Analyze the literary devices in Chapter 3. How do the Genesis allusions function? What is the effect of the vivid imagery of God as divine warrior?

3. Chiastic Structure: Does Habakkuk contain any chiastic patterns? How does the movement from complaint to trust mirror other biblical narratives?

Historical Context

1. Babylon’s Rise: Study the historical Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar. How accurate were Habakkuk’s predictions? What archaeological evidence exists for Babylonian military campaigns?

2. Comparative Prophets: Compare Habakkuk with Jeremiah and Lamentations. How do these three Babylonian-period prophets complement each other? What unique perspective does each offer?

3. Ancient Near Eastern Context: How did other conquered peoples understand their gods’ relationship to military defeat? What makes the Israelite prophetic interpretation unique?

Practical Theology

1. Spiritual Formation: What spiritual practices help cultivate Habakkuk-like faith that can rejoice even in deprivation? How do we develop resilience in the face of calamity?

2. Theodicy and Pastoral Care: How should Habakkuk inform how we respond to those questioning God in the midst of suffering? What does this book teach about the appropriateness of questioning God?

3. Prophetic Voice Today: What does it mean to speak prophetically in contemporary contexts? How do we discern when to comfort and when to challenge?

Intertextual Connections

1. New Testament Usage: How is Habakkuk 2:4 (“the righteous shall live by faith”) interpreted in Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews? What continuity and development exist between these uses?

2. Jesus and the Prophets: How might Jesus’ understanding of his mission been informed by prophets like Habakkuk? Do we see echoes in Jesus’ own prayers (especially Gethsemane)?

3. Eschatological Fulfillment: How do the “woes” in Habakkuk 2 relate to similar pronouncements in the Gospels and Revelation? What patterns of divine judgment persist?

Comprehension Questions

1. Habakkuk’s Watchtower: Explain the significance of Habakkuk climbing into his watchtower (2:1) after God’s first response. What does this action reveal about the nature of faith and the prophet’s relationship with God? How does this differ from typical prophetic behavior?

2. The Mirror Effect: How does God’s condemnation of Babylon in Chapter 2 also function as a condemnation of Judah? Identify at least three specific sins mentioned that both nations share. What does this suggest about Habakkuk’s understanding of God’s justice?

3. T’shuva and Repentance: Define the Hebrew word t’shuva and explain how it differs from or enriches the English word “repentance.” Why is the concept of “returning” significant for understanding covenant relationship with God?

4. The Righteous Living by Faithfulness: Habakkuk 2:4 states “the righteous person will live by his faithfulness.” Based on the context of the book, what does this faithfulness look like practically? How does Habakkuk himself model this principle in Chapter 3?

5. Faith in the Face of Calamity: Analyze Habakkuk 3:17-19, explaining what makes this declaration of faith so remarkable. What circumstances was Habakkuk facing when he wrote these words? What is the basis of his joy if not his circumstances?

Personalized Summary

The Book of Habakkuk presents a remarkably honest and intimate dialogue between a prophet and God, centered on one of humanity’s most persistent questions: Why do the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer? Habakkuk refuses to accept easy answers, boldly positioning himself in his watchtower to demand a response that satisfies his sense of justice. God’s answer is both revealing and troubling—He is indeed using the brutal Babylonians as instruments of judgment, but they too will face consequences for their sins.

What makes Habakkuk’s prophecy particularly powerful is the mirror it holds up to God’s people. As God condemns Babylon for violence, exploitation, idolatry, and injustice, the prophet realizes these same charges apply to Judah. This self-recognition transforms his complaint and leads to a deeper understanding: God’s judgment is not arbitrary favoritism but righteous response to covenant violation, whoever commits it.

The climax of the book comes not with answers to all questions, but with a profound declaration of trust. Having glimpsed God’s plan—and being terrified by it—Habakkuk nevertheless chooses faith. His closing words paint a picture of utter agricultural disaster (no figs, grapes, olives, livestock, or crops) yet proclaim unwavering joy in God. This is not prosperity gospel or naive optimism; it is faith forged in the furnace of impending calamity.

Habakkuk teaches that authentic faith welcomes hard questions while ultimately resting in God’s character rather than favorable circumstances. The righteous live by faithfulness—trusting God’s larger story even when the immediate chapter is devastating. The prophet models waiting patiently, not for rescue from suffering, but for the fulfillment of God’s purposes through it. His final image of being given feet like a deer to navigate impossible heights captures the essence of faith: not escape from the difficult path, but divine strength to walk it.

Significantly, this profound theology was meant to be sung. The musical notation at the end reminds us that communities survive catastrophe not through stoic endurance alone, but through shared worship that rehearses God’s faithfulness and envisions His ultimate victory. Art, beauty, and corporate memory sustain what mere logic cannot support. Habakkuk’s watchtower becomes an invitation for every generation to bring their honest questions to God, to wait for His perspective, and to choose trust even when understanding remains partial and the future frightening.

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