Habakkuk 3:1-19

3:1-19 | The prophet’s earlier questions and complaints against God culminate in a prayer. Habakkuk begins with a plea for mercy on Juday, quickly turns to faith-bolstering praise, and then concludes with a pledge to wait expectantly for the Lord’s deliverance.

3:3-16 | As Habakkuk gratefully recalls God’s faithful actions in Israel’s history, especially during the time of the Exodus, he presents a vision of God’s coming judgment on Judah.

3:17-19 | This difficult time of judgment will include a lack of essential foods, yet the prophet vows to trust in the LORD, confident that God will preserve the righteous according to His promise in 2:4. Christians need not fear the loss of anything in this life when their hope is in the everlasting God.

3:19 | This image of a sure-footed deer traversing high hills calls to mind a creature equipped for whatever terrain lies ahead (2 Sam. 22:34; Ps. 18:32-33,39). When God’s people encounter difficult paths, they should turn to the One who can enable them to walk without stumbling (Rom. 16:25; Jude 24).