Habakkuk 3:16-Habakkuk’s Adverse Physical Reaction to the Revelation Given to Him and His Expression of Faith in the Lord
Habakkuk Chapter Three • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 1:16:40
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Habakkuk 3:16 I listened with the result that my stomach is upset. As a result of the sound of His words, my lips quiver. Degeneration enters into my bones. Consequently, that which is beneath me trembles while I wait patiently for the period of time characterized by distress to be experienced for the detriment of the people who will attack us. (My translation)
Habakkuk 3:16 contains five statements which are issued by the prophet Habakkuk.
This verse marks a transition from the prophetic statements recorded in Habakkuk 3:3-15 to the final section of the book, which records the prophet Habakkuk’s response to these prophetic statements which are recorded in Habakkuk 3:16-19.
The first of these statements solemnly asserts that the prophet Habakkuk listened to something or heard something with result that his stomach was churned or was upset.
The questioned arises as to what he was listening to since this is obviously ambiguous and thus begs to be defined.
Who was he listening to and what was he listening to?
With regards to the latter, is he referring to the prophetic statements in Habakkuk 3:3-15 or the contents of the entire book up to this point, namely, Habakkuk 1:2-3:15?
Could he be referring to only the Lord’s responses to his complaints, thus Habakkuk 1:5-11, 2:2-20 and 3:3-15?
First of all, to answer the question as to what Habakkuk heard, we can discount the prophet Habakkuk’s complaints recorded in Habakkuk 1:2-4 and the Habakkuk 1:12-17.
This is indicated by the fact that these statements in these verses would not cause him to have a physical reaction which he asserts he was experiencing in Habakkuk 3:16 as a result of what he listened to.
Therefore, the answer to the question as to what Habakkuk heard must be found in the statements which the Lord communicated to the prophet Habakkuk in Habakkuk 1:5-11, 2:2-20 and 3:3-15.
As we have noted in detail, Habakkuk 1:5-11 records the Lord’s response to the prophet Habakkuk’s complaint that He had yet to discipline the apostate citizens in the southern kingdom of Judah at the end of the seventh century B.C.
In this response, the Lord asserts that He has chosen the Babylonians for this task.
We also noted in detail that Habakkuk 2:2-20 presents the Lord God of Israel’s response to Habakkuk’s complaint that the Lord had chosen the Babylonians to discipline the apostate citizens of Judah.
In this response, the Lord tells Habakkuk that eventually He will judge the Babylonians for their unrepentant sinful behavior in relation to the citizens of the various nations of the Mediterranean and Mesopotamian regions of the world at the end of the seventh century B.C. and at the beginning of the sixth century B.C.
Lastly, we also noted in detail that Habakkuk 3:3-15 presents prophetic statements which are directly related to the events of the last three and a half years of the seventieth week of Daniel as well as the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
Now, the prophet Habakkuk’s statements in Habakkuk 3:16 gives us an indication as to whether or not he is referring to Habakkuk 3:3-15, or the contents of the entire book up to this point, namely, Habakkuk 1:2-3:15, or only the Lord’s responses to his complaints, thus Habakkuk 1:5-11, 2:2-20 and 3:3-15.
In Habakkuk 3:16, the prophet Habakkuk asserts that his stomach was upset as a result of hearing what he did.
Secondly, he states that as a result of hearing the sound of the voice, which communicated to him this revelation, his lips quivered.
Next, he asserts that degeneration or decay entered his bones so that what was beneath him trembled, namely, his legs.
Lastly, he states that while his legs trembled beneath as a result of hearing this revelation from the Lord, he was waiting patiently for the period of time characterized by distress to be experienced for the detriment of the people who will attack his nation.
This statement is speaking of the period of time in which the God of Israel would judge the Babylonians for the unrepentant sinful behavior directed against the citizens of the various nations of the Mediterranean and Mesopotamian regions of the world at the end of the seventh century B.C. and at the beginning of the sixth century B.C.
Based on the last statement in Habakkuk 3:16, it would appear that what the prophet Habakkuk heard was the Lord communicate to him the contents of Habakkuk 2:2-20.
Therefore, when Habakkuk asserts in Habakkuk 3:16 that he heard some communication, he is referring to the contents of Habakkuk 2:2-20, which is indicated by a comparison of the last statement in Habakkuk 3:16 and the contents of Habakkuk 1:5-11, and 2:2-20.
Again, the last statement in Habakkuk 3:16 that asserts that Habakkuk longed for the day of distress to come upon the people who will attack Judah, which will be the Babylonians according to Habakkuk 1:5-11.
As we also noted, the Lord asserts in Habakkuk 2:2-20 that He will judge the Babylonians for their unrepentant sinful behavior in relation to the citizens of the various nations of the Mediterranean and Mesopotamian regions of the world at the end of the seventh century B.C. and at the beginning of the sixth century B.C.
It is understandable that Habakkuk would have a physical reaction to what the Lord told him in Habakkuk 2:2-20 since again these verses inform the prophet that the Lord would destroy the Babylonian Empire.
This act would be awe inspiring because the Babylonians were thought to be invincible in his day.
Furthermore, based upon the first four statements in Habakkuk 3:16, it would appear that Habakkuk is also alluding to Habakkuk 1:5-11, which we noted records the Lord asserting that He has chosen the Babylonians to discipline Habakkuk’s apostate countrymen in the kingdom of Judah.
It is understandable that Habakkuk would have such a physical reaction to the Lord’s choice of the cruel and imperialistic Babylonians to discipline his fellow countrymen.
Lastly, based on the first four statements in Habakkuk 3:16, it would appear that Habakkuk is also alluding to Habakkuk 3:3-15, which we noted records prophetic statements about the cataclysmic events related to the last three and a half years of the seventieth week of Daniel as well as the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
It is understandable that Habakkuk would have a physical reaction to these awe inspiring cataclysmic prophetic statements about the future of his nation.
So therefore, the first statement issued by the prophet Habakkuk in Habakkuk 3:16 asserts that his stomach was upset as a direct result of hearing the revelation from the Lord which is recorded in Habakkuk 1:5-11, 2:2-20 and Habakkuk 3:3-15.
Thus, it was the Lord God of Israel whom the prophet Habakkuk was listening to speak to him.
The second statement recorded in Habakkuk 3:16 asserts that as a result of the sound of the Lord’s words when He communicated the contents of Habakkuk 1:5-11, 2:2-20 and 3:3-15, the prophet Habakkuk’s lips quivered.
In other words, the lips of the prophet Habakkuk quivered in fear and awe as a result of hearing the revelation from God recorded in Habakkuk 1:5-11, 2:2-20 and 3:3-15.
The prophet Habakkuk solemnly asserts in the third statement in Habakkuk 3:16 that degeneration entered into his bones and the fourth presents the result of the third and asserts that his legs, which were beneath him, trembled.
Therefore, a comparison of these statements indicates that the prophet’s legs shook as a result of degeneration entering into his bones as a result of hearing the sound of the Lord’s voice communicate the contents of Habakkuk 1:5-11 2:2-20 and 3:3-15.
The fifth and final statement recorded in Habakkuk 3:16 asserts that the prophet Habakkuk was waiting patiently for the period of time characterized by distress to be experienced for the detriment of the people who would attack his nation in the imminent future.
This statement refers to the God of Israel judging the Babylonian Empire and is a temporal clause which means that it coincides with the previous four statements in Habakkuk 3:16.
So therefore, a comparison of these five statements in Habakkuk 3:16 indicate that Habakkuk was waiting patiently for the Lord to judge the Babylonians who were about to attack his nation at the end of the seventh century B.C. while his stomach was upset, his lips were quivering, degeneration entered his bones and his legs trembling as a result of hearing revelation from the Lord which is recorded in Habakkuk 1:5-11, 2:2-20 and 3:3-15.
The prophet Habakkuk’s statement that he was waiting patiently for the Lord to fulfill His prophecy in Habakkuk 2:2-20 to destroy the Babylonian Empire indicates that He was already obeying the Lord’s command in Habakkuk 2:4 that the righteous person must live by faith.
Habakkuk 2:4 Look! He is characterized as being proud and arrogant. His soul within him is by no means characterized as being upright. However, in contrast to him, a righteous person will live by means of their faith. (My translation)
Therefore, we can see that the Lord is telling the prophet Habakkuk yes the Babylonians were unrighteous implying that He would judge them eventually as indicated by His statements in Habakkuk 2:5-20 but in contrast to the Babylonians, the faithful remnant in Judah must live by means of their faith in Him.
They must do this mind you in light of the imminent Babylonian invasion.
This is exactly what the prophet Habakkuk says he was doing in the fifth and final statement recorded in Habakkuk 3:16.