1. Habakkuk’s prophecy addresses the question that Christians have struggled with to this day—Why does God permit evil?
2. Habakkuk 2:4, “The just shall live by his faith,” is quoted three times in the New Testament.
3. In the midst of pronouncements of woe upon evildoers, the Lord promises to fill the earth with the knowledge of His glory, “as the waters cover the sea” (Hab. 2:14).
4. The prophet points out the futility of idolatry in Habakkuk 2:18–19: “What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it?”
5. At the conclusion of his prophecy, Habakkuk purposes to “rejoice in the Lord,” no matter the circumstances (Heb. 3:17–18).

In Habakkuk, God is glorifying Himself through justification by faith alone, so that He might demonstrate His superior goodness in the salvation sinners, the damnation of the wicked, and for the preservation of His people for His eternal glory, and their eternal joy.

The author identifies himself as Habakkuk the prophet.

Habakkuk prophesied as God was “raising up the Chaldeans,” which fits best with the period between Nabopolassar’s ascension to power over Babylon (626 B.C.)  and Judah’s subjugation to the Neo-Babylonian Empire (605 B.C.).

“Look among the nations and watch—
Be utterly astounded!
For I will work a work in your days
Which you would not believe, though it were told you.”

Habakkuk 1:5

“You are of purer eyes than to behold evil,
And cannot look on wickedness.
Why do You look on those who deal treacherously,
And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours
A person more righteous than he?”

Habakkuk 1:13

“What profit is the image, that its maker should carve it,
The molded image, a teacher of lies,
That the maker of its mold should trust in it,
To make mute idols?
Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Awake!’
To silent stone, ‘Arise! It shall teach!’
Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver,
Yet in it there is no breath at all.”

Habakkuk 2:18–19

1. Answers to hard questions about God come from reading and meditating on His Word.
2. Notwithstanding the apparent success of the wicked at times, God will punish them one day.
3. God works out all things—even the evil actions of men—for His glory and the good of His people.
4. We should trust that God’s ways are perfect and just, even when we don’t understand them.
5. Sinners can receive righteousness apart from the law through faith in Jesus Christ. This is what Habakkuk was referring to when he said, “The just shall live by his faith.”

The prophet refers to Christ as God’s “Anointed”—the agent of salvation for God’s people (Hab. 3:13).

1. Habakkuk’s Burden and Two Burning Questions (Hab. 1–2)
   1. The First Question (Hab. 1:1–11)
      1.  How Can a Good God Permit Evil? (Hab. 1:1–4)
      2.  The Lord Responds (Hab. 1:5–11)
   2.  The Second Question (Hab. 1:12–2:5)
      1.  How Can God Use Evil for Good? (Hab. 1:12–17)
      2. The Lord Responds (Hab. 2:1–5)
   3. Five Woes (Hab. 2:6–20)
      1. Greed (Hab. 2:6–8)
      2. Exploitation of Others (Hab. 2:9–11)
      3. Builds a Town with Bloodshed (Hab. 2:12–14)
      4. Exploiting People Through Drunkenness (Hab. 2:15–17)
      5. Idolatry (Hab. 2:18–20)
2. Habakkuk’s Prayer of Trust (Hab. 3)