HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 1203
HAB AKKUK 3
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For as the waters fill the sea,
the earth will be filled with an
awareness
of the glory of the Lord.
“What sorrow awaits you who make your
neighbors drunk!
You force your cup on them
so you can gloat over their shameful
nakedness.
But soon it will be your turn to be
disgraced.
Come, drink and be exposed!*
Drink from the cup of the Lord’s
judgment,
and all your glory will be turned to
shame.
You cut down the forests of Lebanon.
Now you will be cut down.
You destroyed the wild animals,
so now their terror will be yours.
You committed murder throughout the
countryside
and filled the towns with violence.
“What good is an idol carved by man,
or a cast image that deceives you?
How foolish to trust in your own creation—
a god that can’t even talk!
What sorrow awaits you who say to
wooden idols,
‘Wake up and save us!’
To speechless stone images you say,
‘Rise up and teach us!’
Can an idol tell you what to do?
They may be overlaid with gold and silver,
but they are lifeless inside.
But the Lord is in his holy Temple.
Let all the earth be silent before him.”
Habakkuk’s Prayer
This prayer was sung by the prophet Habakkuk*:
3
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3
I have heard all about you, Lord.
I am filled with awe by your amazing
works.
In this time of our deep need,
help us again as you did in years
gone by.
And in your anger,
remember your mercy.
I see God moving across the deserts
from Edom,*
the Holy One coming from Mount Paran.*
His brilliant splendor fills the heavens,
and the earth is filled with his praise.
2:16 Dead Sea Scrolls and Greek and Syriac versions read and
stagger! 3:1 Hebrew adds according to shigionoth, probably
indicating the musical setting for the prayer. 3:3a Hebrew
Teman. 3:3b Hebrew adds selah; also in 3:9, 13. The meaning
of this Hebrew term is uncertain; it is probably a musical or
literary term. 3:6 Or The ancient paths belong to him.
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His coming is as brilliant as the sunrise.
Rays of light flash from his hands,
where his awesome power is hidden.
Pestilence marches before him;
plague follows close behind.
When he stops, the earth shakes.
When he looks, the nations tremble.
He shatters the everlasting mountains
and levels the eternal hills.
He is the Eternal One!*
I see the people of Cushan in distress,
and the nation of Midian trembling
in terror.
Was it in anger, Lord, that you struck
the rivers
and parted the sea?
Were you displeased with them?
No, you were sending your chariots
of salvation!
You brandished your bow
and your quiver of arrows.
You split open the earth with flowing
rivers.
The mountains watched and trembled.
Onward swept the raging waters.
The mighty deep cried out,
lifting its hands in submission.
The sun and moon stood still in the sky
as your brilliant arrows flew
and your glittering spear flashed.
You marched across the land in anger
and trampled the nations in your fury.
You went out to rescue your chosen
people,
to save your anointed ones.
You crushed the heads of the wicked
and stripped their bones from head
to toe.
With his own weapons,
you destroyed the chief of those
who rushed out like a whirlwind,
thinking Israel would be easy prey.
• Patience
HA B A K K U K 2:3
The key to growing in patience is to
develop an eternal perspective. Just
as the hoped-for goal of graduation or
making the dean’s list motivates the
student to endure long hours of study,
so also we can be patient when we
focus, not on our present circumstances,
but on God’s promised salvation. The
point of this passage is that God may
seem slow to us—but he is never late!