God Answers Habakkuk

1:5-11 God Answers Habakkuk

In these 7 verses we see that Habakkuk did indeed speak in God-pleasing faith when he cried, “O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear!” We also see God’s answer to Habakkuk’s cry.

1:5  Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for [I] will work a work in your days, [which] ye will not believe, though it be told [you].

God introduces His answer by basically saying, “Habakkuk, I’m gonna tell you what I’m going to do, but you’re not gonna believe it.”

Behold ye among the heathen – I’m about to do something among and with the heathen

regard, and wonder marvelously – wonder marvelously is wonder wonder in Hebrew, being repeated for emphasis; the Septuagint† does the same, wonder marvelously (or marvel at marvelous things); I think the Tanakh* captures the meaning, Observe well and be utterly astounded.

I will work a work in your days – in that generation

which ye will not believe, though it be told you – Wow! What could God do that is so astounding?

1:6  For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, [that] bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces [that are] not theirs.

Ah! I will raise up the Chaldeans. The Chaldeans were a tribe in southern Babylon who took over Babylon. “In process of time, as the Kaldi grew in power, their name gradually prevailed over those of the other tribes inhabiting the country; and by the era of the Jewish captivity it had begun to be used generally for all the inhabitants of Babylonia.” (Smith Bible Dictionary)

The first unbelievable part is that these Chaldeans would break the power of Assyria and become a world power. Second, the LORD is bringing them into Judea to judge Judah.

1:6  For, lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, [that] bitter and hasty nation, which shall march through the breadth of the land, to possess the dwellingplaces [that are] not theirs.
1:7  They [are] terrible and dreadful: their judgment and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.
1:8  Their horses also are swifter than the leopards, and are more fierce than the evening wolves: and their horsemen shall spread themselves, and their horsemen shall come from far; they shall fly as the eagle [that] hasteth to eat.
1:9  They shall come all for violence: their faces shall sup up [as] the east wind, and they shall gather the captivity as the sand.
1:10  And they shall scoff at the kings, and the princes shall be a scorn unto them: they shall deride every strong hold; for they shall heap dust, and take it.
1:11  Then shall [his] mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, [imputing] this his power unto his god.

This is shocking! The Chaldeans are described:

v6 bitter and hasty
v7 terrible and dreadful
v8 their horses are swift and fierce, their horsemen will devour
v9 they are marked by violence and will lead the Jews into captivity   
v10 they shall scoff at kings, scorn the princes, and deride strongholds
v11 worst of all they shall say their god gave them this power and victory

No wonder this is a report that will not be believed! As we will see, Habakkuk is shocked!

Tomorrow: 1:11-17 Habakkuk’s Response

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
1:5  Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for [I] will work a work in your days, [which] ye will not believe, though it be told [you].

Verse 5 is the first of two passages quoted in the New Testament. Paul quotes this in his sermon in Acts 13:
Acts 13:41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

Do I hear you saying, “What? This isn’t the same.” That’s because here, as in the majority of New Testament quotations of the Old Testament, Paul is quoting from the Septuagint†. Here is Habakkuk 1:5 in the Septuagint:

5 Behold, ye despisers, and look, and wonder marvellously, and vanish: for I work a work in your days, which ye will in no wise believe, though a man declare it to you

Now that we have that cleared up, this is still confusing. Habakkuk spoke this in his day regarding the Chaldeans. Is Paul saying that the Jews of his day are fulfilling this prophecy by rejecting Christ? No. His sermon is full of Old Testament references. After giving a brief history of Israel he makes six references to prophecy:

Acts 13:23 Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:

13:29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.

32 And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, 
33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.  

35 Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.  
In all of these he clearly says they were spoken of Christ and fulfilled in Jesus.

40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;

But, when he provides his quotation from Habakkuk 1:5 he introduces it a little differently, lest that come upon you. He is saying Habakkuk 1:5 contains a principle: God often does a work that people find hard to believe. And he exhorts them, Don’t be those kind of people! What has Paul said that they would find hard to believe? That God had raised Jesus from the dead, and that this crucified and raised again man is the Christ.

38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Habakkuk 1:5 contains a principle and Paul is saying, “Don’t be those kind of people.”

How does this apply to us? God has made many wonderful promises to us in Christ, let us embrace and believe them, and not stumble over them in unbelief.


† The Septuagint, also known as the LXX, is a translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek made by the Jews in Egypt some 300 years before Christ.

* The Tanakh is a modern Jewish translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into English.