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Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
1:2-11 First Cycle. Habakkuk is disappointed that God does not seem to be answering his prayers; but God's response indicates that, unknown to the prophet, he has already begun answering them.
1:2-4 Habakkuk's Lament. Habakkuk believes that God is letting sin go unpunished and that therefore there is no justice. A major interpretative decision is whether the source of the wrongdoing in these verses is a foreign power that suppresses faithfulness (Assyrians) or the leaders of Judah who oppress their own people. These notes reflect the second position.
1:2 O Lord. Habakkuk uses the covenant name for God, emphasizing the relationship between God and the prophet. how long? This is the common form of the formal complaint (cf. Ps. 13:1, 2). Violence! During much of the , Judah was morally corrupt (with much wrongful violence) and spiritually apostate. The description of Josiah's reforms underscores the depths of the people's depravity (2 Kings 23).
1:3 idly look at wrong. Habakkuk can hardly believe that his God appears to tolerate sin instead of punishing it (see v. 13).
1:4 the law is paralyzed. The Mosaic law had little impact on the hearts of these people and was not accomplishing its purpose. Instead, they were living according to their own greedy, self-centered desires. justice never goes forth. Habakkuk believes that God's inactivity has caused injustice to become worse. The rich were using their power and money to get what they wanted; the rights of the poor were being trampled on. righteous. There was still a righteous remnant, but life was hard for them because they fell prey to the wicked and would not break God's laws to get ahead.
