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You are here: Home / God's Narrative / A higher standard (Psalm 79; Habakkuk)

A higher standard (Psalm 79; Habakkuk)

January 30, 2008 By Seth 1 Comment

Once again, I defer to the introduction of Habakkuk found in the English Standard Version of the scripture.  It offers an incredibly helpful overview of this text.

Habakkuk was probably written about 640–615 b.c., just before the fall of Assyria and the rise of Babylon. God used Assyria to punish Israel (722); now he would use Babylon to punish Judah. This prophecy would be fulfilled several decades after Habakkuk, in 586. The “theme question” of Habakkuk is, how can God use a wicked nation such as Babylon for his divine purpose? God judges all nations, said Habakkuk, and even Babylon would eventually be judged (Babylon fell to Persia in 539). But God’s people are held to a higher standard because they have greater revelation. Though God’s ways are sometimes mysterious, “the righteous shall live by his faith” (2:4) while awaiting salvation. These words are quoted three times in the New Testament (Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38).

The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Hab). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
We can find great hope in 2:14 where it says that, "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."  A day is coming when people all over the world will know His glory and His name.  We can look forward to such a day with great anticipation.

January 30, 2008 9:00 pm Seth 1 Comment

About Seth

Seth is a pastor, author, and speaker who lives in Batesville, Indiana. He is married to Kari, and they have two daughters, Madelyn and Noelle.

Comments

  1. Andrew says

    January 30, 2008 at 7:00 pm

    I have appreciated your thoughts the last couple of days (especially the part about God being Irish, since I am too!), because the fact – as you said – that God uses a pagan nation to punish His people, but then punishes that nation for what they did to His people, shows His incomprehensible sovereignty. Romans 9 sheds some good light on this as I’m sure you know, asking the question, how can God harden people’s hearts and then condemn them for their stubbornness. But who are we to question God, the text asks. To us, His ways might seem unfair, but we don’t even have enough wisdom to run our own lives sometimes, let alone run the affairs of all mankind. Good stuff.

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Seth is a pastor, author, and speaker who lives in Batesville, Indiana. He is married to Kari, and they have a daughter, Madelyn.

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