Habbakkuk

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this lesson is to introduce the book of Habakkuk, go through the narrative of the book, study its morals, and see images of Christ throughout.

HOOK - 5 Minutes

A child was baking chocolate chip cookies with his dad and was excited for the sweet ingredients
When it came to adding salt, the child became upset, saying it would ruin the end-product
The dad explained that the salt would bring out the flavor of the chocolate and make the cookie chewy
The child trusted in his dad, and rejoiced when the cookies tasted delicious
As a child may question a simple ingredient while baking with his dad, humanity may at times question God, asking why something is happening and even questioning the solution
In this book, we will see Habakkuk patiently pray to God, be genuinely surprised at His answer, and finally rejoice in God's plan for salvation

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 10 Minutes

2 O Lord, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You, "Violence" And You will not save. 3 Why do You show me iniquity, And cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; There is strife, and contention arises. 4 Therefore the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore perverse judgment proceeds. 5 "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 (Hb. 1:2-5).
I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected. 2 Then the Lord answered me and said: "Write the vision And make it plain on tablets,That he may run who reads it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry. 4 "Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith (Hb. 2:1-4)
2 O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy. 3 God came from Teman, The Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, And the earth was full of His praise. 4 His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, And there His power was hidden (Hb. 3:2-4).

Memory Verse
"But the Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him" (Hb. 2:20)

CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 25 Minutes

Introduction

Authorship
- The author of this minor prophecy is Habakkuk, who wrote around 605 BC
- After witnessing the terrible things Josiah's three sons and grandson committed as kings, Habakkuk cried to the Lord demanding justice
- God demonstrates to Habakkuk that He is working a plan, and therefore Habakkuk praises God
Overview
- The book of Habakkuk is a dialogue between the Prophet and God regarding evil
- Throughout, Habakkuk asks the Lord a question and waits for his reply
- Habakkuk begins by asking God about the corruption that prevailed among the people
- He then asks God regarding the troubles caused by the foreign Chaldean nation
Structure
- A Question about God Chastening His People (Hb. 1)
- A Question about Punishing the Chaldeans (Hb. 2)
  - Chaldeans were a foreign power related to Babylon that took Judah captive
- A Psalm of Thanksgiving to God (Hb. 3)

Book Summary

Chapter 1
- Habakkuk asks the Lord why He is silent when evil happens
- God responds, demonstrating that although He is silent, He is working, and will send the Chaldeans to punish the nation of Judah (Southern Kingdom)
- Habakkuk questioned by the Lord would use such evil people to punish Judah
Chapter 2
- Habakkuk waits for the Lord, who finally responds, telling the prophet that the Babylonians will be punished for their sins
- God condemns Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylonian, calling him the "proud man" because his desires could not be satisfied
Chapter 3
- Habakkuk offers a hymn of praise to the Lord for the Incarnation, that the righteous shall be saved and the wicked shall be condemned

Morals on Habakkuk

The Patience of God (Hb. 1:3-4)
- Habakkuk asked God why He is so patient and lets evil continue
- God may be silent not because He doesn't care about what's going on, but because He is patiently waiting for repentance with punishment
- The gentleness of God is beyond our comprehension, and his patience surpasses human understanding
The Righteous Wait on the Lord (Hb. 2:1-4)
- Habakkuk waits silently on the Lord taking refuge within a rampart, which is a defensive wall of protection made of stone
- He does not understand God's silence as a lack of presence, but knows that God will answer him
- The righteous pray knowing God listens, and remain in the "rampart" of faith, knowing that God cares about them and will respond
Sin is Never Satisfied (Hb. 2:5-20)
- The proud man cannot control his desires and cannot be satisfied, but he continually sins and grows in excess
- The Church Fathers understand this proud man in a literal way, identifying him as Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, but also in a spiritual way, identifying him as the devil
- If we look to sin for satisfaction, we will never find peace and will never be full, but if we seek satisfaction from God like Habakkuk did, then we will be satisfied, full, and rejoice
The Righteous Rejoice in the Judgments of the Lord (Hb. 3)
- Habakkuk is overwhelmed with joy and sings a psalm to express his thanksgiving for the salvation of the Lord, who revealed His plan to him
- Habakkuk demonstrated that the righteous wait for the judgments of the Lord and rejoice in the mercy of God, finding joy in His life saving works

Christ in Habakkuk

To review, we study types of Christ within the Old Testament to learn more about Him through hidden images that weren't recognized until the coming of Christ
- This is an example of using the New to read the Old Testament
The Incarnation (Hb. 3:1-7)
- Hb. 3 overall provides many images of the Incarnation of Christ
- "His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise" (Hb. 3:4) clearly points to the Incarnation, to which the angel cried out "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men" (Lk. 2:14)
Baptism (Hb. 3:8-19)
- Images of water in Habakkuk are understood to point to Baptism
- Christ the Anointed (cf. Hb. 3:13) saves us through Baptism, so that we may be anointed with oil and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and bear fruits of salvation

DISCUSSION - 10 Minutes

Considering what we learned, what could it mean that God is silent when we pray?
What are examples of times that you've prayed and God answered in a way you didn't expect or maybe didn't even like? Why would He do this?
Looking at Habakkuk's response to the glory of God, where should a Chrsitian find his joy and why?

LIFE APPLICATION - 10 Minutes

God may be silent because He is already working, He is waiting for the opportune time, He is giving us time to repent, or He is responding but we stopped listening
God's thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are higher than our ways (cf. Is. 55:8-9), so it's understandable that God may act in a way we didn't expect or even want, but God works mysteriously for our sanctification and salvation
A Christian finds his joy in the Incarnation and Resurrection of Christ, because He takes our form, fills us with glory, and raises us up so that we may receive heavenly blessings

SERVANT RESOURCES

Fr. Tadros Malaty on Habakkuk

PARENTS CORNER/HOMEWORK

Take time out of the day to pray with your child, especially when there is a family problem or your child is going through a tough time, and remind them that God cares about our issues
Be an example to your child to find joy in the Incarnation, knowing that Christ understands our sufferings and troubles, and that His will for us is salvation and repentance
Before going to church, consider writing a note with your child with prayer requests to put on the altar, and remind them of the importance of lifting up our hearts during liturgical prayers