The MAJOR & MINOR Prophets - The 16 Writing Prophets Of The Hebrew Canon

IHHO UHOLHYHG WKDW WKH SURSKHW·V DQJXLVKHG TXHVWLRQV KDYH EHHQ so seriously and completely answered--and find he is indeed clinging to God , offering joyful praise, putting full trust in the LORD. +DEDNNXN·V PLQLVWU\ ZDV LQ WKH ODWH VHYHQWK FHQWXU\ % & signifying he was a contemporary of Jeremiah, but there is no statement about his genealogy or location. Some have VSHFXODWHG WKDW VLQFH KH ZDV LQWURGXFHG DV ´WKH S rophet H DEDNNXNµ KH ZDV SRVVLEO\ D ZHOO known prophet of his day, although this phrase is also used with Haggai and Zechariah. Also, it KDV EHHQ VSHFXODWHG WKDW ´WKLV VSHFLDO GHVLJQDWLRQµ meant he was a professional prophet. 3 One interesting comment has been made by several commentators ´7KH PXVLFDO QRWDWLRQ LQ PD\ indicate that Habakkuk was qualified to lead in temple worship as a member of the Levitical IDPLO\ µ 4 The Prophet and His Times Habakkuk must have prophesied shortly before the Babylonians brought Judah under their control. The Babylonians were already notable as a force that other nations feared (1:7), but they had not yet made Judah a vassal of their empire. Since the first foray of Nebuchadnezzar into Judah took place in 605 B. C. (Dn 1:1-2), Habakkuk must have prophesied before then. He made no reference to the Assyrians, so it is likely that he preached after the fall of Nineveh in 612 B. C. 5 +DEDNNXN·V ZULWLQJ LQGLFDWHV KH OLYHG LQ -XGDK WRZDUG WKH HQG RI -RVLDK·V UHLJQ -609 B. C.). Some f HHO WKDW +DEDNNXN·V PLQLVWU\ DOVR FRQWLQXHG into WKH WLPH RI -HKRLDNLP·V 6 short UHLJQ ´D SHULRG RI DQ[LHW\ DQG GLVWUHVV 7KH GD\V RI SHDFH SURVSHULW\ DQG UHIRUP RI -RV iah were JRQH DQG D SHULRG RI VWUHVV DQG ZLFNHGQHVV ZDV SUHVHQW µ 7 Habakkuk, like his contemporary Jeremiah, probably lived to see Jerusalem attacked by the Babylonians in 597 B.C. The Prophet and His Questions Habakkuk was an unknown prophet with an unusual presentation. Instead of an oracle directed at Israel, he presents a dialogue between himself and God. ´,Q FRQWUDVW WR WKH RWKHU prophets who addressed themselves to Israel in order to declare the will of God, this prophet DGGUHVVHV KLPVHOI WR *RG RQ EHKDOI RI ,VUDHO µ 8 Like the book of Job, the book of Habakkuk deals with the vexing problem of theodicy , the MXVWLFH RI *RG 3HRSOH ZKR GRQ·W EHOLHYH LQ *RG DUH QRW WURXEOHG E\ VXFK LGHDV EXW KHUH ZH KDYH a man of God, living by the best faith he can muster, seeking answers to two (at the moment) baffling questions. He wants the answers for himself, but also for his people. His book is actually for the people (because they will be asking the same questions), and the answers that God gives to Habakkuk provide a striking, prophetic masterpiece.

3 Ibid., p. 1050. 4 +D\IRUG¶V %LEOH +DQGERRN , p. 254. 5 Holman Christian Study Bible, p. 1363. 6 8SRQ -RVLDK¶V GHDWK KLV VHFRQG VRQ -HKRDKD] ZDV SXW RQ WKH WKURQH bypassing the eldest son, Eliakim. After only three months, however, Jehoahaz was replaced by his older brother who was renamed Jehoiakim.

7 Leon J. Wood, The Prophets of Israel, p. 325. 8 Jack P. Lewis, The Minor Prophets, p. 61.

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