The Big Picture

When we are hurting, it is very easy to presume that what hap-

pens to us is the only thing that matters. But there is a slightly

larger picture than just “me” (see Rev. 12:7, Rom. 8:22).

Read Habakkuk 1:1–4. What did Habakkuk face?

You might expect that God would say something like, “That’s really

terrible, Habakkuk; let Me come and help you immediately.” But God’s

answer is the opposite. He tells Habakkuk that it is going to get worse.

Read this in Habakkuk 1:5–11.

Israel had been taken into captivity by the Assyrians, but God prom-

ises that worse is coming: The Babylonians will now carry away the

people of Judah. Habakkuk cries out again in verses 12–17 and then

waits to see what God is going to say.

How does God’s introduction to the promised destruction of Babylon

in Habakkuk 2:2, 3 bring hope?

Habakkuk 2 is God’s promise of the destruction of the Babylonians.

Hebrews 10:37 quotes Habakkuk 2:3, hinting of a Messianic applica-

tion to this promise in the future. With the same certainty that the

destruction of Babylon was promised, so we also have the certainty of

the destruction of “ ‘Babylon the Great’ ” (Rev. 18:2, NIV).

Habakkuk was trapped between the great evil surrounding him and

God’s promise of worse to come. Yet, this is precisely where we find

ourselves in salvation history. Great evil is around us, but the Bible

predicts that much worse is to come. The key to Habakkuk’s survival is

that he is brought to see the whole picture. Therefore, in chapter 3 he

is able to pray an incredible prayer of praise because of what God will

do in the future.

Read Habakkuk 3:16–19. What does Habakkuk identify as his

reasons for hope? What is the hope of God’s people as we wait

for the last prophetic scenes to unfold? How can you make this

hope your own?