A Renewing Mind

I’ve been struggling in my study of late. I still enjoy it and I have received insights - lately into Habakkuk (say “Huh - back - uck”), but I am having trouble bringing the relevance of those insights to others. That is likely because I am having trouble making them relevant to myself! Habakkuk has an interesting dialog with God, other than Job the only biblical character I know to question God and his ways. Habakkuk questions God on allowing evil to perpetuate in Judah and then, when God says “look around, I’m bringing the Babylons to vent my wrath on Jerusalem” Habakkuk asks God “you’re too good; how can you allow such evil people to judge those more righteous than they?” Seems a reasonable question. God’s answer? He’ll also judge those wicked Babylonians. In the end Habakkuk seems to conclude that God is God and his ways are his own. More importantly, he submits himself to God and God’s coming judgement on Judah with a determination to exult in the Lord who makes him walk in high places with feet like those of a deer.

That last statement is an interesting one. I wonder what Habakkuk is saying? Maybe I’ll spend some time looking into deer references in the bible to see if I can gain some insight.

I read through Nahum (the prophet) this morning. I’d studied Nahum’s oracle earlier in the year as part of my participation in The Kings & Prophets study at Wheaton EV Free. At any rate, I’m struck by the fact that Nahum writes this oracle based on a vision he has received of Ninevah (the capital of Assyria), but addresses his oracle to Judah. This comes around 650 BC. About 100 years after Jonah went to Ninevah. About 70 years after Ninevah destroyed the Northern Kingdom of Israel (aka Samaria). About 45 years before Babylon will lay siege to Jerusalem and the first of the three exiles. Clearly Nahum wasn’t warning Ninevah, though the oracle focuses on the judgment of Ninevah. It is hard to believe the Nahum is offering hope to Judah by providing assurance that God is going to deal with those pesky Ninevites. After all, Jerusalem’s behaviors are only mildly better - a problem for which her judgment is forthcoming. No, I think perhaps the purpose of this book is to let Judah know that the fall of Ninevah is (was) God’s doing. By delivering this prophecy Nahum provided his audience with proof that the eventual downfall of Ninevah (which came around 612 BC, I think) was God’s doing alone. The warning “the guilty might no means go unpunished” in Nahum chapter 1 would have then carried even more weight with the Jews guilty of neglecting God.