Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Habakkuk
Book: Habakkuk
Chapter: 3
Overview:
The
Prophet beseeches
God for his people.
(1,2) He calls to
mind former deliverances.
(3-15) His firm trust in the Divine
Mercy.
(16-19)
1,2 The
Word Prayer seems used here for an act of devotion. The
Lord would revive his work among the people in the midst of the
years of adversity. This may be applied to every season when the
Church, or believers, suffer under
Afflictions and trials.
Mercy
is what we must flee to for
Refuge, and rely upon as our only
plea. We must not say, Remember our merit, but,
Lord, remember
thy own
Mercy.
3-15 God's people, when in distress, and ready to despair, seek
help
By considering the days of old, and the years of ancient
times, and
By pleading them with
God in
Prayer. The resemblance
between the Babylonish and Egyptian captivities, naturally
presents itself to the mind, as
Well as the possibility of a
like deliverance through the power of
Jehovah.
God appeared in
his
Glory. All the powers of nature are shaken, and the course
of nature changed, but all is for the
Salvation of
God's own
people. Even what seems least likely, shall be made to work for
their
Salvation. Hereby is given a
Type and figure of the
Redemption of the world
By Jesus Christ. It is for
Salvation
with thine anointed.
Joshua who led the armies of
Israel, was a
figure of Him whose name he bare, even
Jesus, our
Joshua. In all
the salvations wrought for them,
God looked upon
Christ the
Anointed, and brought deliverances to pass
By him. All the
wonders done for
Israel of old, were nothing to that which was
done when the
Son of God suffered
On the
Cross for the sins of
his people. How glorious his resurrection and
Ascension! And how
much more glorious will be his second coming, to
Put an
End to
all that opposes him, and all that causes suffering to his
people!
16-19 When we see a
Day of trouble approach, it concerns us to
prepare. A good
Hope through
Grace is founded in holy fear. The
Prophet looked back upon the experiences of the
Church in former
ages, and observed what great things
God had done for them, and
So was not only recovered, but filled with holy joy. He resolved
to delight and triumph in the
Lord; for when all is gone, his
God is not gone. Destroy the vines and the
Fig-trees, and you
make all the mirth of a
Carnal Heart to cease. But those who,
when full, enjoyed
God in all, when emptied and
Poor, can enjoy
all in
God. They can sit down upon the
Heap of the ruins of
their
Creature-comforts, and even then praise the
Lord, as the
God of their
Salvation, the
Salvation of the soul, and rejoice
in him as such, in their greatest distresses. Joy in the
Lord is
especially seasonable when we meet with losses and crosses in
the world. Even when provisions are cut off, to make it appear
that
Man lives not
By Bread alone, we may be supplied
By the
graces and comforts of
God's
Spirit. Then we shall be strong for
spiritual warfare and work, and with enlargement of
Heart may
run the way of his
Commandments, and outrun our troubles. And we
shall be successful in spiritual undertakings. Thus the
Prophet,
who began his
Prayer with fear and trembling, ends it with joy
and triumph. And thus
Faith in
Christ prepares for every event.
The name of
Jesus, when we can speak of Him as ours, is
Balm for
every wound, a cordial for every care. It is as
Ointment poured
forth, shedding fragrance through the whole soul. In the
Hope of
a heavenly
Crown, let us sit loose to earthly possessions and
comforts, and cheerfully
Bear up under crosses. Yet a little
while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry; and
where he is, we shall be also.