021124 Hab 1_14-2_4 Session 3.pdf
Verses 1:12-2:1 were also included on session 2.
Verses 12-13 - see session 2
Habakkuk develops his discourse, shifting from lament to a graphic representation of the Chaldean threat. God is implied to permit 'the wicked,' primarily Nebuchadnezzar and the Chaldeans, to execute their destructive campaigns, as agents of divine judgment.
The fishing metaphor encapsulates the Chaldeans' military operations. Nebuchadnezzar and his forces are depicted as fishermen using a dragnet to capture entire populations, reflecting the Chaldeans' comprehensive and indiscriminate invasions.
Moreover, the metaphor portrays the Chaldeans' delight in their conquests, akin to a fisherman's satisfaction with a bountiful catch, accentuating the ease of their subjugation of nations and indifference to the resulting devastation.
The fishing metaphor not just conveys the extent and efficiency of the Chaldean military but also suggests a sense of helplessness and inevitability. The nations appear as powerless as fish against the dragnet, intensifying the narrative's emotional and moral complexity and underscoring the prophet's distress at the unfolding events.
In verse 16, the prophet criticizes the Chaldeans' arrogance for attributing their victories to their strength, represented by their metaphorical fishing equipment. They worship their nets, symbolizing their military prowess, failing to recognize God's hand in their success. Habakkuk criticizes their idolatrous practices and the injustice of their prosperity despite their wickedness. His concern isn't just their material success but their failure to acknowledge God, crediting their victories to their strength and idols.
The verse, in continued poetic form, essentially asks, “will it never end?” One can sense the frustration in Habakkuk’s tone.
Habakkuk is determined. He plans to stand guard in a tower, and "will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved." Presumably, it's the Lord's response he anticipates. He seems to expect reproof, but he's unsure of the exact words the Lord will use, or how he will respond. Fortunately, he won't have to wait long!
Habakkuk positioned himself as a watchman, and it appears he didn't have to wait long. The Lord gave two instructions. First, Habakkuk was to "write the vision." Second, he was to "make it plain upon tables." The purpose wasn't to provide encouragement, but rather to impart the ominous message "that he may run that readeth it."
When Habakkuk is instructed to "make it plain upon tables," it suggests a form of writing meant for public display or easy accessibility, so that the message could be quickly and clearly understood. In Habakkuk’s day, writting on clay, stone, or even metal “tables” or tablets was not unusual, especially for a public document. Having written the vision, Habakkuk was to provide an edited, readable, accessible form of the message to the people.