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Old Testament Notes
Habakkuk - the date for Habakkuk's ministry is probably just before the Battle
of Carchemish, when Egypt was defeated by the Babylonians (605 BC). It was a time of
violence both internationally and also within Judah. Habakkuk was struggling with the problem of
why the innocent suffer, while the unrighteous seem to flourish and go unpunished. Habakkuk
was not afraid to question God, and came eventually to trust God even through the tough times
Habakkuk was probably a contemporary of Jeremiah
Habakkuk 1:6 - the Chaldeans and the Medes joined with Babylon against Assyria.
Habakkuk 2:4 - "The just shall live by his faith" is quoted by Paul in the
Epistle to the Romans, 1:17, and the Epistle to the Galations, 3:11, and also by the author of
Hebrews, 10:38. It was in meditating on this verse that Martin Luther came to the realization that justification does not depend on doing certain things, but on faith and trust in God, thus laying the groundwork for the Reformation in Western Europe
Copyright © 1999 Shirley J. Rollinson, all Rights Reserved
