Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 GOD, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer’s;
he makes me tread on my high places.
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.
Happy Days Are Here Again! That is a song. We have a built in tendency to sing when we are happy. Habakkuk ended one of the gloomier books of the Bible with an actual psalm of praise, a song. This seems strange in the context of the whole book. Bear in mind that Habakkuk was a prophet so he knew what God had revealed. The Lord saves and he is with us.
The New American Commentary summarized Habakkuk’s reasoning perfectly so I will not attempt to reword it.
He has heard God’s voice and seen God’s vision. He knows the ultimate outcome of history.
When I watch my favorite team, my heart rate goes up in anxiety of not knowing if my team will win. That is the feeling of those who are not assured of the most comforting two words of the gospel message. We win! Our heart rate can slow down and we can sing to the Lord of his excellent goodness, even in tough times. We don’t know when the final whistle will blow but we do know it is coming and who wins.
Dear Lord, thank you that we win. Help us to remember that it is in Christ alone, our hope is found. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Brad Boyer
Cape Community Church