Grace Bible Church Gillette, Wyoming

1. As Habakkuk recalled Yahweh’s intervention (“went forth”) for Israel, he defined it as salvation. “Salvation” (yesha) literally means that which is made wide or sufficient. It connotes freedom from distress. Such freedom is connected with the idea of deliverance. So help and deliverance become a synonym for salvation (as in deliverance from something or someone cf. Ex 2:17).

2. Salvation in the OT is emphasized by God’s deliverance over Israel from enemies (Nu 10:9; Dt 20:4; Jdg 3:31; Ps 68:19-21). However, at times, it refers to spiritual deliverance as in the forgiveness of sins (Ps 79:9).

3. Yahweh’s salvation was directed toward “His people” and “His anointed.” His anointed referred to a Deliverer, whom Yahweh raised up for His people. Yahweh’s “anointed” (mashiach - to smear or anoint for coronation) was generally the king (1Sa 2:10; 10:1; 15:1; 1Ch 11:3; 2Sa 1:21; 12:7), but also priests (Ex 40:13, 15; 1Sa 2:35), prophets (Ps 105:15), and some who led Israel, i.e. Moses (Nu 27:17; Dt 18:15; 34:10). From the context of the Exodus, it was most likely Moses, the Great Deliverer, in Habakkuk’s mind here (Ex 14:13).

4. Pharaoh would be the “head of the house of evil.” The “head” (rōsh) would be the king or leader (Pharaoh). As to his “wickedness” (rasha), Pharaoh confessed it from his own lips (Ex 9:27).

5. Yahweh would “strike” (machats - a lethal blow or wound, shatter) his head, which represented a fatal blow (Ps 68:21; 110:5-6). He would also lay him open from the thigh to neck. “Thigh” is the Hebrew word yisōd and means foundations or base, i.e. the legs.

6. The point is that Yahweh will annihilate the wicked Babylonians and take the foundations out from under them as He did to other enemies.

7. A third “selah” is inserted by Habakkuk. Those reading or singing Habakkuk’s ode were to stop and meditate on the destruction that would come on the Babylonians.

B. Salvation is Provided by God’s Sovereign Hand (Hab 3:14)

1. [14] How will Yahweh defeat Judah’s enemy? He will pierce the head of their throngs with their “own spears.” In other words, the Lord will cause their own strength and weapons to become their downfall (Hab 2:7, 10). He did the same to the Egyptians, whose wheels swerved recklessly on their horses-drawn chariots, holding them for impending doom (Ex 14:23-25).

2. Indeed Babylon fell to Cyrus without opposition, its “leader” being betrayed by factions among his own subjects (IDB, 1:335; 2:494–95; cf. Dan 5). EXP

3. The Egyptians stormed after Israel in accordance with God’s sovereign plan. For He hardened their hearts so that they would pursue Israel (Ex 14:3-9). However, they were pursuing their own demise.

4. Humanly speaking, the Egyptians could have easily apprehended Israel. Pharaoh and his army were proud and “exulted” in their power. They could not be overpowered and they thought their subjects were easy prey. The Babylonians thought the same way (Hab 1:8-17). But they too were wrong (Hab 2:16).

C. Salvation is Provided and God Receives the Glory (Hab 3:15)

1. [15] This verse clarifies and summarizes Habakkuk’s context of the destruction of the Egyptians. The Egyptians were destroyed by God’s sovereign hand (Ex 14:27-28) and He alone receives the glory (Ex 14:18).

2. Yahweh destroyed the Egyptians as He “trampled” (darak - tread or march) on the sea with “His” horses (cf. Hab 3:8 and Hab 1:8).

3. When the parted-walls of the Red Sea (Ex 14:22) came crashing down upon the Egyptians, it was Yahweh who caused the “surge of many waters” (cf. Ex 14:28; Dt 11:4; Jos 24:6)

4. When the Israelites witnessed the Lord’s salvation (deliverance) they feared the Lord and His power, they trusted in Him, and they trusted in the Lord’s servant Moses (Ex 14:29-31).

5. In recalling God’s past sovereign salvation and deliverance, Habakkuk feared the Lord (Hab 3:2) and trusted in the Lord (Hab 2:4; 3:17-19). Therefore, he could now trust in God’s future sovereign salvation and deliverance against the Chaldeans.

II. OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

A. Picture of the Ultimate Anointed One

1. In Hab 3:13 the reference is made to the Lord’s anointed. In the context used by Habakkuk, he referred to the Great Deliverer, Moses.

2. Deliverers were a type of the Ultimate Anointed One. The Greek word for “anointed” is chrio and is the same as the Hebrew mashiach. It used to touch with oil as a symbol of the inauguration of those chosen by God (Is 61:1; Ps 2:2). The New Testament identified Jesus as the Christ (christos) (Mt 1:18; 16:16; Lk 4:17-21 cf. Is 61:1-2; Ac 2:31; 4:27; 10:38).

3. Though Christ did not need to be saved, it is evident from the OT that God always protected the line of the Messiah (Ge 3:15). For it would be the Ultimate Anointed One who would provide true salvation and deliverance.

B. Purpose of the Ultimate Anointed One

1. He Provided Salvation

a) The salvation that Christ provided is not physical deliverance, but spiritual deliverance (Is 53:5).

b) The name of Jesus, which is the Hebrew transliteration of Joshua (Yehoshua), means the Lord is salvation (Mt 1:21; Ac 4:12).

c) The gospel is the good news about salvation in Christ (Ro 1:16-17; 1Co 15:1-4 ).

d) Christ died for sins once for all (Heb 7:27; 9:12; 10:10; 1Pe 3:18).

2. He Provided Deliverance

a) Christ delivered the believer from the condemnation of sin (Ro 5:1).

b) Christ delivered the believer from the wrath of God (Ro 5:9).

c) Christ delivered the believer from the domain of darkness (Col 1:13).

d) Christ delivered the believer from the punishment of sin (2Co 5:21; Ro 6:23), power of sin (Ro 6:4), and the future presence of sin (Re 21:4).

3. He Defeated His Enemies

a) Christ defeated death for the believer (Ac 2:24; 1Co 15:54-55)

b) Christ defeated the works of the Devil (Ge 3;15; 1Jn 3:8; Heb 2:14; Re 20:10).

c) Christ defeated His enemies while riding a white horse (Re 19:11-16).

Grace Bible Church · 4000 E. Collins Rd · PO Box #3762 · Gillette, WY · (307) 686-1516