Habakkuk 3:16-19: I Will Rejoice

/ Eva Burkholder

I had the honor of teaching this lesson in person to the women of my Tuesday Morning Bible Study. You may prefer to watch it here or read it below.

Habakkuk began his book by asking: How long, Lord, must I call for help and you do not listen? (1:2–3) God replied that he would send the Babylonians to judge Judah (1:6). Habakkuk then responded: Lord, you appointed them to execute judgment; So why do you tolerate those who are treacherous? (1:12-13) I will watch to see what he will say to me and what I should reply about my complaint. (2:1) God answered again with a series of woes (2:6–19) against the evil conquerers. The book then concludes with Habakkuk’s prayer song of faith, recounting God’s power to save his people (3:13).

Habakkuk Modeled Resting Faith

After reliving God’s deliverance through the Exodus (either through memory or a new vision), Habakkuk was undone:

I heard, and I trembled within;
my lips quivered at the sound.
Rottenness entered my bones;
I trembled where I stood. (Hab 3:16)

Habakkuk was experiencing a bodily response to the picture of God (the theophany) he just described in the previous verses, the impending invasion, and the fate of the Babylonians. And he is not alone. Other prophets felt the same way when they heard God’s judgment plans:

Jeremiah 4:19 My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in agony! Oh, the pain in my heart! My heart pounds; I cannot be silent. For you, my soul, have heard the sound of the ram’s horn—the shout of battle.
Isa 21:3-4 Therefore I am filled with anguish. Pain grips me, like the pain of a woman in labor. I am too perplexed to hear, too dismayed to see. My heart staggers; horror terrifies me. He has turned my last glimmer of hope into sheer terror.

How might you relate to this? You can express your true self to God. You don’t need to minimize or deny how bad things are. God can handle hearing it like it is. He knows it already.

Even though he was in shock, Habakkuk showed us how to respond:

Now I must quietly wait for the day of distress
to come against the people invading us.

The word translated “wait” is nuach, which means “rest, settle down, be quiet.” The Passion Translation puts it this way: I hear all this, and my heart pounds; my teeth chatter with fear at the sound. My body goes limp, and my legs tremble. Yet my heart quietly rests. I know the day of trouble is ahead for the people invading us.

Habakkuk could rest because his faith was honest. He didn’t deny the oncoming invasion. He didn’t minimize it or explain it away. Neither did he ask God to change his mind. God had a plan and while Habakkuk didn’t understand it, he trusted God. His faith wasn’t blind either. He knew his God. He had just described him in verses 3–15.

King David gives us another example of resting faith in Psalm 37:7, 9: “Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for him; do not be agitated by one who prospers in his way, by the person who carries out evil plans … For evildoers will be destroyed, but those who put their hope in the Lord will inherit the land.”

Remember, too, that Jesus offers us true rest: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt 11:28–29).

Are you at rest or all churned up inside? Can you trust God, even if the fulfillment of his promise means waiting? Rest, for God will vindicate and judge. Hold on because God’s justice is coming. Rest in God’s timing.

Habakkuk Modeled Rejoicing Faith

Though the fig tree does not bud
and there is no fruit on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though the flocks disappear from the pen
and there are no herds in the stalls (3:17)1

These were the agricultural and economic staples of ancient Judah, indicators of prosperity and stability (Deut 7:13). The loss of them meant total agricultural and economic ruin leading to starvation and destitution. Just like the scene in any post-apocalyptic or dystopian movie.

Anticipating this national crisis, Habakkuk says these amazing words of faith:

yet I will celebrate in the Lord;
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!

There are two Hebrew words here. The first is alaz which means “rejoice, exult, to jump for joy; exuberant unstoppable joy” (Ps 28:7; 68:4; 96:12; 149:5). The second is giyl meaning “be glad, animated outbursts of joy” (Ps 13:5; 16:9; 21:1; 31:7; 96:11).

J. Sidlow Baxter says, “The literal is, ‘I will jump for joy in the Lord; I will spin round for delight in God.’ Here is the hilarity of faith!—joy at its best with circumstances at their worst! What a victory! May it be ours!”2

Habakkuk modeled a Biblical command: “Rejoice in the Lord” (Phil 3:1; 4:4; 1 Thess 5:16; Luke 1:47). He could rejoice because his joy was not based on having a comfortable life with all his needs met. His joy was a response to the unchanging character of God—Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God and Elohim, the supreme creator God.

I began to understand the importance of rejoicing when I lived in Indonesia as a global worker. While there one of my teammates died after her gas stove exploded. Two years after that my closest Indonesia friend and mentee died suddenly. I discovered the devotionals of Joy Ridderhof, the founder of Gospel Recordings who became known for practicing “rejoicing faith.” Each entry ended with the phrase, “Make it your choice to rejoice.”

The discipline of rejoicing was neither a quick fix nor a denial of the grief I felt but rather a tool to process my sadness. Choosing to rejoice did not mean I reveled in the grief or was glad my friend had died. Rather my joy was “in and of the Lord,” and as such, it realigned my focus and perspective. As I read Joy Ridderhof’s devotional and studied Bible verses pertaining to rejoicing, giving thanks, and worshipping, the grief and despair slowly lifted.3

Eva Burkholder, In Every Moment

If Habakkuk could rejoice in the Lord in the midst of total devastation, how can we not rejoice in the Lord during our struggles? Focus on the object of your joy—the Lord. What do you have to rejoice about in the Lord? Verbalize God-centered joy as a counter to despair. Here’s what it looks like:

Though my health fails
Though my children turn away from the Lord
Though not all my bills get paid
Though my loved one dies
Though evil seems to prosper
Though the future looks dark and confounding
I will rejoice in the Adonai because he will take care of the wicked (Ps 37:9; Rom 12:19)
I will be glad in Yahweh because Jesus is coming again (John 16:22)
I will celebrate Jesus because he is the vine in whom I can remain secure (John 15:5)
I will exult in the God of all comfort who comforts me in my troubles (2 Cor 1:4).

Don’t forget, too, that God also rejoices. Twice he uses the word giyl in Zeph 3:17: “The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will be quiet in his love. He will delight in you with singing.” Our relationship is mutual; we rejoice in God, and God rejoices in us.

And don’t forget our true provision: “So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:1–34)”

Habakkuk Modeled Remaining (Abiding) Faith

And Habakkuk could rejoice because God was his source of genuine strength.

The Lord my Lord is my strength (3:19)

In Habakkuk 1:11, God said the Babylonians own strength is their god. In contrast, Habakkuk acknowledges that “Yahweh my Adonai is my strength.”—his capability to face the desolation that will come. Don’t worship your own strength. God alone is your strength. Take hold of his mighty power on your behalf.

Ex 15:2 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
Neh 8:10 Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Ps 46:1–2 God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas.
Ps 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart celebrates, and I give thanks to him with my song.
Isa 30:15 For the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said: “You will be delivered by returning and resting; your strength will lie in quiet confidence. But you are not willing.”

Remember the example of the apostle Paul: “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly because once again you renewed your care for me. You were, in fact, concerned about me but lacked the opportunity to show it. I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:10–13 emphasis mine).

he makes my feet like those of a deer (also 2 Sam 22:34; Ps 18:33)

The closest thing we have to what Habakkuk may have personally seen is the Nubian Ibex, native to the Middle East and North Africa. “Incredibly agile, ibex spend their time in steep mountainous terrain, which would normally be dangerous for other wildlife. However, ibex move up and down the precipitous cliffs with ease.”4

and enables me to walk on mountain heights!
For the choir director: on stringed instruments. (3:19)

In biblical literature, ‘high places’ often refer to elevated places—natural or man-made—that hold significant religious, cultural, and symbolic meanings. These locations included altars, stone pillars, wooden poles, and shrines frequently associated with worship, divine encounters, and sometimes idolatry.5

I found multiple interpretations for “heights or high places.” The most common was the idea of rising above our circumstances or navigating difficulties. (Deut 32:13; 33:29)6 Dr. Constable says that it means we can walk through perilous valleys as sure-footedly as the hoofs of a deer enabled it to navigate precipices.7 Christopher J. H. Wright suggests that Habakkuk may mean that he will go on preaching against idolatry since “the high places” were locations where the pagan worship of Baal took place and this was one reason God was judging Judah.

But I resonated with the idea that “walking on the heights” means communion with God and abiding (remaining) in him. Mountains in Scripture were places of divine encounters (Moses at Mt. Sinai, Elijah at Mt. Carmel, Mount of Transfiguraion). Jesus also went to the mountain to commune with the Father. He preached his signature Sermon on a mountain and provided salvation on Mt. Calvary (Luke 23:33). 8

In Hannah Hurnard’s 1955 allegory, Hinds’ Feet on High Places9, the High Places represent a deep spiritual maturity and growing relationship with God. In others words, abiding or remaining in an unbroken, intimate union with God in the Kingdom of Love. Abiding (1 John 4:16; John 15:1–5) means “to not depart, to continue to be present.” It speaks to connection, dependence, and continuance.

Who is God to you? Is he your strength? What do your high places look like? What would remaining on the heights look like to you?

God doesn’t directly answer Habakkuk’s question of “why do you tolerate wrong?” Instead, he leads Habakkuk to who God is—that he is Elohim, Yahweh Adonai, his strength. And in God, he can rest and rejoice even when everything seems to fall apart.

HABAKKUK EXEMPLIFIES HOW THE RIGHTEOUS LIVE BY FAITH—resting, rejoicing, and remaining in the Lord.

Q Who is God to you? Is he your strength? What do your high places look like? What would remaining on the heights look like to you?

What part of this passage is the Holy Spirit impressing on you today?

Are you in the trembling stage, your bones weak? You may need to find your rest in the Lord. Let go, release fear and control and rest in him. Can you trust him without knowing everything? Is it time for you to rejoice? To deliberately choose to focus on who God is and what he has done for you? Perhaps you need to lean into God’s strength. Let him strengthen you as you abide or remain in him. Go to high places of communion with him.

How will you do this? Here are some suggestions:

  • Create a play list of songs around the theme of joy/rejoicing, or strength.10
  • Collect and creatively arrange verses on one of the topics in this passage.
  • Do a word study on “giyl” or “strength” or “high places.”
  • Do a study of God’s character. Perhaps you need to adjust your view of him a bit.
  • Rewrite Habakkuk 3:17–18 with your own circumstances in mind.
  • Keep a list of the things about God that you can rejoice in.
  • Download one of Joy Ridderhoff’s devotionals and read it.11
  • Read Hinds’ Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard

PRAYER

Strengthen us, Lord, by your vast strength. (Eph 6:10). Give your people strength; Bless your people with peace (Ps 29:11). As David did, we find strength in the you, our God (1 Sam 30:6). We call on you, Lord, answer us; increase strength within us (Ps 138:3). Lord, be gracious to us! We wait for you. Be our strength every morning and our salvation in time of trouble (Isa 33:2).

  1. Figs were a staple food, often dried and stored and its leaves provided shade. Grapes provided food and wine for daily use, celebration, and offerings. Olives and their oil were essential for food, cooking, lighting, medicine, hospitality, and anointing. The fields provided their main source of vegetables grain and for flour and bread. Sheep supplied wool, milk, and meat. Cattle were indispensable for transportation, plowing, labor, milk, and sacrifice. ↩︎
  2. https://soniclight.com/tcon/notes/html/habakkuk/habakkuk.htm#footnote-ref-164 ↩︎
  3. Eva Burkholder, In Every Moment, pg 235. ↩︎
  4. https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/nubian-ibex; https://www.youtube.com/shorts/275dhvknD08 ↩︎
  5. https://biblehub.com/topical/h/heights.htm ↩︎
  6. https://www.gotquestions.org/feet-like-a-deer.html ↩︎
  7. https://soniclight.com/tcon/notes/html/habakkuk/habakkuk.htm#d-the-commitment-to-faith-316-19a ↩︎
  8. https://cepreaching.org/commentary/chelsey-harmon/habakkuk-3/ ↩︎
  9. https://www.amazon.com/Hinds-Feet-High-Places-Devotional/dp/0768442028/ref ↩︎
  10. I like Joy and Strength of my Heart by Rend Collective. ↩︎
  11. https://globalrecordings.net/en/count-it-all-joy-dev
    https://globalrecordings.net/en/with-joy-rejoicing
    https://globalrecordings.net/en/are-you-rejoicing     ↩︎

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