The Pulpit Commentary — Habakkuk — Section 71

places" be communed with bis God. Even so we should believe that, as his life terminated, he calmly departed in peace, having seen God's salvation. And all faithful servants of Heaven shall find that when heart and flesh fail, God will be the Strength of their hearts and their Portion for ever, Happy, tbeu, in life and in death such as ~n say from their inmost souls, "The Lord is my St.rength."-S. D. H. Vers. 1, 2.-God dei>outly addi·essed. "A -prayer of Habakkuk the prophet upon Shigionoth. 0 Lord, I have beard thy speech, and was afraid: 0 Lord, revive thy work i11 the midst or the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy." This chapter is considered to be one of the most magnificent compositions of the inspired volume. It was intended undoubtedly to impart consolation in view of the tremendous calamities which were approaching from the Babylonian invasion. "It exhibits," says Dr. Henderson," a regular ode, beginning with a brief but simple exordium, after which follows the main subject, which is treated in a manner perfectly free and unrestrained, a.s the different topics arose one after the other in the excited mind of the prophet, and finishes with an epigrammatic resumption of the point first a.dverted to in the introduction." The whole chapter presents to ue God in three aspects-as d!'Voutly addressed, as poetically porti-ayed, and as triumphantly enjoyed. These two verse~ present him to us in the first aspect-as devoutly addressed. "A prayer of Habakku.k: the prophet upon Shigionotb." Henderson renders the word" sbigionoth," "with triumphant music," which indicates that the ode was in all probability intended for the liturgical service in the temple, but to be set to the freest e.nd boldest music. Perhaps the prophet himself was an accomplished musician, as well as a bard of the first order. Three things are to be observed in relation to this devout address. I. lT WAS 00.MPOSED FOR GENERAL USE. It is not an extemporaneOWJ address ; it is a settled form of devotion. Prearranged forms of devotion 1Lre both scriptural and expedient. There is a set form given to the priests for blessing the people in Numb. Yi. 23-26. Ps. xcii. is called "a psalm for the sa.bbath," Ps. cii. "a prayer for the afflicted." Hezekiah commanded the Levites to "pra.ise the Lord in the words of De.vid, and of Asaph the seer," whlch is Ps. cvi. And Christ himself gave hie disciples a form of prayer. Whilst it is scriptural, it is also ea:pedient. It ie absurd to suppose that a minister can properly lead the devotions of a congregation by impromptu utterances. The well-known apathy of congregations unuer the influence of extem- poraneous prayers shows it cannot be done. For the individual himself, the extem- poraneous prayer is all that is needed, for it is the "soul's sincere desire, uttered or unexpressed." But to get a. whole congregation into the channel of devotion, a pre- arranged form seems desirable. II. IT w AS IN PROSPECT oF A TERRIBLE 0ALA.MITY. " 0 Lord, I he. ve heard thy speech, and was afraid." Terrible was the calamity now looming on the vision of the prophet. The Chaldea.n army was approaching ; the ruthless troops would soon be in his country, sack Jerusalem its metropolis, and bear his countrymen a.way into captivity. In view of this calamity the pre.yer is addressed. The threatened judgments of hell may well drive men into the presence of God to sue for mercy. "Call upon me in the day of trouble," etc. Surely, if men fully realized the predicted judgments that will fall on this world, prayer would be the habitude of their souls. III. IT WAS FOR A REVIVAL OF DIVINE WORK. "Revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy." Keil thus renders the passage: "Jehovah, thy work in the midst of thy years call to life, in the midst of the years make it known." '!'his may mean-Perfect the work of tielivering thy people; let not thy promise lie a.e it were dead, give it new life by perlorming it. Do it now, in the midst of the yea.re, when our calamities are at their height, when thy wrath seems to be at high tide and terrible. Now, "revive thy work." Three thoughts are suggested: 1. The work of human deliverance is the work of God. This is true of all deliverances-personal, domestic, national, temporal, and spiritual. He alone can effectually deliver man. 2. This work of God may appear to d,ecline. The perils may thicken, the disease grow more desperate, and all things seem as if God had given up hie work. Thie is often the ca110 with religion in t,he soul 3. This decline of God's work can onlg be overcome b!J his intervention. "Revive thy work.."-D. T. en. 111. 1-19.] THE BOOK OF HABAKKUK. 69