LORD, I have heard of your fame;

I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD.

Renew them in our day,

in our time make them known,

in wrath remember mercy.

Habakkuk 3:2

From his position on the ramparts (2:1) Habakkuk receives the revelation from the LORD. Yes, Judah will pay for her sins at the hand of Babylon. In turn, woe upon woe will be piled upon Babylon (2:6-19). “The LORD is in his holy temple” (2:20) indeed!

Habakkuk bursts forth in a prayer of praise. I take note of the use of Selah three times—otherwise only in the Psalms. Most likely a musical term, it is used to pause, reflect, catch one’s breath in awe of God.*

Remembering His fame, recalling His deeds is critical to our perception of the Almighty. 

Who is this God? Why, He is the Holy One! His glory, His praise, His splendor, His power are ablaze. So too His wrath and anger. The rivers and mountains writhed as He passed by, fulfilling His promises: You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. Habakkuk’s vision overwhelms him: I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. (3:3-16).

Who is this God? He is the Sovereign One, in total control. No one has authority over disease, nor command of nature, like the Creator: plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed (3:5-6). The poetry of Habakkuk’s portrayal of the LORD‘s fame and deeds is filled with his awe.

But then Habakkuk’s cry for mercy rings out loud and clear: from your holy temple (2:20), from the depths of your wrath over sin, remember mercy.

Do I have a right view of the Holy One? Am I trusting Him with what I cannot understand? He who created all things for His ultimate glory is going to see it through.  

O LORD…I too stand in awe!

Nancy P

All Scripture quotations are from the NIV 1973, 1978, 1984, unless otherwise noted.

*NIV Life Application Bible footnotes, 1991.