Habakkuk’s Recollection of Yahweh’s Past Deeds (Habakkuk 3:3-15)

Habakkuk continues his prayer for God to remember mercy in His wrath.

God came from Teman,
    the Holy One from Mount Paran.
His glory covered the heavens
    and his praise filled the earth.
⁴ His splendor was like the sunrise;
    rays flashed from his hand,
    where his power was hidden.
⁵ Plague went before him;
    pestilence followed his steps.
⁶ He stood, and shook the earth;
    he looked, and made the nations tremble.
The ancient mountains crumbled
    and the age-old hills collapsed—
    but he marches on forever.
⁷ I saw the tents of Cushan in distress,
    the dwellings of Midian in anguish.

⁸ Were you angry with the rivers, Yahweh?
    Was your wrath against the streams?
Did you rage against the sea
    when you rode your horses
    and your chariots to victory?
⁹ You uncovered your bow,
    you called for many arrows.
You split the earth with rivers;
¹⁰     the mountains saw you and writhed.
Torrents of water swept by;
    the deep roared
    and lifted its waves on high.

¹¹ Sun and moon stood still in the heavens
    at the glint of your flying arrows,
    at the lightning of your flashing spear.
¹² In wrath you strode through the earth
    and in anger you threshed the nations.
¹³ You came out to deliver your people,
    to save your anointed one.
You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness,
    you stripped him from head to foot.
¹⁴ With his own spear you pierced his head
    when his warriors stormed out to scatter us,
gloating as though about to devour
    the wretched who were in hiding.
¹⁵ You trampled the sea with your horses,
    churning the great waters.

Habakkuk recalls the way Yahweh brought His people out of Egypt to the promised land. His power was displayed in the plagues He brought upon Egypt and His glory was manifested on Mount Sinai. His deliverance of Israel by parting the Red Sea was told in the land of Canaan and struck fear in the peoples. He made the sun stand still for Joshua’s battle to succeed. He defeated all those armies that came against Israel. He delivered His people, His anointed one. Habakkuk is anticipating this same kind of deliverance for Israel now, however that might be done.

When we are facing danger it is good for us to remember God’s deliverances in the past to boost our faith in His ability to deliver us now.