The Bonus Psalm
Contrary to what you may have heard, there are actually more than 150 Psalms in the Bible! Before you throw stones, let me tell you that the psalm I am referencing is found in Habakkuk 3. It is written in the same poetic style of the other psalms, with the same notations that are characteristic of the other psalms, even referencing a “Chief Musician.” The principal differences are that it was written later than most of the other Psalms (near the fall of Judah) and it is, obviously, not located in the book of Psalms. But what is this “bonus psalm” about, and how can it apply to us today?
Habakkuk is one of the lesser read books of the Old Testament, but it is rich despite its brevity. In the first two chapters, Habakkuk has a conversation with God about the evils committed by the people of Judah. He opens the book in Habakkuk 1:2-4 by asking God a lengthy question: “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and You will not hear? Even cry out to You, 'Violence!' and You will not save. Why do You show me iniquity, and cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; There is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; therefore perverse judgment proceeds.”
God uses this opportunity to teach Habakkuk an important lesson about His nature, and throughout the rest of chapter 1 and the whole of chapter 2 explaining that He does, in fact, see the wickedness committed by the people of Judah and the nations around them. He has planned a judgement for them through the Babylonian Empire (referred to by their older name, the Chaldeans). God spends much of the text of chapter 2 condemning the people for a wide variety of sins for which they shall be brought into judgement, such as drunkenness (2:5), violating the Old Law’s rules on taking loans from foreign nations (2:7), covetousness (2:9), oppression for personal gain (2:15-17) and idolatry (2:18-20). God ends this section in verse 20 by noting that despite all these things, He is still watching and will bring the people into judgement: “But the Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.” (You may recognize that line from a song in our hymnals.)
It is within this context that Habakkuk records a prayer to God in chapter 3. The first half of this psalm is of him praising God for His magnificent power over nature and mankind alike, as well as God’s glory. This is stated in Habakkuk 3:3-5: “God came from Teman, The Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His glory covered the heavens, And the earth was full of His praise. His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, and there His power was hidden. Before Him went pestilence, and fever followed at His feet.”
Habakkuk continues to describe in vivid detail the power of God as He goes forth in judgement against those who do not obey Him. The submission of nature to God’s wrath is demonstrated in verses 8-11: “O Lord, were You displeased with the rivers, Was Your anger against the rivers, Was Your wrath against the sea, That You rode on Your horses, Your chariots of salvation? Your bow was made quite ready; Oaths were sworn over Your arrows. Selah You divided the earth with rivers. The mountains saw You and trembled; The overflowing of the water passed by. The deep uttered its voice, and lifted its hands on high. The sun and moon stood still in their habitation; At the light of Your arrows they went, At the shining of Your glittering spear.” This imagery is very powerful and should remind us of God’s true power. He is capable of both creation and destruction.
Habakkuk also recognizes the intensity of this display of God’s power! In Habakkuk 3:16, he states: ”When I heard, my body trembled; My lips quivered at the voice; Rottenness entered my bones; And I trembled in myself, That I might rest in the day of trouble. When he comes up to the people, He will invade them with His troops.” He shudders in fear of the judgement of God, and hopes that he will be spared in the day of wrath. Interestingly, Habakkuk references the Chaldeans in this verse as God’s troops, which also demonstrates the workings of God in using even the ungodly of the world to exact judgement on those whom he chooses.
This psalm isn’t all doom and gloom, though. Habakkuk concludes with a remembrance of the mercies of God and the hope that believers have in him. Habakkuk 3:17-19 reads: “Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls— Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills.” In his concluding remarks, Habakkuk reminds himself and his readers that no matter how devastating the impending judgement may be, he will always trust in the righteousness and power of God, and that in turn God will give him strength.
This “bonus psalm” reminds to us today that God can and will exact judgement on the world for its sins, and we must remain pure to avoid His wrath. However, it also reminds us to trust God no matter how bad things get, because God will support us through our hard times. The exhortation of Habakkuk is simple: God will bring judgement on those who oppose Him, but will sustain and have mercy on those who love and serve Him.
- Ben Smith
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