Habakkuk is the eighth in the ‘Book of the Twelve’ (the twelve shorter prophets that follow Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel).  We know very little about who Habakkuk was and how, when and where he lived.  We can infer from God’s warning about the coming invasion of Babylon (in 586BC) that Habakkuk worked in the southern kingdom between 620-600BC (during the reigns of Josiah (640-609BC) or Jehoiakim (609-589BC)), when the Babylonians were a growing threat.
 
Habakkuk is unusual in that the prophet isn’t sent to the people with a word from God but rather goes to God with his and their complaints, receives God’s answers and responds in prayer.  The people of God are never addressed, though we learn in 2:1 that they share Habakkuk’s concern.
 
Habakkuk questions why God in his holiness tolerates his people’s wicked sinfulness (1:2-4).  God responds that he will not tolerate it forever: he will raise up the Babylonians to punish his people (1:5-11).  For Habakkuk the solution is worse than the problem!  How can a holy God use an even more wicked nation to punish his people (1:12-17)?  God warns Habakkuk that this judgment will not occur until much later (2:2-3) and then in five woes shows how the Babylonians will be punished in just the same ways that they have hurt God’s people (2:6-20).  Habakkuk, awed by what he has seen and heard of God, depicts the Lord as a mighty warrior coming to save his people (3:1-15).  Although quaking in fear at this prospect (3:16) and seeing no change in their present circumstances (3:17), Habakkuk resolves to wait for the Lord’s judgment and rejoice in the Lord his strength and saviour (3:16, 3:18-19), just as the Lord said the righteous person will do in 2:2-4.