Friday, Dec 11: A Description of the Glory of the Lord

Habakkuk 3:2-6

2 O Lord, I have heard of your renown,
    and I stand in awe, O Lord, of your work.
In our own time revive it;
    in our own time make it known;
    in wrath may you remember mercy.
3 God came from Teman,
    the Holy One from Mount Paran Selah
His glory covered the heavens,
    and the earth was full of his praise.

4 The brightness was like the sun;
    rays came forth from his hand,
    where his power lay hidden.
5 Before him went pestilence,
    and plague followed close behind.
6 He stopped and shook the earth;
    he looked and made the nations  tremble.
The eternal mountains were shattered;
    along his ancient pathways
    the everlasting hills sank low.

Written by Betty Burnett

Betty is a member of Samuel Church, active in various ministries, especially social justice issues.

Habakkuk the prophet is almost unknown but apparently he was active around 612 BCE.  This was the time of the “Babylonian captivity” – Babylonians had captured Hebrew people from Israel and forced them to work as slaves in Nebuchadnezzar’s empire in present-day Iraq. It was a grim time and a scary time.

Perhaps Habakkuk stood in front of the Babylonian Hanging Gardens when he cried out his lament, “O Lord, how long shall I cry for help and thou wilt not hear?” and excoriated the Chaldeans (Babylonians) for their cruelty.  (previous chapters) He wanted to engage publicly with his God and also to remind his fellow captives that they were God’s people. Unlike the Babylonian god Marduk, theirs was a God of power who endures for them through disaster.

A Christian commentator wrote that when Habakkuk states, “God came from Teman,” he speaks of God “appearing out of the East; that is, He is shining over His people like the rising sun. God breaks the darkness and initiates a new day.” 

This is the Advent message: No matter how bleak life seems, we stand in awe as the sun rises. Many of our ancient mountains are crumbling and age-old ideas are collapsing, but light and love continue forever.

Prayer:

Lord, we are grateful for your Light. We stand in awe, knowing that your splendor cannot be hidden but continues to shine. Amen.