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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, set to Shigionoth. |
A prayer – Habakkuk's entire prayer, recorded in this chapter of his prophecy, is symbolical. R5383:1
Rehearsing the trouble coming upon the world during the Day of the Lord from the Lord's standpoint, showing whose power really shakes the kingdoms and brings in everlasting rigtheousness. R622:4
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2 O Jehovah, I have heard the report of thee, and am afraid:
O Jehovah, revive thy work in the midst of the years;
In the midst of the years make it known;
In wrath remember mercy.
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Thy speech – Thy fame. R622:5
Midst of the years – Of the time of trouble. R622:5
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3 God came from Teman,
And the Holy One from mount Paran.
His glory covered the heavens,
And the earth was full of his praise.
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From Teman – Using the marvellous display of God's power in Israel's deliverance from Egypt as an illustration of the world's deliverance at the establishment of the Kingdom. R622:4
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4 And his brightness was as the light;
He had rays coming forth from his hand;
And there was the hiding of his power.
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His brightness – His Kingdom. R622:5
Light – Sunlight. R622:5
He had horns – Rays of light and blessing. R622:5
Out of his hand – Out of his every act. R622:5
The hiding – The secret; God's goodness is for a time kept secret, not recognized by men. R622:5
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5 Before him went the pestilence,
And fiery bolts went forth at his feet.
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Went the pestilence – Moral pestilence shall flee as darkness before the rising sun. R622:5
Coals went forth – Dross and stubble shall be consumed as rigtheousness steps in. R622:5
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6 He stood, and measured the earth;
He beheld, and drove asunder the nations;
And the eternal mountains were scattered;
The everlasting hills did bow;
His goings were as of old.
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Measured – Judged. R622:5
Drove asunder – Melted. R622:5
Everlasting mountains – Ancient governments. R622:5; A318
Scattered – Crushed to pieces. R622:5
Perpetual hills – Less autocratic governments. D551
Did bow – Sunk. R622:5
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7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction;
The curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.
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Tents of Cushan – The dwellings of darkness, of iniquity. R622:5
And the curtains – Those who caused the darkness. R622:5
Land of Midian – Strife. R622:5
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8 Was Jehovah displeased with the rivers?
Was thine anger against the rivers,
Or thy wrath against the sea,
That thou didst ride upon the horses,
Upon thy chariots of salvation?
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9 Thy bow was made quite bare;
The oaths to the tribes were a sure word. were afraid;
The tempest of waters passed by;
The deep uttered its voice,
And lifted up its hands on high.
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Oaths of the tribes – Like severe rods of punishment goeth forth thy sword. R622:6
Cleave – Open. R622:6
Rivers – Truth channels. R622:6
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11 The sun and moon stood still in their habitation,
At the light of thine arrows as they went,
At the shining of thy glittering spear.
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The sun and moon – The Law and the Gospel. D590
Refers to a future event. R1813:3
Stood still – Were darkened. "The sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her light." (Matt. 24:29) R1813:3
The miracle in Joshua's day was evidently typical of the power to be displayed by our Lord in the time of trouble. A61
See also comments on (Josh. 10:12, 13).
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12 Thou didst march through the land in indignation;
Thou didst thresh the nations in anger.
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Thou didst march – Thou wilt tread the earth under foot in thy wrath. R622:6
Thresh the heathen – Astonish the nations. R622:6
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13 Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy people,
For the salvation of thine anointed;
Thou woundedst the head out of the house of the wicked man,
Laying bare the foundation even unto the neck.
didst pierce with his own staves the head of his warriors:
They came as a whirlwind to scatter me;
Their rejoicing was as to devour the poor secretly.
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With thine anointed – With thy Christ. R622:6
Woundedst the head – Satan. R622:6
Discovering – Destroying. R622:6
The foundation – Thus a complete overthrow. R622:6
Unto the neck – With its high-towering walls. R622:6
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15 Thou didst tread the sea with thy horses,
The heap of mighty waters.
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Through the sea – The Lord's doctrines were enforced and conquered the great multitude-the "raging waves of the sea." (Jude 13) R622:6
With thine horses – With thy doctrines, which will then be enforced. R622:6
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16 I heard, and my body trembled,
My lips quivered at the voice;
Rottenness entereth into my bones, and I tremble in my place;
Because I must wait quietly for the day of trouble,
For the coming up of the people that invadeth us.
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My belly trembled – My inmost parts trembled. R622:6
At the voice – At the report. R622:6
That I might rest – In the remembrance that the trouble brings the chariots of salvation for the deliverance of the just. R622:6
In this day only those can rest who are built upon the Rock foundation and are faithfully living up to their covenant of consecration. R622:6
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17 For though the fig-tree shall not flourish,
Neither shall fruit be in the vines;
The labor of the olive shall fail,
And the fields shall yield no food;
The flock shall be cut off from the fold,
And there shall be no herd in the stalls:
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The fig tree – But from God's standpoint, the fig tree (Israel) will be budding. R5384:4
Fruit be in the vines – The Church. The fruit of the vine will feed the world in the coming age. "I am the Vine, ye are the branches." (John 15:5) R5383:2
Olive shall fail – The Church, the special people of God. R5383:2
Seem to fail. R5383:2
The olive will give life to the world during the Messianic reign. R5383:3
The fields – "The field is the world." (Matt. 13:38) R5383:3
Yield no meat – The Babylonians, Medes and Persians, Greeks, Romans, Papacy, and lately Socialism, have successfully failed to better the world. R5383:3
The flock – The Church, the Little Flock. R5383:2
Shall be cut off – Our Lord Jesus was cut off from the earthly fold when he died. So with us. R5384:1
No herd – No perfect men, with the Church glorified and the Ancient Worthies not yet here. R5383:4
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18 Yet I will rejoice in Jehovah,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
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I will rejoice – Those who will then understand--the Great Company. R5383:4
By the fall of Babylon these will be set free. Before all this is made plain to them they may use the language of our text. R5383:2
All things had seemed to them to be failures, and now they see that God's plan has not failed, but has been fulfilled. R5383:2
"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready." (Rev. 19:7) R5383:2
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19 Jehovah, the Lord, is my strength;
And he maketh my feet like hinds feet,
And will make me to walk upon my high places.
For the Chief Musician, on my stringed instruments. |
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