“He stood and measured the earth; looked and shook the nations; then the eternal mountains were scattered; the everlasting hills sank low. His were the everlasting ways. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.” (Habakkuk 3:6-7 ESV)
We are often at the mercy of the world around us. Though we have many technological advances that can help us predict the weather or survive in extreme conditions, we are still powerless to control the natural phenomena of the world in which we live. This powerlessness is one of the clearest ways in which mankind’s humanity is contrasted with God’s omnipotence as the Creator.
In fact, it is God’s power over the natural elements that often elicits the most fear and awe in man. For Jesus’ disciples, it was his authority to command the natural world that caused them to say, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” (Mark 8:27). When Job brought his complaints to God, God’s response was to rhetorically ask Job if the world was subject to his authority, to which Job was compelled to acknowledge the truth of his own powerlessness (Job 38-40). When the Lord thundered his law from Sinai and the mountain was covered with smoke and lightning, the people begged Moses to speak to God on their behalf lest they die (Exodus 20:19).
While such a display of God’s power can be a dreadful experience, it is one which ought to bring the deepest comfort to God’s people. Habakkuk, in these verses, continues to examine God’s display of power throughout redemptive history as a means of finding assurance in the face of destruction.
Our ability to comprehend the magnitude of the created universe, like our power to control it, is limited by the finitude of humanity. Even with all the modern technologies of the 21st century, it takes countless hours to traverse the surface of the earth. The expenditure of time and resources to simply move across the earth is immense, yet the Lord “stood and measured it.” This echoes the Lord’s question to Job,
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone[?]” (38:4-6)
Mankind has spent millennia trying to discover and understand the laws that govern the natural world, while God created it all in an instant by the power of the divine imperative. How could we not be humbled in the face of such an infinite authority?
The Lord not only measured the earth but “looked and shook the nations.” This statement would be especially significant to Habakkuk, whose pressing concern was the invasion of Babylon and subsequent captivity of Judah. Not only does the Lord reign over the earth, but he equally rules over its inhabitants. We can also see in these words the way in which God gave the land of Canaan to his people. The pagan Canaanite inhabitants were shaken and displaced, while the land was “measured” out to the tribes of Israel. Whether this is specifically what Habakkuk has in mind or not, it is certainly a legitimate connection to make when considering God’s sovereignty over the earth and its nations.
As Habakkuk continues, he delves deeper into the earth as God’s creation. While the nations reside on the surface of the earth, God also created the “eternal mountains” and “everlasting hills,” whose roots extend into the very foundations of the earth, which shake before him. Those things which are most majestic and appear immovable before man can quake and scatter before their Creator. Should Judah fear the advance of Babylon, when God has shown that the very ground on which the enemy soldiers walk obeys the voice of its Maker? We can scarcely think of anything that demonstrates the ancientness of the world more than the mountains, and yet Moses says,
“Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” (Psalm 90:2)
God’s ways are everlasting, and his existence and power extend to eternity. In light of his eternality, even the seemingly ageless hills pale in comparison.
This display of God’s power makes Cushan and Midian, representative of the peoples neighboring Israel, tremble. The peoples of the earth are not oblivious to the power of Yahweh. They see and fear his works as he brings both discipline and redemption to the sheep of his fold.
As the Lord works out his perfect providence through his covenant people, his glory is displayed among the nations and, as Isaiah says,
“It shall make a name for the LORD,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” (55:13)
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
We stand in awe before your omnipotence. May it increase in us both reverence and trust, that you may be glorified in our hearts and before the watching world.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Prayer Requests:
- Tuesday: Pray for missionaries laboring against the abuse and exploitation of children in the Philippines.
- Wednesday: Pray for the local church ministry of Crossway Church in Berlin, Germany.
- Thursday: Pray for missionaries continuing to meet the critical needs of communities in Ukraine.
- Friday: Pray for the ministry of Memorial Christian Hospital in Bangladesh.
- Saturday: Pray for missionaries serving among the Zulu people of South Africa.
- Sunday: Pray for missionaries serving in Nicaragua.
- Monday: Pray for missionaries working in sports and community outreach.
Featured Serving Opportunity:
English Conversationalist
Location: Spain
Are you looking for an opportunity to sit down and talk with people about life, family, and culture? Are you a good listener and question-asker, and do you love caring for people? We are looking for individuals who would be willing to come live in Spain for 10-12 weeks and help with our English Conversation classes.
