Hearing the message of Habakkuk

Hearing the message of HabakkukWhat does it mean to be faithful disciples in a violent and unjust world? Habakkuk described an era of rampant moral and social evil among his own people, and a vision of the rapid rise of the Babylonian empire under Nebuchadnezzar. The world he described is familiar in so many eras of human history, including our own. The frightening international tensions, confusion about political alignments and alliances, fractured moral and religious traditions,

What does it mean to be faithful disciples in a violent and unjust world? Habakkuk described an era of rampant moral and social evil among his own people, and a vision of the rapid rise of the Babylonian empire under Nebuchadnezzar. The world he described is familiar in so many eras of human history, including our own. The frightening international tensions, confusion about political alignments and alliances, fractured moral and religious traditions, and social dissolution and degradation cause the same fear and anxiety today as they did back then. Confusing is a mild world for it--international, political, religious, moral confusion. It was (and still is) a world of national wickedness and international turmoil and violence, a world in which God appears to be asleep on his watch and yet claims to be "working a work" in Habakkuk's day and ours. Hearing the Message of Habakkuk walks through the questions the prophet asked God about injustice and the jaw-dropping answers he received. This popular-level exposition addresses:
• God's silence.
• God's sovereignty.
• Living by faith.
• God's judgement.
• Trusting God's Word.

What we learn from Habakkuk's dialogue with God can help us today as we struggle to work out what it means to believe in God's sovereignty, justice, and love, and to live as faithful disciples in an unjust world.

Publisher: Zondervan
Type: Paperback
ISBN: 9780310147480

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Christopher J. H. Wright is Global Ambassador for the Langham Partnership International. His many books include Hearing the Message of Ecclesiastes, Hearing the Message of Daniel, Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament, Old Testament Ethics for the People of God, Deuteronomy (Understanding the Bible Commentary), Salvation Belongs to Our God, The Mission of God, The God I Don't Understand, and The Mission of God's People. Chris and his wife Liz, who have four adult children and eleven grandchildren, live in London, UK, and belong to All Souls Church, Langham Place.

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Chris Wright has become a trustworthy and reliable interpreter of Scripture for many in our day. He is a fine scholar fully in command of the tools of biblical scholarship. But he is also pastorally sensitive, able to hear God's address to our present context to shape a faithful missional people for the sake of the world. One does not need to climb a mountain of biblical scholarship to get a molehill of insight for the church's life and mission today. I am always delighted when Chris takes on another canonical book. It is always rich with insight for our day. This brief book on Habakkuk is no different. This book will speak to the Word of God to our day whether it guides the preacher or a group Bible study or one's personal reading. May God continue to give Chris health and may we see more books like this one!' -- Michael Goheen, Professor of Missional Theology, Calvin Theological Seminary and Missional Training Center