Deeper Reflection
Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion of Judah in 605 B.C. (v.1) was the fulfilment of a prophecy in Habakkuk: “Behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans” (Hab 1:6a).What were these invaders like? They were “a cruel and violent people. They will march across the world and conquer other lands. They are notorious for their cruelty and do whatever they like. Their horses are swifter than cheetahs and fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their charioteers charge from far away. Like eagles, they swoop down to devour their prey. On they come, all bent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind, sweeping captives ahead of them like sand. They scoff at kings and princes and scorn all their fortresses. They simply pile ramps of earth against their walls and capture them! They sweep past like the wind and are gone” (Hab 1:6-11, NLT).How would you feel if you were an Israelite who experienced the Babylonian invasion, seeing violent soldiers killing people mercilessly – among whom were your loved ones and destroying property? “I trembled inside when I heard this; my lips quivered with fear. My legs gave way beneath me, and I shook in terror” (Hab 3:16, NLT). This was Habakkuk’s feeling. Just the hearing of the invasion made him feel that way. How much more when he sees it happening!When tragic things happen to us, it is natural and human of us to see and feel them circumstantially. But just like the Babylonian invasion of Judah, our rough and tough times are only one side of the story. There is more than meets the eye.

---

⁷ Psalm 73:26 ⁸ Isaiah 12:2 ⁹ Psalm 31:24