Habakkuk 1:1-12
‘Look, I raise up the Chaldeans — that bitter and hasty nation which shall march through the breadth of the land to possess the dwelling-places that are not theirs! They are terrible and dreadful!… They shall come for violence!… Are You not from everlasting, O LORD my God my Holy One? We shall not die!’ Habakkuk 1:6-12.
Calvin comments: “Destructions by the Chaldeans was nigh at hand…. God indeed testifies that He would be the Author of this war, and that the Chaldeans would fight…under His auspices…. When therefore we read that the Chaldeans were bitter and also hasty, God thus intimates that He can employ the vices of men in executing His judgments and yet contract hence no spot nor blemish…. The Chaldeans…would spread themselves over the whole Earth, and occupy regions far remote…. God…meant to show how terrible the Chaldeans would be….
“The Chaldeans would be terrible and dreadful…. The worst of men are in God’s hand — as Satan is, who is their head…. God ever remains just, whatever use He may make of instruments — yes, the very worst!… The Chaldeans would act according to their own will…. The Chaldeans would be their own judges…. The Chaldeans would exceed them (God’s people) in power and number…. Wherever the Chaldeans saw a prey, they would instantly come like an eagle to any carcass it may observe…. God’s judgment ought to have been feared…. He purposed to employ the Chaldeans as His servants, whose cruel disposition and inhumanity would be dreadful….
“The Prophet…intimates…the Chaldeans would from a distance observe their prey. Like the eagles, which are endued with incredible quickness of sight, see from mid-air every carcass lying on the ground — so also would the Chaldeans quickly discover a prey, and instantly come upon it….
“They would come to the prey…. They would be victorious before they had any contest…. They would only come for the booty…. The Chaldeans would only come for the prey. For all would become subject to them…. The east wind was very injurious…. The violence of that wind was also very great…. Whenever the Prophets wished to express a violent impetuosity, they added this comparison of the east wind…. As soon as they perceived the blowing of the east wind, they would flee away — knowing that they would be wholly unable to stand against it….
“Yet the faithful derive a holy confidence from God’s Word!… This then is what the Prophet means, when he adds — ‘Are You not our God?’…. He then subjoins — ‘We shall not die!’… We shall not die; for we are under the protection of God!…. The protection of God alone is that which can deliver us from the danger of death…. The Lord will deliver us from a thousand deaths!”
Calvin also says in his Institutes II:10:8: “‘Are You not from everlasting, O Lord my God?… We shall not die!’…(Habakkuk 1:12)…. Souls…, if not united to God by righteousness — remain estranged from Him in death. But that union…will bring perpetual salvation with it!”
God is from everlasting! We shall not stay dead! After death, believers shall live forever!
