Habakkuk - Summary

Title:	Habakkuk, named after its author.
Author:	This is an Oracle written by Habakkuk.  The author gives no hint of his heritage, his place of origin nor the time.
Date:	The only hint we have of when this book was written is in the fact that he refers to Babylon's conquering of Judah as a future event.  Therefore we know it was prior to 586 BC.  It is thought that Habakkuk may have witnessed the destruction of Nineveh by Babylon which would place him prophesying around 612 BC when that event took place.  It is also thought that Habakkuk was a contemporary of Zephaniah and Jeremiah.  Some also believe he may have also been a contemporary of Ezekiel and Daniel.
Main Theme	God is just.  We must wait and trust in what God is doing.  Whether we understand or not is irrelevant.  We can not question God's plan or His justice.
Location:	Unknown.
History	There is one primary note about Habakkuk that sets him apart from all the other prophets.  Habakkuk does not address any group of people.  Not Israel. Not Judah. Not any of the Hebrew people's enemies.  Rather this book is actually a discussion directly between Habakkuk and God.  Habakkuk, like Job, had questioned God's justice.  Like Job, Habakkuk also ends up realizing that God is just.  God will punish those who need to be punished whether it is the people of the pagan nations or even His own people who have strayed.
Major Characters:	Habakkuk