He had horns coming out of His hand

From the moment we open the Scriptures in Genesis 1, we see the power of God manifested in an incredible way. If we continue reading, we will see the same thing again and again: the glory of God working in the midst of men. A Hebrew custom was to recount from generation to generation those mighty works of the Lord; therefore, when we read Habakkuk 3, we must do so through that lens. Chapter 3 of the book of Habakkuk can be defined as a prophetic prayer and a psalm. This is easy to distinguish, since we see the prophet praying to God and, at the end of the chapter, he concludes: “To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.” Furthermore, we must understand that the language of the chapter is poetic; we cannot interpret it in a strictly literal manner, but as a song describing the wonders of the Lord. Let us see:

3 God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.

4 And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power.

5 Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet.
Habakkuk 3:3-5

We have read of the glory of God in various biblical texts where His presence is associated with light, fire, and radiance. A clear example is found in Exodus 19, when Sinai was filled with fire, thunder, and trembling. But notice something impressive in the text: although Habakkuk describes the glory and might of God, he also tells us that this is not even the fullness of His strength, for there “was the hiding of his power.” That is, what is visible is only a small glimpse of His greatness.

Oh, dear friend, the glory of the Lord is so sublime that even John, in his visions recorded in Revelation, could barely describe it with human words. Habakkuk highlights the power of God because he believed that the same God who had performed wonders in the past could also work in his present. That is why he cries out in verse 2:

O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.
Habakkuk 3:2

Be very careful not to think that the God who worked powerfully in your life in the past is not able to do so today. Let us have the same faith as Habakkuk. Let us go to the Scriptures and remember how He opened the Red Sea so that His people crossed on dry ground, how He stopped the Jordan, how in the wilderness He sustained them with manna that came down from heaven. Think about that! Manna falling from heaven to feed them. And even more: their clothes did not wear out, but grew with them.

We could write entire sections speaking about the glories of the Lord and we would never finish. His greatness is infinite, and the God of yesterday is still the same today. Let us pray to God to revive His work in us and in our churches.

Ultimately, this chapter reminds us of the greatness of the Lord and strengthens our faith to continue trusting that He can work today, even when problems draw near. Let us remember that Habakkuk trusts in God despite knowing that the Babylonians would come to punish Judah.

Let us sing of His wonders in the midst of pain. Let us remember His works in trial. Let us remain steadfast in the waves of our adversities, knowing that the power we saw manifested in the Old Testament was only a fraction of His glory, for His true power remains hidden and is infinitely greater.

Praised be our God forever!