Though the Fig Tree Does Not Bud

Read aloud

Habakkuk ends with a confession that does not rush past fear. The prophet hears the coming judgment, and his body responds. His stomach turns. His lips tremble. His bones feel weak. He waits for the day of distress to come upon the people invading them. Trusting that God will judge the invaders does not make the prospect of invasion easy to bear.

Though the fig tree does not bud and no fruit is on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though the sheep are cut off from the fold and no cattle are in the stalls, yet I will exult in the LORD; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!

This is not a promise that every loss will quickly be reversed. The list reaches through the household economy of the ancient world: fruit, vines, oil, grain, sheep, and cattle. Habakkuk imagines the visible signs of provision disappearing one by one. He does not call the empty fields full. He chooses to rejoice in God even when the fields are empty.

That choice is rooted in God's identity, not in the prophet's ability to manufacture cheerful feelings. Habakkuk says that the Lord GOD is his strength. God makes his feet like those of a deer and enables him to tread on the heights. The image is one of steadiness and sure footing in difficult terrain. God does not promise that the prophet will never climb a hard path. He promises to be his strength on it.

The final note assigns the prayer to the choirmaster and asks that it be played on stringed instruments. A private confession becomes a song for the gathered people. That matters for families too. We may need someone else's song when our own words fail, and our honest prayers may one day help someone else stand.