Day 276 (Tuesday) - Nahum 3; Habakkuk; Zephaniah 1:1-13

Habakkuk is a collection of oracles, perhaps three in number, delivered against the backdrop of the Babylonian threat to Judah in 600 BC. The first—a dialogue between the prophet and God—asks how God can remain silent when the wicked prosper. God's reply is to assure the prophet that his purposes will not fail though they seem long in coming to pass. The second oracle is an indictment of the arrogant and rapacious. The third, in which Habakkuk praises God, is a liturgical psalm. It anticipates the fulfillment of divine purposes regarding the salvation of his people. An interesting fact is that a commentary on the book of Habakkuk was found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.