Connect Habakkuk 3:5 with other biblical instances of God's judgment and deliverance. Setting the Scene: Habakkuk 3:5 “Plague went before Him, and Pestilence followed in His steps.” (Habakkuk 3:5) Plague as an Instrument of Judgment • Egypt’s Ten Plagues — “For this time I will send all My plagues against you and your servants and your people, so you will know that there is no one like Me in all the earth.” (Exodus 9:14) • Korah’s rebellion — “Then a plague had begun among the people, but Aaron made atonement for them… and the plague was restrained.” (Numbers 16:46-48) • David’s census — “So the LORD sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and seventy thousand men of the people died.” (2 Samuel 24:15) • Prophetic warnings — “When I send a pestilence into that land… though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they could save only themselves.” (Ezekiel 14:19-20) • Final bowls of wrath — “The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth, and loathsome, malignant sores broke out.” (Revelation 16:2) Deliverance Woven into Judgment • Passover protection — “The LORD will pass through to strike Egypt; and when He sees the blood… He will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses.” (Exodus 12:23) • Plagues spare Goshen — “Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived, was there no hail.” (Exodus 9:26) • Bronze serpent — “Everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, will live.” (Numbers 21:8-9) • Hezekiah’s trust — “The angel of the LORD went out and struck 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians.” (2 Kings 19:35) • Promise of refuge — “Though a thousand may fall at your side… no harm will come near you.” (Psalm 91:7-10) Patterns That Echo Habakkuk 3:5 1. God approaches in holiness; judgment clears the way. 2. Pestilence marks His advance against rebellion. 3. The same hand that strikes also shields the faithful. Purpose Behind the Pestilence • Reveals His supremacy (Exodus 9:14) • Exposes sin and calls for repentance (2 Chronicles 7:13-14) • Vindicates His covenant people (Exodus 8:22-23) Ultimate Deliverance in Christ • Curse borne on the cross — “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree… by His wounds you are healed.” (1 Peter 2:24) • Final rescue from wrath — “Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” (1 Thessalonians 1:10) • New creation free of plague — “Nothing unclean will ever enter it.” (Revelation 21:27) Takeaway Habakkuk 3:5 stands among many moments where God’s march of judgment doubles as a pathway to deliverance for those who trust Him. The plague that precedes Him warns the world, while His mercy gathers His own safely behind the shelter of His covenant. |
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