This week we are closing out the book of Habakkuk. Habakkuk 3 is traditionally read in synagogue services on the second day of Shavuot, or Feast of Weeks. Shavuot, which falls this year in June, is the Jewish holiday to celebrate the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai (Ex. 19). On the Christian calendar, Shavuot links to Pentecost.
Why read Habakkuk in remembrance of the Sinai theophany? Well, Habakkuk, in its own way, is a historic recount of the signs and wonders that accompanied the rescue of the Hebrews “in the days of her youth” (Hos. 2:15). In the prophet’s prayer of praise, he describes Yahweh as a cloud-riding divine warrior king. He alludes repeatedly to the events of the Exodus, wilderness wanderings, and Sinai. Habakkuk is looking forward to a future day when God will intervene in a dramatic way again, saving the people of Judah from exile and oppression. This portion of Habakkuk was composed for public reading and communal worship. I believe its incorporation into Shavuot liturgy is a fulfillment of the prophet’s intent.
